Born Israel Lee Strassberg in Budzanów, Austria-Hungary (now Budanov, Ukraine). In the US from the age of nine, he trained under Boleslavsky and Ouspenskaya at the American Laboratory Theatre, making his acting debut in 1925. He was among the founders in 1930 of the Group Theatre in New York, for which he directed many plays through 1937. In 1949 he became the artistic director of the Actors Studio and in that capacity exerted great influence on the contemporary American theater and cinema. In 1969 he established the Lee Strasberg Institute of the Theatre in New York and Los Angeles. He made an auspicious debut as a screen actor in THE GODFATHER, PART II (1974), playing the role of mobster Hyman Roth. Other notable screen acting credits include THE CASSANDRA CROSSING (1976), ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL, GOING IN STYLE and BOARDWALK (all 1979), and the TV movies "The Last Tenant" (1978) and "Skokie" (1981). He made his last public appearance at the "Night of 100 Stars" benefit for the Actors Fund at Radio City Music Hall in February, 1982. Along with protégés Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, he danced in the chorus line with the Rockettes. In her final will, Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) left Strasberg total control of her estate, including the licensing of her image as gratitude for his mentorship and kindness before and after she became a star. Today, Strasberg's widow administers the estate which earns millions of dollars in licensing fees whenever an advertiser or manufacturer uses Monroe's image. In 1999, Christie's auctioned the bulk of Monroe's personal effects, which she willed to Strasberg to "distribute among my friends, colleagues and those to whom I am devoted." Strasberg, instead, willed them to his widow, Anna, who never met Monroe; the auction netted her $12.3 million. Ironically, Anna declared that she would never sell Monroe's personal items after successfully suing Odyssey Auctions in 1994 to prevent the sale of Monroe items which were illegally withheld from Strasberg by Monroe's business manager, Inez Melson. Strasberg's daughter from the second of his three marriages was actress Susan Strasberg (1938-1999).  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1974: THE GODFATHER, PART II 1 nomination