The Decade That Changed Everything
While every decade can seem tumultuous in its own way, the 1960s had a particular kind of drama, on and off the screen and stage. The air of innocence that seemed to still permeate the early part of the decade with Doris Day’s sweet romantic comedies would give way to the counterculture and films like Easy Rider (1969), which would launch Jack Nicholson’s stardom.
For some actors, the decade was just another phase. For others, it started or ended their careers. Here are a few of the greatest stars of the era.
Alan Bates
An English actor who appeared on the stage and TV in the 1950s, Bates made his big-screen debut alongside Laurence Olivier in The Entertainer (1960), and acted with Anthony Quinn in Zorba the Greek (1964), among his many films of the 1960s. He radiated a romantic, if ambiguous, charm, and continued playing roles on stage, screen, and TV into the early 2000s, with the miniseries Spartacus (2004) released a year after his passing at age 69.
Anna Karina
A Danish-French actress, Karina refused to appear in Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless (1960) due to the role’s nudity, but married the director and appeared in eight of his films, including Alphaville (1965). The marriage didn’t last, and Karina’s career continued into the 2000s, including film directing. At her passing, in 2019 at the age of 79, critics praised Karina as a free spirit of the 1960s, a style icon, and a central figure of the French New Wave.
Joost Evers / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
Anthony Quinn
A Mexican actor famed for his virile presence, Quinn won two Oscars in the 1950s for supporting roles before starring in 1960s epics such as The Guns Of Navarone (1961) and Lawrence Of Arabia (1962). His most famous role may be the lead in Zorba The Greek (1964), for which he received an Oscar nomination. He starred in a musical stage adaptation, called Zorba, in 1983, and his last film role was starring in Seven Servants, released in 1995. He passed on in 2001 at the age of 86.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Audrey Hepburn
This Belgian-born British actress was already famous when she starred in the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961). She followed up that classic with romantic comedies Charade (1963) and Paris When It Sizzles (1964), and the musical My Fair Lady (1964). However, after Wait Until Dark (1967), a well-received psychological thriller, her appearances became rare. Although she passed on in 1993 at the age of 63, her reputation lives on as a towering figure of beauty and style.
Trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Brigitte Bardot
Paris-born actress, singer, and model Bardot entranced France and the world with her image as a seductive vixen in the 1950s. As the ’50s turned into the 60s she cemented her superstar status with movies such as A Very Private Affair and Love On A Pillow, both released in 1962. Her attempts to break into Hollywood were less successful, including the comedy Dear Brigitte (1965) and the western Shalako (1968), and she retired from acting in 1973, not yet 40.
Burt Lancaster
A former circus acrobat who became a nuanced American actor, Lancaster served in World War II, and was cast in The Killers (1946), a film-noir with Ava Gardner, making stars out of them both. Notable roles include a Bible-thumping con man in Elmer Gantry (1960), a Nazi war criminal in Judgment At Nuremberg (1961), and an avian-obsessed prisoner in Birdman Of Alcatraz (1962). Lancaster passed on in 1994 at the age of 80.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
Catherine Deneuve
Born in Paris in 1943, Deneuve, projecting both mystery and beauty, has acted for famous directors such as Luis Buñuel, François Truffaut, Jacques Demy, Roman Polanski, and Agnès Varda. Demy’s romantic musical The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg (1964) propelled Deneuve into stardom, but she also made a splash in Polanski’s psychological thriller Repulsion (1965) and Buñuel’s surrealistic Belle De Jour (1967). Her most recent acting role was in The Midwife (2017).
20th Century Fox, Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Claudia Cardinale
After winning a trip to Italy in a Tunisian beauty contest, Cardinale eventually gained fame in such films as Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Federico Fellini’s 8½, and the English-language The Pink Panther, all released in 1963. She garnered particular praise for her role in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In The West (1968). Tired of Hollywood, she returned to Europe, and while in her 80s played a crime matriarch in Netflix’s Rogue City (2020).
Doris Day
Famed for her romantic comedies in the 1950s, Day co-starred with Rock Hudson in Lover Come Back (1961) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). In the early 1960s she was a top box-office draw in comedies Please Don’t Eat The Daisies (1960) and That Touch Of Mink (1962), but changing mores left Day behind, with her last film appearing in 1968. She turned to TV, with The Doris Day Show lasting from 1968 to 1973. Day passed on in 2019 at the age of 97.
