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Quick Facts
- NAME: Mickey Rooney
- OCCUPATION: Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor, Comedian, Singer
- BIRTH DATE: September 23, 1920 (Age: 92)
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Brooklyn, New York
- Originally: Joe Yule, Jr.
- AKA: Mickey McGuire
- ZODIAC SIGN: Libra
Best Known For
Mickey Rooney was a child star best known for his role as Andy Hardy in a long-running film series. He a starred in a number of musicals with Judy Garland.
Videos see all videos
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Mickey Rooney - Full Episode (45:12)
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Shirley Temple - Child Star (1:12)
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Mickey Rooney - A Message
Mickey Rooney receives a life-changing message from the other side.
Shirley Temple - Child Star
Watch a short video about Shirley Temple and find out why she was considered the nation's greatest weapon against the Depression.
Shirley Temple - The Biggest Little Star - Preview
Shirley Temple is the most popular child star of all time, known for acting, singing, and dancing in movies including "Heidi," "The Little Princess," "Bright Eyes," and "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm."
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Play NowMickey Rooney. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 09:06, Jun 19, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300.
Mickey Rooney. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300 [Accessed 19 Jun 2013].
"Mickey Rooney." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Jun 19 2013, 09:06 http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300.
"Mickey Rooney," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300 [accessed Jun 19, 2013].
"Mickey Rooney," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300 (accessed Jun 19, 2013).
Mickey Rooney [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 Jun 19] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300.
Mickey Rooney, http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300 (last visited Jun 19, 2013).
Mickey Rooney. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/mickey-rooney-9463300. Accessed Jun 19, 2013.
In 1981, Rooney won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of a mentally challenged man in Bill. The critical acclaim continued to flow for the veteran performer, with Rooney receiving a honorary Academy Award "in recognition of his 60 years of versatility in a variety of memorable film performances."
Recent Years
Now in his nineties, Rooney continues to act. He has appeared in such films as Night at the Museum (2006) with Ben Stiller, and The Muppets (2011). Outside of performing, Rooney has chosen to use his distinctive voice to speak out about elder abuse. He testified about the issue in Congress in 2011.
Sadly, the actor knows firsthand how vulnerable the more senior members of society are. Rooney filed suit against his stepson Chris Aber, claiming that Aber and his wife verbally and financially abused him. He stated that he was misled by the pair about his money situation, they used his funds to cover their expenses, and they denied him needed food and medicine, among other offenses. Aber is the son of Rooney's eighth wife, Jan.
Mickey and Jan have been married since 1978 and live in Los Angeles. Among his seven other marriages was his brief union with actress Ava Gardner in 1942. Rooney had two sons, Mickey Jr. and Timothy (who died in 2006), with second wife Betty Jane Rase. With third wife Martha Vickers, he welcomed son Theodore. Kelly, Kerry, Michael and Kimmy came from his fifth marriage, to Barbara Ann Thomason, which ended in tragedy in 1966. Thomason was murdered, leaving Rooney with four young children to care for. Rooney adopted Jimmy, the son of sixth wife Carolyn Hockett. Rooney and Hockett also had a daughter together, Jonelle.
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