Gene Saks
| Gene Saks | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Jean Michael Saks November 8, 1921 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 28, 2015 (aged 93) East Hampton, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Occupation | American actor, stage/film director |
| Years active | 1949–2015 |
| Spouse(s) |
Bea Arthur (m. 1950; div. 1980) Keren Saks (m. 1980; his death 2015) |
| Children | 3 |
Gene Saks (Jean Michael Saks; November 8, 1921 – March 28, 2015) was an American stage and film director, and actor. An inductee of the American Theater Hall of Fame, his acting career beginning with a debut on Broadway in 1949. As a director, he was nominated for seven Tony Awards, winning three for his direction of I Love My Wife, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. He also directed a number of films during his career. He was married to Bea Arthur, who died in 2009, from 1950 until 1980, and subsequently to Keren Saks, from 1980 to his death in 2015.
Saks was born Jean Michael Saks in New York City, the son of Beatrix (née Lewkowitz) and Morris J. Saks. He studied at Cornell University and trained for acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the German director Erwin Piscator.
Saks made his acting debut on Broadway in South Pacific in 1949. On stage he also appeared in A Shot in the Dark, The Tenth Man and A Thousand Clowns, in the role of Leo "Chuckles The Chipmunk" Herman, which he reprised in the film version. He portrayed Jack Lemmon's brother in the screen adaptation of Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue, and also appeared in Nobody's Fool starring Paul Newman.
Saks shared a long-term professional association with playwright/comedy writer Neil Simon, directing Simon's plays Biloxi Blues, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Jake's Women, Rumors, Lost in Yonkers, Broadway Bound, The Odd Couple and California Suite. His additional Broadway credits included Enter Laughing; Half a Sixpence; Nobody Loves an Albatross; Mame; I Love My Wife; Same Time, Next Year and Rags.
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