File:Rod_Steiger_1964.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Rod Steiger was an American actor who lived from 1925 to 2002 and became known for his powerful performances in film and television. He is remembered as one of the significant actors of his era, though his specific most famous roles and lasting impact would require additional context to fully describe.
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Film & TV
Westhampton, New York, USA
Rodney Stephen "Rod" Steiger (April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was a European-American actor known for his performances in such films as In the Heat of the Night, Oklahoma!, Waterloo, The Pawnbroker, On the Waterfront, The Harder They Fall, Doctor Zhivago, and Jesus of Nazareth.
Known for
- Amityville: An Origin Story — Self- Archive2023
- I Am Not Your Negro — Self (archive footage)2017
- The Real James Dean — Self2006
- Hollywood Legenden — Self2004
- Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust — Self2004
- Poolhall Junkies — Nick2002
- The Hollywood Sign — Floyd Benson2002
- The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller — Pvt. O'Meara (archive footage)2002
- Besuch bei Rod Steiger — Self2001
- The Flying Dutchman — Ben2001
via TMDB
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United States
- Place of birth
- Westhampton
- Place of death
- Los Angeles
- Occupation
- stage actor
- Educated at
- The New School
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Native language
- English language
- Student of
- Daniel Mann
- Conflict
- World War II
- Military branch
- United States Navy
- Image
- Rod Steiger 1964.jpg
Show 14 more facts
- place of burial
- Forest Lawn Memorial Park
- Commons category
- Rod Steiger
- date of birth
- 1925-04-14
- date of death
- 2002-07-09
- cause of death
- pneumonia
- nominated for
- Academy Award for Best Actor
- manner of death
- natural causes
- Commons gallery
- Rod Steiger
- start of work period
- 1950-00-00
- writing language
- English language
- handedness
- left-handedness
- birth name
- Rodney Stephen Steiger
- name in native language
- Rod Steiger
- end of work period
- 2002-00-00
Sources (7)
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
Rodney Stephen Steiger (/ˈstaɪɡər/ STY-gər; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associated with the art of method acting, embodying the characters he played, which at times led to clashes with directors and co-stars. He starred as Marlon Brando's mobster brother Charley in On the Waterfront (1954), the title character Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964) which won him the Silver Bear for Best Actor, and as police chief Bill Gillespie opposite Sidney Poitier in the film In the Heat of the Night (1967) which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Steiger was born in Westhampton, New York, the son of a vaudevillian. He had a difficult childhood, running away from home to escape an alcoholic mother at the age of 16. After serving in the South Pacific during World War II, he began his acting career with television roles in 1947, and went on to garner critical acclaim for his portrayal of the main character in the teleplay "Marty" (1953). He made his stage debut in 1946, in a production of Curse You, Jack Dalton! at the Civic Repertory Theatre of Newark, and subsequently appeared in productions such as An Enemy of the People (1950), Clifford Odets's Night Music (1951), Seagulls Over Sorrento (1952), and Rashomon (1959).
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Rod Steiger” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.