Lee Strasberg
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January 20, 1978: Lee Strasberg talks about his craft during a two-week seminar in Germany. |
Lee Strasberg (
November 17,
1901 â€"
February 17,
1982) was an
American director,
actor,
producer, and acting teacher. He was born
Israel Lee Strassberg in Budzanów, former
Austro-Hungarian Empire (now
Budaniv,
Ukraine), to Ida and Baruch Meyer Strassberg.
In
1931, Lee Strasberg became one of the co-founders of the
Group Theatre, a company which included such legends as
Elia Kazan,
John Garfield,
Stella Adler,
Sanford Meisner,
Franchot Tone, and
Robert Lewis. In
1936, Strasberg became a
naturalized citizen of the
United States. In
1949, he began a lengthy career at the
Actors Studio in
New York City. Within two years, he was artistic director and the now-renowned institution's reputation flourished. Actors under his tutelage there included
Geraldine Page,
Paul Newman,
Al Pacino,
Kim Stanley,
Marilyn Monroe,
Jane Fonda,
James Dean,
Dustin Hoffman,
Eli Wallach,
Eva Marie Saint,
Robert DeNiro,
Jill Clayburgh,
Ellen Burstyn and
Steve McQueen.
In
1966, he established the "Actors Studio West" in
Los Angeles. In
1969, he began the
Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute there as well.
While rarely stepping in front of the camera himself (he appeared in just seven films), his most famous role was surely that of
Hyman Roth in
The Godfather: Part II. Playing an elderly Jewish
organized crime figure retired to
Miami and overlord of criminal enterprise in
Cuba, he encounters the wrath of
Michael Corleone, played by Strasberg's former student
Al Pacino. For this performance, Strasberg received an
Academy Award nomination.
Strasberg is considered by many to be the patriarch of American "
method" acting. He provided inspiration for generations of actors during his lifetime and a lasting legacy for generations to come.
He was married to his second wife, the actress and drama coach
Paula Strasberg from
1934 until her death from cancer in 1966. They were the parents of actress
Susan Strasberg and acting teacher
John Strasberg. Lee Strasberg's third wife was the former Anna Mizrahi, a
Sephardic Jew who was born in
Venezuela and the mother of his two youngest children, David and Adam.
Lee Strasberg died of a
heart attack in New York City at the age of 80; his eldest children and only grandchild were disinherited in the will. Strasberg is interred at
Westchester Hills Cemetery in
Hastings-on-Hudson,
Westchester County,
New York.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe was a student of Strasberg's, and he helped her throughout her life.
His daughter Susan wrote a best-selling books
Marilyn and Me: sisters, rivals, friends (published after Lee's death, and probably in light of disinheriting his children), which recounted her relationship with her "surrogate sister". Monroe was 29 when she became Strasberg's favorite student. Over eight years the screen goddess was a sisterly friend and household rival of aspiring actress Susan Strasberg, just 17 when they met. Susan for a time shared her bedroom with the envied intruder, object of the paternal adulation of her father. n the book, Susan swings between admiration and disillusionment with Monroe ( Susan describes Monroe as someone who sketched, wrote poetry and sympathized with underdogs when she wasn't floundering in depressed insomnia or drug-induced paranoia ). A convert to Judaism after her marriage to Arthur Miller, she peppered her conversation with Yiddishisms.
In her final will, Monroe left Strasberg total control of 75% of her estate, including the licensing of her image as gratitude for his mentorship and kindness before and after she became a star. In her will, Monroe expressed her desire that Strasberg, or, if he predeceased her, her executor,
"distribute (these) among my friends, colleagues and those to whom I am devoted." Strasberg willed the rights to his widow (2nd wife) Anna, who never met Monroe but who today administers the estate. It still earns millions of dollars in licensing fees whenever an advertiser or manufacturer uses Monroe's image.
Anna declared that she would never sell Monroe's personal items after successfully suing Odyssey Auctions in 1994 to prevent the sale of items that Strasberg withheld from Monroe's former business manager Inez Melson. However, in October 1999
Christie's auctioned the bulk of Monroe's personal effects - the auction netted $12.3 million. Julien's staged a second auction of Monroe's personal effects in 2005.
* Made his last public appearance at the "Night of 100 Stars" on
February 13,
1982. In a benefit for the Actors Fund at
Radio City Music Hall, together with proteges
Al Pacino and
Robert De Niro, he danced in the chorus line with the Rockettes. He died only four days later.
Note: All works are plays and the original productions unless otherwise noted.
Four Walls (1927) -
ActorThe Vegetable (1929) -
DirectorRed Rust (1929) - Actor
Green Grow the Lilacs (1931) - Actor
The House of Connelly (1931) - Co-Director
1931 (1931) - Director
Success Story (1932) - Director
Men in White (1933) - Director
Gentlewoman (1934) - Director
Gold Eagle Guy (1934) - Director
Paradise Lost (1935) -
Produced by Group Theatre
Case of Clyde Griffiths (1936) - Director, Produced by Group Theatre
Johnny Johnson (1936) - Director, Produced by Group Theatre
Many Mansions (1937) - Director
Golden Boy (1937) - Produced by Group Theatre
Roosty (1938) - Director
Casey Jones (1938) - Produced by Group Theatre
All the Living (1938) - Director
Dance Night (1938) - Director
Rocket to the Moon (1938) - Produced by Group Theatre
The Gentle People (1939) - Produced by Group Theatre
Awake and Sing! (1939),
revival - Produced by Group Theatre
Summer Night (1939) - Director
Night Music (1940) - Produced by Group Theatre
The Fifth Column (1940) - Director
Clash by Night (1941) - Director
A Kiss for Cinderella (1942), revival - Director
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) (1942), revival - Director
Apology (1943) -
Producer and Director
South Pacific (1943, apparently no relation to the
Broadway musical South Pacific) - Director
Skipper Next to God (1948) - Director
The Big Knife (1949) - Director
The Closing Door (1949) - Director
The Country Girl (1950) - Co-Producer
Peer Gynt (1951), (revival) - Director
Strange Interlude (1963), (revival) - Produced by The Actors Studio -
Tony Award Co-nomination for Best Producer of a Play
Marathon '33 (1963) - Production supervisor
The Three Sisters (1964), (revival) - Director, Produced by The Actors Studio
*
Official website*
The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute*
Lee Strasberg at the
Internet Broadway Database*
John Strasberg Studios*
Photo & Gravesite
