The role of Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II earned Lee Strasberg an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1974. This performance, delivered at the request of his former student Al Pacino, highlighted a career defined by his interpretation of the Stanislavski system, which transformed performance standards across both American theatre and cinema.
Early Life and Migration
Born Israel Strassberg in 1901 in the village of Budzanów, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he moved to Manhattan with his family in 1909. Following his brother Zalmon's death during the 1918 influenza pandemic, he left school to work as a bookkeeper and shipping clerk. He eventually found his way into acting through the Progressive Drama Club and the Chrystie Street Settlement House before enrolling at the Clare Tree Major School of the Theater.
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He trained under Maria Ouspenskaya at the American Laboratory Theatre, where he began synthesizing the mental exercises that became his hallmark. In 1931, he co-founded the Group Theatre in New York City. Through this collective, he codified his interpretation of the Stanislavski system, famously emphasizing affective memory to help actors summon real-life emotions for stage roles.
Leadership at the Actors Studio
In 1951, he assumed the directorship of the nonprofit Actors Studio in New York City. Throughout the following decades, he mentored a diverse list of notable performers including Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Paul Newman, and Robert De Niro. By 1970, he shifted his focus to the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, which established locations in both New York City and Hollywood to perpetuate his teaching methodologies.
Fast facts
- Born: 1901, Budaniv
- Died: 1982, New York City
- Citizenship: United States and Cisleithania
- Key Role: Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II
- Co-founded: Group Theatre in 1931
- Naturalized U.S. Citizen: January 16, 1939
- Burial Site: Westchester Hills Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What is the primary contribution of Lee Strasberg to acting?
He is recognized as the father of method acting in America, having developed and taught a system based on Konstantin Stanislavski's principles.
Did Strasberg appear in many films?
While he was primarily a teacher and director, he acted in films such as The Godfather Part II, Going in Style, and ...And Justice for All.
Achievements
- Worked as actor, director and teacher
