ACTOR · BORN 1901 · DIED 1982
Lee Strasberg
- Born
- 17 November 1901, Budzanów, Austria-Hungary
- Died
- 17 February 1982
- Known for
- The Godfather Part II (1974), ...And Justice for All (1979), The Cassandra Crossing (1976)
25 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Lee Strasberg (17 November 1901 – 17 February 1982) was an actor best known for The Godfather Part II, ...And Justice for All and The Cassandra Crossing.
25 Interesting Facts About Lee Strasberg
Interesting Facts (8)
- #001
- #002
Lee Strasberg served as the chief teacher and director of the Actors Studio for more than thirty years. During that time he trained giants of American cinema such as Al Pacino, Ben Gazzara, Martin Landau, Eli Wallach and Ellen Burstyn. He never taught Marlon Brando, however, the man who made 'method' acting famous; Brando worked with Stella Adler. Even so, Brando supported the Studio and regularly attended its classes.
- #003
On 13 February 1982, the Night of 100 Stars charity event held at Radio City Music Hall in New York was both Lee Strasberg's last film appearance and his last public appearance. At the event he danced in a chorus line with his students Al Pacino and Robert De Niro alongside the world-famous Radio City Rockettes dance troupe. The moment was a poignant finale to Strasberg's artistic life.
- #004
In her will, Marilyn Monroe left Lee Strasberg full control over 75% of her estate, in gratitude for the guidance and kindness he showed her both before and after she became a star. That control included the licensing of Monroe's image. Today Strasberg's widow, Anna Strasberg, manages this combined legacy and earns millions of dollars a year in licensing revenue from advertisers' use of Monroe's image.
- #005
By playing the Jewish gangster Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II, Lee Strasberg became one of the rare instances of a Jewish actor playing a Jewish gangster. Previously, Jewish actors such as James Caan, Abe Vigoda and Eli Wallach had portrayed Italian mafia figures, while the Italian actor Alex Rocco had played a Jewish mafia character. Strasberg's casting is seen as a step that broke the conventions of the era.
- #006
On 27-28 October 1999, the Christie's auction house sold a large portion of Marilyn Monroe's personal belongings at auction. In her will, Monroe had wished for Strasberg to distribute these items among her friends and colleagues. Strasberg largely failed to carry out this distribution, however, and upon his death ownership of the items passed to his last wife, Anna Strasberg, who had never met Monroe. The auction was a major event for Monroe's fans and collectors.
- #007
Lee Strasberg's biography appears on pages 766-768 of the first volume (1981-1985) of the encyclopedia 'The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives'. The work was published in New York in 1998 by Charles Scribner's Sons and documents the lives of important figures who left their mark on American cultural history.
- #008
Behind the Scenes (12)
- #009
- #010
On 13 February 1982, the Night of 100 Stars charity event held at Radio City Music Hall in New York became both Lee Strasberg's last film appearance and his last public appearance. At the event, he danced in the chorus line alongside his students Al Pacino and Robert De Niro and the world-famous Radio City Rockettes dance troupe. The moment was a poignant finale to Strasberg's artistic life.
- #011
In her will, Marilyn Monroe left Lee Strasberg full control over 75% of her estate, in gratitude for the guidance and kindness he showed her both before and after she became a star. That control also covered the licensing of Monroe's image. Today, Strasberg's widow Anna Strasberg manages this combined legacy and earns millions of dollars a year in licensing revenue from advertisers' use of Monroe's image.
- #012
By playing the Jewish gangster Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II, Lee Strasberg delivered one of the rare instances of a Jewish actor playing a Jewish gangster. Jewish actors such as James Caan, Abe Vigoda and Eli Wallach had previously portrayed Italian mafia figures, while the Italian actor Alex Rocco played a Jewish mafia character. Strasberg's casting is seen as a step that broke the conventions of the era.
- #013
- #014
Lee Strasberg was buried in Westchester Hills Cemetery, located in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester County, about 20 miles north of New York City. There he lies in the same plot as his second wife, Paula Strasberg, who died in 1966 at the age of about 57. Westchester Hills is a Jewish cemetery where many famous entertainment and performing arts figures are also buried.
- #015
- #016
Lee Strasberg's eldest son, John Strasberg, teaches at the Actors Studio in Manhattan, as his father did. He is not, however, the general manager or director as Lee was. Lee's roles as general manager and director at the Actors Studio are today filled by six people. Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino serve as co-presidents of the studio in both Manhattan and West Hollywood.
- #017
For the role of Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II, Strasberg's Group Theatre colleague and the famous director Elia Kazan was initially considered. The role was ultimately given to Strasberg, however. The choice marked the beginning of one of the most important actor-director collaborations in cinema history.
- #018
Lee Strasberg appeared alongside his wife Paula Strasberg and their children John and Susan Strasberg in an online exhibition created by Italian actor Giovanni Morassutti in 2020 on the Google Arts & Culture platform. The exhibition presents the Strasberg family's contributions to the art world to visitors in digital form.
- #019
Lee Strasberg failed to establish a good working relationship with actress Stella Adler, a fellow member of the Group Theatre. They had major disagreements over Stanislavski's teachings, and in the end each developed their own acting system. While Adler focused on imagination, Strasberg concentrated on emotional memory. This split became an important turning point in the history of American theatre.
- #020
Characters & Cast (1)
- #021
For the role of Hyman Roth in The Godfather Part II, Elia Kazan, Strasberg's colleague from the Group Theatre and a famous director, was initially considered. The role was ultimately given to Strasberg, however. This choice marked the beginning of one of the most important actor-director collaborations in cinema history.
Career & Awards (1)
- #022
Lee Strasberg was unable to establish a good working relationship with the actress Stella Adler, a fellow member of the Group Theatre. They clashed greatly over Stanislavski's teachings and eventually each developed their own acting system. While Adler focused on imagination, Strasberg concentrated on emotional memory. This split was a major turning point in American theatre history.
Life & Family (3)
- #023
- #024
Lee Strasberg's eldest son, John Strasberg, teaches at the Actors Studio in Manhattan, as his father did. He is not its general manager or director, however, as Lee was. Lee's roles as general manager and director of the Actors Studio are today filled by six people. Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino serve as co-presidents of the studio in both Manhattan and West Hollywood.
- #025
Lee Strasberg appeared alongside his wife Paula Strasberg and his children John and Susan Strasberg in an online exhibition created by the Italian actor Giovanni Morassutti on the Google Arts & Culture platform in 2020. The exhibition presents the Strasberg family's contributions to the art world to visitors in digital form.
Related pages
- Anthony Reynolds — Lee Strasberg comes up in the facts on that page
- The Winds of War — Lee Strasberg comes up in the facts on that page
- Christoph Waltz — Lee Strasberg comes up in the facts on that page
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Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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