Lee Strasberg

Born “Israel Strassberg,” Lee Strasberg was the youngest son born to Jewish parents in what is now the Ukraine. By 1909, the family had immigrated to New York City--originally, only his father had made the journey, but was able to save enough money to bring the entire family to the United States. In 1918, Strasberg’s older brother died in the flu pandemic; this experience was so traumatic for the young man he ultimately dropped out of school and began working. But in the early 1920s, he became more involved in the theatre world of Manhattan, and seeing Stanislavski’s Moscow Art Theatre in 1923 was a transformative experience.

Strasberg was married three times. His first wife was Nora Krecaum; they married in 1926, but she died in 1929. In 1934, he married actress Paula Miller. She was also a drama coach, and their two children--Susan and John--both became theatre professionals. Strasberg then became a naturalized American citizen in 1939. After Paula died of cancer in 1966, Strasberg met Anna Mizrahi, whom he married in 1967 and had two children. In 1982, he was notified that he would be inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame; the day after he got the news, Strasberg suffered a massive heart attack. He died in New York City, and is buried in Westchester Hills Cemetery, a Jewish cemetery where many famous theatre practitioners are interred.

Key Dates & Events

• 1923 - Strasberg sees the American tour of Stanislavski's Moscow Art Theatre
• 1931 - The Group Theatre is formed by Strasberg, Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford, and Stella Adler
• 1947 - Strasberg, Elia Kazan, Robert Lewis, and Cheryl Crawford form the Actors Studio
• 1969 - Strasberg establishes the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute