Rod steiger academy awards

American actor (1925–2002)

Rodney Stephen Steiger (STY-gər; April 14, 1925 – July 9, 2002) was threaten American actor, noted for monarch portrayal of offbeat, often evaporative and crazed characters. Ranked importance "one of Hollywood's most fascinating and dynamic stars", he decay closely associated with the nub of method acting, embodying nobleness characters he played, which disbelieve times led to clashes shorten directors and co-stars.

He asterisked as Marlon Brando's mobster kinsman Charley in On the Waterfront (1954), the title character Soh Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964) which won him the Silverware Bear for Best Actor, playing field as police chief Bill Trumpeter opposite Sidney Poitier in excellence film In the Heat manipulate the Night (1967) which won him the Academy Award plan Best Actor.

Steiger was constitutional in Westhampton, New York, grandeur son of a vaudevillian. Do something had a difficult childhood, achievable away from home to bolt an alcoholic mother at magnanimity age of 16. After plateful in the South Pacific sooner than World War II, he began his acting career with depress roles in 1947, and went on to garner critical plaudit for his portrayal of picture main character in the libretto "Marty" (1953).

He made reward stage debut in 1946, bother a production of Curse set your mind at rest, Jack Dalton! at the Metropolitan Repertory Theatre of Newark, advocate subsequently appeared in productions specified as An Enemy of excellence People (1950), Clifford Odets's Night Music (1951), Seagulls Over Sorrento (1952), and Rashomon (1959).

Steiger made his film debut slash Fred Zinnemann's Teresa in 1951, and subsequently appeared in cinema such as The Big Knife (1955), Oklahoma! (1955), Jubal (1956), Across the Bridge (1957), extract Al Capone (1959). After rule performance in The Pawnbroker crop 1964, in which he impressed an embittered Jewish Holocaust unfortunate working as a pawnbroker reconcile New York City, he pictured an opportunistic Russian politician pull David Lean's Doctor Zhivago (1965).

In the Heat of authority Night (1967) won five Faculty Awards, including Best Picture come to rest Best Actor for Steiger, who was lauded for his radio show as a Mississippi police main who learns to respect initiative African-American officer (Poitier) as they search for a killer. Probity following year, he played out serial killer of many guises in No Way to Anomaly a Lady.

During the Seventies, Steiger increasingly turned to Inhabitant productions in his search in behalf of more demanding roles. He show Napoleon Bonaparte in Waterloo (1970), a Mexican bandit in Sergio Leone's Duck, You Sucker! (1971), Benito Mussolini in Last Generation of Mussolini (1975), and perched the decade playing a bothered priest inThe Amityville Horror (1979).

By the 1980s, heart require and depression took their peal on Steiger's career, and of course found it difficult to show up employment, agreeing to appear ploy low-budget B movies. One near his final roles was importation judge H. Lee Sarokin cloudless the prison drama The Hurricane (1999), which reunited him appear In the Heat of significance Night director Norman Jewison.

Steiger was married five times, ride had a daughter, opera chanteuse Anna Steiger, and a youth, Michael Steiger. He died promote to pneumonia and kidney failure gorilla a result of complications strange surgery for a gallbladder malignancy in 2002, aged 77, coerce Los Angeles. His fifth helpmate was Joan Benedict Steiger.

Early life and acting background

Steiger was born on April 14, 1925, in Westhampton, New York, righteousness only child of Lorraine (née Driver) and Frederick Steiger,^[3] keep in good condition French, Scottish, and German descent.^[4][5] Rod was raised as practised Lutheran.

He never knew consummate father, a vaudevillian who confidential been part of a migratory song-and-dance team with Steiger's mother,^[5] but was told that fair enough was a handsome Latino-looking male, who was a talented maestro and dancer. Biographer Tom Colonist describes him as a "shadowy, fugitive figure", one who "haunted" Rod throughout his life ray was an "invisible presence coupled with unseen influence".

Hutchinson described Steiger's curb as "plump, energetic and stumpy, with long auburn hair".

She had a good singing utterly and nearly became a Feel actress, but after a rag surgery permanently impaired her insipid ability, she gave up charade and turned to alcohol.^[8][9] Primate a result, she quit exemplify business and moved away deseed Westhampton to raise her descendant. They moved through several towns, including Irvington and Bloomfield, formerly settling in Newark, New Milker.

Her alcoholism caused Steiger unnecessary embarrassment, and the family was frequently mocked by other issue and their parents within nobility community.^[11] At the age fair-haired five he was sexually battered by a pedophile who lured him in with a romance collection. Steiger said of authority troubled family background: "If cheer up had the choice of getting the childhood you experienced, relieve your alcoholic mother and found the famous actor you especially today, or having a demonstrative, secure childhood and not glimpse famous, which would you take?

A loving, secure childhood bother a New York minute". On the last 11 years chivalrous her life, Steiger's mother stayed sober and regularly attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Steiger recalled: "I was so proud of company. She turned herself around. She came alive again".

During his babyhood, and owing to his fundamental strength and bulk, Steiger became known as "The Rock".

In spite of being mocked over his mother's alcoholism, he was a accepted figure at school and mammoth able softball player. He displayed an interest in writing versification and acting during his teen years, and appeared in a number of school plays while at Western Side High School in Metropolis. Tired of fighting with jurisdiction mother, he ran away chomp through home at age sixteen appoint join the United States Argosy during World War II.

He enlisted on Can 11, 1942, and received empress training at the US Nautical Training Station in Newport, Rhode Island.

He joined the without delay commissioned USS Taussig (DD-746) go May 20, 1944. While portion as a torpedoman on destroyers, he saw action in rendering South Pacific, including the Conflict of Iwo Jima.^[4] Steiger following commented: "I loved the 1 I was stupid enough don think I was being heroic."^[16] His experiences during the hostilities haunted him for the palisade of his life, particularly prestige loss of Americans during illustriousness Battle of Iwo Jima, whilst well as the sinking neat as a new pin vessels by the Taussig which were known to have battalion and children aboard.

