Spencer Tracy
Acting Born Apr 5, 1900 Died Jun 10, 1967 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA 121 credits
Biography
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American actor born on April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he passed away on June 10, 1967. Known for his versatility and natural acting style, he became one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. He received nine nominations and won two Academy Awards for Best Actor, sharing the record for nominations in that category with Laurence Olivier. Tracy discovered his talent for acting while attending Ripon College and subsequently earned a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He spent seven years working in stock companies and intermittently on Broadway before achieving his theatrical breakthrough in 1930 with a lead performance in The Last Mile, which brought him to the attention of Hollywood.
Advertisement
Career overview
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American actor born on April 5, 1900, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he passed away on June 10, 1967. Known for his versatility and natural acting style, he became one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. Tracy first discovered his talent for acting while attending Ripon College and subsequently received a scholarship for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Following his education, he spent seven years in the theatre, working in a succession of stock companies and intermittently appearing on Broadway.
His career breakthrough occurred in 1930 when his lead performance in The Last Mile caught the attention of Hollywood. Throughout his distinguished career, Tracy earned nine nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor, winning two of them, which allowed him to share the record for nominations in that specific category with Laurence Olivier. Recognized in the industry for his extensive body of work, his career credits include a total of 120 known acting credits on film and television.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Spencer Tracy.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood
DEVOHeart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story
Rat Pack
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults
Bogart: The Untold StoryHidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults
Ingrid Bergman Remembered
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American MoviesLegends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
La Classe américaine
Movie Tough GuysSomething a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
That's Entertainment, Part II
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
That's Entertainment!
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
Brasileiros em Hollywood
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
The Big Parade of Comedy
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
How the West Was Won
Judgment at NurembergThe Devil at 4 O'ClockHollywood: The Selznick Years
Inherit the Wind
The Old Man and the SeaThe Last Hurrah
Full filmography
- Gene Kelly - An American in Hollywood (2025) as Self (archive footage)
- DEVO (2024) as Henry Drummond (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Heart of a Servant: The Father Flanagan Story (2024) as Fr. Edward Flanagan (archive footage)
- Rat Pack (2022) as Self (archive footage)
- Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018) as Self (archive footage)
- Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored (2013) as Self (archive footage)
- 1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year (2009) as Self (archive footage)
- Stardust: The Bette Davis Story (2006) as Self (archive footage)
- Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults (1999) as (archive footage)
- Bogart: The Untold Story (1997) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997) as Self (Archival Footage)
- Ingrid Bergman Remembered (1996) as Self (archive footage)
- The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell (1995) as Self (archive footage)
- La Classe américaine (1993) as The Professional Witness (archive footage)
- Movie Tough Guys (1991) as Self (archive footage)
- Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World' (1991) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To (1990) as (archive footage)
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) as Self (archive footage)
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1987) as Self (archive footage)
- The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1986) as Self (archive footage)
