Fred Astaire (May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, singer, actor and choreographer. He is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in the history of film. Born as Frederick Austerlitz in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 10, 1899, to Johanna (Geilus) and Fritz, a brewer, he entered show business at age 5. He was successful in vaudeville and on Broadway as well as in London's West End together with his sister Adele, a partnership that lasted 27 years. After Adele retired to marry in 1932, Astaire headed to Hollywood. Signed to RKO, he was loaned to MGM to appear in Dancing Lady (1933) before starting work on RKO's Flying Down to Rio (1933). In the latter film, he was teamed with Ginger Rogers, with whom he worked in 9 RKO pictures. Astaire later appeared opposite a number of partners, including Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth, Vera-Ellen and Barrie Chase. Astaire remained active well into old age, starring in musicals through 1968, and also performed a number of straight dramatic roles in film and TV. Throughout his career, he was also active in recording and radio. He died of pneumonia on June 22, 1987 in Los Angeles.

Filmography

• 2018La La La — Various Roles (archive footage)
• 2015Perspectives: For the Love of Fred Astaire — (archive footage)
• 2009Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1940s: Stars, Stripes and Singing — (archive footage)
• 2006"All -Singing All-Dancing" Before And After — Archive Footage
• 2006Astaire and Rogers: Partners in Rhythm — Various / Self (archive footage)
• 2003Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine
• 1994That's Entertainment! III — (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 1990Dance Crazy in Hollywood — Various Roles (archive footage)
• 1988South of Reno
• 1985The Purple Rose of Cairo — Thanks
• 1984Going Hollywood: The '30s — (archive footage)
• 1981Ghost Story — Ricky Hawthorne
• 1979The Man in the Santa Claus Suit — Santa Claus
• 1978A Family Upside Down — Ted Long
• Battlestar Galactica — Chameleon / Captain Dimitri
• 1977The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town — S.D. Kluger (voice)
• 1977The Purple Taxi — Dr. Seamus Scully
• 1976The Amazing Dobermans — Daniel Hughes
• 1974The Towering Inferno — Harlee Claiborne
• 1970Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town — S.D. Kluger (voice)
• 1970The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again — The Baltimore Kid
• 1969Midas Run — Pedley
• 1968Finian's Rainbow — Finian McLonergan
• It Takes a Thief — Alister Mundy, Alistair Mundy (voice) (uncredited)
• Omnibus
• 1964Paris When It Sizzles — Vocals
• Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre — Fred Addams
• 1962Flashing Spikes — Narrator
• 1962The Notorious Landlady — Franklyn Ambruster
• Dr. Kildare — Joe Quinlan
• 1961The Pleasure of His Company — Biddeford 'Pogo' Poole
• 1960Astaire Time — Self, Producer
• 1959On the Beach — Julian Osborn
• 1958An Evening with Fred Astaire — Self, Executive Producer
• 1957Funny Face — Dick Avery, Choreographer
• 1957Silk Stockings — Steve Canfield
• 1955Daddy Long Legs — Jervis Pendleton III, Choreographer
• MGM Parade — actor 'Broadway Melody of 1940' (archive footage) (uncredited), Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies'
• General Electric Theater — J. Willingham Bardley, Paul Ashcroft
• 1953The Band Wagon — Tony Hunter
• 1952The Belle of New York — Charlie Hill
• 1951Royal Wedding — Tom Bowen
• 1950Let's Dance — Donald Elwood
• 1950Three Little Words — Bert Kalmar
• 1949The Barkleys of Broadway — Josh Barkley
• 1948Easter Parade — Don Hewes, Choreographer
• 1946Blue Skies — Jed Potter
• 1945Yolanda and the Thief — Johnny Parkson Riggs
• 1945Ziegfeld Follies — Fred Astaire / Raffles / Tai Long / Gentleman
• 1944Twenty Years After — (archive footage)
• 1943The Sky's the Limit — Fred Atwell (Fred Burton), Choreographer
• 1942Holiday Inn — Ted Hanover
• 1942You Were Never Lovelier — Robert Davis
• 1941Second Chorus — Danny O'Neill
• 1941You'll Never Get Rich — Robert Curtis
• 1940Broadway Melody of 1940 — Johnny Brett
• 1939The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle — Vernon Castle
• 1938Carefree — Tony Flagg
• 1937A Damsel in Distress — Jerry Halliday
• 1937Shall We Dance — Petrov
• 1936Follow the Fleet — Bake Baker
• 1936Swing Time — Lucky Garnett
• 1935Roberta — Huck Haines, Choreographer
• 1935Top Hat — Jerry Travers
• 1934The Gay Divorcee — Guy Holden
• 1933Dancing Lady — Fred Astaire
• 1933Flying Down to Rio — Fred Ayres

Appearances as themselves (59)

• 2025Gene Kelly: An American in Hollywood — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Sid & Judy — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Darcey Bussell: Looking for Fred Astaire — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Fred Astaire donne le 'la' — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Bing Crosby: Rediscovered — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Sem Título #1: Dance of Leitfossil — Self (archive footage)
• Talking Pictures — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Astaire and Rogers Sing the Great American Songbook — Self (archive footage)
• 20091939: Hollywood's Greatest Year — Self (archive footage)
• 2009Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression — Self (archive footage)
• 2005Easter Parade: On the Avenue — Self (Archive Footage)
• 2005Get Aboard! 'The Band Wagon' — Self (archive footage)
• 2005Reunited at MGM: Astaire and Rogers Together Again — Self (archive footage)
• Parkinson — Self - Guest / Performer (archive footage), Self - Guest (archive footage)
• 2003Cole Porter in Hollywood: Satin and Silk — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Complicated Women — Self (archive footage)
• 2000Hollywood Musicals of the 40's — Self (archive footage)
• 1998A Bing Crosby Christmas — Self (archive footage)
• 1998Doris Day: It's Magic — Self
• 1997Vaudeville — Self (archive footage)
• 1995The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies — Self (archive footage)
• 1993Audrey Hepburn: Remembered — Self (archive footage)
• 1991The Fred Astaire Songbook — Self (archive footage)
• 1990You're the Top: The Cole Porter Story — Self (archive footage)
• The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood — Self
• 1985George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey — Self
• 1985That's Dancing! — Self (archive footage)
• 1982Showbiz Goes to War — Self (archive footage)
• Fred Astaire — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• 1976Hooray for Hollywood — Self (archive footage)
• 1976That's Entertainment, Part II — Self - Host
• 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? — Self (archive footage)
• 1975The Lion Roars Again — Self
• Dinah! — Self
• 1974That's Entertainment! — Self - Host / Narrator
• The American Film Institute Salute to ... — Self
• 1973The Men Who Made the Movies: Vincente Minnelli — Self (archive footage)
• 1972Hollywood: The Dream Factory — Self (archive footage)
• 1972Imagine — Self
• 1972S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin — Self
• Film '72 — Self
• The Dick Cavett Show — Self - Guest
• 1968The Fred Astaire Show — Self - Host
• 1968The World Premiere of 'Finian's Rainbow' — Self
• Hollywood and the Stars — Self (archive footage)
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• Alcoa Premiere — Self - Host
• The Mike Douglas Show — Self - Guest, Self - Co-Host
• 1959Another Evening with Fred Astaire — Self
• Cinépanorama — Self
• 1956Stars of Cabaret — Self (archive footage)
• The Steve Allen Show — Self
• The Oscars — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Emmy Awards — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• Golden Globe Awards — Self - Nominee /Presenter
• 1942Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) — Self