Paramount Pictures, The Man Who Knew Too Much
Elizabeth Taylor
London-born Taylor’s fame rose in the late 1940s and 1950s, and continued with BUtterfield 8 (1960), which won Taylor her first Oscar. She starred in the title role of Cleopatra (1963), where she met co-star Richard Burton, who played Antony. The two box-office stars would marry twice and co-star in eleven films together, including the groundbreaking Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf (1966), which earned Taylor her second Oscar. Taylor passed on in 2011 at age 79.
Elvis Presley
The “King of Rock and Roll” hit the charts and the silver screen in 1956, and starred in 25 films in the 1960s, mostly romantic musicals such as Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), and It Happened At The World’s Fair (1963). Highly paid for his box office success, Elvis wanted more serious roles: he didn’t even sing in Charro! (1969), a western. Soon he abandoned film and turned back to touring and more TV specials. He passed on in 1977 at the age of 42.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Gregory Peck
Already a Hollywood success, Peck’s first film of the decade was The Guns Of Navarone, the biggest box-office success of 1961. He then played a lawyer fighting an ex-con in Cape Fear (1962). Later the same year, To Kill A Mockingbird earned Peck his one Oscar, again playing a lawyer, this time fighting racial prejudice. His film acting career ended in 1991 with a remake of Cape Fear in 1991 and the comedy Other People’s Money. Peck passed on in 2003 at the age of 87.
Henry Fonda
Already a star since the late 1930s, Fonda focused on war films and westerns in the 1960s, such as The Longest Day (1962) and How The West Was Won (1962), and starred in the nuclear drama Fail-Safe (1964). In a twist, he played a villain in Once Upon A Time In The West (1968). His last film was On Golden Pond (1981), co-starring Katharine Hepburn and daughter Jane Fonda. Too ill to collect his only Oscar in person, Fonda died in 1982 at the age of 77.
A Darryl F. Zanuck Production, Wikimedia Commons
Jack Lemmon
Talented in both dramatic and comedic roles, Lemmon played mostly in drag for Some Like It Hot (1959), then starred in The Apartment (1960), which won Oscars for best film and director. Lemmon enjoyed playing a young alcoholic in Days Of Wine and Roses (1962), which opened up more chances to show the actor’s dramatic side, including in a string of films with Walter Matthau, such as The Odd Couple (1968). Lemmon passed on in 2001 at the age of 76.
Ashton Productions, The Mirisch Corporation,Wikimedia Commons
James Shigeta
Born in Hawaii with Japanese heritage, Shigeta was nicknamed “The Frank Sinatra of Japan” before starting a Hollywood career where he broke stereotypes. His movies included Walk Like A Dragon (1960), Flower Drum Song (1961), and Bridge To The Sun (1961). He worked with Elvis Presley in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1965), and also appeared on TV. His most famous role was probably in the much later Die Hard (1988), and Shigeta passed on at the age of 85 in 2014.
Universal Pictures Company, Inc., Wikimedia Commons
Jane Fonda
Daughter of Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda’s first film was a romantic comedy, Tall Story (1960), after which came more comedic successes such as Cat Ballou (1965), Barefoot In The Park (1967), and the racy science-fiction film Barbarella (1968). Her career kept going into the 1970s and beyond, with Oscar wins in 1971 and 1978. Now in her 80s, she still acts, having recently concluded the seven-season Netflix series Grace And Frankie.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Janet Leigh
As if Orson Welles’ Touch Of Evil (1958), a film-noir classic, wasn’t dark enough, Leigh was cast by Alfred Hitchcock for his horror pic Psycho (1960). Its deadly shower scene has become one of the most famous moments in cinematic history. She would soon co-star in the The Manchurian Candidate (1962), a psychological thriller, and had a long career in film and TV, but she could never really escape that shower scene. Leigh passed on in 2004 at the age of 77.
John Wayne
Wayne personified an attitude summed up by the title of True Grit (1969), for which Wayne won an Oscar. He appeared in nearly 180 films, mostly westerns and war movies. For example, moviegoers in 1962 could see him play a troubled rancher in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, a game catcher in Africa (filmed using real-life animals) in Hatari!, and an American soldier on D-Day in The Longest Day. Wayne passed on in 1979 at the age of 72.
Julie Andrews
Already a major presence on stage, English singer and actress Andrews won an Oscar for her very first film, Mary Poppins (1964), where she played the titular role, and then starred in the blockbuster hit The Sound Of Music (1965). Another box-office success was Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), but ironically her movie Star! (1968) turned out to be a dud. Her career has continued into her 80s, though throat surgery put a pause on her singing.
