Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg
Strasberg in 1976
Born
Israel Strassberg

(1901-11-17)November 17, 1901
Budzanów, Galicia, Austria-Hungary
DiedFebruary 17, 1982(1982-02-17) (aged 80)
New York City, U.S.
Resting placeWestchester Hills Cemetery
NationalityUnited States of America
Occupations
  • Theatre director
  • actor
  • acting coach
  • drama teacher
Years active1925–1982
Known for
Spouses
  • Nora Krecaum
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1926; died 1929)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1935; died 1966)​
  • ​
    (m. 1967⁠–⁠1982)​
Children4, including Susan and John

Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg;[1] November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher.[2][3] He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective".[4] In 1951, he became director of the nonprofit Actors Studio in New York City, considered "the nation's most prestigious acting school,"[5] and, in 1966, he was involved in the creation of Actors Studio West in Los Angeles.

Although other highly regarded teachers also developed versions of "The Method," Lee Strasberg is considered to be the "father of method acting in America," according to author Mel Gussow. From the 1920s until his death in 1982, "he revolutionized the art of acting by having a profound influence on performance in American theater and film."[1] From his base in New York, Strasberg trained several generations of theatre and film notables, including Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Jane Fonda, Julie Harris, Paul Newman, Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Sally Field, Renee Taylor,[6] Geraldine Page, Eli Wallach, and directors Andreas Voutsinas, Frank Perry, Elia Kazan and Michael Cimino.[1][7]

By 1970, Strasberg had become less involved with the Actors Studio and, with his third wife, Anna Strasberg, opened the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute with branches in New York City and in Hollywood, to continue teaching the 'system' of Konstantin Stanislavski, which he had interpreted and developed, particularly in light of the ideas of Yevgeny Vakhtangov, for contemporary actors.

As an actor, Strasberg is best known for his portrayal of the primary antagonist, the gangster Hyman Roth, alongside his former student Al Pacino in The Godfather Part II (1974), a role he took at Pacino's suggestion after Kazan turned down the role, and which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in Going in Style (1979) and ...And Justice for All (1979).[8]

  1. ^ a b c Gussow, Mel. "Lee Strasberg of Actors Studio Is Dead". New York Times, February 18, 1982.
  2. ^ Corrigan, Robert Willoughby (January 1, 1979). The world of the theatre. Scott, Foresman and Company. ISBN 9780673151070. Retrieved March 15, 2017 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ "Lee Strasberg". Oxford Reference. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  4. ^ "Burt Lancaster". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lipton was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "81 years young, Renee Taylor opens 'My Life on a Diet' at Shea's Smith Theatre". WBFO. November 6, 2014. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  7. ^ "Michael Cimino – Obituary". The Telegraph. July 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2023. ...he took acting and directing classes from the master of "the Method", Lee Strasberg...
  8. ^ Lumet, Sidney, and Rapf, Joanna E. Sidney Lumet: Interviews, University of Mississippi Press, (2006)