Our relationship with the endearing and talented actor Jack Lemmon (1925–2001) continues, even after his passing from cancer. An Oscar-winning star of Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple, Lemmon brought warmth, wit, and humanity to every role.

For a new generation, his later films—like Grumpy Old Men—offered heartfelt laughter and enduring lessons in love and friendship. He left behind not just a body of work, but a lasting feeling—a sense that goodness, decency, and emotional honesty matter.

“People are probably correct when they see me as the so-called Everyman,” Lemmon once said. “I'm attracted primarily to contemporary characters. I understand them and their frustrations.”

Born John Uhler Lemmon III in Newton, Massachusetts, he played piano by ear and graduated from Harvard. He began on stage and television, making over 400 appearances before debuting in film with Judy Holliday in It Should Happen to You (1954).

He gravitated to roles that stretched him. “When I'm reading material, if I'm a little bit afraid of a part... then I'll do it. If I'm worried about being able to do it, to get it—I absolutely love it.”

Billy Wilder once said, “Happiness is working with Jack Lemmon.” Their partnership—along with Lemmon’s legendary chemistry with Walter Matthau—defined an era of American cinema.

Lemmon won Oscars for both comedy and drama—Mister Roberts (1955) and Save the Tiger (1973). Yet his greatest performance may have been how deeply audiences connected with him. His characters were smart, vulnerable, kind.

Before each scene, he’d whisper, “It’s magic time.” And he meant it.