Jack Palance
Biography
Jack Palance, born Volodymyr Palahniuk on February 18, 1919, was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. The son of Ukrainian immigrants born in Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania, he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and briefly attended Stanford University before pursuing a theatre career. He made his film acting debut in the 1950 film Panic in the Streets. Throughout his career, he was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, receiving nods for Sudden Fear in 1952 and Shane in 1953, and winning the award almost 40 years later for City Slickers in 1991. Palance died on November 10, 2006, at the age of 87, leaving behind a legacy of 163 known acting credits in movies and television shows.
Career overview
Jack Palance was an American actor born Volodymyr Palahniuk on February 18, 1919, in Lattimer Mines, Pennsylvania. The son of Ukrainian immigrants, he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II and briefly attended Stanford University before pursuing a career in the theatre. Known primarily for playing tough guys and villains, Palance made his film acting debut in the 1950 film Panic in the Streets.
Throughout his career, he amassed 163 known acting credits across movies and television shows. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His early nominations were for his performances in Sudden Fear in 1952 and Shane in 1953. Nearly forty years later, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in the 1991 film City Slickers.
Palance passed away on November 10, 2006, at the age of 87. His extensive body of work in film and television established his lasting reputation as a distinct and memorable screen presence, particularly recognized for his portrayals of formidable antagonists and hardened characters.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Bardot mystery (2012)
- Back When We Were Grownups (2004) as Paul 'Poppy' Davitch
- Living with the Dead (2002) as Allan Van Praagh
- Living with the Dead (2002) as Allan Van Praagh
- Night Visions (2001) as Jake Jennings (segment "Bitter Harvest")
- Prancer Returns (2001)
- The Omen Legacy (2001) as Narrator (voice)
- Treasure Island (1999) as Long John Silver
- Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut - The Erotic Experience (1999) as (archive footage)
- Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End (1999) as John Witting
- The Incredible Adventures of Marco Polo (1998) as Beelzebub
- Ebenezer (1998) as Ebenezer Scrooge
- I'll Be Home For Christmas (1997) as Bob Greiser
- Monster Mania (1997) as Host
- Vem Var Dracula (1996) as Self
- Joan Crawford: Always the Star (1996) as Self (archive footage)
- Buffalo Girls (1995) as Bartle Bone
- Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval (1995) as Self
- The World of Hammer (1994) as Self (archive footage)
- The Swan Princess (1994) as Lord Rothbart (voice)
- Cops & Robbersons (1994) as Jake Stone
- The Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics (1994) as Dr. Jeremy Wheaton (segment "Where the Dead Are")
- City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold (1994) as Duke Page
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
- Cyborg 2 (1993) as Mercy
- When It Was a Game 2 (1992) as Passage Narrator (voice)
- Legends of the West (1992) as Host / Self - Judge Roy Bean
- Legends of the West (1992) Executive Producer
- Keep the Change (1992) as Overstreet
- Solar Crisis (1992) as Travis
- City Slickers (1991) as Curly Washburn
- Horror of the Hungry Humongous Hungan (1991) as Opening Narration (voice)
- Batman (1989) as Grissom
- Tango & Cash (1989) as Yves Perret
- Young Guns (1988) as L. G. Murphy
- Imagine: John Lennon (1988) as Self
- Outlaw of Gor (1988) as Xeno
- Gor (1987) as Xenos
- Bagdad Cafe (1987) as Rudi Cox
- Night of 100 Stars II (1985) as Self
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Late Night with David Letterman (1982) as Self - Guest
- Ripley's Believe It or Not! (1982) as Host
- Alone in the Dark (1982) as Frank Hawkes
- Psychic Confession (1982) as Narrator
- The Helm of Destiny (1982) as Narration
- Evil Stalks This House (1981) as Stokes
- Without Warning (1980) as Joe Taylor
- The Ivory Ape (1980) as Marc Kazarian
- Hawk the Slayer (1980) as Voltan
- The Golden Moment: An Olympic Love Story (1980) as Whitey Robinson
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) as Kaleel
- The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang (1979) as Will Smith
- Cocaine Cowboys (1979) as Raphael
- Portrait of a Hitman (1979) as Jim Buck
- The Shape of Things to Come (1979) as Omus
- Angels' Brigade (1979) as Mike Farrell
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Planet of the Slave Girls (1979) as Kaleel
- Unknown Powers (1978) as Himself - Host
- The One Man Jury (1978) as Lieutenant Wade
- Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti (1977)
- Welcome to Blood City (1977) as Frendlander
- The Unknown Force (1977) as Self - Host
- National Geographic: The Volga (1977) as Narrator (voice)
- Safari Express (1976) as van Daalen
- God's Gun (1976) as Sam Clayton
- Rulers of the City (1976) as Scarface' Manzari
- The Cop in Blue Jeans (1976) as Norman Shelley / Richard J. Russo
- Black Cobra (1976) as Judas Carmichael
- Blood and Bullets (1976) as Duke
- Bronk (1975) as Lt. Alex Bronkov
- The Great Adventure (1975) as William Bates
- Africa Express (1975) as Robert Preston / Willaim Hunter
- The Four Deuces (1975) as Vic Morono, the Boss
- The Sensuous Nurse (1975) as Mr. Kitch
- The Hatfields and the McCoys (1975) as Devil Anse Hatfield
- Rickles (1975)
- Dinah! (1974) as Self
- Dracula (1974) as Dracula
- Craze (1974) as Neal Mottram
- The Godchild (1974) as Rourke
- Oklahoma Crude (1973) as Hellman
- Brothers Blue (1973) as Hillman
- Imagine (1972) as Self
- Chato's Land (1972) as Quincey Whitmore
- It Can Be Done Amigo (1972) as Sonny Bronston
- Father Jackleg (1972) as Buck Santini
- The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour (1971)
- The Horsemen (1971) as Tursen
- Compañeros (1970) as John
- Monte Walsh (1970) as Chet Rollins
- The McMasters (1970) as Kolby
- Marquis de Sade: Justine (1969) as Antonin
- The Desperados (1969) as Parson Josiah Galt
- Battle of the Commandos (1969) as Charley MacPherson
- Che! (1969) as Fidel Castro
- A Bullet for Rommel (1969) as Major John Heston
- They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968) as Douglas
- The Mercenary (1968) as Ricciolo ("Curly")
- Madigan's Millions (1968) as Matteo Cirini (voice) (uncredited)
- The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968) as Dr. Jekyll / Mr.Hyde
- The Carol Burnett Show (1967) as Self - Guest / Various Characters
- The Spy in the Green Hat (1967) as Louis Strago
- Kill a Dragon (1967) as Rick Masters
- Torture Garden (1967) as Ronald Wyatt (segment 4 "The Man Who Collected Poe")
- The Dinosaur and the Baby (1967) as Jeremy Prokosch (archive footage)
- And Still Champion! The Story of Archie Moore (1967) as Narrator (voice)
- The Professionals (1966) as Jesus Raza
- Alice Through the Looking Glass (1966) as Jabberwock
- Run for Your Life (1965) as Julian Hays
- Convoy (1965)
- Once a Thief (1965) as Walter Pedak
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) as Louis Strago
- Paparazzi (1964) as Self
- Bardot et Godard (1964) as Self
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1963)
- The Greatest Show on Earth (1963) Director
- Contempt (1963) as Jeremy Prokosch
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)
- The Merv Griffin Show (1962) as Self
- Warriors Five (1962) as Jack
- Night Train to Milan (1962) as Herr Bauer / Schneider
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self - Co-Host
- The Mike Douglas Show (1961) as Self
- The Last Judgment (1961) as Matteoni
- Barabbas (1961) as Torvald
- The Mongols (1961) as Ogataï
- Sword of the Conqueror (1961) as Alboino
- Austerlitz (1960) as Gen. Weirother
- The Barbarians (1960) as Revak
- Ten Seconds to Hell (1959) as Eric Koertner
- Beyond All Limits (1959) as Jim Gatsby
- The Man Inside (1958) as Milo March
- House of Numbers (1957) as Arnie Judlow / Bill Judlow
- The Lonely Man (1957) as Jacob Wade
- The Last Tycoon (1957) as Monroe Stahr
- The Death of Manolete (1957) as Manolete
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Dan Morgan
- The Steve Allen Show (1956) as Self - Guest
- Playhouse 90 (1956) as Self - Host
- Playhouse 90 (1956) as Harlan 'Mountain' McClintock
- Attack (1956) as Joe Costa
- Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956) as Harlan 'Mountain' McClintock
- The Big Knife (1955) as Charles Castle
- Kiss of Fire (1955) as El Tigre
- I Died a Thousand Times (1955) as Roy Earle / Roy Collins
- The Silver Chalice (1954) as Simon The Magician
- Sign of the Pagan (1954) as Attila
- The Oscars (1953) as Self
- Shane (1953) as Jack Wilson
- Arrowhead (1953) as Toriano
- Flight to Tangier (1953) as Gil Walker
- Man in the Attic (1953) as Slade
- Second Chance (1953) as Cappy Gordon
- Sudden Fear (1952) as Lester Blaine
- The Red Skelton Show (1951) as Jack Palance
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as John
- Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951) as Paul 'Poppy' Davitch
- Halls of Montezuma (1951) as Pigeon Lane
- What's My Line? (1950) as Self
- The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) as Self
- Panic in the Streets (1950) as Blackie
- Suspense (1949) as Tom Walker
- Suspense (1949) as Count Alessandro di Cagliostro
- Lights Out (1949)
- The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) as Self
- Studio One (1948)
- Studio One (1948) as Arky
- Golden Globe Awards (1944) as Self - Nominee
- New Line: Independent Legacies as Self (archive footage)