Larry Moss is an American actor, director and acting coach. He wrote the

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

textbook A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions, but also of learners ( ...

, ''The Intent to Live,'' and has directed numerous theatre productions, most notably '' The Syringa Tree'' and ''

Holding the Man Holding may refer to: Film and television * ''The Holding'' (film), 2011 British film * "Holding", an episode of the American animated television series ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * ''Holding'' (TV series), a 2022 TV series based on the book by ...

''.

History

He first began his acting career in New York starring in ''Upstairs at the Downstairs'' and appearing on Broadway in ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'', ''

Drat! The Cat! ''Drat! The Cat!'' is a 1965 musical about a well-off Gilded Age catgirl who becomes a jewel thief and captures the heart of the police officer assigned to arrest her. Its Broadway run lasted just eight days. The musical's book and lyrics by Ira L ...

'', '' God's Favorite'', '' So Long, 174th Street'', '' The Robber Bridegroom'', and ''

I Love My Wife ''I Love My Wife'' is a musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which s ...

''. He switched to teaching after he started having stage fright before shows.Moss, Larry (2004). ''The Intent to Live: Achieving Your True Potential as an Actor''. Bantam, New York. . He taught at

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...

and Circle in the Square in New York. He originally came to Los Angeles to train

C. Thomas Howell Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor and director. After making his film debut with a supporting role in ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), Howell had his breakout with a lead role as Ponyboy Curtis in the c ...

for ''The Hitcher''. After

Helen Hunt Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. Hunt rose to fame portraying newlywed Jamie Buchman in the sitcom '' Mad Abou ...

thanked him in her acceptance speech after winning an Oscar in 1997 for ''

As Good as It Gets ''As Good as It Gets'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by James L. Brooks from a screenplay he co-wrote with Mark Andrus. It stars Jack Nicholson as a misanthropic, bigoted and obsessive–compulsive novelist, Helen Hunt ...

'', the A-List demand for Moss' coaching increased. He coached

Hilary Swank Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (19 ...

in her Academy Award-winning performances in '' Boys Don’t Cry'' and ''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Paul Haggis. It is based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

'',

Michael Clarke Duncan Michael Clarke Duncan (December 10, 1957September 3, 2012) was an American actor. He is best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in '' The Green Mile'' (1999), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor a ...

for his Oscar-nominated performance in ''The Green Mile'',

Hank Azaria Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor and producer. He is known for voicing many characters in the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' since 1989, including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmer ...

's Emmy winning turn in '' Tuesdays with Morrie'', and

Tobey Maguire Tobias Vincent Maguire (born 27 June 1975) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for starring as Peter Parker (2002 film series character), Spider-Man in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man in film#Sam Raimi's trilogy, ''Spider-Man'' tr ...

in ''

Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, by four lengths in a two-hors ...

''. He worked with

Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...

on his Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning portrayals in '' The Aviator'' and '' The Wolf of Wall Street'', as well as on DiCaprio's Oscar nominated turn in ''

Blood Diamond Blood diamonds (also called conflict diamonds, brown diamonds, hot diamonds, or red diamonds) are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army's war efforts, terrorism, or a warlord's activity. The term is u ...

'', and ''

The Departed ''The Departed'' is a 2006 crime film, crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both an English-language remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-lif ...

''. Moss founded The Larry Moss Studio (now The Acting Studio at Edgemar Center for the Arts) with

Michelle Danner Michelle Danner is an American acting coach at the Los Angeles Acting School who specializes in the Meisner technique, Meisner, Lee Strasberg, Strasberg, Stella Adler, Adler, Uta Hagen, Hagen, Michael Chekhov, Chekhov and Stanislavsky System, Sta ...

. Larry Moss no longer teaches at the Edgemar Center for the Arts. He works internationally as a private acting coach.

Method

He studied his craft under

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 ...

Sanford Meisner Sanford Meisner (August 31, 1905 – February 2, 1997) was an American actor and acting teacher who developed an approach to acting instruction that is now known as the Meisner technique. While Meisner was exposed to method acting at the Group ...

and Warren Robertson.

Director

Larry Moss has also directed a number of film and theatre productions including '' The Syringa Tree'', ''Dos corazones'' both as a play and on film, ''Beast on the Moon'', and ''Runt of the Litter'', a 2002 play which was written and starred professional American football player Bo Eason. In 2014 Moss directed a Los Angeles production of the Australian classic ''

'' for The Australian Theater Company."The Australian Theater Scene Moves to Los Angeles"
''Backstage'', 17 March 2014 The production was met with strong critical praise citing Moss' direction and the performances of the cast. His next project will be a biographical film about

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered f ...

entitled ''Monty Clift'' with

Matt Bomer Matthew Staton Bomer ( ; born October 11, 1977) is an American actor. His works have earned him accolades including a Golden Globe Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award, in addition to nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards. Bomer m ...

signed to play the title role.

Credits

References

Other sources

*Rand, Ronald and Luigi Scorcia (2007). ''Acting Teachers of America: A Vital Tradition''. Allworth Press, New York. .

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Larry American acting coaches Film directors from New York (state) Living people Year of birth missing (living people)