Alfred Lunt
Birth Name:
Alfred Lunt
Birth Place:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Profession
Actor
Fast Facts
- Was awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and was also inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame
- He and Lynn Fontanne accepted a large pay cut in the late 1920s to sign with The Theatre Guild, allowing them to put clauses in their contracts stating that they would only perform together and that they would never work in the summer
- Quote: "I have always felt it a great privilege to be in the theater․․․It's a terrifying business, but it has its compensations․ Where else could I have found someone who for 50 years has given me sheer enchantment?"
- Aside from a few early years, he spent his entire career performing exclusively with his wife, British actress Lynn Fontanne
- Best known as a stage director and actor who was regarded by many to be the best actor in New York during his 40-year career
- One of his acting trademarks was the ability to convey emotion through body language, even with his back turned to the audience
- Despite their long and successful career, he and Lynn Fontanne appeared in only one film together, 1931's "The Guardsman," turning down several other offers because they would have no artistic control over the productions
- It was often assumed that his marriage to Lynn Fontanne was a "white marriage," a cover for himself, a gay man, and Fontanne, a bisexual woman, that was necessary during a time when knowledge of their true orientation would have ruined their careers
- It was reported that after his death in 1977, Lynn Fontanne toasted him with a glass of champagne and the simple words, "To Alfred․"
- Spent every summer after 1928 with Lynn Fontanne at their estate in Wisconsin, known as Ten Chimneys, which became a hub for creativity and the arts, and later lived there full-time after retiring in 1960
Awards
- 1931Photoplay Award - Best Performances of the Month (October):Winner
- 1932Oscar - Best Actor in a Leading Role:Nominated