Born Robert Louis Fosse in Chicago, IL -- the setting and time period of his famous 1975 musical that starred Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach; trained at the American Theater Wing. Highly influential choreographer with a distinctive, jazz-influenced style. Fosse began his career in vaudeville and worked as an actor and dancer on stage and in films before choreographing his first Broadway show, The Pajama Game, in 1954. Game earned him the first of eight Tonys® for best choreography, and the screen version in 1957 brought him his second chance to choreograph for film. He directed a string of successful Broadway musicals beginning in 1959 and made his screen directing debut ten years later.
A supreme stylist, Fosse often employed a loose narrative structure, shifting seamlessly between past, present and future to create his striking portraits. Besides CABARET (1972), which won eight Academy Awards (and with his Tony for directing Pippin on Broadway and his Emmy® for directing "Liza with a Z" on TV, made him the only director to win all three major industry awards in a single year), he made stark, uncompromising biopics of Lenny Bruce (LENNY, 1974) and slain Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (STAR 80, 1983). ALL THAT JAZZ (1979) was a semi-autobiographical, Felliniesque portrait of a workaholic, womanizing genius.
Notable (non-nominated) credits include: (As actor) THE AFFAIRS OF DOBIE GILLIS, KISS ME KATE and GIVE A GIRL A BREAK (all 1953); MY SISTER EILEEN (1955, also choreographer); DAMN YANKEES! (1958, also choreographer); THE LITTLE PRINCE (1974, also choreographer); THIEVES (1977). (As director) -- all previously mentioned. (As choreographer) WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954, uncredited); HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING (1967, original choreography); SWEET CHARITY (1969). In most of his choreographed pieces, he (or those dancing his choreography) usually wore a hat and gloves. Fosse always wore hats because he started going bald at the age of 17; he used gloves a lot because he didn't like his hands.
Throughout his career, he was always listed in the Mantattan telephone directory. Fosse was married to Gwen Verdon from 1960 until they legally separted in 1971, but they never divorced. In the interim, he was romantically involved with actresses Ann Reinking and Jessica Lange. He's quoted as saying: "Live like you'll die tomorrow, work like you don't need the money, and dance like nobobdy's watching." He died of a heart attack in Washington, DC, on September 23, 1987.
Directing 1972: CABARET
Nominated for Directing 1974: LENNY
Nominated for Directing 1979: ALL THAT JAZZ
Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) 1979: ALL THAT JAZZ (w. Robert Alan Arthur)
4 nominations, 1 Award