Sal Mineo Biography

Fast Facts

• Arrested at the age of 10 for robbery, he was given the choice of juvenile detention or professional acting classes
• Victim of a homicide after being stabbed only once in a back alley behind his West Hollywood apartment at the age of 37
• After years of acting in numerous stage productions, he turned his sights on directing and made his directorial debut with Fortune and Men's Eyes, a play that garnered critical acclaim in both New York and Los Angeles
• Gained immediate recognition in the film industry after landing an Oscar nomination for his role in "Rebel Without a Cause" at the age of 16
• Often could not escape typecasting, as his popularity peaked as a teenager and later after portraying a stalker in "Who Killed Teddy Bear?"
• Served as the model for Harold Stevenson's painting, "The New Adam", a work that is a part of the Guggenheim Museum's permanent collection