It was reported that the multi-talented Mickey Rooney, who spent his life working in Hollywood, passed away on Sunday night with his family in his North Hollywood home.
Rooney first started in showbiz as a 17-month-old toddler in 1926, and is one of the last surviving stars of the silent film era.
Despite his compact 5'3" stature, Rooney was a formidable talent. He was a triple threat, appearing in Shakespearean plays, musicals, blockbuster films, Broadway theater and television, and seamlessly crossed genres from comedy to drama in his acting. He won many awards over his career, and was the first Oscar-nominated teen for his role in the 1940 film, Strike Up the Band.
He was best known for playing the character Andy Hardy in an MGM film series that spanned from 1937 to 1946. His first big break playing the character came in 1936 in A Family Affair, which he followed up with 15 more films playing Andy Hardy, often alongside Judy Garland.
In 1942, he married the glamorous Ava Gardner and would go on to have seven more marriages, fathering 11 children in the course of his life.
Rooney continued acting in Hollywood till the very end, last appearing in The Muppets movie in 2011 and most recently Night at the Museum 3, which is set to come out in December 2014.
Rooney was the quintessential Hollywood "lifer," working in show business for 92 years, the kind of actor who was always "on" and proud of it. Here are some memorable quotes from Rooney representative of his life and its history.
— "I always say, 'Don't retire — inspire.'"
— "I'm 5 feet 3, but I was 6 feet 4 when I married Ava."
— "I've been coming back like a rubber ball for years."
— “Always get married in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted the whole day."