Bob Fosse

Bob Fosse
Fosse in Pal Joey (1963)
Born	Robert Louis Fosse (1927-06-23)June 23, 1927 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	September 23, 1987(1987-09-23) (aged 60) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean off the shores of Napeague/Amagansett, New York[1] 40°48′N 72°36′W / 40.8°N 72.6°W / 40.8; -72.6
Occupations	Actor choreographer dancer director
Years active	1947–1987
Spouses	Mary Ann Niles ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1951)​ Joan McCracken ​ ​ (m. 1952; div. 1959)​ Gwen Verdon ​ (m. 1960)​
Partner	Ann Reinking (1972–1978)
Children	Nicole

Robert Louis Fosse (/ˈfɒsi/; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director.^[2] Known for his work on stage and screen, he is arguably the most influential figure in the field of jazz dance in the twentieth century.^[3] He received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and 9 Tony Awards.

Fosse started his career acting in the musical productions of Call Me Mister (1947), Billion Dollar Baby (1951), and Pal Joey (1952). He transitioned into directing and choreographing musical works including the stage musicals winning Tony Awards for The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), Redhead (1959), Little Me (1963), Sweet Charity (1966), Pippin (1972), Dancin' (1978), and Big Deal (1986). He also worked on Bells Are Ringing (1956), New Girl in Town (1958), How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1961), and Chicago (1975).

In film, he played Hortensio in the M-G-M musical Kiss Me, Kate (1953) and had his directorial debut with the musical Sweet Charity (1969). He won the Academy Award for Best Director for musical drama Cabaret (1972). He was Oscar-nominated for directing the dramas Lenny (1974) and All That Jazz (1979), the later of which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He is also known for directing the concert film Liza with a Z (1972), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, and his final film Star 80 (1983).

Fosse forged an uncompromising modern style, characterized by finger-snapping, tilted bowler hats, fishnet stockings, splayed gloved fingers, turned-in knees and toes, shoulder rolls and jazz hands. Fosse's life, career and relationship with wife and collaborator Gwen Verdon was profiled in the biography Fosse (2013) by Sam Wasson which was adapted into the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon (2019).