He enjoys playing the flute for pleasure and relaxation. He is a very accomplished player.
He has two adopted sons.
He is a militant anti-smoker. Both Sir Michael Caine and Sir Roger Moore have credited Curtis with helping them quit smoking cigarettes in the early 1970s, though not cigars.
He made a literary cameo in Matt Whyman's debut romantic comedy novel, 'Man or Mouse', in which the main character, Ren, e-mails Curtis with his love-life problems, and finally meets him briefly.
His brother Julius died after being hit by a truck (1938).
His favorite movie star was Cary Grant.
His sixth wife, Jill Vandenberg Curtis (since 1998), who is 46 years younger than he, runs a wild-horse refuge.
His son, Nicholas Curtis, died of seizures due to an overdose of heroin (2 July 1994).
In 1998, Tony Curtis founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and served as honorary chairperson. The organization works for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. Curtis dedicated this to the 600,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Hungary and lands occupied by the Hungarian Army.
In 1998, Tony Curtis founded the Emanuel Foundation for Hungarian Culture, and served as honorary chairperson. The organization works for the restoration and preservation of synagogues and 1300 Jewish cemeteries in Hungary. Curtis dedicated this to the 600,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust in Hungary and lands occupied by the Hungarian Army.
In the early 1960s, Tony Curtis was immortalized as "Stony Curtis," a voice-over guest star on The Flintstones.
In Tony Curtis' second film, City Across the River (1949), he was credited as "Anthony Cross".
Like many before and after, he changed his name from Bernard Schwartz to Tony Curtis, partly in response to Hollywood anti-Semitism.
Lives in Henderson, Nevada.
Nearly died in hospital from pneumonia at Christmas 2006.
Now in his 80s, he spends most of his time painting. Some of his works are a part of a permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Recovered from a cocaine addiction in the 1980s.
Serving with "F Troop" (1965) actor Larry Storch in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945 aboard a submarine tender, he witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay from a vantage point 300 yards away. He and Storch have had a lifelong friendship. They appeared together in The Great Race (1965). Storch also co-starred as his room mate/asst' in the comedy 'Forty Pounds of Trouble' (1962).
Since re-dubbing the bath scene in Spartacus (1960) in which he starred with Laurence Olivier, Curtis has said that whenever he encounters Anthony Hopkins (who did the voiceover for Olivier in the re-dubbed version following Olivier's death), he hollers "Oh Tony... it's Antoninus".
Suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.