Actor Tony Curtis Dies At 85-Years-Old

NEW YORK, September 30, 2010 - Oscar-nominated actor Tony Curtis died at his home Wednesday night at the age of 85. A representative of his daughter, actress Jamie Lee Curtis, confirmed the death.

Curtis was married six times. His first (and most famous) wife was the actress Janet Leigh (1927–2004), to whom he was married for 11 years (June 4, 1951 – 1962), and with whom he fathered actresses Jamie Lee and Kelly Curtis. "For a while, we were Hollywood's golden couple," he says. "I was very dedicated and devoted to Janet, and on top of my trade, but in her eyes that goldenness started to wear off. I realized that whatever I was, I wasn't enough for Janet. That hurt me a lot and broke my heart."[cite this quote] It was Leigh's third marriage. Curtis, who admits to his infidelity throughout their marriage, divorced Leigh in 1962 to marry Christine Kaufmann, the 17-year-old German co-star of his latest film, Taras Bulba He states, however, that his marriage with Leigh had effectively ended "a year earlier".[3] They had two children.

Curtis was also married to:
Leslie Allen (April 20, 1968 – 1982); divorced, two children
Andria Savio (1983; 1992); B movie actress (e.g. 1983's Stryker)
Lisa Deutsch (February 28, 1993 – 1994); divorced
Jill Vandenberg Curtis (November 6, 1998 – September 29, 2010; his death)

Curtis' handprints at the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park
In 1998, he founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and served as honorary chairperson. This is for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. He dedicated this to the 600,000 Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.

His son Nicholas (with Leslie Allen) died of a heroin overdose on April 2, 1994, at the age of 23. Of this Curtis said, "As a father you don't recover from that. There isn't a moment at night that I don't remember him."

Curtis stated on the television series Shrink Rap that he had a brief relationship with Marilyn Monroe in 1949 which had to end due to their different work commitments.[8] He also details their brief relationship in his memoir, American Prince.

His last wife was 42 years his junior. They met in a restaurant in 1993 and married in 1998. "The age gap doesn't bother us. We laugh a lot. My body is functioning and everything is good. She's the sexiest woman I've ever known. We don't think about time. I don't use Viagra either. There are 50 ways to please your lover."[cite this quote]
Because of his Hungarian descent he participated in Hungary's country image commercials. In 2004 16% more American tourists visited Hungary.

In 2004, he was inducted into the UNLV Hall of Fame.[10] A street is named after him in the Sun City Anthem development in Henderson, Nevada.

Curtis nearly died when he contracted pneumonia in December 2006 and was in a coma for several days. As a result he used a wheelchair and could only walk short distances.

In October 2008, Curtis released his latest autobiography American Prince: A Memoir (Harmony Books), written with Peter Golenbock.[12] In it, he elaborates on encounters with other Hollywood legends of the time including Frank Sinatra and James Dean, as well as his hard-knock childhood and path to success.

There is a mural of him on US Highway 101 Southbound at the Sunset Blvd. exit.
On May 22, 2009, Curtis apologized to the BBC radio audience after he used three profanities in a six-minute interview with BBC presenter William Crawley. The presenter also apologized to the audience for Curtis's "Hollywood realism." Curtis explained that he thought the interview was being taped, when it was in fact live.

On July 15, 2010, Curtis was hospitalized in Las Vegas after suffering an asthma attack during a book signing engagement in Henderson, Nevada at Costco.

Tony Curtis died peacefully in bed at his US home, on September 29, 2010.

Give us your Feedback about this story!