Legendary screen star Mickey Rooney, whose incredible career spanned eight decades, died Sunday night in Los Angeles, according to police. He was 93.
The 5-foot 2-inch dynamo, a Brooklyn native, acted in hundreds of movies, from dramas, to comedies to musicals.
He made his stage debut in 1921, at 17 months, in his parents’ vaudeville show.
His first film role, in “Not to Be Trusted,’’ came five years later. His last was in 2006’s “A Night at the Museum.”
Between the two, the versatile actor-singer starred in some of America’s most beloved films, including nearly 20 in which he played all-American teenager Andy Hardy.
Rooney’s first major adult success was opposite Elizabeth Taylor in 1944’s “National Velvet.’’
He displayed his dramatic chops in films like “Requiem for a Heavyweight,’’ and sang and danced his way through musicals that included “Girl Crazy,’’ “Babes in Arms’’ and “Strike up the Band,’’ all of which co-starred Judy Garland.
Rooney was nearly as famous for his starring roles at the altar. He had eight wives, including Ava Gardner. He and his current wife, singer Jan Rooney, were separated.
“I loved all of them,’’ he told The Post on his 90th birthday.
In the same interview, he said, “I’ve been in 361 movies, more than anyone. Some of them are better forgotten.’’
Asked about his favorites, he said, “I love ‘Boys Town’ [from 1938] because that was a real story about a real place. I was named mayor of Boys Town, and we still do a lot of [fund-raising] work for them.”
Rooney was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two special Oscars — the Juvenile Award in 1939 and a 1983 award for his body of work.
Explaining his remarkable career, he said, “I always say, ‘Don’t retire – inspire.’ ”
Rooney’s life was marked by a series of ups and downs, including a 1962 bankruptcy filing after he spent all of the $12 million he had earned, Variety reported. He also accused a stepson of elder abuse.
With Post Wires