The Lee Strasberg Institute
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (originally the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute) is an acting school founded in 1969 by actor, director, and acting teacher Lee Strasberg. The Institute is located in
Union Square Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
on East 15th Street, also known as Lee Strasberg Way, in
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
. The school has a secondary campus located in Los Angeles, California. For more than 40 years, the Institute has held a partnership with
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
's Tisch School of the Arts, where students can earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The Institute is under the artistic direction of Anna Strasberg, Lee Strasberg's widow. Students at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute learn method acting, an acting technique created and developed by Strasberg.


History

In 1931, Lee Strasberg co-founded the Group Theatre, hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective," alongside fellow directors Harold Clurman and
Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City and ...
. In 1951, he became director of the
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
in New York City, considered "the nation's most prestigious acting school," and, in 1966, he was involved in the foundation of the Actors Studio West in Los Angeles. After almost five decades of teaching private classes and shepherding generations of actors toward success at the Actors Studio, Strasberg established his own school in 1969, open to all those interested in learning The Method. Years later, a gift from his wife Anna Strasberg established the permanent homes of the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institutes in both New York and Los Angeles.


Notable alumni

*
Matt Adler Matthew D. Adler (born December 8, 1966) is an American film actor. He is best known for his supporting roles in the 1980s teenage films: ''Teen Wolf'', ''White Water Summer'', '' North Shore'', and '' Dream a Little Dream''. He currently works o ...
* Akhil Akkineni *
Khalilah Ali Khalilah Camacho Ali (born Belinda Boyd; March 17, 1950) is an American actress, also known for being the former wife of boxer Muhammad Ali. Personal life Born Belinda Boyd on March 17, 1950, she was raised in Chicago where she attended Islamic ...
* Karen Allen * Nancy Allen *
Antero Alli Antero Alli is a professional astrologer who has authored books on experimental theatre, astrology and Timothy Leary's 8-circuit model of consciousness. He lives in Portland, Oregon, where he conducts workshops and stages theatrical productions, ...
* Greg Anderson * Vito Antuofermo * Will Arnett *
Srinivas Avasarala Srinivasa Saambasiva Avasarala (born 19 March 1984) is an Indian actor, film director, screenwriter, and television presenter known for his works in Telugu cinema. He received two Nandi Awards and a SIIMA Award. Early life Srinivasa Saambasiva ...
* Blanche Baker *
Adam Bakri Adam Bakri ( ar, آدم بكري; born May 15, 1988) is an Israeli-born Palestinian actor. He made his feature film debut by starring in Oscar-nominated film ''Omar'', directed by Hany Abu-Assad. He currently lives in New York. Early life Ad ...
*
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nichol ...
* Talia Balsam * Rik Barnett * Alma Beltran * Elizabeth Berridge"Marquis Who's Who"
Worldcat. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
*
Dean Biasucci Dean Biasucci (born July 25, 1962) is a former placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Indianapolis Colts and the St. Louis Rams. Early years Biasucci played college football for the Western Carolina Catamounts, and w ...
*
Chaz Bono Chaz Salvatore Bono (born Chastity Sun Bono; March 4, 1969) is an American writer, musician and actor. His parents are entertainers Sonny Bono and Cher, and he became widely known in appearances as a child on their television show, ''The Sonny ...
* Josh Bowman * Cyrus Broacha * Rachel Brosnahan *
Jim J. Bullock James Jackson Bullock (born February 9, 1955) is an American actor and comedian of stage, television, and motion pictures. He starred in the sitcom ''Too Close for Comfort''. Early life Bullock was born in Casper, Wyoming, and raised in Odessa, ...
