Lee Marvin, born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr. in New York City, left school at the age of 18 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in August 1942.
He served with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific Theater during World War II, being wounded in action and spending a year being treated in naval hospitals before receiving a medical discharge.
Marvin's military decorations include the Purple Heart Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation, the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, and the Combat Action Ribbon.
After his military service, Marvin worked as a plumber's apprentice, repairing a toilet at a local community theater, where he was asked to stand in for an actor who had fallen ill during rehearsals, catching the acting bug and moving to Greenwich Village to study at the American Theater Wing.
He began making appearances in stage productions and TV shows, and his film debut came in 'You're in the Navy Now' (1951).
However, it was his portrayal of villains in 'The Big Heat' (1953) and 'The Wild One' (1953) that brought him to the attention of the public and critical acclaim, firmly establishing him as a screen bad guy.
Marvin then shifted towards leading man roles, landing the lead role in the popular TV series 'M Squad' (1957-1960),and had prominent roles in 'The Comancheros' (1961),'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' (1962),'Donovan's Reef' (1963),and 'The Killers' (1964).
But it was his dual comic role in the offbeat western 'Cat Ballou' (1965) that made him a star and won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
He was now a much sought-after actor and starred in a number of movies as a new kind of leading man, including 'The Professionals' (1966),'The Dirty Dozen' (1967),'Point Blank' (1967),'Hell in the Pacific' (1968),'Monte Walsh' (1970),'Prime Cut' (1972),'Emperor of the North' (1973),and 'The Spikes Gang' (1974).
Later film credits include 'Shout at the Devil' (1976),'Avalanche Express' (1979),'The Big Red One' (1980),'Death Hunt' (1981),and 'Gorky Park' (1983).
His final film role was alongside Chuck Norris in 'The Delta Force' (1986).
Lee Marvin died of a heart attack in August 1987, and was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Marvin paved the way for leading men that didn't fit the traditional mould, and was an iconic American tough guy and one of the 20th Century's greatest Hollywood stars.
