Robert Mitchum Biography

Fast Facts

• Ranked No․ 23 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years․․․ 100 Stars" list for Male Legends
• Received the World War II Victory Medal after serving as a medic in the military
• After working as a ghostwriter for a local astrologer, he was convinced by his sister to join her in the local theater guild where he was a stagehand for the company
• Began working as an extra in movies as a stress-free job after suffering from a nervous breakdown while working as a machine operator for Lockheed Aircraft
• Quote: "I have two acting styles: with and without a horse․"
• Widely known for portraying indifferent characters who maintain a cool façade
• Frequently plays as a loner or drifter in the films he participates in
• President Eisenhower banned his movies from being played at the White House after Mitchum was accused of marijuana possession
• Known for his mischief, he was expelled as a child from his middle school after fighting with the principal
• Turned down the lead role in "Patton," which went on to win an Academy Award
• Despite his "bad boy" image, he like the write poetry in his spare time