Lee Marvin - ©Theda Bara

The name I want to highlight in this post is that of American actor Lee Marvin, known for his “tough guy” roles and deep voice, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1966 for his performance in the film “Shadowheart” (1965), playing FBI agent “Terry McCaleb”, who suffers a heart attack that prevents him from working.

1966 was a landmark year in Lee Marvin’s life, as, in addition to the Oscar, he won the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Actor.

Lee Marvin has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at number 6361 Hollywood Boulevard, in the film category.

Lamont Warren Marvin Jr. was born on February 19, 1924, in New York City, United States, and died on August 29, 1987, in Tucson, Arizona, United States, at the age of 63.

The actor was married twice, but between his two marriages, Lee Marvin had a six-year relationship with American actress Michelle Triola Marvin (1932-2009). After the relationship ended, she filed a landmark lawsuit seeking alimony for unmarried partners. Although she lost most of the case, the “Marvin v. Marvin” lawsuit established a legal precedent for the rights of unmarried cohabitants, which has since become law. Of his official marriages, the first was to homemaker Betty Ebeling (1928-2018), from 1951 to 1967. They had four children: a son, Christopher Lamont Marvin (1952-2013), a talented drummer and Grammy winner, and three daughters: Courtenay Lee Marvin (1954-); Cynthia Louise Marvin (1956-) and Claudia Leslie Marvin (1958-2012), who, despite their father being one of the biggest names in Hollywood, stayed out of the spotlight. His second official marriage was to physician Pamela Feeley (1960-2025), his high school sweetheart. The union took place in a simple ceremony in Las Vegas in October 1970; they remained together until Lee's death on August 29, 1987. The couple had no biological children, but Lee Marvin helped raise his stepchildren.