Jack Palance Biography

Fast Facts

• After being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor several times throughout his career, he finally took the statue home in 1992 for his role as Curly in "City Slickers"
• Recorded several country rock music albums beginning in the late 1960s
• To help earn money to support his poor mining family, he became a professional boxer in hid teens and eventually went on to win 15 consecutive fights with 12 knockouts
• Quote: "The only two things you can truly depend upon are gravity and greed․"
• Quote: "One of the most important reasons for living is to do something - live outside of yourself and put together an idea, an idea that you want to explore and then complete․ ․․․ Awaken your creative sensitivities!"
• After leaving Stanford to pursue acting, he gained fame while working as an understudy to Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire" which would lead to his Broadway debut not long after in 1947
• Regained popularity in the 1980s after agreeing to host ABC's "Ripley's Believe It or Not", which would later propel him to appear on several television projects throughout the '80s up until his death in the early 2000s
• Comic book creator Jack Kirby reportedly based his Darkseid character after him
• Forced to bail from a burning B24 bomber during a military training exercise after enlisting during World War II which led to several reconstructive facial surgeries
• Once fell asleep on set while taping "The Hollywood Squares"