*
Steve Buscemi Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
"Where Did They Study?"
''Backstage''. September 19, 2001. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
* Rosanne Cash * Kiera Chaplin *
Kevin Corrigan Kevin Corrigan (born ) is an American character actor. He has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s, including as Uncle Eddie on the sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005). His film appearances include support ...
*
Luciano Cruz-Coke Luciano Cruz-Coke Carvallo (born July 1, 1970 in Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean actor, and was the Minister of Arts and Culture under the 35th President Sebastián Piñera. Biography Cruz-Coke is the son of lawyer and university professor Carlo ...
* Ben Curtis *
Kelly Curtis Kelly Lee Curtis is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''Magic Sticks'' (1987), and ''The Devil's Daughter (1991 film), The Devil's Daughter'' (1991). Early life Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, the older chil ...
*
Tony Dalton Álvaro Luis Bernat Dalton (born February 13, 1975), known professionally as Tony Dalton, is a Mexican-American actor and screenwriter. For much of his career, he acted in Mexican films, television shows, and stage plays. He is best known in the ...
*
Claire Danes Claire Catherine Danes (born April 12, 1979) is an American actress. She is the recipient of three Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2012, ''Time'' named her one of the 100 most influentia ...
*
Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama ''Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), ''Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in Bl ...
*
Rebecca De Mornay Rebecca De Mornay (born Rebecca Jane Pearch; August 29, 1959) is an American actress and producer. Her breakthrough film role came in 1983, when she starred as Lana in ''Risky Business''. She is known for her role as Debby Huston in the Neil S ...
*
Laura Dern Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. Born to actor Bruce Dern and ac ...
*
Kim Dickens Kimberly Jan Dickens (born June 18, 1965) is an American actress. Her film debut was in the 1995 comedy film ''Palookaville (film), Palookaville''. Dickens played lead roles in the films ''Truth or Consequences, N.M. (film), Truth or Consequences ...
*
Brenda Dickson Brenda Irene Dickson is an American actress who originated the role of Jill Foster Abbott on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. Early life and education Dickson was born in Long Beach, California. As a teenager, she toured Southe ...
*
Matt Dillon Matthew Raymond Dillon (born February 18, 1964) is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including an Oscar and Grammy nomination. Dillon made his feature film debut in '' Over the Edge'' (1979) and established himself as a te ...
Tehrani, Bijan
"Interview with David Strasberg about Lee Strasberg Theater Institute"
Cinema Without Borders. July 14, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
*
Caggie Dunlop ''Made in Chelsea'' (abbreviated ''MIC'') is a British Scripted reality, structured-reality television series broadcast by E4 (TV channel), E4. ''Made in Chelsea'' chronicles the lives of affluent young people in the West London and South West a ...
* Cary Elwes * Jennifer Esposito * Chris Evans *
Bridget Fonda Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in ''The Godfather Part III'' (1990), ''Single White Female'' (1992), ''Singles'' (1992), ''Point of No Return'' (1993), '' It Could Happen to You'' ( ...
*
Jorja Fox Jorja-An Fox ( ) is an American actress and producer. She first came to prominence with a recurring role in the NBC medical drama '' ER'' as Dr. Maggie Doyle from 1996 to 1999. This was followed by another critical success in the recurring ro ...
*
Benno Furmann Benno may refer to: People Mononym * (927–940), saint * (1049–1061) *Benno I of Osnabrück (bishop, 1052–1067) *Benno of Meissen (bishop, 1066–1106), saint *Benno II of Osnabrück (bishop, 1068–1088) *Benno of Santi Martino e Silvestro ( ...
* Teri Garr * Edith González * Eiza González *
