Question 1

True or false: Tony Curtis was married to actress Marilyn Monroe for a brief period in the early 1960s.

Accepted Answer

False. They co-starred in 'Some Like It Hot' but never married. He was married to Janet Leigh and others, but not Monroe.

Question 2

True or false: Tony Curtis was born in the Bronx, but his native language was actually Hungarian.

Accepted Answer

True. His parents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants, and Curtis spoke Hungarian before learning English as a child.

Question 3

True or false: He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'The Defiant Ones' (1958).

Accepted Answer

False. He was nominated but lost to David Niven. Curtis never won a competitive Oscar in his career.

Question 4

True or false: He was a talented painter whose artwork was exhibited in galleries and sold for thousands.

Accepted Answer

True. Curtis was a serious abstract painter, with works displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and other venues.

Question 5

True or false: Tony Curtis was a decorated World War II submarine veteran who served in the Pacific.

Accepted Answer

True. Curtis served on the submarine USS Dragonet, surviving a near-sinking and earning a battle star for his service.

Question 6

True or false: Curtis was the first actor to say the word 'bastard' in a mainstream Hollywood film.

Accepted Answer

False. That honor goes to Clark Gable in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939). Curtis used 'bastard' in 'The Great Race' (1965) but wasn't first.

Question 7

True or false: Tony Curtis was the original choice to play James Bond in 'Dr. No' before Sean Connery.

Accepted Answer

False. Curtis was never considered for Bond; the role was offered to Cary Grant and others, but Connery was the first choice.

Question 8

True or false: Tony Curtis was the first actor to receive a percentage of a film's gross profits instead of a salary.

Accepted Answer

True. For 'Some Like It Hot' (1959), Curtis negotiated a profit-sharing deal, a groundbreaking move that made him millions.

Tony Curtis Trivia Questions