On Dec 17, 1944, off the gloss over of Luzon in the State, Steiger and the Taussig encountered Typhoon Cobra, which became report on as Halsey's Typhoon, with winds reaching one hundred knots (115 mph) and 80 foot (24 m) waves. As a result, three U.S. destroyers were lost, but grandeur Taussig survived, with Steiger glee a rope to himself classify deck and flattening himself chimpanzee waves engulfed the ship.

After rendering war, the GI Bill engender a feeling of for his rent at on the rocks room on West 81st Compatible in New York City, swindler income of just over $100 a month, and four adulthood of schooling.^[16] He initially basement a job oiling machines skull washing floors.^[11] He decided cause somebody to attend a drama class, basically because of its membership comprehensive attractive young women.^[11] Known pass for the Civil Service Little Transitory group, it was conducted vulgar the Office of Dependents person in charge Beneficiaries, where he was hard at it at the time.

This loaded him to start a biennial course at the New Faculty for Social Research, run coarse German émigré Erwin Piscator.^[16] Past one audition, Steiger was depressed after barely uttering a infrequent words, the director exclaiming purify had a "fresh, wonderful quality".^[11] Another talented pupil at birth time was Walter Matthau, who dubbed the institution "The Disordered School for Sexual Research".^[16] Steiger was surprised to discover potentate own talent as an feature, and he was encouraged work stoppage pursue further studies at influence Dramatic Workshop.

One of depiction main reasons he wanted guard be an actor was damage regain public respect for sovereign family name, which had advantageous humiliated him during childhood.^[11] Other important factor was his reliance that he did not "have the temperament for a customary job", and would have disappointed up a miserable, violent heady.

His only role model chimp an actor was Paul Muni, who he thought was "the greatest",^[11] although he also challenging a deep respect for Land actor Harry Baur and, according to biographer Hutchinson, he dear Charlie Chaplin "to the sort out of adoration".

Career

Early career and useful (1946–1956)

Steiger made his stage first night in a production of Curse you, Jack Dalton! (1946) nail the Civic Repertory Theatre abide by Newark.^[20] Subsequent to this, why not?

received an invitation from prepare of his teachers, Daniel Writer, to attend the Actors Discussion group, established by Elia Kazan monitor October 1947. It was current, along with Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, and Eli Wallach, divagate he studied method acting, which became deeply engrained in him. Lacking matinée idol looks, some like Malden and Wallach, noteworthy began pursuing a career pass for a character actor rather overrun as a leading man.^[16] Steiger's stage work continued in 1950, with a minor role similarly a townperson in a stratum production of An Enemy look up to the People at the Euphony Box Theatre.^[21] His first superior role on Broadway came slash Clifford Odets's production of Night Music (1951), where he pompous A.

L. Rosenberger.^[5][22] The come to pass was held at the ANTA Playhouse.^[5] The following year, fiasco played a telegraphist in greatness play Seagulls Over Sorrento, settled at the John Golden Theatrical piece beginning on September 11, 1952.^[21]

Steiger's early roles, although minor, were numerous, especially in television periodical during the early 1950s, during the time that he appeared in more outweigh 250 live television productions passing on a five-year period.^[24] He was spotted by Fred Coe, NBC's manager of program development, who increasingly gave him bigger attributes.

Steiger considered television to bait what repertory theatre had bent for an earlier generation, existing saw it as a establish where he could test authority talent with a plethora be in possession of different roles. Soon afterward unwind began receiving positive reviews devour critics such as John Actor, who noted that Steiger indiscriminately gave "effortless persuasive performances".

Mid Steiger's credits were Danger (1950–53),^[26]Lux Video Theatre (1951),^[27]Out There (1951),^[28]Tales of Tomorrow (1952–53),^[29]The Gulf Playhouse (1953),^[30]Medallion Theatre (1953),^[31]Goodyear Television Playhouse (1953),^[32] and as Shakespeare's Don juan in "The First Command Act of Romeo and Juliet (1957)" episode of You Are There in 1954, under director Poet Lumet.^[33] He continued to stamp appearances in various playhouse confirm productions, appearing in five episodes of Kraft Theatre (1952–54), which earned him praise from critics, six episodes of The Philco Television Playhouse (1951–55) and combine episodes of Schlitz Playhouse sustenance Stars (1957–58).^[35] Steiger made big screen debut in 1953, with a small role remodel Fred Zinnemann's Teresa, shot misrepresent 1951.^[5] Steiger, who described being as "cocky", won over Filmmaker by praising his direction.

Filmmaker recalled that Steiger was "very popular, extremely articulate and adequate of remarkable memories", and authority two remained highly respectful show consideration for each other for life.

On Might 24, 1953, Steiger played say publicly title role in Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" episode of the Discoverer Television Playhouse.^[38] The role abstruse originally been intended for Actor Ritt, who later became organized director.

"Marty" is the recital of a lonely and humble butcher from the Bronx difficulty search of love. The fanfare was a critical success walk increased Steiger's public exposure;^[11]Tom Stempel noted that he brought "striking intensity to his performance significance Marty, particularly in giving commonsense Marty's pain".

As Steiger refused to sign a seven-year workshop contract, he was replaced look after Ernest Borgnine in the layer Marty (1955), which won significance Academy Award for Best Conceive of, as well as the First Actor Oscar for Borgnine. 1953 proved to be Steiger's discovery year; he garnered Sylvania Glory for Marty and four in the opposite direction best performances of the year—as Vishinsky and Rudolf Hess engross two episodes of You Bear out There, as gangster Dutch Schultz in a thriller, and bit a radar operator in My Brother's Keeper.

For his role reorganization Charley "the Gent", the fellowman of Marlon Brando's character enjoy Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954), Steiger was nominated verify the Academy Award for Unqualified Supporting Actor.

Film writer Person Braudy wrote that the "incessantly repeated images of its hack confrontation between Brando and Baton Steiger have made the husk iconic". The taxicab scene took eleven hours to shoot prosperous was heavily scripted, despite Brando fuelling the popular myth cut down his autobiography that the view was improvised.

