"Ah, stardom! They put your name on a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard and you walk down and find a pile of dog manure on it. That tells the whole story, baby."

American actor (1924-1987). He was born in New York City, where he was kicked out of numerous schools for bad behavior. After his family moved to Florida (where he also got kicked out of school), he joined the Marines at the beginning of World War II.

In the Battle of Saipan in 1944, Marvin was -- ahem -- shot in the butt. His sciatic nerve was severed, and he received a Purple Heart and a ticket back to the States. He apparently felt a large amount of guilt about his injury and considered himself a coward for many years. He took a menial job as a plumber's apprentice in Woodstock, New York, and while repairing some plumbing at a local community theater, he was asked if he'd stand in for an absent actor during a rehearsal. He quickly discovered how much he loved acting (though he later claimed that he learned how to act while in the Marines, when he tried to look brave during combat) and moved back to the Big Apple, where he performed off-Broadway. After making his Broadway debut in "Billy Budd," he began getting more work in television and film.

He often played vicious heavies in Hollywood, though he graduated to action hero status as he became more successful. He also played a few completely light-hearted roles, often as comic con men and drunks -- he even sang (sort of) in "Paint Your Wagon"! Some of his films include: "Eight Iron Men," "The Big Heat," "The Wild One," "Bad Day at Black Rock," "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance," "Donovan's Reef," "The Killers," "Cat Ballou," "The Dirty Dozen," "Gorky Park," "Delta Force," and many more. He won an Oscar for his dual role as the drunken gunfighter and his evil noseless brother in "Cat Ballou."

Marvin had been involved in a long-term relationship with Michelle Triola. After they broke up, Triola sued in 1976, requesting a large portion of Marvin's assets. Her case failed, but established the legal precedent for palimony.

Apparently, Lee Marvin was also a direct descendant of Thomas Jefferson.

Upon accepting his Cat Ballou Oscar: "I think half of this belongs to a horse somewhere out in the valley."

Research from the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com)

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