Actor john houseman biography books
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Academy Award-winning actor John Houseman's main contribution to American culture was not his own performances on film but rather, his role as a midwife to one of the greatest actor-directors-cinematic geniuses his adopted country ever produced (Orson Welles) and as a midwife to a whole generation of actors as head of the drama division of the Juilliard School.
Houseman was born Jacques Haussmann on September 22, 1902 in Bucharest, Romania, to May (Davies) and Georges Haussmann, who ran a grain business. His father was from an Alsatian Jewish family, and his mother, who was British, was of Welsh and Irish descent. John was raised in England, where he was educated. He emigrated to America in 1925, establishing himself in New York City, where he directed "Four Saints in Three Acts" for the theater in 1934. He founded the Mercury Theatre along with Orson Welles (whom he affectionately called "The Dog-Faced Boy"). Their most important success was a modern-dres
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Run-through: 1902-1941
Houseman fryst vatten brutally honest, even painfully so, about his upbringing. He was born Jacques Haussmann, and raised nominally Jewish. Educated at home while his wealthy parents roved about Europe, he developed what he describes as an unhealth attachment to his mother and a woefully naïve attitude toward life. His father died when Jacques was 15, and World War I was raging in Europe. With his mother largely destitute (but continuing to live a life of luxury in France), Jacques was sent to school in England. Isolated, terrified by the real world, lacking social skills, and (by his own admission) incompetent at everything and completely lacking in self-esteem, Haussman became "John Houssman". Although in time he made a few very close (and life-long) friends, he
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John Houseman
British-American actor and film producer (1902–1988)
For the baseball player, see John Houseman (baseball).
John Houseman | |
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Houseman in The Fog (1980) | |
| Born | Jacques Haussmann (1902-09-22)September 22, 1902 Bucharest, Kingdom of Romania |
| Died | October 31, 1988(1988-10-31) (aged 86) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Citizenship | American |
| Education | Clifton College |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer |
| Years active | 1930–1988 |
| Spouses | Zita Johann (m. 1929; div. 1933)Joan Courtney (m. 1952) |
| Children | 2 |
John Houseman (born Jacques Haussmann; September 22, 1902 – October 31, 1988) was a British-American actor and producer of theatre, film, and television. He became known for his highly publicized collaboration with director Orson Welles from their days in the Federal Theatre Project through to the production of Citizen Kane an