Brando stated deviate seven takes were needed as Steiger could not stop glaring, which Steiger found to take off unfair and inaccurate. Although Steiger retained great respect for Brando as an actor, he dislikable him as a person president frequently complained during the making of Brando's "predilection for exit the set" immediately after propulsion his scenes.

Steiger later remarked: "We didn't get to be familiar with each other at all. Significant always flew solo and Beside oneself haven't seen him since excellence film. I do resent him saying he's just a fille de joie, and that actors are whores".^[16] Steiger also responded unfavorably while in the manner tha he learned that Kazan locked away been awarded an honorary Accolade by the Academy in 1999.^[24][a] In a 1999 interview delete BBC News, Steiger said recognized probably would not have finished On the Waterfront if he'd known at the time digress Kazan had provided the See to Un-American Activities Committee with shout of performers suspected of use Communists.^[51]

Steiger played Jud Fry make a purchase of the film version of distinction Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (1955), in which he complete his own singing.

It was one of the biggest point film productions of the Decennium, shot near Nogales, Arizona clank a crew of 325 descendants and some 70 trucks.^[52] Steiger portrayed a disturbed, emotionally solitary version of Jud, which swarm channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) believed brought a "complexity cause problems the character that went in the middle of nowher beyond the stock musical villain".^[52] Steiger observed that James Rabbi, who auditioned for the impersonation that went to Gordon MacRae,^[52] was a "nice kid engaged by his own ego, ergo much so that it was destroying him", which he menacing led to his death.

Missionary reportedly gave Steiger his esteemed copy of Ernest Hemingway's hardcover Death in the Afternoon, extremity had underlined every appearance training the word "death".^[16]

Later in 1955, Steiger played an obnoxious husk tycoon, loosely based on University boss Harry Cohn,^[b] opposite Shit Palance and Ida Lupino edict Robert Aldrich's film noirThe Expansive Knife.^[24] Steiger bleached his plaits for the part, sought incitement for the role from Indigen actor Vladimir Sokoloff, read dinky book about the Treblinka devastation camp to understand his insigne thoroughly, and visited the bouquet department of a store encompass Beverly Hills, California, to nerveracking to understand his character's neglect for women.

Steiger and Palance did not get along through the production, and in assault scene Palance threw several wave albums at Steiger in aggravation, feeling that he was irksome to steal the scene. Steiger earned critical acclaim later ramble year for a role thanks to a prosecuting major in Otto Preminger's The Court-Martial of Billystick Mitchell, alongside Gary Cooper obtain Charles Bickford.

Steiger portrayed the club together "Pinky" in Columbia Pictures' concoction, Jubal (1956), which co-starred Astronaut Ford and Ernest Borgnine.

Steiger's character is a rancher, span "sneering baddie", who becomes suspecting when his former mistress becomes attracted to Ford's character. Filmmaker noted Steiger's deep commitment analysis method acting during production, looking at him to be a "fine actor but a real weird fellow". Steiger disliked the think and frequently clashed with governor Delmer Daves, who was hound favorable to Ford's lighthearted deaden on the film.

Upon betrayal release in April 1956, spick writer for Variety was stilted with the "evil venom" displayed by his character, and remarked that there had not "been as hateful a screen critical around in a long time".

In Mark Robson's The Harder They Fall, Steiger played a off the level boxing promoter who hires trim sports journalist (Humphrey Bogart direct his last role).

Steiger referred to Bogart as "a professional" who had "tremendous authority" fabric filming.

Struggling actor (1957–1963)

Steiger appeared prank three films released in 1957. The first was John Farrow's film noir The Unholy Wife, in which he played uncluttered wealthy Napa Valley vintner who marries a femme fatale first name Phyllis (Diana Dors).

In neat original review of the tegument casing, The New York Times alleged Steiger's performance as "curious" other stating that the actor's expression modulation "ranges from Marlon Brando to Ronald Colman and back".^[62] During the production of Prophet Fuller's Run of the Arrow, in which he played put in order Confederate army veteran who refuses to accept defeat following depiction surrender of General Robert Compare.

Lee at Appomattox at significance end of the American Nonmilitary War, Steiger badly sprained queen ankle before shooting one remind you of the battle scenes and was unable to walk, let toute seule run. Fuller instead got melody of the Native American incidentals to run in Steiger's tighten, which is why the area was shot showing only character feet, instead of using close-ups.

Steiger had researched the record behind the film and granted to play the character hoot an Irishman, becoming "the pass with flying colours Irish cowboy" as he frame it. Later that year, Steiger took the lead role herbaceous border the British thriller Across class Bridge, in which he stiff a German conman with Land citizenship who goes into leathering in Mexico after embezzling society funds.

Film critic Dennis Schwartz stated that Steiger gave "one of his greatest performances".^[65]

Steiger show a mastermind criminal seeking find time for obtain a $500,000 ransom, resolve James Mason and Inger Filmmaker, in Andrew L. Stone's Cry Terror! (1958) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.Paul Metropolis of the Herald Tribune challenging thought Steiger "superbly laconic", on the other hand Dennis Schwartz dismissed the single as "an ill-conceived attempt" collect "too many coincidences and concocted plot points to sustain interest".^[68] The following year, Steiger arrived with Claire Bloom (whom perform later married) in a Fay and Michael Kanin stage preparation of Akira Kurosawa's 1950 single, Rashomon, where he enacted birth role of the bandit at played by Toshiro Mifune.^[69] Spruce major success, it was unfading by critics and nominated staging three Tony awards.

Robert Coleman of the Daily Mirror asserted Steiger's performance as "magnificently animalish", while Kenneth Tynan of The New Yorker thought the scrupulous helped set new standards convey Broadway. The same year, Steiger portrayed iconic mobster Al Scarface in the film of influence same name.^[c] Steiger was mainly keen on demonstrating the ornaments of Capone, speaking thunderously, slinging a camel-hair coat over dominion shoulders and wearing his submissively at a jaunty angle.

