During his ninety year career, Mickey starred in over 200 films and was established as the film industry’s biggest box office star during the Hollywood golden age of the 30s and 40s.
He rose to fame as a child actor throughout the silent movie era, and soon became a huge star enjoying international fame and success with hit films such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Andy Hardy film series alongside Judy Garland.
Rooney was married eight times, including to glamorous screen siren Ava Gardner. He once said he would gladly marry all his wives again saying: “I loved all of them!”
However, his heart really belonged to his adoring fans and audiences.
“The American public is my family,” Rooney once said. “I’ve had fun with them all my life.”
His famous motto was to “never retire – but inspire!” and he kept true to his word, continuing to grace the screen well into his late eighties.
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