Jerome Lester Horwitz (October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), better known by his stage name
Curly Howard, was an
American comedian and
vaudevillian actor. He was best known as the most outrageous member of the American
farce comedy team
the Three Stooges, which also featured his older brothers
Moe and
Shemp Howard and actor
Larry Fine. Curly was generally considered the most popular and recognizable of the Stooges. He was well known for his high-pitched voice and vocal expressions ("nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!", "woob-woob-woob!", "soitenly!" (certainly), and barking like a dog) as well as his physical comedy (e.g., falling on ground and pivoting on his shoulder as he "walked" in circular motion), improvisations, and athleticism.