George Chakiris made his film debut at the tender age of 12, singing in the chorus of the 1947 film Song of Love. Following his high school graduation, he supported his passion for night-time dancing, singing, and dramatic lessons with a day job as a clerk in a Los Angeles department store. He eventually started his acting and dancing career, appearing in numerous musicals, including Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, White Christmas, The Girl Rush, There's No Business Like Show Business, Brigadoon, and Meet Me in Las Vegas.
In 1957, he made his debut as a dramatic actor in the film Under Fire, and the following year, he traveled to New York in hopes of landing a role on Broadway. It was there that he auditioned for the London company of West Side Story, ultimately landing the co-starring role of Riff. He played the part for almost two years on the West End stage before reprising his role as Bernardo in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story, earning him a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Since then, he has starred in a diverse range of films, including Diamond Head with Charlton Heston, Bebo's Girl with Claudia Cardinale, The Young Girls of Rochefort with Catherine Deneuve, Françoise Dorléac, and Gene Kelly, The Big Cube with Lana Turner, Why Not Stay for Breakfast?, Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again, and Pale Blood. He is one of the most traveled stars in motion pictures, having worked on location in Hawaii, Japan, Mexico, Italy, England, Spain, and France.
George Chakiris has also had a successful nightclub career, performing to rave reviews at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and Harrah's Club in Lake Tahoe. In the 1970s and 1980s, his career shifted focus to television and music, with guest appearances on shows such as Hawaii Five-O, Wonder Woman, CHiPs, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, and Murder, She Wrote. He also joined the cast of Dallas from 1985 to 1986.
In addition to his screen work, George Chakiris has released several records, including "George Chakiris," "Memories Are Made of These," "The Gershwin Song Book," and "West Side Story's Dynamic...". He has also appeared in several stage plays and musicals, including "The King and I" in the US in 1995 and the role of Rochester in "Jane Eyre" in Britain.
