Mickey Rooney

Trivia of Mickey Rooney (23 September 1920 – 6 April 2014)

*Mickey Rooney was actually born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr. in 1920. The long process of this Ninnian guy becoming Mickey Rooney began when he changed his name to Sonny Yule then to Mickey McGuire, Mickey Looney, and, finally, Mickey Rooney.He made his first theatrical appearance at age 1, and then regularly appears as part of his parents’ vaudeville act.

*His film debut was in the movie Not to Be Trusted (1926) and his most recent film was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2014). This gives him a record 87-year career as a movie actor, the longest cinema career of all time.His films numbered 340.

*In late 1930's, Rooney was selected to portray Andy Hardy in A Family Affair, which MGM had planned as a B-movie. Rooney provided comic relief as the son of Judge James K. Hardy, portrayed by Lionel Barrymore. The film was an unexpected success, and led to 13 more Andy Hardy films between 1937 and 1946, and a final film in 1958. His son, Teddy, also an actor, appeared with him in the final Andy Hardy film Andy Hardy Comes Home in 1958. He played (who else?) Andy Hardy Jr.

*In 1937, Rooney made his first film alongside Judy Garland with Thoroughbreds Don't Cry. Garland and Rooney became close friends as they co-starred in future films and became a successful song-and-dance team. Audiences delighted in seeing the "playful interactions between the two stars showcase a wonderful chemistry". Along with three of the Andy Hardy films, where she portrayed a girl attracted to Andy, they appeared together in a string of successful musicals, including coming-of-age musical Babes in Arms (1939).

*At age 19, he became the first teenager to be Oscar-nominated in a leading role for Babes in Arms (1939).

*His first of eight marriages was to Ava Gardner but his marriage to Jan Rooney was longer than those of all wives.

*During his long career, Rooney also worked with many of the screen's female stars, including Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet (1944) and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)." With his appearing with Marilyn Monroe in The Fireball (1950) and with Grace Kelly in The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), Rooney is the only actor ever co-starring with four of the greatest female screen legends ever.