Robert Louis Fosse
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Awards
Bob Fosse is the only director to win the Oscar, Tony, and Emmy in a single year 1973. He directed the film Cabaret 1972 and the Broadway musical Pippin, and choreographed Liza with a Z. Born in Chicago in 1927, he died of a heart attack in Washington, D.C. in 1987. He was married to Gwen Verdon and influenced generations of choreographers and directors.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Bob Fosse — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Bob Fosse by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Bob Fosse — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Bob Fosse was born Robert Louis Fosse on June 23, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois, to Sara Alice and Cyril Kingsley Fosse, a traveling salesman for Hershey. His paternal grandparents were Norwegian, and his mother was of Irish descent. He was the youngest of five children. By age 13, Fosse was performing professionally in burlesque and nightclubs, inspired by his idol Fred Astaire. He attended Amundsen High School but left early to pursue dance.
In 1953, Fosse signed with MGM as a dancing discovery, appearing in Kiss Me Kate. When MGM halted musical production, he moved to Broadway and choreographed The Pajama Game in 1954, winning his first Tony Award in 1955. He met Gwen Verdon while choreographing Damn Yankees 1955 and later directed and choreographed her in Sweet Charity 1966. Fosse directed the film Cabaret 1972, winning the Academy Award for Best Director. That same year, he won a Tony for directing Pippin and three Emmys for Liza with a Z. He later directed Lenny 1974 and All That Jazz 1979, the latter a semi-autobiographical film. His final Broadway musical was Big Deal in 1986.
Fosse married three times: first to dancer Mary Ann Niles 1948-1951, then to actress Joan McCracken 1951-1959, and finally to actress and dancer Gwen Verdon 1960 until his death in 1987. He and Verdon separated in 1971 but remained close friends and collaborators. They had one daughter, Nicole Fosse. During his separation, Fosse had relationships with Ann Reinking, who became his muse and later collaborated with Verdon, and actress Jessica Lange. He also dated Dyan Cannon.
Fosse is the most awarded choreographer at the Tony Awards, with eight wins for Best Choreography. He directed two films in the National Film Registry: Cabaret and All That Jazz. His signature style—hats, gloves, turned-in knees—is instantly recognizable. He influenced generations of choreographers and directors. In 2012, he was featured on a U.S. postage stamp as an Innovative Choreographer. He was portrayed by Sam Rockwell in the 2019 series Fosse/Verdon. Fosse’s relentless perfectionism revolutionized musical theater and film direction.
The complete filmography of Bob Fosse — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Bob Fosse — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Bob Fosse — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
I Thank God That I Wasn’t Born Perfect.
Live Like You’ll Die Tomorrow, Work Like You Don’t Need the Money, and Dance Like Nobody’s Watching.
I’m Still Working on My Life, Just Like It’s Out of Town, and When I Get It Fixed, I’ll Bring It In.
Don’t Dance for the Audience; Dance for Yourself.
I Would Never Discriminate Against Someone’s Talent Because They Showed the Poor Taste to Like Me.
In Today’s World, Everything Seems Like Some Sort of Long Audition.
It’s Showtime, Folks!
Dance Expresses Joy Better Than Anything Else.
They May Not Know What I’m Doing, but They Know I’m Doing Something!
I Like Attractive People Who Aren’t so Terribly Aware That They Are Attractive… People Who Aren’t Afraid to Roll on the Floor and Make Fools Out of Themselves.
If You Think You Can Do Better, Then Do Better. Don’t Compete with Anyone, Just Yourself. When You Are in Trouble or Have a Dilemma, Ask Yourself, What’s the Important Thing?. and When You Wake up in the Morning, Ask Yourself How You Can Be a Better Person, Not Just a Better Performer.
The Time to Sing Is When Your Emotional Level Is Too High to Just Speak Anymore, and the Time to Dance Is When Your Emotions Are Just Too Strong to Only Sing About How You Feel.
I Give My Relationships Two Weeks Now. Sometimes I Bring It in Ahead of Deadline.
Little-known facts about Bob Fosse — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
In 1973, he won an Academy Award for directing Cabaret, a Tony for directing Pippin, and an Emmy for directing Liza with a Z, making him the only director to win all three in a single year.
He was always listed in the Manhattan phone directory throughout his career.
