Jerry Lewis Biography

Fast Facts

• Has served as a chairman to the Muscular Dystrophy Association since the early 1950s and hosted the non-profit's annual telethon from 1952-2010
• Owned a stake in a chain of franchised movie theaters from 1969 to 1980 for which he lent his name, however, the business would eventually declare bankruptcy in 1980
• Began performing at the age of five alongside his parents and debuted his first comedy routine in his teens
• Quote: "Going unnoticed has never been my strong suit! I'm a multi-faceted, talented, wealthy, internationally famous genius․ People don't like that․ My answer to all my critics is simple: I like me․ I like what I've become․"
• Quote: "Other comedy teams never generated anything like the hysteria that [Dean Martin] and I did, and that was because we had the X factor--the powerful feeling between us․ And it really was an X factor, a kind of mystery․"
• Following a successful film career throughout the '50s and '60s, he often pursued stage productions later in life and made his Broadway debut in 1994 at the age of 68 in Damn Yankees
• Gained initial popularity alongside Dean Martin recording comedy skits on the radio and later performing live at clubs including the famed Copacabana in New York City where the team would eventually begin earning more than $30,000 per week
• Officially broke off his professional partnership with Dean Martin on July 24, 1956 and it wasn't until 1976 that the two would come into contact once again, after belabored insistence from friend Frank Sinatra
• Nominated for a Nobel Prize in 1977 for his continued efforts of raising awareness for muscular dystrophy
• Suffered a serious back injury while performing at the Sands in Las Vegas in 1965 which almost left him paralyzed