According to a website honoring movie celebrities that flew in B-24s, Palance burned his face severely while bailing out of a B-24 which was on fire during a training flight in Tucson in 1942 (that would probably have been the Davis-Monthan Army Air Corps base at that time) and after several surgeries was discharged in 1944. He is described as a "pilot in training".
American actor of Ukrainian ancestry.
Attended the University of North Carolina.
Brother of Ivan Palance, John Palance and Anne Palance.
Claimed on at least one occasion that he never watched any of his own movies.
Desperately wanted the role of Shaleen of the film Cat Ballou (1965) but was never offered it.
Despite all of his film work, Palance will forever be remembered for turning an Oscar acceptance speech into an uproarious display of his physical agility. While accepting his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers (1991) at the 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992) he commented on the casting directors thinking they can make a younger guy look older, while they wouldn't know that an old guy did this at nights: he then flopped down on the floor and began doing a series of one-handed push-ups, stood up, spoke calmly further, even adding a slightly risqué joke. Afterwards when he was asked about the stunt he simply said, "I didn't know what the hell else to do". A year later when he provided the voice of Rothbart in the The Swan Princess (1994), his character is featured doing one-handed push-ups.
Director Elia Kazan promised to cast him as Marlon Brando's brother in Viva Zapata! (1952), but then changed his mind and cast Anthony Quinn instead. Quinn won a Best Supporting Oscar for the film and Palance never spoke to Kazan again.
During his struggling days, he worked as a short order cook, waiter, soda jerk, lifeguard at Jones Beach, and a photographer's model.
During the early phases of pre-production for The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), 20th Century-Fox studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck suggested Palance for the role of the robot Gort. The role was eventually filled by a much taller non-actor.
Father of Cody Palance (b. Dec. 1955, d. Jul. 15, 1998), with whom he starred in the film Young Guns (1988).
Former father-in-law of Roger Spottiswoode. Father-in-law of Michael Wilding Jr..
Graduate of Stanford University in 1949 with an AB in Drama.
Grandfather of Lily, Spencer and Tarquin.
He pronounced his last name "PAL-unse," not "pah-LAHNSE" as some people believe.
His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is in front of the display window of Fredericks of Hollywood, a seller of intimate apparel.
In the late 1930s and early 1940s Palance was a professional boxer in the heavyweight class, fighting under the name Jack Brazzo. He won his first 15 fights, then enlisted in the military when World War II broke out. After the war he took up acting and never resumed his boxing career.
Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1992.
Member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch).