Paula Strasberg (born Pearl Miller; March 8, 1909 – April 29, 1966) was an American stage actress. She became actor and teacher

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

's second wife and mother of actors

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

and Susan Strasberg, as well as

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

acting coach An acting coach or drama coach is a teacher who trains performers – typically film, television, theatre, and musical theatre actors – and gives them advice and mentoring to enable them to improve their acting and dramatic performances, prepar ...

and confidante.

Career

Born Pearl Miller to a Jewish family, she made her debut on Broadway in 1927, appearing in ''The Cradle Song''. Two years later, she married her first husband, Harry Stein, whom she divorced in 1935. The union was childless. She appeared in more than 20 stage roles until ''Me and Molly'' in 1948. A life member 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 founde ...

, she married

in 1935, just days after her first marriage ended. She was later blacklisted for her membership in the

American Communist Party The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

, although her husband was not a member and suffered no adverse effects on his career. She went on to become Marilyn Monroe's acting coach and confidante until Monroe's death in 1962, supplanting Natasha Lytess.

Personal life

Her children, Susan Strasberg (1938–1999) and John Strasberg (born 1941), were also actors. Susan described her mother as a "combination delicatessen, pharmacist, Jewish mother".

Death

Paula Strasberg died of

bone marrow Bone marrow is a semi-solid biological tissue, tissue found within the Spongy bone, spongy (also known as cancellous) portions of bones. In birds and mammals, bone marrow is the primary site of new blood cell production (or haematopoiesis). It i ...

cancer at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan on April 29, 1966, aged 57, and is interred at

Westchester Hills Cemetery The Westchester Hills Cemetery is at 400 Saw Mill River Road in Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York, approximately 20 miles north of New York City. It is a Jewish cemetery, and many well-known entertainers and performers are interred ...

in Hastings-on-Hudson, Westchester County, New York. She was survived by her husband, their two children, and a younger sister, Beatrice.Profile
cursumperficio.net; accessed March 4, 2015.

References

External links

* *
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strasberg, Paula 1909 births 1966 deaths American communists American stage actresses American acting coaches Burials at Westchester Hills Cemetery Hollywood blacklist Jewish American actresses Actresses from New York City Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from multiple myeloma 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American musicians