How old was American actor Mickey Rooney when he appeared in his debut film?

Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) was an American actor, producer, radio entertainer and vaudevillian. His career spanned almost 9 decades and he continued performing until his death. He appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era.

His mother was an American former chorus girl and burlesque performer from Kansas City, Missiouri, while his father as a Scottish vaudevillian, who had emigrated to New York from Glasgow with his family at the age of 3 months. When he was only 4, his parents separated in 1924. He and his mother moved to Hollywood the following year.

Rooney first performed in vaudeville as a child actor, and then made his film debut at the age of 6 years in 1926, in the short ‘Not To Be Trusted’. Then, he played the title character in the popular ‘Mickey McGuire’ series of 78 short films at 7 until he was aged 13. At 14 and 15, he played Puck in the play and subsequent film adaptation ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

When WWII started, he was drafted and served nearly two years entertaining over two million troops on stage and radio. He was awarded a Bronze Starr for performing in combat zones.

He was born in the borough of Brooklyn, New York and died in Los Angeles, California at the age of 93.