The Defiant Ones actor Tony Curtis’ Hollywood career spanned more than six decades with memorable roles across all genres. He also became a father of six throughout his six marriages before his death in 2010 at the age of 85. Some of his children went on to follow in his footsteps and become actors.
Tony, born in 1925, served overseas in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Once he returned home from the war, he began studying acting in college. This ultimately led him on the path to stardom when he traveled to Hollywood in his early 20s. Tony’s big break came under his contract with Universal Pictures when he snagged the lead role in 1951’s The Prince Who Was a Thief.
That year, he married his first wife, Janet Leigh. She also led an incredible film career during Hollywood’s Golden Age, starred on Broadway and authored several books. The superstar pair welcomed their first child together, daughter Kelly Curtis, in 1956. Their second daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, was born in 1958. The Academy Award nominee and the Bye Bye Birdie actress divorced in 1962.
The New York native married his Taras Bulba costar, Christine Kaufmann, in 1963. Together they welcomed daughters Alexandra Curtis in 1964 and Allegra Curtis in 1966. The couple divorced in 1968 as Tony earned critical acclaim for starring in the biographical crime drama The Boston Strangler.
In 1968, the Golden Globe winner walked down the aisle for the third time with Leslie Allen. Together they welcomed two sons: Nicholas Curtis in 1970 and Benjamin Curtis in 1973. Nicholas died at the age of 23 in 1994, leaving Tony devastated.
He did not welcome any more children in his other three marriages to Andrea Savio, Lisa Deutsch and Jill Vandenberg. Though Tony’s busy schedule meant he wasn’t always around in person for his children, they all know deep down that family is what mattered to him the most.
“I think my dad’s greatest accomplishment is that he became a big star and was able to take care of his family,” Allegra told Closer in January 2021. “He had a wonderful way of bringing us all together.”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Tony’s six kids and blended family.
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