ACTOR · BORN 1940
Austin Pendleton
- Born
- 27 March 1940
- Known for
- The Godfather (1972), Finding Nemo (2003), What's Up, Doc? (1972), Uptown Girls (2003)
14 archived facts 4 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Austin Pendleton (born 27 March 1940) is an actor best known for The Godfather, Finding Nemo and What's Up, Doc?.
14 Interesting Facts About Austin Pendleton
Interesting Facts (6)
- #001
Austin Pendleton developed a stutter when he was young, but it never affected his acting work. He did not find an effective treatment for it until the 1980s.
Austin Pendleton: a sceneImage: Wikimedia Commons · Weimar03 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 - #002
Austin Pendleton gave Philip Seymour Hoffman one of his first acting jobs at a theater company in New Jersey.
- #003
Mike Nichols liked to say that Austin Pendleton was the only person working on "Catch-22" who was not afraid of Orson Welles.
- #004
Austin Pendleton's experiences working with Orson Welles on the film "Catch-22" led him, years later, to write a play titled "Orson's Shadow," which he described as an apology to Welles.
- #005
In the 1970s, Austin Pendleton joined the Steppenwolf company as an actor and director. The company also produced several of his plays.
- #006
Austin Pendleton studied drama at HB Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #007
Austin Pendleton was considered for the role of Fredo Corleone in The Godfather (1972).
- #008
In the early 1990s, Austin Pendleton inspired Shane Perez, the doorman of his building at the time, to try his hand at writing. Perez followed his advice and began working on a drama that Pendleton hoped to one day star in. That dream came true when the screenplay for Men of Means (1998) was eventually bought and produced.
Career & Awards (3)
- #009
Austin Pendleton was nominated for the 1981 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for directing Elizabeth Taylor in a revival of Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes." Years earlier, he had played Leo in that play on Broadway.
- #010
In 1957, Austin Pendleton began a lifelong association with the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. He met the actress who would become his wife, Katina Commings, there a year later while they were both interns. Years later, she appeared in the Broadway production of "The Runner Stumbles," which Pendleton directed.
- #011
Austin Pendleton was nominated for the 1980 Joseph Jefferson Award for Director of a Play for "Say Goodnight, Gracie" at the Travel Light Productions Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.
Life & Family (3)
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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