Mickey Rooney spent 87 of his 93 years in movies. Rooney, whose death was reported late Sunday night, was one of the last stars of an era and spent nearly his entire life in show business. He could do everything and, even though his private life was controversial, he is best remembered for his work on screen. His career stretched from silent movies to Ben Stiller and the Muppets.

TMZ first reported Rooney’s death, and it was later confirmed by Variety and other outlets. His former manager, Kevin Pawley, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, which also spoke to his wife, Jan. She said that she hadn’t seen Rooney since April 2013, as he lived in Studio City with her son, Mark Aber.

Rooney was born Joseph Yule, Jr. into a show business family in Brooklyn, on Sept. 23, 1920, notes The New York Times. His mother was a burlesque dancer and his father was a second-rate comic. He was only 17 months old when he appeared on a burlesque stage. He was 2 when he began performing and when he was 5, his mother tried him out for Hal Roach. She turned down the offer and took him back to Kansas City, Mo. But Hollywood called again, and he found his first role as Mickey McGuire, a comic strip character. (The first film in the series was discovered in Amsterdam recently.) That’s where Rooney got “Mickey.”

By the 1930s, he became the most famous American teenager in the world, thanks to MGM’s constant use of him in the Andy Hardy movies and in pictures like Boys Town with Spencer Tracy. His first time playing Andy Hardy came in 1937’s A Family Affair and he would play the idealistic American teen in a handful of films and shorts. Andy Hardy’s final film came in 1958 with Andy Hardy Comes Home, a flop that acted as the punctuation to Rooney’s declining career at the time.

But before Andy Hardy could come home, there was success. He earned a Juvenile Award at the 1939 Oscars and earned Best Actor nominations in 1940 (Babes in Arms) and 1944 (The Human Comedy). Further nominations came for The Brave and The Bold (1956) and Black Stallion (1979). He earned an honorary award in 1983.

Rooney also found success paired with Judy Garland, who made three Andy Hardy films. Together, they starred in movies like Babes in Arms and Strike up the Band. In these films, they gathered their friends to put on a show, with the secret help of director Busby Berkeley. Later, he played alongside a young Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet.

Rooney, who stood just inches over five feet, married quickly and often. He was married eight times, including once to Ava Gardner. He is survived by his wife Jan and eight children. His son Tim died in 2006.

After his film career began to decline, Rooney took himself to the stage, appearing on Broadway and even earning a Tony nomination for Sugar Babies in 1980. He also worked on television, earning an Emmy nomination for his stunning dramatic turn on the live play The Comedian. He won an Emmy for the TV movie Bill in 1982.

Other films included Breakfast at Tiffany’s, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Disney’s The Fox and the Hound. In later years, he played Ben Stiller’s nemesis in A Night At The Museum and made a cameo in 2011’s The Muppets.

In 2011, Rooney was back in the headlines for a controversy. He got a restraining order against stepson Christopher Aber, claiming he and his wife withheld food and medication from him. He filed a lawsuit, which was settled in 2013 with the Abers agreeing to pay $2.8 million.

Rooney worked up until his death. Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy tweeted that he had just shot scenes for the third film last month. “A legend, obviously, but something more: grateful, gracious,vital & warm,” Levy added.