Jack Palance

This stage actor first appeared on film in Elia Kazan's Panic in the Streets (1950). His menacing performance in Sudden Fear (1952) earned an Oscar nomination, as did his role in Shane (1953). He played in several westerns and won an Emmy for his acting in TV's Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956). His recent work, including Batman (1989) and City Slickers (1991), has won acclaim, the latter earning him an Oscar. Palance published a book of poems in 1996.