Elia Kazan
| Elia Kazan | |
|---|---|
Elia Kazan, c. 1960
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| Pronunciation |
Greek: [eˈlia kaˈzan] English /ˈiːljə kəˈzæn/ |
| Born |
Elias Kazantzoglou September 7, 1909 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (modern day Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Died | September 28, 2003 (aged 94) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Education | Williams College, Yale University |
| Occupation | Director, actor, producer, screenwriter and novelist |
| Years active | 1934–1976 |
| Spouse(s) |
Molly Day Thacher (m. 1932–1963; her death) Barbara Loden (m. 1967–1980; her death) Frances Rudge (m. 1982–2003; Elia's death) |
| Children | 5 including Nicholas Kazan (son) |
| Relatives |
Zoe Kazan (granddaughter) Maya Kazan (granddaughter) |
Elia Kazan (born Elias Kazantzoglou, Greek: Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου, September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was a Greek-American director, producer, writer and actor, described by The New York Times as "one of the most honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood history".
He was born in Istanbul, to Cappadocian Greek parents. After attending Williams College and then the Yale School of Drama, he acted professionally for eight years, later joining the Group Theater in 1932, and co-founded the Actors Studio in 1947. With Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford, his actors' studio introduced "Method Acting" under the direction of Lee Strasberg. Kazan acted in a few films, including City for Conquest (1940).
Noted for drawing out the best dramatic performances from his actors, he directed 21 actors to Oscar nominations, resulting in nine wins. He directed a string of successful films, including A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), and East of Eden (1955). During his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globes.
His films were concerned with personal or social issues of special concern to him. Kazan writes, "I don't move unless I have some empathy with the basic theme." His first such "issue" film was Gentleman's Agreement (1947), with Gregory Peck, which dealt with anti-Semitism in America. It received 8 Oscar nominations and 3 wins, including Kazan's first for Best Director. It was followed by Pinky, one of the first films in mainstream Hollywood to address racial prejudice against black people. In 1954, he directed On the Waterfront, a film about union corruption on the New York harbor waterfront. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), an adaptation of the stage play which he had also directed, received 12 Oscar nominations, winning 4, and was Marlon Brando's breakthrough role. In 1955, he directed John Steinbeck's East of Eden, which introduced James Dean to movie audiences.
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