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage (1983) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- That's Entertainment, Part II (1976) as (archive footage)
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975) as Self (archive footage)
- That's Entertainment! (1974) as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972) as Self (archive footage)
- Brasileiros em Hollywood (1970) as Self (archive footage)
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) as Matt Drayton
- The Big Parade of Comedy (1964) as Haggerty in 'Libeled Lady' (archive footage)
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as C. G. Culpepper
- How the West Was Won (1962) as Narrator (voice)
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) as Dan Haywood
- The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961) as Father Matthew Doonan
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Inherit the Wind (1960) as Henry Drummond
- The Old Man and the Sea (1958) as The Old Man
- The Last Hurrah (1958) as Mayor Frank Skeffington
- Desk Set (1957) as Richard Sumner
- The Mountain (1956) as Zachary Teller
- MGM Parade (1955)
- MGM Parade (1955) as Self
- MGM Parade (1955) as self
- Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) as John J. Macreedy
- Broken Lance (1954) as Matt Devereaux
- The Actress (1953) as Clinton Jones
- Plymouth Adventure (1952) as Capt. Christopher Jones
- Pat and Mike (1952) as Mike Conovan
- Father's Little Dividend (1951) as Stanley Banks
- The People Against O'Hara (1951) as James P. Curtayne
- Father of the Bride (1950) as Stanley T. Banks
- Malaya (1949) as Carnaghan
- Adam's Rib (1949) as Adam Bonner
- Edward, My Son (1949) as Arnold Boult
- State of the Union (1948) as Grant Matthews
- Cass Timberlane (1947) as Cass Timberlane
- The Sea of Grass (1947) as Col. James B. Brewton
- Without Love (1945) as Pat Jamieson
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle
- A Guy Named Joe (1944) as Pete Sandidge
- Twenty Years After (1944) as (archive footage)
- The Seventh Cross (1944) as George Heisler
- Keeper of the Flame (1943) as Stevie O'Malley
- His New World (1943) as Narrator (voice)
- Woman of the Year (1942) as Sam Craig
- Tortilla Flat (1942) as Pilon
- Ring of Steel (1942) as Narrator (voice)
- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) as Dr. Henry 'Harry' Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
- Men of Boys Town (1941) as Edward Flanagan
- Northwest Passage (1940) as Major Robert Rogers
- Young Tom Edison (1940) as Man Admiring Portrait of Thomas A. Edison
- Edison, the Man (1940) as Thomas A. Edison
- Boom Town (1940) as Square John Sand
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940) as Self
- A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound (1940) as Self
- I Take This Woman (1940) as Karl Decker
- Hollywood: Style Center of the World (1940) as Self
- Northward, Ho! (1940) as Himself
- Stanley and Livingstone (1939) as Henry M. Stanley
- Hollywood Hobbies (1939) as Self (uncredited)
- From the Ends of the Earth (1939) as Self
- Boys Town (1938) as Father Flanagan
- Hollywood Goes to Town (1938) as Self
- Mannequin (1938) as John Hennessey
- Test Pilot (1938) as Gunner Morse
- Another Romance of Celluloid (1938) as Self (uncredited)
- Captains Courageous (1937) as Manuel Fidello
- They Gave Him a Gun (1937) as Fred P. Willis
- The Romance of Celluloid (1937) as Self (archive footage)
- Big City (1937) as Joe Benton
- Libeled Lady (1936) as Haggerty
- Fury (1936) as Joe Wilson
- San Francisco (1936) as Father Tim Mullin
- Riffraff (1936) as Dutch
- The Murder Man (1935) as Steven 'Steve' Grey
- Whipsaw (1935) as Ross 'Mac' McBride aka Danny Ross Ackerman
- Dante's Inferno (1935) as Jim Carter
- It's A Small World (1935) as Bill Shevlin
- Bottoms Up (1934) as 'Smoothie' King
- The Show-Off (1934) as J. Aubrey Piper
- Looking for Trouble (1934) as Joe Graham
- Marie Galante (1934) as Dr. Crawbett
- Now I'll Tell (1934) as Murray Golden
- The Mad Game (1933) as Edward Carson
- Face in the Sky (1933) as Joe Buck
- Man's Castle (1933) as Bill
- The Power and the Glory (1933) as Tom Garner
- Shanghai Madness (1933) as Pat Jackson
- Society Girl (1932) as Briscoe
- Me and My Gal (1932) as Danny Dolan
- 20,000 Years in Sing Sing (1932) as Tommy Connors
- She Wanted a Millionaire (1932) as William Kelley
- Young America (1932) as Jack Doray
- Disorderly Conduct (1932) as Dick Fay
- Sky Devils (1932) as Wilkie
- The Painted Woman (1932) as Tom Brian
- Goldie (1931) as Bill
- Six Cylinder Love (1931) as William Donroy
- Quick Millions (1931) as Daniel J. 'Bugs' Raymond
- Taxi Talks (1930) as Taxi Driver
- Up the River (1930) as Saint Louis
- The Hard Guy (1930) as Guy