1939 – won juvenile Oscar
1940 – nominated for Best Actor in leading role, Babes in Arms
1944 – nominated for Best Actor in The Human Comedy
1957 – nominated for Supporting Actor in The Bold and the Brave
1980 – nominated for Supporting Actor in The Black Stallion
1993 – Honorary Oscar win
Mickey Rooney dies at 93
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I met him once, backstage after a performance of the Broadway play, The Wizard of Oz (he played “Oz” to Joanne Worley’s wicked witch). He was such a gracious man – rather shy and unassuming when he was out of the spotlight. I loved the fact that he promoted charitable giving to the Salvation Army. Truly, one of the last great film artists of the 1940s is gone. Sad day.
The Honorary Oscar was not in 1993 but 1983. At the ceremony he recalled: “When I was 19, I was the number-one star for two years. When I was 40, nobody wanted me. I couldn’t get a job”
He was also one of the few Hollywood people who never abandoned Judy and was always trying to encourage her. There’s a clip of the two when he guested on her variety show in the late 60s… After the drugs etc..
And you can see how she lit up around him, seemed at ease.
You have to admire an actor that came of age in an era of the ‘Traditional Hollywood Leading Man’
While he praised the Brando-Dean-Clift generation, he would deride the Victor Matures …
His favorite modern actor was Russell Crowe. The man understood what acting was.
I think a legendary actor of old Hollywood deserves more than this post. Mickey Rooney was more than just the sum of his Oscar nominations. I am pretty certain Mickey Rooney is up there with the longest running career surpassing the likes of Lillian Gish.
Rest in peace dear Mickey Rooney. You were one of my favorites. Mickey Rooney was the number 1 star in the world during the 1940s and despite his successful career he served our country for two years during World War II. Thank you Mickey.
He was the epitome of old Hollywood from his countless shorts as Mickey McGuire, Andy Hardy films with his lovely friend Judy Garland to Captains Courageous and Boys Town with Spencer Tracy, The Human Comedy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Requiem for a Heavyweight, The Black Stallion, the Fox and the Hound, to more recently in Night at the Museum. His countless TV appearances include ER to his memorable role as Sophia’s boyfriend in Golden Girls and his Emmy winning turn in the TV movie, Bill. On stage he was a Tony nominee in his fantastic performance in Sugar Babies.
An interesting fact about Mickey. He met Walt Disney during his shorts of Mickey McGuire where Walt had named his mouse Mortimer Mouse, but legend has it Walt changed it to Mickey Mouse from his encounter and like of Mickey Rooney. Rooney also is known for the name of Norma Jeane Mortenson to the famous Marilyn Monroe.
We love you Mickey !! Hope you and Judy are having a lovely reunion up in heaven.
Yvette – Love Ava’s retort. I can just picture her face and hear that smoky voice as she says it. She originated the “snap”.
When he was teenager at the MGM lot, he was supposedly performing sexual favors to Golden Age stars like Norma Shearer in dressing rooms.
#eulogy
‘I’m sure he gave hope to millions of ordinary guys when the 22 yr old perpetual “kid” landed the most beautiful woman in the world since Helen of Troy – Ava Gardner…’
Steve50,
One of my favorite celebrity anecdotes: Decades after they had divorced, when a friend/Hollywood cohort was speaking mockingly about Rooney, deriding his lack of height, Ava reprehended him:
‘Mick is more of a man you’ll ever be!’
Despite their stormy relationship, and Rooney’s rascally ways, Ava always spoke affectionately about him.
When he was teenager at the MGM lot, he was supposedly performing sexual favors to Golden Age stars like Norma Shearer in dressing rooms.
Mm. And Ill always love him as loveable, drunk, dragon-fearing Lampie in 1978’s Pete’s Dragon. 🙂
The two times I met him, he was so jovial. Always had that twinkle in his eyes. He loved and supported the Hollywood community!
Farewell to perhaps a legendary actor who is talent always shine and was always optimistic. I remember seeing him in It Came Upon a Midnight Clear when I was younger and his Honorary Oscar in 1982 that he got on my Oscar Greatest Moments VHS tape. I also remembering seeing Sugarbabies on tv in the early 2000s
Loved him, what a great talent he was. I mean his dad started him out in show business when he was a toddler! I love him with Judy garland they were great together, and I agree he should of won for the black stallion!
I also loved seeing him for years at every Oscar red carpet, sad he’s gone but I heard he was very ill.
Great actor. Brando called him one of the greats, who was limited in many ways in his prime because he didn’t have the traditional ‘movie star looks’.
SeattleMoviegoer, his work in The Human Comedy was fantastic, but he was brilliant in The Comedian. The guy could do anything, sing and dance with Garland, be improvisational, crazy and edgy and The Comedian, Pulp etc….and subtle, nuanced and naturalistic in The Black Stallion, Requiem for a Heavyweight.
To those who only saw the ‘wacky’ Mickey persona, they missed what made this man a true American treasure.
One of the last, great things he did was Animals and the Tollkeeper, where he is silent, and yet powerful…
I always loved how Rooney was naturalistic ‘method’ before Brando, Dean and Clift came along…as a kid growing up on the MGM lot, he had admired not Gable and Bogart, but Paul Muni because of his naturalism, minimalism…He was one of the few actors who had come from the studio system to praise Brando, Dean and Clift.
He once said something to the effect of: He couldn’t rely on the surface of a performance because he wasn’t Gregory Peck,..as an actor, all he had to rely on was ‘characterization’.
He was a true actor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5OF012_v_w
8 wives, 9 kids, 6 divorces. He once even divorced one woman and married another the same day.
Pete Hammond, deadline.com, has a lovely Remembrance of Mickey.
Against all odds, the diminutive Rooney had a long and hugely successful career. He was fearless choosing projects – a real showman. I was surprised when they didn’t honor him for Best Supporting Actor for The Black Stallion because Douglas had won previously.
I’m sure he gave hope to millions of ordinary guys when the 22 yr old perpetual “kid” landed the most beautiful woman in the world since Helen of Troy – Ava Gardner.
Mickey Rooney was the ‘ever ready bunny’ of Hollywood. RIP
Oh my, I grew up watching his movies. Boys Town and the Black Stallion are my faves. A Great talent. A great personality. Roger Friedman’s column, showbiz411, is stating that his wife is missing. Does anybody know anything? Mickey & she separated in 2012 and no one seems to know where she’s at.
He was still working up to this year — AMAZING!
one of the all time greats. certainly one of the most versatile entertainers of my lifetime. if anyone hasn’t seen it, check out THE HUMAN COMEDY–his best performance. With Frank Morgan, Fay Bainter, Donna Reed, etc., it’s a lovely slice-of-life piece of Americana made during WWII that really brings on the tears.
i still wish there were more true movie buffs on this site rather than those who can only work up enthusiasm over current fare and the likes of Scarlett Johansson.
Luise Rainer is 104!
the legends do seem to be going fast as of late. Is Olivia de Havilland the oldest living Oscar winner/nominee of note?