George Chakiris is an American actor, singer and dancer. The role of Bernardo in the film version of the legendary 1961 Broadway musical West Side Story brought him world fame and Oscar and Golden Globe awards.
The creative biography of the performer began in his school years. He studied choreography, music and vocals. At the age of 12, he first appeared in a movie, performing a cameo role as a boy from the choir in the biographical drama "Song of Love", which was released in 1947.
George is a professional dancer, singer and actor. He appeared on the Broadway stage in 1958 and soon played one of his most notable roles in musical performance and later in West Side Story.
The actor has about 50 roles in film and television. He also starred as a dancer in films with the legendary Marilyn Monroe. In addition, the artist has appeared in many famous musicals and popular entertainment programs.
Chakiris interrupted his cinematic career in 1996, and in 1997 he last appeared on the stage in England. His new hobbies were the design and manufacture of jewelry.
Biography facts
George was born in the fall of 1934 in the United States into a family of Greek immigrants Stephen Chakiris and Zoe Anastasiadou. From an early age, the boy became interested in creativity. He liked to sing and dance, so his parents sent him to music and ballet schools.
At the age of 12, George first got a small role in a movie. He played the boy from the chorus in the musical melodrama "Song of Love" starring Katharine Hepburn.
After completing his primary education at Tucson High School in Arizona, the young man entered college. In his free time, he continued to attend dance school, taking vocal and acting lessons.
After a year, he decided to drop out of college and went to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. The young man had almost no money, so he had to look for work. He got a job as a salesman in one of the central department stores, and then worked in the advertising department. At night, the young man sometimes performed in popular nightclubs, honing his dancing skills.
Creative way
In the early 1950s, Chakiris starred in many musical films. Basically, these were episodic roles of singers or dancers.
In 1953 he worked in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, where the legendary Marilyn Monroe played the leading role. Later, he repeatedly recalled these shootings and the amazing performance of the actress. She practically did not take breaks, but at the same time she always patiently waited for the dancers and musicians to rest a little to get back to work.
During this period, the actor's career included roles in projects: "The Great Caruso", "Stars and Stripes Forever", "Call Me Madame", "Second Chance", "Country Girl", "There is no such business as show business", City Toast, Dr. T.'s 5000 Fingers, Meet Me in Las Vegas.
In 1954, George appeared as a dancer in the musical "Bright Christmas". In a promotional poster for the film, he was portrayed along with the main character, played by Rosemary Clooney.
Their joint number caused literally a flurry of letters from fans. Immediately after that, Paramount offered the actor a contract to shoot the next film. Chakiris later said that he was incredibly lucky to be next to such a beautiful performer as Rosemary.
The song "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" featured in the film was nominated for an Oscar.
In the 1955 musical The Girl Rush, Chakiris danced with Rosalind Russell and received positive reviews from Hedda Hopper, a well-known actress and gossip columnist for the Washington Herald.
George did not wait for a serious role in Hollywood and, disillusioned with his career, went to New York to perform on Broadway again. Having come to audition for producer D. Robbins, the performer was hired to play Riff in the musical West Side Story.
In 1958 the play was shown at the West End and Chakiris received excellent reviews from the audience and theater critics. After that, he played in this production for almost 2 years.
In 1960, the Mirish brothers' producers bought the rights to make a film based on West Side Story. They invited George to be cast for the role of Bernardo and realized that he was the perfect candidate for this image. Filming lasted 6 months, in 1961 the musical was released.
West Side Story is based on the immortal story of Romeo and Juliet, set in modern America. Two gangs - Jets and Sharks - confront each other on the streets of Manhattan. A young man named Tony is a member of the Jet gang, and his beloved Maria is the sister of one of the leaders of the Sharks. Young people, despite the hatred that the warring parties have for each other, are ready to fight for their love to the end.
The film became a real sensation. He was nominated for 11 Oscars, 10 of which were victorious. Glory did not pass by and Chakiris. He won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The film also won 3 Golden Globe Awards, one of which went to George.
After working on this project, the production company Mirisch Company signed a long-term contract with Chakiris.
In the further career of the actor, there were roles in the projects: "Kings of the Sun", "Boubet's Bride", "Gioconda Stole", "Girl from Rochefort", "One Life to Live", "Wonder Woman", "Fantasy Island", " Dallas, Murder She Wrote, Santa Barbara, Superboy, It's a Dance!
Chakiris last appeared on the screen in 1996, playing a cameo in the English sitcom "Last of the Summer Wine".
Personal life
After 1997, George only appeared on television occasionally to give short interviews for news programs. His new hobbies were the design and manufacture of jewelry. He created his own collection of handmade jewelry "George Chakiris" from the highest standard silver.
George has never been married. The artist prefers not to tell anyone about his personal life, he never gave an interview on this topic.
