Spencer Bonaventure Tracy
(born , April 5, 1900, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S. — died June 10, 1967, Beverly Hills, Calif.) U.S. film actor. He enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in 1922 and was soon earning roles on Broadway. He first starred on Broadway in
The Last Mile (1930) and on film in
Up the River (1930). Noted for his craggy features and his sincere performances, he became one of the top stars of the 1930s and '40s, winning Academy Awards in
Captains Courageous (1937) and
Boys Town (1938) — the first actor to win consecutive Oscars for best actor — and being nominated for seven other roles, including
Inherit the Wind (1960) and
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). He had a long relationship with
Katharine Hepburn, with whom he costarred in nine films, including
Woman of the Year (1942),
Adam's Rib (1949), and
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967).
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