Eric Gores Eric Gores (born 1983) is the son of businessman and ''Forbes'' billionaire Alec Gores, and former neighbor of actor Tom Arnold (actor), Tom Arnold. In 2005, Gores costarred in a film written by Arnold, ''The Kid & I''. Gores was born with cereb ...
*
Carson Grant Carson Ferri-Grant (born December 17, 1950) is an American actor and artist. Grant has created characters and stories in visual mediums as drawings, paintings, in films and on stage. Career Grant moved to New York City in 1970 to study actin ...
*
Kathy Griffin Kathleen Mary Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American comedian and actress who has starred in television comedy specials and has released comedy albums. In 2007 and 2008, Griffin won Primetime Emmy Awards for her reality show '' Kathy ...
*
Sachin Gupta Sachin Gupta (born 9 March 1978) is an Indian film producer, writer and director. He produces films under Chilsag Motion Pictures and is also an artistic director of Chilsag Chillies Theatre Company. He made his writing and directorial debut w ...
*
Gilda Haddock Gilda Haddock Acevedo (born 23 February, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actress, gospel singer and dancer. Haddock has acted in many films and telenovelas. Early life Haddock was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, to Korean War veteran Jorge Haddock and Fran ...
* Linda Hamilton *
Brianne Howey Brianne Nicole Howey (born May 24, 1989) is an American actress. She had main roles in the Fox series ''The Exorcist'' (2016) and '' The Passage'' (2019). She had a recurring role in the first season of The CW's superhero drama '' Batwoman'' (2 ...
*
Jay Huguley Jay Huguley (born July 26, 1966) is an American film, TV and theatre actor, best known for playing David on AMC's '' The Walking Dead'', and Jimmy Ledoux on HBO's ''True Detective''. Early life and education Huguley was born in Englewood, New Je ...
* Michael Imperioli * Lorenza Izzo *
Oliver Jackson-Cohen Oliver Mansour Jackson-Cohen (born 24 October 1986) is an English actor and model. He is best known for his role as Adrian Griffin in the 2020 adaptation of ''The Invisible Man'' and for his roles as Luke Crain and Peter Quint in the Netflix ...
* Scarlett Johansson *
Amy Jo Johnson Amy Jo Johnson (born October 6, 1970) is an American actress, musician and filmmaker. As an actress, Johnson is known for her roles as Kimberly Hart on ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', Julie Emrick on '' Felicity'', and Jules Callaghan on '' ...
* Angelina Jolie * Ranbir Kapoor *
Janhvi Kapoor Janhvi Kapoor (born 6 March 1997) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Born to Sridevi and Boney Kapoor, she made her acting debut in 2018 with the romantic drama ''Dhadak'', which was a commercial success. Kapoor went on to receive a ...
*
Janice Karman Janice Felice Karman is an American actress, producer, writer, and director. She is the co-owner of Bagdasarian Productions with her husband Ross Bagdasarian Jr. Early life Karman was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father was psycholog ...
* Carmen Kass * Lainie Kazan *
Johnny Kemp Jonathan "Johnny" Kemp (August 2, 1959 – April 16, 2015) was a Bahamian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a songwriter in late 1979 and is perhaps best known for his solo work, including his single " Just Got Pai ...
* Brian Kerwin *
Dhruv Vikram Dhruv Vikram (born 23 September 1995) is an Indian actor, singer and lyricist who works in Tamil films. The son of actor Vikram, he made his acting debut with the 2019 romantic drama ''Adithya Varma'' and has since starred with his father in ' ...
*
Jiah Khan Nafisa Rizvi Khan (20 February 1988 – 3 June 2013), better known as Jiah Khan, was an English-American actress and singer who worked in Indian films. She appeared in three Hindi films from 2007 to 2010. Born in New York City to Indian parent ...
*
Rahul Khanna Rahul Khanna (born 20 June 1972) is an Indian actor, VJ and writer who works in Bollywood. He is the older son of actor turned politician Vinod Khanna and the older brother of Akshaye Khanna. Early life and background Khanna was born and rai ...
*
Callie Khouri Carolyn Ann "Callie" Khouri (born November 27, 1957) is an American film and television screenwriter, producer, and director. In 1992, she won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for the film ''Thelma & Louise' ...
*
Prakash Kovelamudi Prakash Rao Kovelamudi is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and actor known for his works in alternative cinema, across various languages. He is known for works such as Morning Raga (2004), with which he made his Bollywood acting debut. He ...
*
Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
*
Inbar Lavi Inbar Lavi ( he, ענבר לביא, born October 27, 1986) is an actress. She is known for portraying Raviva on the 2012 MTV series '' Underemployed'', Vee on the 2014 Fox television series ''Gang Related'', and Sheba on the Fox series ''Prison ...
*
Brandon Lee Brandon Bruce Lee (February 1, 1965 – March 31, 1993) was an American actor and martial artist. Establishing himself as a rising action star in the early 1990s, he landed his breakthrough role as Eric Draven in the dark fantasy film ''The ...
*
John Leguizamo John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
"Marquis Who's Who"
Worldcat. Retrieved April 25, 2015.
* Jennifer Jason Leigh *
Chelsea Leyland Chelsea Leyland is an English disc jockey, cannabis and epilepsy activist, and model. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States. Early life Leyland was born in London, England and attended Bedales School, Bedales Bo ...
*
Sean Li ''Sean Li Rì Shēng'' (李日焺) is a film actor. He was born in Hong Kong and educated in the United Kingdom and the United States. Education Li was educated at Hurstpierpoint College, an independent school near the village of Hurstpierpoint in ...
*
Sophia Lillis Sophia Lillis (born February 13, 2002) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Beverly Marsh in the horror films '' It'' (2017) and '' It: Chapter Two'' (2019) and for her starring role as a teenager with telekinetic abilities in th ...
* Traci Lords *
Susan Loughnane Susan Patricia Loughnane (born 16 February 1987) is an Irish actress and author. She is known for playing Debbie in drama '' Love/Hate'', for which she won the 2013 Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her first novel ''Th ...
*
Amy Madigan Amy Marie Madigan (born September 11, 1950) is an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1985 film '' Twice in a Lifetime''. Her other film credits include '' Love Child'' (1982), ''Places ...
*
Jean-Baptiste Maunier Jean-Baptiste Maunier (, born 22 December 1990) is a French actor and singer. He is best known for his role in the 2004 French film ''Les Choristes''. Early life Jean-Baptiste Maunier was born to Thierry Maunier, a cameraman, and Muriel Maunier. ...
* Danica McKellar * William McNamara *
Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
* Donna Murphy * Gianella Neyra *
Valerie Niehaus Valerie Niehaus (born 11 October 1974) is a German actress. Early life Valerie Niehaus grew up in Emsdetten where she went to the local primary school. After that she moved to Fulda and later to Berlin. Career At the age of thirteen Niehaus ...
* Kelli O'Hara * Jerry Orbach * Linh Dan Pham *
Anne Pitoniak Anne Pitoniak (March 30, 1922 – April 22, 2007) was an American actress. She was nominated twice for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) in 1983 for '' 'night, Mother'' and as Best Actress (Featured Role – Play) in 1994 for a revival ...
* Franka Potente *
Tyrone Power Jr. Tyrone William Power IV (born January 22, 1959), usually billed as Tyrone Power Jr., is an American actor, the only son of Hollywood star Tyrone Power and his third wife Deborah Minardos Power. He was born after the death of his father. He is th ...
* Linda Purl *
Juan Ricondo (singer) Juan Ricondo Vallejo (15 January 1985) better known as Juan Ricondo is a Spanish singer, songwriter and actor. His debut album An American Affair (EP), An American Affair was released in October 2015. It was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by ...
*
Yaniv Rokah Yaniv Rokah is an Israeli-American actor-Film director, director. Early life Yaniv Rokah grew up on the Mediterranean in Netanya, Israel. As a young adult, he moved to New York to become an actor. Career Rokah moved to New York in 1999, and ...
* Roger Rose * Daniela Ruah * Theresa Russell *
Davy Sardou Davy Sardou (born 1 June 1978) is a French actor. He is the son of singer Michel Sardou, the grandson of actors Jackie Sardou and Fernand Sardou, and the brother of French novelist Romain Sardou. Sardou studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Insti ...
