Lee Strasberg

Birth Name:

Israel Strassberg

Birth Place:

Budzanow, Austria

Profession

Actor, Writer

Formed The Group Theatre with Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford in 1931 and was responsible for training the company's actors, which included Stella Adler, Ruth Nelson, and Elia Kazan
His development of the method acting system was largely influenced by Konstantin Stanislavsky's Moscow Art Theatre tour in 1923
Started out as an actor at the Broadway Theatre Guild in the mid-1920s and later began working as a director for the Christie Street Settlement House's drama division
Quote: "The real secret to method acting-which is as old as the theater itself-is creating reality․ That is tremendously difficult․ Some actors think behaving casually is the same thing․"
Best known as a method acting coach and founder of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Joined the Actors Studio in 1948 and became the Artistic Director in 1951, a position he would go on to hold for 30 years until his death in 1982
Played the role of Hyman Roth in "The Godfather: Part II" and Grandpa Sam in "․․․And Justice for All․"
Trained a number of young actors who went on to become film and theater stars, including James Dean, Paul Newman, Julie Harris, and Jane Fonda

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