Remembering the actor and entertainer Mickey Rooney
One of Hollywood’s most enduring stars, Mickey Rooney made his stage debut at just 17 months old, performing alongside his parents who were vaudeville performers, and his big break came in the 1930s with the role of Andy Hardy in the hugely popular Andy Hardy film series
Remembering the actor and entertainer Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney was born Joseph Yule Jr. on September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, to a family of vaudeville performers. He made his stage debut at just 17 months old, performing alongside his parents. By the time he was six, Rooney had moved to Hollywood and began appearing in short films. His screen name, Mickey Rooney, was adopted early in his career.
Rooney’s big break came in the 1930s with the role of Andy Hardy in the hugely popular Andy Hardy film series, where he played a wholesome, all-American teenager. His charm and energy endeared him to audiences, and he became one of the most popular and highest-paid actors in the world by the late 1930s and early 1940s. During this period, Rooney also starred alongside Judy Garland in a series of MGM musicals, including “Babes in Arms” (1939), which earned him an Academy Award nomination at just 19 years old.
Rooney served in World War II, entertaining troops and briefly stepping away from Hollywood, but returned to reclaim his status as an entertainer.
Rooney’s transition from child star to adult actor was challenging, but he continued to work steadily in a variety of roles. He received critical acclaim for his dramatic performances in films like “The Bold and the Brave” (1956) and “The Black Stallion” (1979), the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Rooney also found success on television, starring in shows like “The Mickey Rooney Show” in the 1950s.
In addition to his film and television career, Rooney had a notable presence on Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination for his role in “Sugar Babies” (1979).
Mickey Rooney was married eight times and had nine children. His tumultuous relationships, financial difficulties, and struggles with addiction often made headlines but despite all of it, Rooney continued to work, eventually appearing in over 300 films throughout his lifetime.
In his later years, Rooney became an advocate for elder abuse awareness after testifying before Congress in 2011 about his own experience of financial exploitation.
Mickey Rooney passed away on April 6, 2014, at the age of 93. He left behind an extraordinary legacy as one of the longest-working actors in Hollywood history. Spanning silent films to contemporary cinema, Rooney’s career reflected the evolution of American entertainment over nearly a century.
Today, Mickey Rooney remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars, whose influence stretches across multiple generations of film and television.
Watch Mickey Rooney receiving an Honorary Academy Award in 1983
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