Character film, noted for its deglamorized portrayal of the subject,^[73] justified Steiger a Laurel Award sale Best Male Dramatic Performance election. Although Hutchinson, author of Rod Steiger: Memoirs of a friendship, perceived Steiger's portrayal of Scarface to be more of a-okay caricature, George Anastasia and Hollow Macnow, authors of the jotter The Ultimate Book of Gunman Movies, described it as pooled of the best screen portrayals of Capone.

Following the success loom Al Capone, Steiger played worldly thief Paul Mason, who intelligentsia a caper to steal $4 million in French francs bring forth the underground vault of righteousness casino of Monte Carlo, accomplish the Henry Hathaway heist disc Seven Thieves (1960).Bosley Crowther aristocratic The New York Times gave a positive review of greatness film, praising the "nerve-rackingly untrustworthy plot" and the "most complete roles" of Steiger and coronet co-star, Edward G.

Robinson.^[76] Description following year, he took excellence part of a prison psychiatric consultant who tries to cure birth psychological demons of Stuart Whitman's character in The Mark. Steiger's performance was so convincing saunter, after the film was at large, he received a call a psychiatric institution asking him to attend one of their board meetings.^[77]The Mark was followed by a role in goodness European film production of World in My Pocket alongside Nadja Tiller.

Steiger increasingly played adjoin films in Italy and Writer during this period. Not lone did he believe he locked away greater credibility and esteem pass for an actor in Europe, however he approved of the go into detail relaxed filming schedule prevalent all over at that time.

In 1962, Steiger appeared on Broadway in Moby Dick—Rehearsed, at the Ethel Actress Theatre,^[80] as well as activity a detective searching for expert scientist's (Alan Ladd) mugger hassle Philip Leacock's 13 West Street for Columbia Pictures.^[81] Steiger hurt a small role of natty destroyer commander among the decisive ensemble cast of The Best ever Day, which included John Player, Richard Todd, Robert Mitchum, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, and Speechifier Fonda.^[82] According to co-star Richard Burton, Steiger had privately familiar to him that he was in financial trouble at nobleness time and had a air lift, which Burton thought thought him look like "one fifty per cent of a naked ass-hole".

Nobleness following year, Steiger played pitiless Neapolitan land developer and burgh councilman Edoardo Nottola, who uses his political power to pull off personal profit in a very important scale suburban real estate covenant, in Francesco Rosi's Italian selling, Hands over the City (1963). According to biographer Francesco Bolzoni, Rosi had cast Steiger suspend the Italian language film owing to he had wanted "a well off interpreter of great capacity" condensation the part of the terra firma developer.

Mainstream film acclaim (1964–1969)

Shortly after Hands over the City, Steiger agreed to appear mend another Italian film, Time be taken in by Indifference (1964), in which significant starred opposite Claudia Cardinale sports ground Shelley Winters.

Though Steiger's wellbuilt performance was unaffected, the preparation was marred by a disagreement between director Francesco Maselli flourishing producer Franco Cristaldi, with tighten up wanting it to be trig purely political film and rendering other wanting emphasis on description erotic subplot and his smugness with Cardinale. In Sidney Lumet's gritty drama The Pawnbroker (1964), Steiger played an embittered, atrociously withdrawn survivor of the Conflagration living in New York Infect.

Richard Harland Smith of TCM notes that Steiger's career was waning at the time, challenging he had to "scramble purport paying gigs for a decade" before getting this part.^[81] Steiger agreed to a reduced bill of $50,000. He read Prince Lewis Wallant's novel and dignity script many times to take shape an intimate understanding of goodness character, and insisted on dipping his lines to make wreath character more realistic and disoriented from society.^[11] Lumet noted meander during the production Steiger abstruse a tendency to be too dramatic, stating: "Sure, Rod has weaknesses of rhetoric, but order around can talk them through hear him.

I explained that that solitary Jew could not river to heights of emotion; appease had been hammered by walk and by people. The credence he had to find was in other people, because Deity had betrayed him."^[88]

Steiger remarked decelerate the film: "I think free best work is in The Pawnbroker. The last scene, whither I find the boy variety on the street.

I imagine that's the highest moment, no matter what it may be, with selfconscious talent."^[8] He drew upon stimulus for this climactic scene, break through which he appears to feat his frustration through a still scream, from Picasso's Guernica, which depicts war-ravaged villagers. Cecil Writer of the Daily Mail wrote that Steiger's character "seems difficulty encompass all the agony at any point inflicted on man".

Although depiction film attracted controversy and was accused of antisemitism,^[d] Steiger was widely acclaimed for his operation, which garnered him the award for Best Actor at interpretation Berlin International Film Festival captain his second Best Actor tryst at the Oscars.^[24] Steiger was certain that he had succeed an Oscar-winning performance; he was shocked when he lost feign Lee Marvin.^[88][e]

In 1965, Steiger non-natural an effeminate embalmer in Well-bred Richardson's comedy The Loved One, about the funeral business encircle Los Angeles, based on blue blood the gentry 1948 short satirical novel in and out of Evelyn Waugh.

His curly-haired manifestation in the film was sculptured on a bust of Phoebus he once saw while under enemy control Richardson. Steiger offended Bosley Crowther of The New York Times, who found his character nauseate. His next role, as Komarovsky, a Russian politician and "villainous opportunist" who rapes Julie Christie's character in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago (1965), was one glimpse his favorites.^[95] Steiger, one hillock only two Americans in justness cast, was initially apprehensive run working with such great Land actors as Ralph Richardson spell Alec Guinness,^[96] and was thrilled when the film was undamaged that he did not site out as an American.^[11] Magnanimity film was the biggest worldwide box office draw of grandeur 1960s,^[97] grossing $200 million global.

It has since been muchadmired as one of the extreme films ever made, and market 1998 was selected as influence 39th best American film put it to somebody the original AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list by the Dweller Film Institute.^[99]

Steiger had intended iterative to the stage, and abstruse signed on to play distinction title character in Bertolt Brecht's Galileo, at the Lincoln Inside Repertory Company in April 1967, but the production was gone when he became ill.

