Jack Palance (born Volodymyr Palahniuk; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor. During half a century of film and television appearances, Palance was nominated for three Academy Awards, all for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, winning in 1991 for his role in City Slickers.

Biography

Palance was married to his first wife, Virginia Baker, from 1949 to 1968, they had three children: Holly (born in 1950), an actress, Brooke (born in 1952) and Cody (1955–1998). On New Year's Day 2003, Palance's first wife Virginia Baker, (July 7, 1922 – January 1, 2003) was struck and killed by a car in Los Angeles.

His daughter Brooke married Michael Wilding, son of Michael Wilding Sr. (1912–1979) and Elizabeth Taylor; they have three children.

Cody Palance, an actor himself, appeared alongside his father in the film Young Guns. Cody would die from malignant melanoma at age 42 on July 16, 1998. Palance had hosted The Cody Palance Memorial Golf Classic to raise awareness and funds for a cancer center in Los Angeles. Aside from acting Cody was also a musician.

In May 1987, Palance married his second wife, Elaine Rogers. Palance painted and sold landscape art, with a poem included on the back of each picture. He was also the author of The Forest of Love, a book of poems published in 1996 by Summerhouse Press.

Palance acknowledged a lifelong attachment to his Pennsylvania heritage and visited there when able. Shortly before his death he placed his Butler Township, Pennsylvania, Holly-Brooke farm up for sale and his personal art collection up for auction.

Palance and author Chuck Palahniuk are distant relatives; Palahniuk has acknowledged that Palance was his distant uncle.

Best films