Strasberg, Lee

(born Nov. 17, 1901, Budzanów, Pol., Austria-Hungary—died Feb. 17, 1982, New York, N.Y., U.S.) Russian-born U.S. theatre director and teacher.

At age seven he immigrated to New York City with his family. After acting lessons with teachers who had studied under Konstantin Stanislavsky, he became an actor and stage manager with the Theatre Guild. In 1931 he cofounded the Group Theatre, where he directed brilliant experimental plays such as Men in White (1933). After working in Hollywood (1941–48), he returned to New York City to become artistic director of the Actors Studio, where he expanded Stanislavsky's teachings to further develop method acting, in which actors use their own emotional memory for the purpose of dramatic motivation. He trained actors such as Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Dustin Hoffman, Geraldine Page, and Julie Harris.