Nevertheless, his revived his career with 1977's Pete's Dragon and was back to his former, zesty self with the late seventies Broadway hit, Sugar Babies. He received an Oscar nomination for supporting actor in 1980's The Black Stallion and won an Emmy for Bill in 1982.

Mickey Jane Rooney
Mickey With His Wife Jan - The Couple Were Advocates For Both Veteran & Animal Rights.

Younger film fans will recognise Rooney for his roles in 2006's Night at the Museum alongside Ben Stiller and in the 2011 feature The Muppets. In a film and musical career spanning nine decades, Rooney was nominated for four Academy Awards and received two special Oscars throughout his illustrious career.

Fellow film star Sir Laurence Olivier once referred to him as the greatest film actor America ever produced.

Married eight times, Rooney was upbeat about his many wives, replying "Absolutely. I loved every one of them" when asked if he's marry the same eight again. He married his eighth wife, Jan, in 1978, and the pair celebrated a long union until their split in 2013.

Mickey Jan Rooney
Married Eight Times, Rooney Enjoyed His Longest Union With Jan.

The father to nine children, Rooney lost a son, Tim Rooney, who died in 2006. Fiercely living up to his motto, "never retire but inspire," Rooney continued to work in film, television and theatre into his eighties and remained an active actor right up to his death.