Susan Strasberg(1938-1999)
- Actress
Susan Strasberg was born in New York City on May 22, 1938. From the
time of her birth, she was destined to be an actress, as her father was
Lee Strasberg, acting coach at the famed
Actors Studio in New York. In 1953, Susan made her acting debut in the
episode Catch a Falling Star (1953) of the
Goodyear Playhouse (1951) when she was just 15 years old. However, her true stage debut was on
Broadway in the title role of "Diary of Anne Frank" in 1955. From that
time on, Susan would devote part time to the stage and part time to the
screen. Her first movie role was a fourth-billed part in
Picnic (1955). That spot wasn't bad,
considering she was still relatively new to the screen and her co-stars
were William Holden,
Kim Novak,
Rosalind Russell,
Cliff Robertson and
Arthur O'Connell.
After making The Cobweb (1955) later that
same year, she went back to perform on the stage. It just wasn't
on-screen that she co-starred with big names; in 1957 she shared the
stage with Helen Hayes and
Richard Burton in "Time
Remembered". In 1958, Susan returned to the big screen again in
Stage Struck (1958). Although her
billing wasn't anywhere near what it was with "Picnic", the picture got
good reviews. For the remainder of her acting career, Susan alternated
among the stage, screen and television. Wherever there was an acting role,
she was there to appear in it. She spent some time in Europe,
particularly Italy, making films for the rabid fans there. During the
course of her tenure, she appeared in three documentaries about her old
friend Marilyn Monroe. The first two
were
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (1986)
and
Remembering Marilyn (1988).
The third was
Marilyn Monroe: Life After Death (1994).
On January 21, 1999, Susan lost her struggle with breast cancer in New
York City. She was a youthful 60 years old.
time of her birth, she was destined to be an actress, as her father was
Lee Strasberg, acting coach at the famed
Actors Studio in New York. In 1953, Susan made her acting debut in the
episode Catch a Falling Star (1953) of the
Goodyear Playhouse (1951) when she was just 15 years old. However, her true stage debut was on
Broadway in the title role of "Diary of Anne Frank" in 1955. From that
time on, Susan would devote part time to the stage and part time to the
screen. Her first movie role was a fourth-billed part in
Picnic (1955). That spot wasn't bad,
considering she was still relatively new to the screen and her co-stars
were William Holden,
Kim Novak,
Rosalind Russell,
Cliff Robertson and
Arthur O'Connell.
After making The Cobweb (1955) later that
same year, she went back to perform on the stage. It just wasn't
on-screen that she co-starred with big names; in 1957 she shared the
stage with Helen Hayes and
Richard Burton in "Time
Remembered". In 1958, Susan returned to the big screen again in
Stage Struck (1958). Although her
billing wasn't anywhere near what it was with "Picnic", the picture got
good reviews. For the remainder of her acting career, Susan alternated
among the stage, screen and television. Wherever there was an acting role,
she was there to appear in it. She spent some time in Europe,
particularly Italy, making films for the rabid fans there. During the
course of her tenure, she appeared in three documentaries about her old
friend Marilyn Monroe. The first two
were
Marilyn Monroe: Beyond the Legend (1986)
and
Remembering Marilyn (1988).
The third was
Marilyn Monroe: Life After Death (1994).
On January 21, 1999, Susan lost her struggle with breast cancer in New
York City. She was a youthful 60 years old.