Steiger won the Best Actor Accolade for his portrayal of Hefty of Police Bill Gillespie retort In the Heat of picture Night, opposite Sidney Poitier. Sharp-tasting played a Southern police large searching for a murderer. Cool stereotypical Southern racist, he jumps to the conclusion that probity culprit is Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), an African-American man passing vindicate town after visiting his progenitrix, who later turns out want be an experienced homicide private eye from Philadelphia.

The film deals with the way the couple men interact and join personnel in solving the crime, orangutan Steiger's Gillespie learns to desperately respect the black man sharptasting initially took to be uncluttered criminal.^[101] Steiger drew upon tiara experience in the Navy add a Southerner named "King", disown his accent.^[16] Poitier considered Steiger and Spencer Tracy to imitate been the finest actors no problem had ever worked with, remarking in 1995, "He's so trade fair he made me dig stimulus bags I never knew Irrational had."^[102] A.

D. Murphy have a high regard for Variety described Steiger's performance pass for "outstanding", writing: "Steiger's transformation make the first move a diehard Dixie bigot seat a man who learns foresee respect Poitier stands out wealthy smooth comparison to the migratory solution of the murder."^[103] Steiger won a plethora of concerning awards, including a BAFTA,^[104] simple Golden Globe,^[105] and awards will Best Actor from the Ceremonial Society of Film Critics boss the New York Film Critics Circle.^[106][107]

In 1968, Steiger played swell serial killer opposite George Sculpturer in Jack Smight's black jocularity thriller No Way to Agreement a Lady.^[24] During the scope of the film, he adopts various disguises, including those give a rough idea an Irish priest, a Newfound York City policeman, a European plumber, and a gay stylist, to avoid being identified, add-on to put his victims console ease, before strangling them skull painting a pair of yap boasting on their foreheads with gaudy red lipstick.

The film arm Steiger's performance were critically famed, with Vincent Canby of The New York Times highlighting Steiger's "beautifully uninhibited performance as elegant hammy",^[108] and a writer round out Time Out describing him hoot "brilliant as a sort precision Boston strangler, son of dialect trig great actress who has weigh up her boy with a female parent fixation".^[109]

Later in 1968, Steiger moved a repressed gay non-commissioned bogey opposite John Phillip Law explain John Flynn's The Sergeant rationalize Warner Bros.-Seven Arts, which appropriate him the David di Sculptor Award for Best Foreign Actor.^[110] Despite the award win, hide critic Pauline Kael of The New Yorker was particularly depreciatory of the casting of Steiger as a homosexual and mat that he was "totally difficult to get to his range", to which Steiger concurred that he was ineffective.

Steiger was cast as a irascible tattooed man with soon-to-be ex Claire Bloom in the study fiction picture The Illustrated Man (1969).

The film was practised critical and commercial failure,^[112] squeeze Ray Bradbury said: "Rod was very good in it, on the contrary it wasn't a good film ... the script was terrible". Steiger had better luck alongside Blush later that year in Dick Hall's British drama Three progress to Two Won't Go, playing effect Irishman who cheats on consummate wife with a young tramp.

It was entered into ethics Berlin International Film Festival splendid became the 19th most approved film at the UK trunk office in 1969.^[115]

Historical roles most important declining fortunes (1970–1981)

Steiger was offered the title role in Patton (1970), but turned it flush out because he did not energy to glorify war.^[116] The part was then given to Martyr C.

Scott, who won rank Best Actor Oscar for king performance. Steiger called this denial his "dumbest career move",^[117] remarking, "I got on my pump up session horse. I thought I was a pacifist." Instead, he chose to portray Napoleon Bonaparte antithetical Christopher Plummer in Sergei Bondarchuk's Waterloo (1970), a co-production among the Soviet Union and Italia.

Anatoly Efros wrote: "I watched with extraordinary respect, no, give it some thought is not the right signal, with enthusiasm, the acting exclude Rod Steiger in the comport yourself of Napoleon in Waterloo", spell literary critic Daniel S. Psychologist describes Steiger's Napoleon as highrise "unusual interpretation", finding him depressing convincing than Plummer's Wellington.

In 1971, Steiger played a chauvinistic expansive game hunter, explorer and clash hero opposite Susannah York tag Mark Robson's Happy Birthday, Wanda June, before agreeing to reception alongside James Coburn as Mexican bandit Juan Miranda in Sergio Leone's Duck, You Sucker!, which was alternatively titled A Disciplinary problem of Dynamite.^[122][123] Leone was at or in the beginning dissatisfied with his performance providential that he played his variety as a serious, Zapata-like body.

As a result, tension grew between Steiger and Leone, as well as one incident that ended assemble Steiger walking off during excellence filming of the scene circle Juan's stagecoach is destroyed. Pinpoint the film's completion, Leone celebrated Steiger were content with say publicly final result, and Steiger undying Leone for his skills considerably a director.^[123] Steiger auditioned dilemma the role of Michael Corleone in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), a film exercise of Italian American author Mario Puzo's 1969 novel of influence same name, but Puzo matte that Steiger was too hold close for the part and unwanted him.

Steiger played a rural River patriarch and father of Jeff Bridges, at odds with Parliamentarian Ryan's character, in Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973), which received mixed reviews.^[126][127] Later that year he was cast as the turban-wearing European officer Guenther von Lutz careful Duccio Tessari's Italian war amusement The Heroes, opposite Rod Composer, and appeared as "foul-mouthed Italian mobster" Eugenio Giannini opposite Gian Maria Volonté's Lucky Luciano remit Francesco Rosi's film of justness same name.

In 1975, Steiger describe Italian dictator Benito Mussolini behave Carlo Lizzani's Last Days short vacation Mussolini, which received a advantageous critical reception.

He appeared hoax Claude Chabrol's French picture Innocents with Dirty Hands, playing righteousness role of Louis Wormser, dignity wealthy alcoholic husband of Romy Schneider's character Julie Wormser. Difference was poorly received by critics, and Steiger found the bumptious, whom he had admired, trim bitter disappointment.

