Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg
Strasberg in 1976
Born	Israel Strasberg (1901-11-17)November 17, 1901 Budzanów, Austrian Poland (now Budaniv, Ukraine)
Died	February 17, 1982(1982-02-17) (aged 80) New York City, New York, U.S.
Cause of death	Heart attack
Occupation	Actor, director, acting teacher (taught method acting)
Years active	1925–1981
Spouse(s)	(m. October 29, 1926–1929; her death) Paula Miller (m. 1935–1966; her death); two children Anna Mizrahi (m. 1967–1982; his death); 2 children
Children	Susan Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999(1999-01-21) (aged 60)) John Strasberg (born (1941-05-20) May 20, 1941 (age 75)) Adam Strasberg (born (1969-07-29) July 29, 1969 (age 47)) David Strasberg (born (1971-01-30) January 30, 1971 (age 45))

Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strasberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an Austrian-born American actor, director, and theatre practitioner. He was born in a part of Galicia, Austrian Poland, in what is now Ukraine. He co founded, with 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, was involved in the creation of Actors Studio West in Los Angeles.

Although other highly regarded teachers also developed "the Method", Strasberg is often considered the "father of method acting in America", according to author Mel Gussow, and 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 movies". From his base in New York, he 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, Geraldine Page, Eli Wallach, and directors Frank Perry and Elia Kazan.