George Chakiris (born September 16, 1932) is an American dancer, singer and actor. He is best known for his role as Bernardo in the 1961 film version of West Side Story, which earned him an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor. Prior to West Side Story, Chakiris appeared uncredited in many musicals such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), White Christmas (1954), and Brigadoon (1954) as a dancer or chorus member. After West Side Story, he had starring roles in several lesser-known critical and commercial failures such as Diamond Head (1962), Kings of the Sun (1963), and The High Bright Sun (1965). On stage, his most notable role was as Bobby in the first national tour of Stephen Sondheim's Company. He had guest roles in many television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, including appearances on Dallas, Superboy, and the series finale of The Patridge Family. Chakiris emerged from retirement to act in the film Not to Forget (2021), which aims to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease.
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George Chakiris is an American dancer, singer, and actor best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in West Side Story.
He is best known for playing Bernardo in West Side Story (1961) and appearing in classic movie musicals like White Christmas and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
He appeared uncredited as a dancer in several 1950s movie musicals, including White Christmas, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Brigadoon. Full filmography on Mood.
