Robert Wagner turns 90 years old on Feb. 10, giving fans the perfect opportunity to look back at the acclaimed actor’s iconic career.
Born in 1930, Wagner got his start acting in various roles throughout the 1950s. He’s a rare Hollywood icon that’s managed to work consistently in both film and TV throughout his life. even getting acclaim in his later years for appearances on modern shows like “NCIS,” “Futurama” and “Hot in Cleveland.”
As the actor enters his ninth decade of life. now is a good time to take a look back at his long and storied career with a rundown of his five most memorable roles:
Although this wasn’t considered his best movie. the role is memorable for Wagner fans because it marks. the first time that he was billed as the lead of a movie after a slew of supporting parts. Although the critics didn’t necessarily love it, the movie was very popular and helped propel his career as a movie star.
The film sees him as a Greek American fisherman. whose family is locked in a bitter and violent feud with another fishing family. The feud gets complicated when Wagner’s character falls in love with a woman from the other family.
Although this wasn’t considered his best movie. the role is memorable for Wagner fans. because it marks the first time that he was billed as the lead of a movie after a slew of supporting parts. Although the critics didn’t necessarily love it, the movie was very popular and helped propel his career as a movie star.
The film sees him as a Greek American fisherman whose family is locked in a bitter and violent feud with another fishing family. The feud gets complicated when Wagner’s character falls in love with a woman from the other family.
“A Kiss Before Dying” (1956)
Based on the 1953 novel by Ira Levin of the same name. Wagner stars as a villainously ambitious young man who is trying to secure his part of a family’s mining fortune by wooing the patriarch’s daughters. He begins dating one only to kill her and make it look like a suicide. He then begins to date another before his entire evil plan unravels, resulting in his death.
The reason this is such a big deal for Wagner was that it marked his first critically successful leading role after struggling to break away from successful supporting parts in other films. The movie was a success, with an early review from Variety praising Wagner’s performance specifically. The film launched his career to new heights and is still considered a classic must-watch to this day.