He earned three Emmy Awards in 1973 for producing, directing, and choreographing the television special Liza with a Z starring Liza Minnelli.
Fosse often incorporated hats and gloves into his choreography; he wore hats because he began balding at 17, and gloves because he disliked his hands.
Fosse was born in Chicago in 1927, the setting and time period for his 1975 musical Chicago starring Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera, and Jerry Orbach.
He separated from Gwen Verdon in the 1970s but remained married until his death; he was later romantically involved with Ann Reinking and Jessica Lange.
Fosse died of a heart attack on 14th Street NW in Washington, D.C., near the J.W. Marriott Hotel, while walking to the National Theater to direct a stage play.
The son of a vaudevillian, he performed in burlesque during his early teens.
He won seven Tony Awards out of 15 nominations, one win behind record-holder Gower Champion; his Tony wins include Best Choreography for The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Redhead, Little Me, Sweet Charity, Pippin, and Best Director Musical for Pippin.
He directed five actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, and Roy Scheider; Minnelli and Grey won for Cabaret.
His idol was Fred Astaire.
He planned a film version of Chicago with Madonna; it ultimately appeared in 2002 directed by Rob Marshall with Renée Zellweger.
He insisted that the character Joe Gideon in All That Jazz, based on himself, have a full head of hair because he was insecure about his own hair loss.
Fosse unintentionally competed with Francis Ford Coppola for Best Director Oscars: Fosse won for Cabaret over The Godfather in 1972; Coppola won for The Godfather Part II over Lenny in 1974; and both lost in 1979 for All That Jazz and Apocalypse Now.
He was portrayed by Sam Rockwell in Fosse/Verdon 2019.
He was best friends with screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky.
Despite separating in 1971, he and Gwen Verdon remained close and continued working together; his muse Ann Reinking became good friends with Verdon.
After 1945, he formed a dance partnership mixing ballet with tap with his then-wife Mary Ann Niles.
He was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 2001 for Best Theatre Choreographer with Ann Reinking for Fosse.
Pictured on a 2012 U.S. forever stamp featuring Innovative Choreographers alongside Isadora Duncan, José Limon, and Katherine Dunham.
Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1979.
He and Gwen Verdon were good friends with Neil Simon and his first wife Joan Baim.
He wanted to be taken seriously as a director and avoided musicals after Lenny, but was coaxed by Gwen Verdon to work on Chicago.
He directed two films selected for the National Film Registry: Cabaret 1972 and All That Jazz 1979.
He was an acting mentor to actress Melanie Griffith.
Father of Nicole Fosse with Gwen Verdon.
He and Ann Reinking were awarded the 1999 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Award for Choreography for Fosse.
As a youngster, he went to see all of Fred Astaire’s films and tried to imitate the dances on the way home.
He was slated to choreograph and direct Broadway hits including Funny Girl and Promises, Promises.
The musical Fosse on Broadway was nominated for the 1999 Tony Award for Best Musical.
Born to Sara Alice and Cyril Kingsley Fosse; his paternal grandparents were Norwegian and his mother was of Irish descent.
He began working on a biography film about Walter Winchell with Robert De Niro before his death.
He was also a choreographer and screenwriter.
He appeared as an actor/dancer in My Sister Eileen before becoming a choreographer and director.
The stage version of Sweet Charity had a cast of 29, while the film had about 500; the stage garage scene used minimal props, while the film had 50 cars and 50 dancers including Sammy Davis Jr.
Bob Fosse is the most-awarded choreographer at the Tony Awards, with 8 wins for Best Choreography and 1 for Best Director; his nominations include Best Choreography for Bells Are Ringing, New Girl in Town, and Chicago.
He is the only director to win the Triple Crown of awards Oscar, Tony, and Emmy in the same calendar year: 1973.
Chicago at the Ahmanson Theatre received the 1998 Back Stage Garland Award for Outstanding Production.
His biography appears in The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives Volume Two 1986-1990.
The cast of Fosse at the Ahmanson Theatre won the 1998 Back Stage Garland Award for Outstanding Ensemble.
He was the youngest of five children with two brothers and two sisters.
He has directed three films nominated for Best Picture Oscar: Cabaret, Lenny, and All That Jazz.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Bob Fosse.
Celebrities similar to Bob Fosse — same craft, ranked by reach.
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