Jacob Pavlovich Adler | |
|---|---|
 Adler in 1920 | |
| Born | Yankev P. Adler February 12, 1855 |
| Died | April 1, 1926 (aged 71) New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Jacob P. Adler |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1878–1924 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 9; including Celia, Jay, Julia, Stella, Luther |
| Relatives | Allen Adler (grandson) Francine Larrimore (niece) |
Jacob Pavlovich Adler (Yiddish: יעקבֿ פּאַװלאָװיטש אַדלער; born Yankev P. Adler;[1] February 12, 1855 – April 1, 1926)[2] was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London and in New York City's Yiddish Theater District.[2]
Nicknamed "nesher hagodol",[3][4] ("the Great Eagle", Adler being the German for "eagle"),[4] he achieved his first theatrical success in Odessa, but his career there was rapidly cut short when Yiddish theater was banned in Russia in 1883.[4][5] He became a star in Yiddish theater in London, and in 1889, on his second voyage to the United States, he settled in New York City.[4][6] Adler soon started a company of his own, ushering in a new, more serious Yiddish theater, most notably by recruiting the Yiddish theater's first realistic playwright, Jacob Gordin. Adler scored a great triumph in the title role of Gordin's Der Yiddisher King Lear (The Jewish King Lear), set in 19th-century Russia, which along with his portrayal of Shakespeare's Shylock would form the core of the persona he defined as the "Grand Jew".[4][7]
Nearly all his family went into theater; probably the most famous was his daughter Stella, who taught method acting to, among others, Marlon Brando.[8]
- ^ [Adler 1999] p.xxiii, [Prager 1997]
- ^ a b IMDB biography
- ^ Nahshon 2001
- ^ a b c d e [Rosenfeld 1977]
- ^ [Adler 1999] pp.98–102, 108, 114 et. seq. 222–225.
- ^ [Adler 1999] pp.232–321.
- ^ [Adler 1999], pp. 200–209, 321–325.
- ^ "Stella Adler biography". stellaadler.com. Stella Adler Studio of Acting. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved September 29, 2006.