Famous American Theater Personalities

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What is that one thing that binds legendary actors like Bruce Willis, Daniel Radcliffe, Jon Hamm and Kevin Spacey together? No, it’s not just Hollywood and films, but their penchant for theatre and love for stage. Over the centuries, since the first time theatre rumblings took America by a storm in the Eighteenth Century, it has remained close to the country’s heart. History says that drama was first introduced in this country by the Hallams in the year 1752 when they brought over a company from London and presented The Merchant of Venice at Williamsburg, then the capital of Virginia, in a building arranged for that purpose. However, the truth of this is debatable. Never mind when theatre spread its wings in the nation, what is important is the wad of well authenticated dramatic performances that have been performed in the American soil ever since. Explore this collection of biographies to know the timelines, life stories and interesting trivia & facts related to the lives of some of the most famous and successful American theatre personalities.
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 1 
Brent Spiner
(Actor)
Brent Spiner
3
Birthdate: February 2, 1949
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
 2 
Glynn Turman
3
Birthdate: January 31, 1947
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States

Glynn Turman is an American actor, filmmaker, and writer. In a career spanning over 60 years. Some of the notable characters that he has portrayed are: Lew Miles in the movie Peyton Place, Leroy Jackson in the film Cooley High, and Bradford Taylor in the sitcom A Different World. He has also won several awards like the NAACP Image Award.

 3 
Dallas Roberts
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1970
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
 4 
Christopher Abbott
3
Birthdate: 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
Christopher Abbott is best known as Charlie Dattolo from Girls and as Mason Tannetti from The Sinner. He also had significant roles in the miniseries Catch-22 and the films First Man and James White. He is also a talented stage actor and has appeared in both Broadway and off-Broadway plays.
 5 
Van Heflin
(Best Known for His Role as ‘Jeff Hartnett’ in the Film ‘Johnny Eager’)
Van Heflin
2
Birthdate: December 13, 1908
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Walters, Oklahoma, United States
Died: July 23, 1971

A dependable character actor of his time, Van Heflin won the Academy Award for his performance as Jeff Hartnett in Johnny Eager. While he initially studied law, he later took up a master’s degree in theater at Yale. Apart from films, he also made a name for himself in radio and theater.

 6 
Scott Rudin
(Film Producer)
Scott Rudin
2
Birthdate: July 14, 1958
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
 7 
Jo Anne Worley
2
Birthdate: September 6, 1936
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lowell, Indiana, United States
 8 
Joe Besser
(Comedian, Musician, Voice actor, Actor, Television actor)
Joe Besser
1
Birthdate: August 12, 1907
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: St. Louis
Died: March 1, 1988
 9 
Mary Martin
(Actress, Singer)
Mary Martin
1
Birthdate: December 1, 1913
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Weatherford, Texas, U.S.
Died: November 3, 1990
 10 
Siena Agudong
(Actress)
Siena Agudong
1
Birthdate: August 19, 2004
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kauai, Hawaii, United States
 11 
Stella Adler
(American Actress & Acting Teacher)
Stella Adler
1
Birthdate: February 10, 1901
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: December 21, 1992
 12 
Jill Schoelen
(Actress)
Jill Schoelen
1
Birthdate: March 21, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Burbank, California, United States
 13 
Dan Bakkedahl
1
Birthdate: November 18, 1969
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rochester, Minnesota
 14 
LaTanya Richardson
(Actress & Producer)
LaTanya Richardson
1
Birthdate: October 21, 1949
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
 15 
Ted Healy
(Actor, Screenwriter, Stage actor)
Ted Healy
1
Birthdate: October 1, 1896
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Kaufman
Died: December 21, 1937
 16 
Harry Warner
(Executive)
Harry Warner
1
Birthdate: December 12, 1881
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Krasnosielc, Poland
Died: December 27, 1958
 17 
Ann Harding
(Actress)
Ann Harding
1
Birthdate: August 7, 1902
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Died: September 1, 1981
 18 
Howard Austen
(Businesspeople, Casting director)
Howard Austen
1
Birthdate: January 28, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: September 22, 2003
 19 
Billy Rose
(Impresario)
Billy Rose
1
Birthdate: September 6, 1899
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: February 10, 1966
 20 
Gladys George
(Actress)
Gladys George
3
Birthdate: September 13, 1904
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Patten, Maine, U.S.
Died: December 8, 1954
 21 
Martin Ritt
(Film Director)
Martin Ritt
3
Birthdate: March 2, 1914
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City, New York, U.S.
Died: December 8, 1990
 22 
Grace Moore
(American Opera Singer and Actress Whose Films Helped to Popularize Opera)
Grace Moore
3
Birthdate: December 5, 1898
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Del Rio, Tennessee, United States
Died: January 26, 1947

American opera singer Grace Moore, also known as the Tennessee Nightingale, initially sang in New York nightclubs and then moved on to Broadway. She is remembered for her Academy Award-nominated role in the romantic musical One Night of Love. She died in a plane crash in Copenhagen after a performance.

 23 
Joshua Logan
(Film & Stage Director, Writer)
Joshua Logan
1
Birthdate: October 5, 1908
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Texarkana, Texas, United States
Died: July 12, 1988
 24 
Helen Wagner
(Actress)
Helen Wagner
3
Birthdate: September 3, 1918
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lubbock, Texas, United States
Died: May 1, 2010
 25 
Dorothy Stickney
(Actress)
Dorothy Stickney
3
Birthdate: June 21, 1896
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Dickinson, North Dakota, United States
Died: June 2, 1998
 26 
Alexander H. Cohen
(Theatrical Producer)
Alexander H. Cohen
0
Birthdate: July 24, 1920
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: April 22, 2000
 27 
Roger L. Stevens
(Theatrical producer)
Roger L. Stevens
3
Birthdate: March 12, 1910
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan,United States
Died: February 2, 1998
 28 
Augustin Daly
(Playwright)
Augustin Daly
0
Birthdate: July 20, 1838
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Plymouth, North Carolina, United States
Died: June 7, 1899
 29 
Gordon Davidson
(American theatre director)
Gordon Davidson
0
Birthdate: May 7, 1933
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York City, New York
Died: October 2, 2016
 30 
Kermit Bloomgarden
(Theatrical producer)
Kermit Bloomgarden
2
Birthdate: December 15, 1904
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
Died: September 20, 1976
 31 
Albert Marre
(Stage Director)
Albert Marre
0
Birthdate: September 20, 1924
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: September 4, 2012
 32 
Jossie Thacker
0
Birthdate: January 1, 1970
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York City, New York
 33 
Alexander Placide
(Actor)
Alexander Placide
0
Birthdate: 1750 AD
Birthplace: France
Died: 1812 AD

Born to French travelling acrobats, Alexander Placide initially gained fame as a tightrope walker at Louis XVI’s court. A professional dancer and entertainer, he later moved to the U.S. and led the Charleston Theatre. His shows included ballets, pantomime dramas, and fencing tournaments. He later married opera singer Charlotte Wrighten Placide.

 34 
Joanne Tucker
(Actress)
Joanne Tucker
0
Birthdate: June 26, 1982
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: United States