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

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

-born

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

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, with actress

Joanne Linville Joanne Linville (January 15, 1928 – June 20, 2021) was an American actress. She later taught at the Stella Adler Academy, Los Angeles. Biography Early life Linville was born in Bakersfield, California, on January 15, 1928. She attended high ...

, 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 on August 25, 1934. She immigrated to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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 in ...

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 (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

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

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...

'', ''

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 during th ...

'', ''

Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...

'', and ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, 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 two situatio ...

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

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

'', and ''

Crazy Like A Fox Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...

'', and others in the 1980s, with her last role, ''

Highway To Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred its creator and co-director Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth to help peo ...

'' 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. A member of Yiddish Theater's Adler dynasty, Adler began acting at a young age. She shifted to producing, directing, and teaching, founding the ...

during the 1960s. In 1985, Gilbert and actress

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

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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 and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction (building), deconstruction, which inv ...

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 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, political and religious ...

in the 1930s at Hollywood Boulevard and

Highland Avenue Highland Avenue may refer to: Historic districts *Highland Avenue Historic District (Birmingham, Alabama), listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Birmingham, Alabama *Highland Avenue Historic District (Lexington, Missouri), liste ...

. 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 American drama teachers American school administrators Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Actresses from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California Deaths from dementia in California Educators from New York City American women educators 21st-century American women