Fred Astaire Biography

Fred Astaire was the American movie dancer of the 1930s and 1940s.

Famed for his mixture of elegance and nice-guy charm, he was a popular romantic lead despite his lack of typical movie star good looks.

Astaire’s dance routines are a staple of movie highlight reels. He was often paired with dancing actress Ginger Rogers; their movies together included Flying Down to Rio (1933), Top Hat (1935), and Swing Time (1936).

Astaire was also known as a top-notch singer. He continued to act in films until the early 1980s (Ghost Story, 1981).

Astaire was given an honorary Oscar in 1950, and a quarter century later was nominated for his supporting role in The Towering Inferno (1974).