John Houseman

Birth Name:

Jacques Haussmann

Birth Place:

Bucharest, Romania

Profession

Actor, Producer, Writer, Soundtrack, Editorial department

Founded Juilliard's drama department in the late '60s and served as the program director from 1968 until 1976
Studied at Clifton College in the early 1920s
Passed away in 1988 at 86-years-old after a long battle with cancer
Initially began working in international grain trading, his father's profession, but turned to acting following the stock market crash of 1929
Quote: "If God sent down word that I could do just one thing, I'm sure I would gravitate back to the theater․"
Quote: "There is not a long list of regrets․ I have been so very lucky․ Things have fallen so consistently into my open mouth․ There is nothing I wish I had done․"
Co-founded New York's Mercury Theatre company with Orson Welles in 1937
No stranger to American theater productions, he would often collaborate with Orson Welles after first meeting him in the early 1930s
After emigrating to the United States in 1925, he would eventually become a U․S․ citizen by 1943
Following the outbreak of WWII, he would join the overseas radio division of the Office of War Information
Stated he "became a director by pure accident" after meeting composer Virgil Thomson, who was in need of someone to help run his latest project, at a cocktail party

1954Oscar - Best Picture:Nominated
1973NBR Award - Best Supporting Actor:Winner
1973NYFCC Award - Best Supporting Actor:Nominated
1974Oscar - Best Actor in a Supporting Role:Winner
1974Golden Globe - Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture:Winner
1979Golden Globe - Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama:Nominated
1980Golden Globe - Best Actor in a Television Series - Drama:Nominated
1980Primetime Emmy - Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special:Nominated
1983ACE - Actor in a Dramatic Presentation:Nominated
1984Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television:Nominated

Fast Facts