Cast & creator
Tony Curtis
Best known for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Graham Norton Show
Tony Curtis (June 3, 1925 – September 29, 2010) was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama. In his later years, Curtis made numerous television appearances. Although his early film roles were partly the result of his good looks, by the later half of the 1950's he became a notable and strong screen presence. He began proving himself to be a “fine dramatic actor,” having the range to act in numerous dramatic and comedy roles. In his earliest parts he acted in a string of "mediocre" films, including swashbucklers, westerns, light comedies, sports films, and a musical. However, by the time he starred in Houdini (1953) with his wife Janet Leigh, "his first clear success," notes critic David Thomson, his acting had progressed immensely. He won his first serious recognition as a skilled dramatic actor in Sweet Smell of Success (1957) with co-star Burt Lancaster. The following year he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in another drama, The Defiant Ones (1958). Curtis then gave what many believe was his best acting, in a completely different role, the comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). Thomson calls it an "outrageous film," and it was voted the number 1 funniest film in history from a survey done by the American Film Institute. It costarred Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, and was directed by Billy Wilder. That was followed by Blake Edwards’ comedy Operation Petticoat (1959) with Cary Grant. They were both “frantic comedies,” and displayed "his impeccable comic timing." He often collaborated with Edwards on later films. His most significant serious part came in 1968 when he starred in the true-life drama The Boston Strangler, which some consider his "last major film role." The part reinforced his reputation as a serious actor with his "chilling portrayal" of serial killer Albert DeSalvo. He gained 30 pounds and had his face "rebuilt" with a false nose to look like the real DeSalvo. Curtis was the father of actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Kelly Curtis by his first wife, actress Janet Leigh.
Also known as: Bernard Herschel Schwartz, Anthony Curtis, Тони Кертис, تونی کورتیس
185
film credits
51
television credits
225
1948–2026 · acting roles
6.4
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (236)
Showing 236 of 236 credits
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Tony Curtis
2000
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
The View
Self
1997
What's My Line?
Self
1950
Sacrée soirée
Self
1987The Johannes B. Kerner Show
Self
1998
The Dick Cavett Show
Self - Guest
1968
The Flintstones
Stony Curtis (voice)
1960
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Dr. Mamba
1993
Wetten, dass..?
Self
1981
Dinah!
Self
1974
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Bambi
Self
1948
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
1950
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Recipient
1956The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest
1956
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (uncredited)
1968Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
1968
The Oscars
Self
1953
Hope & Faith
Morris
2003
Vega$
Roth
1978Vega$
Roth (uncredited)
1978
The UnXplained
Self (archive footage)
2019
This Is Your Life
Self
1952
People's Choice Awards
Self
1975Goldene Kamera
Self
1984
The Persuaders!
Danny Wilde
1971
Suddenly Susan
Peter DiCaprio
1996
Startime
The Juggler
1959Startime
Executive Producer
1959
Rosemary's Baby
Donald Baumgart (voice) (uncredited)
1968V.I.P. Schaukel
Self
1971
Sex and the Single Girl
Bob Weston
1964Sex and the Single Girl
Executive Producer
1964
Some Like It Hot
Joe (Josephine)
1959
The Late Late Show
Self
1962Please Turn the Page
Self
1977
Talking Pictures
Self (archive footage)
2013
Spartacus
Antoninus
1960
The American Film Institute Salute to ...
Self
1973
Roseanne
1988
Bracken's World
1969
The Dame Edna Experience
Self
1987
Matin Bonheur
Self
1987The Rosemary Clooney Show
Self
1956
This Morning
Self
1988
The Mrs Merton Show
Self
1995
Shrink Rap
Self
2007
Un film et son époque
Self
2003
The Great Race
The Great Leslie
1965
The Vikings
Eric
1958The Vikings
Executive Producer
1958
General Electric Theater
Mario Galindo
1953General Electric Theater
David
1953
Play It to the Bone
Tony Curtis (Ringside Fan)
1999
Sweet Smell of Success
Sidney Falco
1957Sweet Smell of Success
Executive Producer
1957
Operation Petticoat
Lieutenant Nicholas Holden
1959
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Charlie
1951
The Count of Monte-Cristo
Fernand Morcerf Mondego
1975
The Mirror Crack'd
Martin N. Fenn
1980
The Hollywood Greats
Self (archive footage)
1977
Paris When It Sizzles
Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe (uncredited)
1964
The Defiant Ones
John 'Joker' Jackson
1958
Murder in Three Acts
Charles Cartwright
1986
The Boston Strangler
Albert DeSalvo
1968
Winchester '73
Doan
1950
You Can't Win 'Em All
Adam Dyer
1970
Captain Newman, M.D.
