Biography:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart (May 20,
1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American film and stage actor, known for his
distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he
starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five
Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime
Achievement award. He was a major MGM contract star. He also had a noted
military career and was a World War II and Vietnam War veteran, who rose to the
rank of Brigadier General in the United States Air Force Reserve.
Throughout his seven decades in Hollywood, Stewart cultivated a versatile career
and recognized screen image in such classics as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,
The Philadelphia Story, Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, Shenandoah, Rear Window,
Rope, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo. He is the most represented leading
actor on the AFI's 100 Years…100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) and AFI's 10
Top 10 lists. He is also the most represented leading actor on the 100 Greatest
Movies of All Time list presented by Entertainment Weekly. As of 2007, ten of
his films have been inducted into the United States National Film Registry.
Stewart left his mark on a wide range of film genres, including westerns,
suspense thrillers, family films, biographies and screwball comedies. He worked
for a number of renowned directors later in his career, most notably Alfred
Hitchcock, John Ford, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, George Cukor, and Anthony Mann.
He won many of the industry's highest honors and earned Lifetime Achievement
awards from every major film organization. He died at age 89, leaving behind a
legacy of classic performances, and is considered one of the finest actors of
the "Golden Age of Hollywood". He was named the third Greatest Male Star of All
Time by the American Film Institute.
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