Mickey Rooney, Hollywood Legend, Dies at Age 93

Hollywood has lost a true legend, as character actor Mickey Rooney passed away Sunday.

Rooney is one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood history, with a grand total of 340 acting credits listed on his IMDB page. Even then, that doesn't begin to chronicle his entire career, which started with his family's vaudeville act and consequently also included a number of stage and radio roles.

At just five-foot-two, Rooney was never made to be a leading man. But his natural talent for comedy, along with his versatility as an actor, singer, dancer and musician, landed him role after role over his lifetime. Rooney might be most famous for his role in the Audrey Hepburn classic "Breakfast at Tiffany's," though it might also be his most controversial role. Rooney played a cartoony stereotype of a Japanese landlord, a character that seems racist and antiquated these days.

Still, that's just one role in a pool of many. In fact, Rooney was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in "The Bold and the Brave" in 1956. Most recently, Rooney had a supporting role in the first "Night at the Museum" movie alongside Dick Van Dyke, and also made a cameo in "The Muppets."

In his personal life, Rooney had a series of ups and downs over his 93 years of life. He was married a total of eight times, starting with a one-year marriage to Ava Gardner in 1942. Rooney reportedly struggled with alcoholism over his lifetime, as well as anger management issues, both of which affected his personal relationships.

Still, it is difficult to find a harder-working actor who played quite so many roles over quite so large a range over his career. He is survived by Jan Chamberlain, whom he married in 1978.

At the time of his death, Rooney was listed as filming "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," which may turn out to be his final performance in a long and storied career.