Lee Strasberg

Lee Strasberg is considered one of the most influential drama teachers of the 20th Century.

He directed the prestigious “Actors Studio” in New York and later founded the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York and Los Angeles. Famous graduates were, amongst others, Anne Bancroft, Marylin Monroe, James Dean, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino or Paul Newman.

Building up on the teachings of Konstantin Stanislavski, Strasberg developed the “Method Acting”, until today the preferred acting technique of countless Hollywood stars. Stanislavski’s so-called “System” was based on emotional memory, which Strasberg considered insufficient for an authentic performance. With his “Method Acting” he went a step further, introducing a technique called “substitution” which requires actors to use the entire spectrum of their imagination, emotions and senses. According to Strasberg, actors have to totally immerse themselves not only into their characters but also their living circumstances.

Method acting focusses on achieving utmost realism and authenticity. It allows access to spontaneous feelings. It is all about being in the here and now. As Strasberg put it: “Method acting is what all actors have always done whenever they acted well.”