*
Tom Schilling Tom Schilling (born 10 February 1982) is a German film and television actor. Life and acting career Schilling grew up in the formerly East German borough of Berlin Mitte. He was discovered at the age of 12 by stage director Thomas Heise, and ...
*
Michael Schoeffling Michael Earl Schoeffling (born December 10, 1960) is an American former actor and model. He is known for playing the role of Jake Ryan in ''Sixteen Candles'', Al Carver in '' Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken'', Kuch in ''Vision Quest'', and Joe in ''M ...
*
Omar Sharif, Jr Omar Sharif Jr. (born 28 November 1983) is a Canadian actor, model, author and gay activist who currently lives in the United States. Early life Sharif is the son of a Jewish Canadian mother, Debbie, and an Egyptian father, Tarek Sharif. His p ...
*
Hilary Shepard Hilary Shepard (born Hilary Shapiro on December 10, 1959), alternately billed as Hilary Shepard-Turner, is an American actress and singer. She began her career in the mid 1980s, as co-lead singer and percussionist in the girl group American Girls ...
* Lewis Smith *
Renée Felice Smith Renée Felice Smith (born January 16, 1985) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Nell Jones on '' NCIS: Los Angeles'', since joining the series in 2010. Early life Smith was born in New York City of mixed Irish-Italian descent. S ...
* Bonnie Somerville * Sissy Spacek *
Fabian Stumm Fabian Stumm (born in 1981) is a German actor and director who studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York City. He played a leading role in the 2013 mystery thriller ''Bela Kiss: Prologue'' by Lucien Förstner, and appea ...
*
Miles Teller Miles Teller (born February 20, 1987) is an American actor. He played a jazz drummer in ''Whiplash'' and a supporting pilot in '' Top Gun: Maverick''. Teller made his feature film debut in 2010 and gained recognition for his starring role in t ...
* Marlo Thomas *
Gianfranco Terrin Gianfranco Terrin is an Italian film and stage actor born in Naples, Italy. He first became known for hosting the TV mini-series ''Movie Surfers'' airing on the Disney Channel. Life and career He grew up in Pozzuoli, where at the age of ten, di ...
* Uma Thurman *
Rip Torn Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn Jr. (February 6, 1931 – July 9, 2019) was an American actor whose career spanned more than 60 years. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part as Marsh Turner in '' Cross Creek'' ...
*
Shenaz Treasurywala Shenaz Treasurywala (born 29 June 1981) is an Indian actress. Career Discovered by a photographer during her first year in college, her first modeling assignment was for the soft drink Gold Spot. She also did advertising work for Akai and ...
*
Tom Villard Thomas Louis Villard (November 19, 1953 – November 14, 1994) was an American actor. He is known for his leading role in the 1980s series ''We Got It Made'', as well as roles in feature films ''Grease 2'', ''One Crazy Summer'', ''Heartbreak Ri ...
*
Christoph Waltz Christoph Waltz (; born 4 October 1956) is an Austrian-German actor. Since 2009 he has been primarily active in the United States. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two British Academy Film Awards and two Sc ...
"Long Road to Success in LA for Former Strasberg Student"
on the Strasberg Institute Official Blog
* Tim Williams * Chandra Wilson * Marie Windsor * Michael WrightGregory, Deborah
"Actor: Making Michael Wright a Star"
''Vibe''. December 1993/January 1994. Retrieved April 30, 2015.


See also

*
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...
* Group Theatre *
Stanislavski's system Stanislavski's system is a systematic approach to training actors that the Russian theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski developed in the first half of the twentieth century. His system cultivates what he calls the "art of experiencing" ...


References

Explanatory notes Citations


External links

*The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, {{authority control Drama schools in the United States * Theatre in New York City Education in Manhattan Union Square, Manhattan