Fred Astaire

Acting · Born 1899-05-10 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Biography

Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, singer, actor and choreographer. He is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in the history of film. Born as Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 10, 1899, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz, a brewer, he entered show business at age 5. He was successful in vaudeville and on Broadway as well as in London's West End together with his sister Adele, a partnership that lasted 27 years. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he was teamed with Ginger Rogers, with whom he worked in 9 RKO pictures. Astaire later appeared opposite a number of…

Filmography

• Top Hat as Jerry Travers
• The Towering Inferno as Harlee Claiborne
• Funny Face as Dick Avery
• Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town as S.D. Kluger (voice)
• Holiday Inn as Ted Hanover
• The Band Wagon as Tony Hunter
• Rain Man as Self (archived footage)
• Swing Time as Lucky Garnett
• The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town as S.D. Kluger (narrator) (voice)
• Shall We Dance as Petrov

TV

• The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
• General Electric Theater as J. Willingham Bardley
• The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
• The Steve Allen Show as Self
• Dr. Kildare as Joe Quinlan
• The Oscars as Self
• Alcoa Premiere as Self - Host
• The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
• The Emmy Awards as Self
• Talking Pictures as Self (archive footage)