One of the first Russian Americans to make it big in Hollywood, the veteran actor earned renown for his starring role in the stage and movie musical The King and I, for which he won two Tony Awards and later an Oscar for Best Actor.
The novelist and actress is best known for the classic Valley of the Dolls, one of the all-time best-selling fictional works in publishing history, which spawned a successful movie adaptation.
In 1959, a television version of the novel turned movie The Third Man hit the airwaves, with the character of Harry Lime changed to a private investigator. The series ran until 1965.