Fred Astaire

Born Frederick Austerlitz Jr. in Omaha, Neb., May 10, 1899, Fred Astaire launched his career at age 7, performing in vaudeville with his sister, Adele. The pair top-lined numerous Broadway hits in the 1920s before Adele retired in 1932.

Tinseltown beckoned to Fred, whose first significant film role -- in Flying Down to Rio (1933) -- teamed him with Ginger Rogers in a pairing that would become box-office gold as their stylish dance routines transformed movie musicals. Top Hat (1935) and Swing Time (1936) are commonly considered the duo's best work together.

Fred continued making great musicals, including Holiday Inn (1942) and Funny Face (1957), but as the genre waned, he shifted to drama, beginning with On the Beach (1959). He snagged an Oscar nod for The Towering Inferno (1974) and remained active in showbiz almost until his death from pneumonia June 22, 1987.

Filmography