Astaire received an honorary Academy Award in 1950 for his “unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures.” He holds choreography credits for ten of his movie musicals released between 1934-1961, including “Top Hat”, “Funny Face”, and “The Pleasure of His Company”. He won five Emmys for his work in television, including three for his variety shows, An Evening with Fred Astaire (1959, which won an unprecedented nine Emmys in all!) and Another Evening with Fred Astaire (1960).

In his later years, he continued to appear in movies, including “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968), and “The Towering Inferno” (1974) which earned him an Oscar nomination. He also starred in television roles on programs such as It Takes a Thief, and Battlestar Galactica (which he said he agreed to, due to the influence of his grandchildren). Astaire also lent his voice to several animated children’s TV specials, most notably, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970), and The Easter Bunny is Comin’ to Town (1977).  Astaire received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1981 from the American Film Institute, who in 2011, also named him the “Fifth Greatest Actor” (among their “The 50 Greatest Screen Legends” list).

Fred Astaire died in 1987 from pneumonia, at the age of 88. With his passing, the world lost a true dancing legend. His effortless lightness and grace may never be seen again. As Mikhail Baryshnikov observed at the time of Fred Astaire’s death, “No dancer can watch Fred Astaire and not know that we all should have been in another business.”