Biography for
Sanford Meisner More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

31 August 1905, New York City, New York, USA

Date of Death

2 February 1997, Sherman Oaks, California, USA

Mini Biography

Sanford Meisner is one of the most respected and influential acting teachers of the 20th century. Meisner, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg are generally regarded as America's three greatest acting teachers. Founding member of The Group Theatre, 1931-1941. Began teaching at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in 1935; head of the acting program 1936-1958 & 1964-1990. Head of Twentieth Century-Fox Talent Program 1959-1961. Developed what is known as "The Meisner Technique," influenced by "The Stanislavsky System." His students include Academy Award winners Joan Fontaine, Jennifer Jones, Grace Kelly, Edmond O'Brien, Jo Van Fleet, Joanne Woodward, Gregory Peck, Joel Grey, Lee Grant, Diane Keaton, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen and Robert Duvall, as well as directors Bob Fosse and Sydney Pollack. Author of "Sanford Meisner on Acting" (with Dennis Longwell). Subject of the documentary Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret (1985), directed by Kent Paul.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous

Spouse

Peggy Meredith

(1948 - 1950) (divorced)

Trivia

Became frustrated with the roles he often got while in the Group Theatre often lamented that when they handed out the scripts, if there was a role for a character that was the emotional equivalent of a large, ugly bug that would crawl out from behind an old piano that was just moved away from the wall where it stood for many years... he knew that he'd be given that part!.

Personal Quotes

Acting can be fun. Don't let it get around.

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