Biography
Born on 16 September 1933 in Norwood, Ohio, USA, Chakiris began appearing in movies as a dancer in the late 1940s, initially credited under the name George Kerris before pursuing formal dance studies. His screen work during the 1950s featured him dancing in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1953, followed the next year by White Christmas, The Girl Rush, There’s No Business Like Show Business and Brigadoon, with an additional dance turn in Meet Me In Las Vegas in 1956. He soon shifted toward straight dramatic parts, among them Under Fire in 1957, yet achieved his strongest impression by combining both skills as Bernardo in the 1961 screen adaptation of West Side Story, a portrayal that earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Throughout the 1960s and in sporadic later projects, he continued to take on dramatic roles, many filmed beyond American borders, such as The Big Cube in 1969 alongside Lana Turner and Jekyll And Hyde … Together Again in 1982; these productions generally offered limited challenges for both performer and viewers. During the mid-1980s he also appeared for a time on the television series Dallas.
Albums
