Shari Lewis
American ventriloquist, puppeteer, and television show host (1933-1998)
Lee Strasberg was a renowned American theatre director, actor, and acting teacher who co-founded the influential Group Theatre and later directed the prestigious Actors Studio in New York City. He is considered the ‘father of method acting in America’ and trained numerous famous actors and directors over his decades-long career.
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About the Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasbergwas an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. 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”. In 1951, he became director of the nonprofit Actors Studio in New York City, considered “the nation’s most prestigious acting school,” 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.” 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, Geraldine Page, Eli Wallach, and directors Andreas Voutsinas, Frank Perry, Elia Kazan and Michael Cimino.
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 IIand …And Justice for All (1979).
Frequently Asked Questions
Lee Strasberg was an American theatre director, actor, and acting teacher who co-founded the Group Theatre and later directed the Actors Studio in New York City. He is considered the ‘father of method acting in America’.
Lee Strasberg was born as Israel Strassberg on November 17, 1901 in the United States.
The Group Theatre was an influential theatre collective co-founded by Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, and Cheryl Crawford in 1931. It was hailed as ‘America’s first true theatrical collective’.
The Actors Studio in New York City was a prestigious acting school that Lee Strasberg became the director of in 1951. It was considered ‘the nation’s most prestigious acting school’.
Lee Strasberg is considered the ‘father of method acting in America’ and is credited with revolutionizing the art of acting by having a profound influence on performance in American theater and film.
Lee Strasberg trained several generations of notable theatre and film actors and directors, including Anne Bancroft, Dustin Hoffman, Montgomery Clift, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Elia Kazan.
As an actor, Lee Strasberg is best known for his portrayal of the gangster Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II, a role he took at the suggestion of his former student Al Pacino.
6 Quotes by Lee Strasberg
- 1.
If we cannot see the possibility of greatness, how can we dream it?
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)
- 2.
A great actor is independent of the poet, because the supreme essence of feeling does not reside in prose or in verse, but in the accent with which it is delivered.
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)
- 3.
An actors’ tribute to me is in his work.
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)
- 4.
The actor creates with his own flesh and blood all those things which all the arts try in some way to describe.
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)
- 5.
Art is longer than life.
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)
- 6.
Acting is the most personal of our crafts. The make-up of a human being – his physical, mental and emotional habits – influence his acting to a much greater extent than commonly recognized.
Lee StrasbergAmerican theatre director, actor and acting teacher (1901-1982)