Irene Gilbert (born Irene Liebert or Liebeschutz; August 25, 1934 – May 21, 2011) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

-born

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

actress and acting school director, who co-founded the Stella Adler Academy in

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, with actress

Joanne Linville Beverly Joanne Linville (January 15, 1928 – June 20, 2021) was an American actress. She later taught at the Stella Adler Academy, Los Angeles. She is best known as a Romulan Commander on ''Star Trek: The Original Series''. Biography Early li ...

, in 1985. She served as the academy's director for around two decades after its establishment.

Early life

Gilbert was born as Irene Liebert or Liebeschutz in

Brandenburg, Germany Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square ...

on August 25, 1934. She immigrated to

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with her parents, Gaston and Lucie Liebert (or Liebeschutz), just before the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Her parents were killed by a

drunk driver Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is i ...

when she was just five years old. She was raised by her Aunt Erika, her four older brothers, Ralph, Werner, Jerry, and John, and their mother Ruth Mitler.

Career

She changed her surname to Gilbert when she began her acting career, reportedly because she felt that it seemed "movie-star-esque." Her acting career extended into the late 1980s. Her

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

credits included roles in '' Medical Center'', her first role in 1969, '' General Hospital'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law, who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was o ...

'', and ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing the two short-lived situa ...

'' in the 1970s, as well as ''

Designing Women ''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason ...

'', and '' Crazy Like A Fox'', and others in the 1980s, with her last role, ''

Highway To Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order t ...

'' in 1989. Gilbert became friends with New York City-based acting coach

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher.
''

pursued Adler to open a branch of the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles. Gilbert also served as the school's director for 20 years. A fire at the school, which was originally located in a small theater at

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

and Argyle Avenue, forced the school's temporary closure in 1991. The school's building was further threatened with

demolition Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a ...

to make way for a proposed subway line at the time of Adler's death, in 1992. Gilbert moved and reopened the school in 1994 at a building which was once the Embassy Club, a

private club A club is an voluntary association, association of people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities. There are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, po ...

in the 1930s at Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. She continued to teach acting at the school and produce stage productions. The Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles named one of its theaters, the Irene Gilbert Theatre, in honor of her.

Death

Gilbert died, aged 76, on May 21, 2011, from complications of Alzheimer's disease, in Eureka, California.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Irene 1934 births 2011 deaths Drama teachers American school administrators German emigrants to the United States Actresses from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Deaths from dementia in California Educators from New York City American women educators 21st-century American women