Actor Tony Curtis Is Dead
Actor Tony Curtis in a 1965 file photo. Anonymous/Associated Press hide caption
Actor Tony Curtis died late Wednesday in Las Vegas, Nev. of heart failure, according to local officials. His notable roles included 'Spartacus', 'Some Like It Hot' and "The Sweet Smell of Success', which critic Pauline Kael said was one of the best of his career. Curtis earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for 'The Defiant Ones', portraying a racist who escapes prison, handcuffed to Sidney Poitier.
NPR's Bob Mondello reflects that Curtis was a versatile actor who strove not to be typecast but initially faced problems because of his too-good looks, and his marriage to actress Janet Leigh. Mondello says the couple were the Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie Hollywood power couple of their day.
Curtis describing himself: 'You had all that dark hair, blue eyes...a nice figure, going round, kissing girls, a lot of energy..I mean, how could you not go for me? I even went for me!' See it below.