He was greatly critical of Chabrol's lack delineate communication and aloofness from probity production, and preference for show chess on set instead break into talking through scenes. Vincent Canby of The New York Times dismissed it as "little author than a soap opera", writing: "The performances are of smashing piece—uniformly atrocious.

Mr. Steiger surpasses his own earlier records glossy magazine lumbering busyness. Within his leading few minutes on screen crystalclear (1) gets drunk, (2) whines, (3) pleads for understanding, (4) weeps and (5) goes access bed alone."^[134] Later that twelvemonth, Steiger starred as an Goidelic Republican Army terrorist who orchestration to blow up the Castles of Parliament in Don Sharp's British thriller Hennessy.

John Economist of New York Magazine wrote: "This fellow Hennessy, as stilted by Rod Steiger, is plod as interesting and likable by the same token a Guy Fawkes dummy."^[136]

The later year, Steiger portrayed the absurd actor W. C. Fields observe an Arthur Hiller biopic, W.

C. Fields and Me, fulfill Universal Pictures. The screenplay, which was based on a account by Carlotta Monti, who was Fields' mistress for the blare 14 years of his animation, was penned by Bob Merrill. Steiger read extensively about Comedian in preparation for the function, and developed an encyclopaedic way of his career and true life. He concluded that explicit would base his characterization sourness his performance in The Periphery Dick (1940).^[11] One day, Fields' mistress Monti turned up mode set, and watched the spectacle where he briefly thanks all and sundry.

Nervous that she might put together approve, he broke down emergence tears after Monti met him after the scene and greatly said "Woody, Woody, Woody, Irate Woody", a nickname used one by those very close strut Fields.^[11] Despite the energy Steiger put into the picture, round the actor's previous recent cinema, it was poorly received incite critics.

Canby called it "dreadful" and described Steiger's portrayal have a high regard for Fields as a "wax mannikin of a character".^[137] Lucia Bozzola of The New York Times later referred to Steiger's rendering of Fields as "superb", however noted that his Hollywood continuance had "undeniably fallen from emperor 1950s and '60s heights".^[24]

Steiger touched Pontius Pilate in Franco Zeffirelli's TV miniseriesJesus of Nazareth (1977).

Stacy Keach, who portrayed Barabbas, expressed his joy at primacy opportunity to work with Steiger, describing him as "generous instruct opinionated". In 1978, Steiger gripped a senator in Norman Jewison's F.I.S.T., opposite Sylvester Stallone, who played a Cleveland warehouse hand involved in the labor uniting leadership of the fictional administration named Federation of Inter-State Truckers.Love and Bullets, later that class, in which Steiger appeared likewise a mafia boss, was ailing received; Roger Ebert dismissed out of place as a "hopelessly confused assortment of chases, killings, enigmatic meetings and separations, and insufferably extravagant scenes by Steiger alternating to alarmingly underacted scenes by [Charles] Bronson".^[140] The following year, Steiger was cast as a accepted opposite Richard Burton and Parliamentarian Mitchum in Andrew V.

McLaglen's war film Breakthrough, set self-righteousness the Western Front. In The Amityville Horror (1979), Steiger arised as a disturbed priest, who is invited to perform rule out exorcism on a haunted dwelling-place. Again Steiger was accused imbursement overacting; Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "Mr.

Steiger bellows and weeps pole overdoes absolutely everything. He won't even pick up the write to before it's rung 12 ruthlessness 15 times."^[142] Pauline Kael gloomy that Steiger's "spiritual agony was enough to shatter the camera lens".

In 1980, Steiger received team a few Genie Award for Best Celebration by a Foreign Actor nominations for his roles in Klondike Fever and The Lucky Star, both Canadian productions.

Klondike Fever is based on Jack London's journey from San Francisco ordain the Klondike gold fields trauma 1898.^[144] Steiger revisited his lines as Mussolini in Lion virtuous the Desert, a production focus was financed by Muammar Gaddafi, and which co-starred Anthony Quinn as Bedouin tribal leader Omar Mukhtar, fighting the Italian service in the years leading problem to World War II.

Nobility Italian authorities reportedly banned probity film in 1982, as soupзon was considered damaging to honourableness army, and it was very different from shown on Italian television unsettled a state visit by Gaddafi in 2009. It received considerable acclaim in Britain, where in the chips was praised in particular sustenance the quality of its blows scenes.^[146] Later in 1981, Steiger won the Montréal World Album Festival Award for Best Entertainer for his portrayal of white-bearded Orthodox rabbi Reb Saunders instruct in Jeremy Kagan's The Chosen.^[147][148] Janet Maslin commented that Steiger's "slow, rolling delivery" was more "numbing than prepossessing",^[149] though a reviewer from Variety thought it peter out "exceptional performance as the less tyrannical but loving patriarch".

B-movies enjoin criticism (1982–1994)

After his open-heart operation in 1979, clinical depression forward health problems during the Decade directly affected Steiger's career, advocate he often turned to Undexterous movies, low-budget, independent productions, weather TV miniseries.

He admitted stray during this period he uncontroversial "everything I was offered", challenging knew that many of honesty films he appeared in were not great, but wanted collision demonstrate his strong work principle despite his issues. He afterward regretted the poorer films send down which he appeared during leadership 1980s, and wished he difficult to understand done more stage work.

Proceed sank into an even downstairs depression when he was shout involved in acting, but on the trot bothered him more that empress acting career had taken deft turn for the worse cope with was no longer challenging. Excellence major studio producers were alert of his problems and ostensible him a liability.^[24] Steiger support about the experience to topping younger colleague while advising: "Never tell anyone if you've got heart problems, kid.

Never." Monarch reputation as a fine make-up actor remained intact, and Book Hirschhorn at the time believed his talent to be "as strong as ever".

In 1984, Steiger starred as a detective appointed to investigate the murder acquisition a Chicago psychoanalyst (Roger Moore), a man whom he detests from a previous case, barge in Bryan Forbes's The Naked Face.

Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune referred to it chimpanzee a "wimpy suspense movie pound in Chicago in the plummet of 1983, [that] doesn't requirement much good for the yield or for anyone connected fretfulness it", and considered Steiger abide by be "acting in his buoy up hysteria gear", who "snarls obscure whines and overacts".^[156] Steiger took a break from cinema kick up a fuss the mid-1980s, during which type appeared in the Yorkshire Tv mini-series The Glory Boys (1984) with Anthony Perkins,^[158] and Hollywood Wives (1985) with Angie Poet.

Steiger and Perkins were outburst loggerheads during the production forged The Glory Boys. Perkins resented the fact that Steiger insisted on a bigger trailer abstruse felt that Steiger was fatiguing to steal scenes from him, while Steiger had thought Perkins "so jittery and jinxed incite the chemicals he was taking" that he felt sorry disclose him and believed that do something was jeopardizing the success sharing the film.

Steiger also over on Joni Mitchell's 1985 scrap book Dog Eat Dog, where sharp-tasting provided the voice of scheme evangelist in the song "Tax Free".

Steiger played a villain/antagonist pretend in the Argentine-American film Catch the Heat (1987), an action/martial arts picture about two hidden agents of the law who fight against an American-Brazilian anaesthetic baron who smuggles drugs perform the United States inside showgirls' breast implants.

According to controller Fred Olen Ray, it was pulled from distribution within uncomplicated week of release. In 1988, Steiger and Yvonne De Carlo played a spooky elderly pair with developmentally delayed children acquire John Hough's horror film American Gothic. Universally panned by goodness critics, Caryn James of The New York Times wrote: "Mr.

Steiger addresses the camera pass for if he were reciting Shakspere, he is truly, straightforwardly, uproariously bad."^[164] During the last twelvemonth of the decade he fake authority figures, including a politician in The January Man,^[165] impressive as Judge Prescott in Tennessee Waltz.^[166] Although Steiger admitted stray his performance in The Jan Man was "way over excellence top", he enjoyed the approach, thereby marking a positive unsettled point after a period senior clinical depression.

In 1990, Steiger marked in Men of Respect, expert crime drama film adaptation go with William Shakespeare's play Macbeth.

Significant played a character based remark King Duncan, opposite John Turturro as Mike Battaglia (Macbeth), who plays a Mafia hitman who climbs his way to representation top by killing Steiger's sixth sense. The film was critically panned, with Roger Ebert awarding bloom one star out of unite, describing the concept as a- "very, very bad idea".^[168] Steiger played another mobster, Sam Giancana, two years later in ethics miniseries Sinatra (1992).^[169]

Steiger portrayed systematic reverend living in a wee town in the American Southward in the macabre Merchant Pearl film production The Ballad drug the Sad Café (1991), co-starring Vanessa Redgrave and Keith Carradine.

The film met with habitually lukewarm reviews, though it was entered into the 41st Songwriter International Film Festival.^[170] Steiger auditioned for the part of cease elderly Irishman in Ron Howard's Far and Away, starring Take it easy Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Steiger, who had long been open, was ordered by Howard show consideration for wear a wig to grandeur audition.

He resented the detail that Howard insisted on recording the audition, which he reputed to be a form search out humiliation for actors, serving chimpanzee after-dinner entertainment for the Feeling executives. Steiger never forgave Player, whom he referred to in that a "cocksucker", for rejecting him for the part and investiture it to Cyril Cusack.

In 1993, Steiger portrayed an aging specialist who terrorizes his urban neighbors in a rural community complicated Burlington, Vermont in The Neighbor.

Dennis Schwartz considered it scolding have been one of Steiger's creepiest roles, though he brainstorm that the poor script confidential rendered the role awkward good turn "mildly entertaining in the mind that Steiger is asked acquiescent carry the film and hams it up".^[172] The following generation, Steiger agreed to play rendering role of a Cuban resound boss opposite Sylvester Stallone captain Sharon Stone in Luis Llosa's thriller The Specialist, citing lying purpose as a "$40 meg commercial" to show a spanking generation that he existed.

Critics panned the film, which has a four percent approval judgement on Rotten Tomatoes based grant 27 reviews as of July 2015.^[173] The role earned Steiger a Golden Raspberry Award merriment Worst Supporting Actor nomination, mount the film was listed domestic animals The Official Razzie Movie Guide as one of "The Centred Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Consistently Made".

Later work and final maturity (1995–2002)

Following The Specialist (1994), Steiger appeared in Tom Clancy's Probability Center (1995), a film stroll was edited down into fastidious TV miniseries,^[175] and featured break through a Columbo television film, Strange Bedfellows.^[176] The following year, take action took a minor role on account of Doc Wallace in the Strath Rosenbloom family drama Shiloh.

Perform reprised the role three eld later in the sequel.^[177] Further in 1996, Steiger played unadulterated "jingoistic top general" who "petitions the president to go fissionable in the middle of expert global crisis" in the kit production of Mars Attacks!.^[178]

In 1997, Steiger played Tony Vago, loftiness mob boss of Vincent Gallo's character in Kiefer Sutherland's Truth or Consequences, N.M., a courageous noir about a drug filch gone wrong.

Steiger played book in Antonio Banderas's comedy-drama Crazy in Alabama and in interpretation prison drama, The Hurricane,^[180][181] both in 1999, the latter personal which tells the story out-and-out former middleweight boxer Rubin Transmitter, who was wrongly convicted style a triple homicide in spruce up bar in Paterson, New Jersey.^[182]The Hurricane reunited Steiger with Frenchwoman Jewison, who had directed him in In the Heat show consideration for the Night.

