Fred Astaire

Birthday: 10 May 1899, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Birth Name: Frederic Austerlitz Jr.

Height: 175 cm

Fred Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz Austerlitz, a brewer. Fred entered show business at age 5. He was successful both in vaudeville and on Broadway in partnership with his sister, Adele Astaire. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he began his highly successful partnership with Ginger Rogers, with whom he danced in 9 RKO pictures. During these years, he was also active in recording and radio. On film, Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners through various studios. After a temporary retirement in 1945-7, during which he opened Fred Astaire Dance Studios, Astaire returned to film to star in more musicals through 1957. He subsequently performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV. Show less «

Excuse me, I must say Ginger was certainly the one. You know, the most effective partner I had. Ever...Show more »

Excuse me, I must say Ginger was certainly the one. You know, the most effective partner I had. Everyone knows. That was a whole other thing that we did...I just want to pay a tribute to Ginger because we did so many pictures together and believe me it was a value to have that girl...she had it. She was just great! Show less «

All the girls I ever danced with thought they couldn't do it. So they always cried. All except Ginge...Show more »

All the girls I ever danced with thought they couldn't do it. So they always cried. All except Ginger. No, no, Ginger never cried. Show less «

Of course, [Ginger Rogers] was able to accomplish sex through dance. We told more through our moveme...Show more »

Of course, [Ginger Rogers] was able to accomplish sex through dance. We told more through our movements instead of the big clinch. We did it all in the dance. Show less «

[on his screen partnership with Ginger Rogers] Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything...Show more »

[on his screen partnership with Ginger Rogers] Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything work for her. Actually, she made things very fine for the both of us and she deserves most of the credit for our success. Show less «

I don't want to be the oldest performer in captivity... I don't want to look like a little old man d...Show more »

I don't want to be the oldest performer in captivity... I don't want to look like a little old man dancing out there. Show less «

I have no desire to prove anything by it [dancing]. I never used it as an outlet or as a means of ex...Show more »

I have no desire to prove anything by it [dancing]. I never used it as an outlet or as a means of expressing myself. I just dance. Show less «

[on tap dancer Eleanor Powell] Eleanor was an out-and-out dancer. She danced like a man. She slammed...Show more »

[on tap dancer Eleanor Powell] Eleanor was an out-and-out dancer. She danced like a man. She slammed the floor and did it great and that's fine and suddenly she's on her toes in the ballet sequence -- it did look kinda funny. Show less «

[on Rita Hayworth] A great dancer but a different style to me.

[on modern movies] They tend to overdo the vulgarity. I'm not embarrassed by the language itself, bu...Show more »

[on modern movies] They tend to overdo the vulgarity. I'm not embarrassed by the language itself, but it's embarrassing to be listening to it, sitting next to perfect strangers. Show less «

[on Gene Kelly] You know, that Kelly, he's just terrific. That's all there is to it. He dances like ...Show more »

[on Gene Kelly] You know, that Kelly, he's just terrific. That's all there is to it. He dances like crazy, he directs like crazy. I adore this guy. I really am crazy about his work. Show less «

[on actress/dancer Leslie Caron] A ballet dancer really, but technically good. I called her the serg...Show more »

[on actress/dancer Leslie Caron] A ballet dancer really, but technically good. I called her the sergeant major. Show less «

I suppose I made it look easy, but gee whiz, did I work and worry.

The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any.

It's nice that all the composers have said that nobody interprets a lyric like Fred Astaire. But whe...Show more »

It's nice that all the composers have said that nobody interprets a lyric like Fred Astaire. But when it comes to selling records I was never worth anything particularly except as a collector's item. Show less «

[on joining the cast of The Towering Inferno (1974)] It's a fun picture to make - all fire and water...Show more »

[on joining the cast of The Towering Inferno (1974)] It's a fun picture to make - all fire and water. Show less «

I'm just a hoofer with a spare set of tails.

Dancing is a sweat job.

[to Jack Lemmon] You're at a level where you can only afford one mistake. The higher up you go, the ...Show more »

[to Jack Lemmon] You're at a level where you can only afford one mistake. The higher up you go, the more mistakes you're allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style. Show less «

[on Ginger Rogers] She may have faked a little, but we knew we had a good thing going.

I had some ballet training but didn't like it. It was like a game to me.

[on John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977)] He's not a dancer. What he did in those dance scen...Show more »

[on John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (1977)] He's not a dancer. What he did in those dance scenes was very attractive but he is basically not a dancer. I was dancing like that years ago, you know. Disco is just jitterbug. Show less «

(on dancing partner Cyd Charisse) When you dance with her, you stay danced.

Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything work for her. Actually she made everything wor...Show more »

Ginger was brilliantly effective. She made everything work for her. Actually she made everything work very fine for both of us and she deserves most of the credit for our success. Show less «

[on Judy Garland] She was just simply wonderful. She danced beautifully, learned beautifully. She wa...Show more »

[on Judy Garland] She was just simply wonderful. She danced beautifully, learned beautifully. She was very adept at whatever she did. Really in fine form. We were all set to do another picture together, but she got sick and that was the end of that. Show less «

People think I was born in top hat and tails.

I have never had anything that I can remember in the business - and that includes all the movies and...Show more »

I have never had anything that I can remember in the business - and that includes all the movies and the stage shows and everything - that I didn't enjoy. I didn't like some of the small-time vaudeville, because we weren't going on and getting better. Aside from that, I didn't dislike anything. Show less «