At just 19 years old, Burt Lancaster made a bold decision to leave college behind and pursue a career in the circus with his childhood best friend, Nick Cravat. Their high-flying act on the highbar was a daring move that paid them a modest $3 per week each. It wasn’t long before their talent caught the eye of the legendary Ringling and Barnum troupes, where they performed alongside some of the greatest circus acts of the time. "Burt was an unlikely acrobat because of his towering height," explains author Kate Buford, who penned the definitive biography Burt Lancaster: An American Life.

Burt's Early Days: A Man Who Refused to Be Ordinary

Standing at 6-foot-2, Burt Lancaster wasn’t your average guy. By the time he arrived in Hollywood at the ripe age of 33, he had already lived a lifetime. He’d performed in the circus, served in the Army, graced Broadway stages, and even gone through a divorce. Burt was a man who knew who he was and wasn’t afraid to let the world see it. "If I was afraid to take a chance, I’d still be that punk kid from East Harlem during the Depression," he once said with a chuckle. Burt wasn’t one to let anyone tell him what to do or how to live. He was a man who valued his freedom above all else.

Burt's Chameleon-Like Career

Burt Lancaster wasn’t just another pretty face in Hollywood. He was a man who could transform himself into any character the script demanded. Unlike the great stars of his time, like Jimmy Stewart or Gregory Peck, who played within a certain range, Burt loved to keep things unpredictable. "He liked to flip it around," Buford explains. In 1952, Burt was swashbuckling in The Crimson Pirate and portraying a middle-aged alcoholic in Come Back, Little Sheba. A few years later, he was shooting it out in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and playing a creepy gossip columnist in Sweet Smell of Success. "Audiences didn’t get it at first, but now that movie is considered a classic," Buford admits with a smile.

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A Man Who Played by His Own Rules

Burt wasn’t just a trailblazer on screen; he was also one of the first actors to form his own production company. Fame and money never seemed to interest him as much as the art of storytelling. He famously turned down the role in Ben-Hur, which would go on to be the highest-grossing film of 1959 and win an Oscar for Charlton Heston. "He didn’t like the religious overtones," Buford explains. "And he was the first actor in Hollywood to be offered $1 million to star in a movie. But Burt said no. He was a man who followed his heart, not the money."

A Complex Personal Life

Burt’s personal life was just as fascinating as his career. He married Norma Anderson, a USO entertainer, in 1946, and they had five children together. But their marriage was fraught with difficulties. "He loved Norma deeply, but she struggled with alcoholism, which eventually led to their separation," Buford reveals. Burt’s relationship with hairdresser Jackie Bones began in 1966 when they met on an airplane. "She saw him and thought, ‘There is one lonely man,’” Buford recalls. Jackie was a tough cookie, and Burt was drawn to her strength. Despite their bond, Burt wasn’t one to settle down. He had relationships with both women and men, but he resisted labels. "Jackie told me he preferred women, but he didn’t like being boxed in. He was way ahead of his time," Buford adds.

Loyalty and Legacy

Burt’s final marriage to Susan Martin lasted until his death in 1990. "I think he loved every woman he was with while he was with her," Buford explains. Even after his relationships ended, Burt remained fiercely loyal to his past lovers, friends, and wives. "He took care of people — even Nick Cravat, his old circus buddy. He used his stardom and his wealth to help those he cared about," Buford says. His loyalty didn’t go unnoticed. Kirk Douglas once admitted that he envied Burt for having such loyal friends. "Burt had few close friends, but those he had were fiercely devoted to him," Buford concludes.

— Reporting by Fortune Benatar

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