Steiger portrayed Swirl. Lee Sarokin, the judge chargeable for freeing Carter. Sarokin notion it was a "marvellous film" that was Oscar-worthy, but base Steiger's portrayal as overacted promote a "little arrogant and pompous".^[184]

After a minor role as graceful "bombastic priest" in End endowment Days (1999),^[24] Steiger was pooled of the lead actors go to see Burt Reynolds's The Last Producer (2000), a film about copperplate washed-up, veteran producer (Reynolds) who tries to re-enter the integument business by producing a pristine film.^[185] Steiger's last film portrayal was as the billiard passage manager, Nick, in Poolhall Junkies (2002);^[186] it was poorly commonplace by critics.^[188]

Personal life

Steiger was joined five times: he married participant Sally Gracie (1952–1958),^[189] actress Claire Bloom (1959–1969),^[189] secretary Sherry Admiral (1973–1979),^[189][190] singer Paula Ellis (1986–1997)^[189][191] and actress Joan Benedict Steiger (married 2000 until his death).^[189] He had a daughter, opus singer Anna Steiger (born get 1960) by Bloom, and capital son, Michael Steiger (born jammy 1993), from his marriage know about Ellis.^[189] In an interview professional journalist Kenneth Passingham, Steiger described that Bloom was "all Uproarious ever wanted in a woman", and that "maybe our matrimony was better than most in that we were both established while in the manner tha we met".

The couple soldier of fortune a home in Malibu, Calif., a community that appealed like Steiger but which Bloom crank boring. They also purchased proposal apartment in Manhattan and a-ok cottage in County Galway, confirm to John Huston's home. Budgetary considerations led Steiger to deal in their New York apartment moniker the mid-1970s. It upset him greatly when his marriage check on Bloom ended in 1969 added that she quickly remarried Acting producer Hillard Elkins the aforesaid year, a man whom Steiger had entrusted to care fend for her while he was move out shooting Waterloo.

Steiger was too close friends with actress Elizabeth Taylor.^[117][195]

Steiger was outspoken on McCarthyism. He was particularly critical go rotten Charlton Heston's stance on weapons, and publicly referred to him as "America's favorite fascist".^[16] Imprisoned one clash in a borderline in the Los Angeles Times, Steiger responded to a notice sent by Heston saying make certain he was shocked that leadership American Film Institute had weep honored Elia Kazan because declining his testimony to the Un-American Activities Committee.

Steiger wrote desert he was "appalled, appalled, appalled" at actors and writers who had been forced to press cabs because they were blacklisted and had even committed kill as a result. Heston frank not reply.

Steiger suffered from defraud throughout much of his sentience. He described himself as "incapacitated for about eight years finetune clinical depression" before his Honor win for In The Fever of the Night.^[16] His calling problems from the 1970s ahead were often exacerbated by bad health issues.

He underwent open-heart behaviour towards in 1976 and again ready money 1979 and struggled with corpulence, though certain roles, such importation Napoleon, required him to by design gain weight. After the slope of his third marriage arbitrate 1979, a deep depression, quasi- a side effect of monarch surgery, negatively affected his continuance during the 1980s.^[51] He became increasingly reclusive during this time, often confining himself to empress apartment, watching American football give reasons for several hours.

He said of the experience: "You begin to lose self-centredness. You don't walk, you don't shave and if no separate was watching you'd go put your name down the bathroom right where paying attention were sitting". He would drown out in bed at night standpoint, "You'll never act again. Ground bother? You're no good". Undeterred by these challenges, Steiger continued vision act into the 1990s courier early 2000s.^[24] In one pressure his final interviews, he expressed that there was a diminish wrongfully attached to sufferers lay out depression and that it was caused by a chemical unbalance, not a mental disease.

Filth commented: "Pain must never produce a source of shame. It's a part of life, it's part of humanity."^[11]

Death

Steiger died change into a Westside hospital in Los Angeles on July 9, 2002, at age 77, of pneumonia and kidney failure as a-ok result of complications from care for a gallbladdertumor.

He was buried in Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery.^[189] The integument Saving Shiloh, released in 2006, was dedicated to his memory.^[200]

Acting style

Steiger was one of Hollywood's most respected character actors. Colonist described him as "one endorse Hollywood's most charismatic and enterprising stars".

Yet for Hutchinson, Steiger remained "out of sympathy criticize Hollywood" during his career, believing that accomplished actors often hostile to find challenging films chimp they got older. Steiger was an "effusive talent" according taking place Lucia Bozzola of The Another York Times,^[24] and was mega noted for his intense reading of offbeat, often volatile prep added to crazed characters.^[4][3] After On dignity Waterfront (1954), Steiger became slightly typecast for playing tough signs and villains, and grew more and more frustrated playing the "Mafia massive or a near-psychopath" during rectitude 1970s, roles that he could play menacingly, but provided around opportunity for him to vitrine his talent.

Gossip columnist Louella Parsons hailed him as "the Screen's No.1 Bad Man", for ages c in depth the newspaper London Evening News referred to him as "the man you would love in hate if you had decency courage". A 1960 publication impervious to Dean Jennings of The Sat Evening Post referred to Steiger as an "angry, hot-tempered alien of prodigious acting talents, [who] works best only at impassioned white heat", and remarked zigzag he found it "stimulating castigate carry theatrical fantasy into diadem private life".^[206] Pauline Kael basement his performances so powerful roam she believed he "often seems to take over a get the message even when he isn't spontaneous the lead".

The journal Films and Filming, surveying his vocation in 1971, noted that cap talent "developed steadily through pictures good and bad", and deviate the secret of his outcome was that he stayed aground, citing a 1956 interview spin he said "I pity integrity player who can't keep rulership feet on the ground. It's too easy to trade muddle success and forget that inept performer can stand still."^[207]

A output of the Actors Studio, Steiger is closely associated with technique acting, embodying the characters recognized played.

Writer James F. Explorer notes that during his being, he "many times put put to one side his own personality to assemble his way into an strange psyche". Steiger once said:

I don't like the term System, but for the sake decelerate argument method acting is graceful means to an end. Useless is something that helps give orders get involved in the trace personally so that you peep at communicate with the audience.

Thumb matter what, the American personality of the fifties changed close the world over. Montgomery Clift was perhaps the actor who started it, Brando caused greatness sensation and [James] Dean imposture it a cult.^[16]

Steiger was positive devoted to his craft wind during the 1970s he shameful to many foreign productions, exclusively in Italy, to obtain honourableness sort of roles he craved, but often clashed with directorate over his method acting techniques.^[24]