Disney trailer screenshot, Wikimedia Commons
Julie Christie
Now in her 80s, this British actress first caught the public eye in Billy Liar (1963), then scored worldwide recognition (and an Oscar) for Darling (1965). She starred in the huge block-office success Dr Zhivago the same year. She had frequent roles in the 1970s, before turning to more occasional appearances, including in New York, I Love You (2008) and The Company You Keep (2012).
News Service, Wikimedia Commons
Kirk Douglas
American actor Douglas became a major box-office star in the 1950s, and both produced and starred in two early films directed by Stanley Kubrick, Paths Of Glory (1957) and the blockbuster Spartacus (1960). He starred with Burt Lancaster in the western Lonely Are The Brave (1962) and the political thriller Seven Days In May (1964), with his last role acting in a 2008 mockumentary Empire State Building Murders. He passed on at the age of 103 in 2020.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Laurence Olivier
English titan of stage and screen, Olivier enjoyed Hollywood success starting with Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), and Pride And Prejudice (1940). In the 1960s, his films included Spartacus (1960) and Oh! What A Lovely War (1969), and film versions of two stage productions, Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya and Shakespeare’s Othello. He disliked method acting, preferring instead to work “from the outside in”. He passed on in 1989 at the age of 82.
Carl Van Vechten, Wikimedia Commons
Lee Marvin
Marvin was an American actor frequently cast as a tough guy, either villain or antihero, in films such as The Dirty Dozen (1967) and TV shows such as M Squad, which ended in 1960. He won an Academy Award for the comedy-western Cat Ballou (1965), in which he played two characters, a gunfighter and a criminal. His last film was Delta Force (1986) with Chuck Norris. Marvin passed on in 1987 at the age of 63.
Marcello Mastroianni
One of Italy’s most famous actors, suave and debonair Mastroianni appeared in nearly 150 films, though international success did little to interest him in Hollywood. He achieved most fame from two films directed by Federico Fellini. He played a jaded tabloid columnist in La Dolce Vita (1960) and a frustrated film director in 8½ (1963). He passed on in 1996 at the age of 72.
Elio Petri / Carlo Di Palma, Wikimedia Commons
Martin Balsam
Also comfortable on stage and on TV, Balsam’s film triumphs of the 1960s included Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), as well as Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) and A Thousand Clowns (1965), for which he won an Oscar for best supporting actor. He also played roles in Italian films, starting with Everybody Go Home (1960). Balsam passed on in 1996 at the age of 76.
Shamley Productions, Paramount Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Max von Sydow
This great Swedish-French actor made an impression as chess-playing Death in Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1957), and appeared in more of the Swedish director’s films in the 1960s, including the critically acclaimed Through A Glass Darkly (1961). He also played Jesus Christ in the Hollywood epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) and a church minister in Hawaii (1966). Active to the end, von Sydow passed on in 2020 at the age of 90.
Daniel Case, Wikimedia Commons
Michael Caine
Receiving several Oscar nominations throughout his decades-long career, the prolific actor with a Cockney accent has appeared in over 160 movies. Some of the British films of the 1960s that established his reputation include Zulu (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Italian Job (1969), and Battle Of Britain (1969). He’d win an Oscar in 1986 and 1999 for best supporting actor, and announced in 2023, at the age of 90, that he’d finally retired from acting.
Paramount Pictures, Alfie (1966)
Natalie Wood
A child actor who successfully made the transition to adult roles, Wood started the decade with West Side Story (1961) and ended it with Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969). Wood backed away from acting in the 1970s, but returned to features by starring in a science-fiction film called Brainstorm (1983). Before her last scenes could be shot, Wood drowned in mysterious circumstances on a boat trip off California in 1981. She was 43.
Gerrold Stratzburg for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wikimedia Commons
Paul Newman
Already a well-established actor and box-office draw, Newman started a new decade with Exodus (1960), and moved on to such films as The Hustler (1961), Hombre (1967), and Cool Hand Luke (1967). Winning (1969) let Newman show off his interest in sports car racing. At the end of the decade, Newman co-starred with Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969), a box-office hit. Newman passed on in 2008 at the age of 83.
