Jason Miller was born on April 22, 1939, in Long Island City, New York. He was the only child of John and Mary Claire Miller, an electrician and a teacher respectively. The family moved to Pennsylvania when Miller was very young and he spent the rest of his childhood there. As a child, Miller was unfocused. He loved to play sports but often got into trouble at the Catholic schools he attended. A nun encouraged him to learn to use his powerful voice. She got him involved in elocution (public speaking) competitions, which soon compelled Miller to pursue a career in acting.

After graduating from Saint Patrick's High School in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he enrolled at the University of Scranton. He studied theater and playwriting, earning his B. A. in 1961. In 1962, Miller entered the Catholic University of America for a year of graduate training in acting. There he met...