Milton Katselas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Milton George Katselas December 22, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 74) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Director, acting instructor, coach, producer |
Milton George Katselas (December 22, 1933 – October 24, 2008) was an American-Greek director and producer ofstage andfilm, as well as aHollywood acting instructor and coach who trained underElia Kazan andLee Strasberg at the acclaimedActors Studio inNew York City. In 1978, he acquired theBeverly Hills Playhouse, where he taught amaster class for many years.
Katselas was aScientologist and some former students have alleged that his acting classes were used as recruitment for theChurch of Scientology, while others have stated Katselas never mentioned or spoke about Scientology during classes.[1]
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Katselas was born inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, toGreek immigrant parents,[2] who owned a small restaurant outside the gates of aWestinghouse Electric plant. When Milton was 14 years old, his father went into themovie theater business and ran a local theater company of Greek actors. Milton Katsalas later adjusted his surname to Katselas.
After high school, he set off for Pittsburgh's Carnegie Tech (nowCarnegie Mellon) to study theater. On a visit to New York, he sneaked in to watchLee Strasberg's acting class where he also saw renowned directorElia Kazan on the street and chased him down. "I talked to him in Greek, and he talked with me"... [H]e told me, `When you finish college, come see me.'", Katselas recalled.[3] Following graduation in 1954, he began studying withStrasberg and serving as an apprentice to Kazan.
After working with several other big-name directors, includingJoshua Logan,Joseph Anthony, andSanford Meisner, Katselas struck out on his own, beginning with the original 1960Off-Broadway production ofEdward Albee'sThe Zoo Story. This was followed by another critical success the following year,Michael Shurtleff'sCall Me By My Rightful Name. He was nominated for aTony Award for theBroadway production ofLeonard Gershe'sButterflies Are Free in 1969, and also directed the 1972 movie version starringGoldie Hawn,Edward Albert, andEileen Heckart, who won an Academy Award for her role.
In 1973 he reunited with Gershe and Albert for the film version of40 Carats. His other credits include the Broadway showsCamino Real andThe Rose Tattoo, local productions ofThe Seagull,Romeo and Juliet, andStreamers - all of which won himL.A. Drama Critics Circle awards for best direction.
In 1983, Katselas directed a revival ofNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives, the only Broadway stage production in whichElizabeth Taylor andRichard Burton co-starred together. However, after the show was panned in its Boston tryout, Taylor, who was a producer, fired Katselas, yet he retained his directing credit for the Broadway run.[4] He also directed the screen adaptation ofMark Medoff'sWhen You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?[5]
In 1978, Katselas founded an acting school in Los Angeles called theBeverly Hills Playhouse, where he gave acting classes for 30 years until his death in 2008.[6][7]
He had a wide range of students, includingGene Hackman,Jenna Elfman,George Clooney,Alec Baldwin,Giovanni Ribisi,Tom Selleck,Michelle Pfeiffer,Ted Danson,Tony Danza,Jeffrey Tambor,Tyne Daly,Lakshmi Manchu,Doris Roberts,Anne Archer,Kate Hudson,Kim Cattrall,Thaao Penghlis,Robert Urich, andPatrick Swayze.[1][8][9]
Some students reportedly felt alienated by the unspoken pressure to join the Church of Scientology, however. While Katselas was highly regarded as a teacher, his classes remained controversial.[10]
In his later years, Katselas became disaffected with post-Hubbard Scientology. He eventually had a break with the organisation, when a Scientologist namedGrant Cardone sent an e-mail accusing Katselas of improper sexual conduct with his students. Following the incident, a number of Scientologist actors left the school.[11]
Katselas was the author of two books.
Katselas was a long-timeScientologist, having been introduced to the cult in 1965, and had attained the Scientology state ofOperating Thetan. While his relationship with Church of Scientology management broke down in his later years, he remained dedicated to Scientology andL. Ron Hubbard to his death.[11]
Katselas died ofheart failure on October 24, 2008, aged 74, at the Los Angeles hospitalCedars-Sinai Medical Center.[6]
Katselas was portrayed by actorJames Franco in theSal Mineo biopicSal, which Franco also directed.[12]
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