Silver Screen Collection, Getty Images
Peter O’Toole
Already a major figure on stage, O’Toole achieved international recognition as the title character of David Lean’s epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and portrayed King Henry II in Becket (1964) with Richard Burton. He starred in What’s New Pussycat (1965) and The Lion In Winter (1968), both box-office successes, but he had to endure some flops too. O’Toole passed on in 2013 at the age of 81.
Sunset Boulevard, Getty Images
Richard Burton
Welsh-born Burton met Elizabeth Taylor while filming Cleopatra (1963), leading to drama on and off screen. The box-office superstars married twice and appeared together in nearly a dozen films, including as a bickering couple in Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Burton also starred in films such as Becket (1964), The Night Of The Iguana (1964), and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965). A chronic drinker, Burton passed on in 1984 at the age of 58.
Boxoffice Photo from 20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
Richard Harris
Born in Limerick, Ireland, Harris was a major film actor in Britain and Hollywood, starring or supporting in such films as The Guns Of Navarone (1961), This Sporting Life (1963), and Red Desert (1964). His portrayal of King Arthur in Camelot (1967) drew particular praise. He passed on in 2002 at the age of 72, having won the hearts of youth all over the world after appearing in the first two Harry Potter films.
Warner, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
Robert Mitchum
Known for his antihero roles, Mitchum had already been praised for performances in the 1950s, and began the new decade with the well-received Home From The Hill (1960), in which he played a bullying amoral patriarch in Texas. Some say Mitchum’s “terrifying” performance in Cape Fear (1962), a film that got mixed reviews, is its best quality. He also starred with John Wayne in the successful El Dorado (1966). Mitchum passed on in 1997 at the age of 79.
RKO Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
Sandra Dee
Dee was touted as a new Shirley Temple, but the 1960s saw her career peak and then decline. She typically played an innocent girl or woman, including in Come September (1961), marrying in real life her love interest from the movie, played by singer Bobby Darin. She also played opposite heartthrob John Gavin in Romanoff and Juliet (1961), a box-office success. However, her marriage with Darin fell apart, her roles declined, and she passed on in 2005 at the age of 62.
eBayFront and back, Wikimedia Commons
Sean Connery
This Scottish actor was the face of Bond, James Bond, in the 1960s, from Dr No (1962) to You Only Live Twice (1967), with a 1971 film to follow, and a 1983 film from different producers. His career was going strong into the 1990s, but his silver-screen finale, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), failed to live up to its title. Connery passed on in 2020 at the age of 90.
Shirley MacLaine
Actress MacLaine began her film career in Alfred Hitchock’s The Trouble With Harry (1955), and started the 1960s with Frank Sinatra in Can-Can (1960). Her reputation was sealed when she starred with Jack Lemmon in The Apartment, released the same year. Her performance and the film were widely praised, though she’d win her only Oscar for Terms Of Endearment (1983). In 2020, nearing 90 years old, she guest-starred in the streaming hit Only Murders In The Building.
20th Century Fox, Wikimedia Commons
Sidney Poitier
Praised as a pioneering Black actor, Poitier’s first big role was in Blackboard Jungle (1955), but he’s perhaps best remembered for three groundbreaking 1967 films that spoke directly about racial issues: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, In The Heat Of The Night, and To Sir, With Love. He won an Oscar for his acting in Lilies Of The Field (1963), the first Academy Award for Best Actor to go to a Black performer, and only the second Oscar to go to any African American. Poitier passed on in 2022 at the age of 94.
Sophia Loren
Starting as an uncredited extra in Quo Vadis (1951), Loren would see her fame grow, initially in Italian comedies and then in more dramatic roles. Those would lead to an Oscar for Loren’s role in the grim Two Women (1960), in which Loren insisted on playing the mother, not the daughter. Her box-office draw came with top-dollar fees, including $1 million each for El Cid (1961) and The Fall Of The Roman Empire (1964). Loren appeared in The Life Ahead (2020) when she was in her late 80s.
Steve McQueen
Yet another actor of the 1960s famed for his antihero roles, McQueen loved racing motorcycles and sports cars, sometimes doing his own film stunts. He hit the big time with the CBS TV series Wanted Dead Or Alive from 1958 to 1961, playing a bounty hunter. His movies included The Magnificent Seven (1960), The Great Escape (1963), and his favorite, Bullitt (1968), setting the template for car chases through the streets of San Francisco. McQueen passed on in 1980, aged 50.
.jpg){kind=link}
_-_01.png){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_Press_Photo_of_James_Shigeta.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_still_1.JPG){kind=link}