Cpl. Jackson "Jake" Leibowitz
1963Captain Newman, M.D.
Executive Producer
1963
The Last Tycoon
Rodriguez
1976
The Black Shield of Falworth
Myles Falworth
1954
The Prince Who Was a Thief
Julna
1951
Who Was That Lady?
David Wilson
1960
The Manitou
Harry Erskine
1978
The List of Adrian Messenger
Organ Grinder
1963
Monte Carlo or Bust!
Chester Schofield
1969
Naked in New York
Carl Fisher
1993
Don't Make Waves
Carlo Cofield
1967Don't Make Waves
Executive Producer
1967
On My Way to the Crusades, I Met a Girl Who...
Guerrando da Montone
1967
The Perfect Furlough
Paul Hodges
1958
Dream Girl: The Making of Marilyn Monroe
Tony Curtis
2022
40 Pounds of Trouble
Steve McCluskey
1962
Criss Cross
Gigolo (uncredited)
1949
Club Life
Hector
1986
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff
Eric (archive footage) (uncredited)
2010
Taras Bulba
Andrei Bulba
1962
Rat Pack
Self (archive footage)
2022
The Midnight Story
Joe Martini
1957
Six Bridges to Cross
Jerry Florea
1955
Boeing, Boeing
Bernard Lawrence
1965
Insignificance
The Senator
1985
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
The Fabulous Allan Carr
Self (archive footage)
2017
Son of Ali Baba
Kashma Baba
1952
The Masqueraders
Danny Wilde
1980
Houdini
Harry Houdini
1953
From Roger Moore with Love
Self (archive footage)
2024
The Great Impostor
Ferdinand Waldo Demara Jr. / Martin Donner / Dr. Gilbert / Ben. W. Stone / Dr. Joseph Mornay / Robert Boyd Hammnd
1960
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
Self
1995
The Rawhide Years
Ben Matthews
1956
Elvis Meets Nixon
Tony Curtis
1997
No Room for the Groom
Alvah Morrell
1952
Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball
Wald
1997
Marlon Brando: An Actor Named Desire
Self - Actor (archive footage)
2014
Not With My Wife, You Don't!
Tom Ferris
1966Not With My Wife, You Don't!
Executive Producer
1966
Francis
Captain Jones
1950
The Lady Gambles
Bellboy (as Anthony Curtis)
1949
Chamber of Horrors
Mr. Julian (uncredited)
1966
Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came?
Shannon Gambroni
1970
The Bad News Bears Go to Japan
Marvin Lazar
1978
The Purple Mask
Rene de Traviere / The Purple Mask
1955
Hugh Hefner: American Playboy
Self
2003
Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration
2003
The Scarlett O'Hara War
David O. Selznick
1980
Casanova & Co.
Giacomo Casanova / Giacomino
1977
Playboy's 25th Anniversary Celebration
Self
1979
Arrivederci, Baby!
Nick Johnson
1966
A Century of Cinema
Self
1994
The Rat Race
Pete Hammond Jr.
