- He had the longest film career of any actor ever. From his first starring role in 1926 in Mickey's Circus to reprising his role as Gus in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in 2014, his career spanned 88 years and comprised 340 films. He is the only actor in history to appear in at least one film for 10 consecutive decades.
- He was one of the last surviving stars of the silent film era.
- His real name was Joseph Yule, Jr. and he was born in Brooklyn, New York, to vaudevillians Nellie W. Carter and Joe Yule. They separated when he was four, and his mother moved Hollywood.
- He had more wives than Henry VIII. He married eight times. His wives were: Ava Gardner (ended in divorce after a year because he was unfaithful), Betty Jane Phillips (met and married during WWII, had two sons but divorced after the war), Martha Vickers (lasted two years), Elaine Mahnken (1952-1958), Barbara Ann Thomason (murdered by her lover in 1966), Marge Lane (Barbara's best friend, his shortest marriage, lasting just 100 days), Carolyn Hockett (1969 - 1975) and Jan Chamberlin, his longest marriage at 34 years, longer than all his other marriages put together. He was still married to her when he died, although they had separated.
- He was very close friends with one of his co-stars, Judy Garland. Their first film together was Thoroughbreds Don't Cry in 1937. He said of her, “Judy and I were so close we could've come from the same womb.” He became the only film star to go on a promotional tour for a film he wasn't in when he went on the tour for Wizard of Oz with her.
- During the Second World War he was inducted into the United States Army, where he entertained the troops in America and Europe in Special Services. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for entertaining troops in combat zones.
- He was just 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 m) tall. That may well be why he chose to call his 1991 memoir Life is Too Short.
- His life didn't always go smoothly. He experienced bankruptcy, addictions, suffered from bipolar disorder and attempted suicide a couple of times. It was also claimed that as an old man, he was abused by his family.
- He once claimed that Mickey Mouse was named after him after he met Walt Disney as a child. However, it wasn't true.
- Rooney said he had twelve hobbies, which were: reading the Bible, watching classic movies, football, dancing, swimming, praying, golfing, travelling, horse racing, spending time with the family, listening to music and singing.
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