Photograph of George Chakiris.
George Chakiris

Overview

George Chakiris (born September 16, 1934) is an American dancer and Academy Award and Golden Globe winning film actor.

Chakiris was born in Norwood, Ohio to immigrants from Greece. He made his film debut in 1947. For several years he appeared in small roles, usually as a dancer or a member of the chorus in various musical films. He was one of the dancers in Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and also appeared as a dancer alongside Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas. He can also be seen in the "Chop Suey" number in the musical film Flower Drum Song.

His biggest success came with the film West Side Story (1961), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Bernardo. He also had a starring role as a doctor in the film Diamond Head opposite Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux in 1963. He also acted (along with Gene Kelly) in Jacques Demy's French musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967).

Chakiris has also appeared on Broadway and television. In the early 1960s, he embarked on a career as a pop singer which resulted in a couple of minor hit songs (In 1960, he recorded one single with legendary producer Joe Meek).

In 1983, George Chakiris appeared in "Jekyll and Hyde... Together again" with Mark Blankfield.

Chakiris had a recurring role on the popular TV show Superboy as Professor Peterson during the series' first two seasons from 1988-1990. Chakiris last acted in a 1996 episode of the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine and has given occasional television interviews since then. He is mostly retired and has taken up jewelery making as an occupation.

Filmography

*Last of the Summer Wine - (1 episode, 1996) *Filles du Lido, Les - (1995) (mini) *Human Target - (1 episode, 1992) *Superboy - (9 episodes, 1989-1990) *Pale Blood - (1990)Michael Fury *Murder, She Wrote - (1 episode, 1989) *Santa Barbara - (1984) TV Series *Dallas - (1 episode, 1985-1986) *Hell Town - (1 episode, 1985) *One Life to Live - (1968) (unknown episodes, 1984) *Poor Little Rich Girls - (1 episode, 1984) *Nihon no omokage - (1984) (mini) TV Series *Scarecrow and Mrs. King - (1 episode, 1984) *Matt Houston - (2 episodes, 1983-1984) *CHiPs - (1 episode, 1983) *Fantasy Island - (1 episode, 1982) *Why Not Stay for Breakfast? - (1979) *Wonder Woman - (1 episode, 1978) *Return to Fantasy Island - (1978) (TV) *Medical Center - (3 episodes, 1970-1975) *Notorious Woman - (1974) (mini) TV Series *The Partridge Family - (1 episode, 1974) *Thriller - (1 episode, 1974) *Hawaii Five-O - (1 episode, 1972) *The Jackie Gleason Show - (1 episode, 1969) *The Big Cube - (1969) *Sharon vestida de rojo - (1968) *Le Rouble à deux faces - (1968) *Les Demoiselles de Rochefort - (1967) *Is Paris Burning? - (1966) *Il Ladro della Gioconda - (1966) *The High Bright Sun - (1964) *633 Squadron - (1964) *Flight from Ashiya - (1964) *Kings of the Sun - (1963) *Diamond Head - (1963) *La Ragazza di Bube - (1963) *Two and Two Make Six - (1962) *West Side Story - (1961) *Under Fire - (1957) *Ford Star Jubilee - (1 episode, 1956) *Meet Me in Las Vegas - (1956) *The Girl Rush - (1955) *There's No Business Like Show Business - (1954) *The Country Girl - (1954) (uncredited) *White Christmas - (1954) (uncredited) *Brigadoon - (1954) (uncredited) *Give a Girl a Break - (1953) *Second Chance - (1953) *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes - (1953) *The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. - (1953) *Stars and Stripes Forever - (1952) *The Great Caruso - (1951) *Song of Love - (1947)
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This biography says:

...He also had a starring role as a doctor in the film Diamond Head opposite Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux in 1963. He also acted (along with Gene Kelly) in Jacques Demy's French musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)....

This biography says:

...He was one of the dancers in Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" number in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and also appeared as a dancer alongside Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas. He can also be seen in the "Chop Suey" number in the musical film Flower Drum Song...

That biography says:

...*Notorious Woman (1974), a 7-part BBC miniseries starring Rosemary Harris as George Sand and George Chakiris as Chopin. * In 1976, the band Ambrosia recorded the song "Danse With Me, George (Chopin's Plea)", based on Sand and Chopin's romance...

This biography says:

...In the early 1960s, he embarked on a career as a pop singer which resulted in a couple of minor hit songs (In 1960, he recorded one single with legendary producer Joe Meek)....

That biography says:

...Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages, The Tornados, The Honeycombs, The Syndicats, The Buzz, Mike Berry, The Outlaws, The Moontrekkers, Gene Vincent, Billy Fury, Deke Arlon and The Offbeats, David John and The Mood, John Leyton, Geoff Goddard, Petula Clark, Lonnie Donegan, Humphrey Lyttelton, Diana Dors, The Blue Men, Tom Jones, Tony Dangerfield and the Thrills, Heinz and The Wild Boys, Dave Adams, Joy and Dave, Chico Arnez, Jimmy Miller and the Barbecues, Mike Preston, Emile Ford and the Checkmates, Chris Williams and the Monsters, Lance Fortune, Peter Jay and the Jaywalkers, Yolanda, Big Jim Sullivan, Ricky Wayne, George Chakiris, Michael Cox, Frankie Vaughan, Iain Gregory, Danny Rivers, Gerry Temple, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, The Charles Blackwell Orchestra, Don Charles, The Stonehenge Men, Andy Cavell, The Dowlands, Houston Wells and the Marksmen, The Packabeats, Jenny Moss, Burr Bailey and the Six Shooters, The Checkmates, The Saints, The Cameos, Sounds Incorporated, The Puppets, The Beat Boys, Mike Sarne, The Ambassadors, Pamela Blue, Glenda Collins, The Sharades, Roger LaVern and the Microns, Gunilla Thorne, Kim Roberts, Billie Davis, Freddie Starr and the Midnighters, Shade Joey and the Night Owls, Flip and the Dateliners, Valerie Masters, Alan Dean and His Problems, The Blue Rondos, Peter Cook, Jess Conrad, The Saxons, The Shakeouts, Bobby Rio and The Revelles, Peter London, The Four Matadors, The Cryin' Shames, The Riot Squad, The Millionaires, The Impac, Shirley Bassey, Anne Shelton, Kenny Graham and The Satellites, Tommy Steele, Chris Barber, The Fabulous Flee-Rakkers, Carter-Lewis and The Southerners, Brian White & The Magna Jazz Band, The Scorpions, Ray Dexter and The Layabouts, Neil Christian, Kenny Hollywood, Jamie Lee and The Atlantics, Toby Ventura, Wes Sands, The Thunderbolts, Silas Dooley Jr., Bobby Cristo and The Rebels, Malcolm and The Countdowns, The Diamond Twins, The Hotrods, Charles Kingsley Creation, Danny's Passion, The Classics and Joe Meek himself...
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This biography says:

...He also had a starring role as a doctor in the film Diamond Head opposite Charlton Heston and Yvette Mimieux in 1963. He also acted (along with Gene Kelly) in Jacques Demy's French musical Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)....