1960
Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom
Self (archive footage)
2022Jerry Lewis - König der Komödianten
Self (archive footage)
2006
Kings Go Forth
Caporal Britt Harris
1958
Pictures of Ghosts
Self (archive footage)
2023
Magic with the Stars
Harry Houdini (archive footage) (uncredited)
1982McCoy
McCoy
1975
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
Johnny Steele
1994
Sierra
Brent Coulter
1950
David & Fatima
Mr. Schwartz
2008
Rescued from the Closet
Self
2001
Trapeze
Tino Orsini
1956
Little Miss Marker
Blackie
1980
The Celluloid Closet
Self
1996
The Legend of Marilyn Monroe
1966
Morceaux de Cannes
Self (archive footage)
2021
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2006The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'
Thanks
2006
The Million Dollar Face
Chester Masterson
1981
The Immortals
Dominic
1995
Walter and Carlo in America
WIlly La Rouge
1989
The Third Girl from the Left
Joey Jordan
1973
The Outsider
Ira Hamilton Hayes
1961
Bandit: Beauty and the Bandit
Lucky Bergstrom
1994
Mission: Monte Carlo
Danny Wilde (archive footage)
1974
Inmates: A Love Story
Flanagan
1981
Portrait of a Showgirl
Joey DeLeon
1982
Kansas Raiders
Kit Dalton
1950
Goodbye Charlie
George Wellington Tracy
1964
Marilyn at the Movies
Self (archive footage)
2011
So This Is Paris
Joe Maxwell
1954
Woman in Hiding
Dave Shaw (voice) (uncredited)
1950
Forbidden
Eddie Darrow
1953
Pepe
Tony Curtis
1960
BrainWaves
Dr. Clavius
1983
The Switch
Danny Wilde
1976
Lobster Man from Mars
J.P. Shelldrake
1990
Christmas in Connecticut
Alexander Yardley
1992
Beachhead
Burke
1954
Banter
Charles Foster
1986
Nobody's Perfect: The Making of Some Like It Hot
Self
2001
Tony Curtis: Driven to Stardom
Self
2012
The World's Most Beautiful Girls
Self
1953
The Passenger – Welcome to Germany
Mr. Cornfield
1988
Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box
Narrator (voice) / Self
1991
Come Back Little Shiksa
1952
Sparky's Magic Piano
1987
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Self
1986
Flesh and Fury
Paul Callan
1952
Balboa
Ernie Stoddard
1983
Norman Jewison, Film Maker
Self (uncredited)
1971Norman Jewison, Film Maker
Thanks
1971
Half Nelson
1985
Where Is Parsifal?
Parsifal Katzanella-Boden
1984
Johnny Stool Pigeon
Joey Hyatt
1949
City Across the River
Mitch (as Anthony Curtis)
1949
Roxanne's Best Christmas Ever
Bernard (voice)
1998
Sextette
Alexei Karansky
1978
I Was a Shoplifter
Pepe
1950
Tarzan in Manhattan
Archimedes Porter
1989
Mister Cory
Cory
1957
Center of the Web
Stephen Moore
1992
The All American
Nick Bonelli
1953Marilyn Monroe: In The Movies
2012
Reflections of Evil
Host
2002
It Rained All Night the Day I Left
Robert Talbot
1980
Miss Glucksman Visits Hollywood
1954
Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel
Self
2009
How to Smuggle a Hernia Across the Border
1949
Thanksgiving Day
Max Schloss
1990
Marilyn Monroe: I Want to Be Loved
Self
2010
A Star Is Born World Premiere
Self
1954
The Re-Inforcer
Tony Boffo
1951100 Years of the Idiot: A Jerry Lewis Centenary
2026
The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2006The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'
Thanks
2006A Spot In The Shade
1951
Wild and Wonderful
Terry Williams
1964
Johnny Dark
Johnny Dark
1954
The Users
Randy Brent
1978An Eye for an Eye
1952
Midnight
Mr. B
1989Nightmare
Tony
1956Hollywood Legenden
Self
2004Hugh Hefner: Once Upon a Time
Self
1992
Hollywood sul Tevere
2009
Lepke
Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter
1975
The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man
Jack Steele
1997
Meet Danny Wilson
Nightclub Patron
1952
The Mummy Lives
Aziru / Dr. Mohassid
1993
Prime Target
Copella
1991
People, Hopes, Medals
Self
1960
Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot'
Self
2001Tony Curtis on 'Some Like It Hot'
Thanks
2001
Louis & Frank
Lenny Star Springer
1998
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
Self (archive footage)
2012Watch On The Lime
1951
Allen in Movieland
Self
1955
Mafia Princess
Sam Giancana
1986
The Last Appointment!
Danny Wilde
1977
The Persuaders!
Danny Wilde
1973
The Square Jungle
Eddie Quaid / Packy Glennon
1955Fairfax Avenue
1951Death Becomes Me
Danny Wilde (archive footage)
1979
Title Shot
Frank Renzetti
1979
Stargames
King Fendel
1998
Sporting Chance
Danny Wilde (archive footage)
1975
The Jill & Tony Curtis Story
2008
London Conspiracy
Danny Wilde (archive footage)
1974
Black Commando
Col. Iago
1982Nightmare
1951
Amicalement vôtre : Hollywood au service de sa Majesté
Danny Wilde
2017
That's Insignificance
Self
2011Tony Curtis erzählt...
Self
2010