Estelle Harman (September 11, 1922 – April 30, 1995) was an American acting coach in Los Angeles.
Estelle Harman | |
---|---|
Born | Estelle Karchmer September 11, 1922 |
Died | April 30, 1995 Hollywood, California, U.S. | (aged 72)
Spouse | Samuel Harman (1947-1995; her death) |
Children | Deborah Harman (b. 1959), Alexis Harman (b. 1961), Eden Harman (b. 1963) |
Harman began as an acting instructor at UCLA in the 1950s, then was hired by Universal Studios as Head of Talent to groom their stable of film actors, which included Rock Hudson, Bill Bixby, Tony Curtis, Myrna Hansen, and Audie Murphy.[1]
As the contract years ended in Hollywood, she started her own school — the Estelle Harman Actors Workshop. It operated two theatres, an on-camera class and offered a curriculum that met federal requirements for financial aid. The school closed shortly before her death on April 30, 1995.[citation needed]
The list of movie actors that studied with her is lengthy, many of whom went on to successful acting careers in hollywood movies and television. Her teaching emphasized the "independent actor" who could utilize the tools of different acting approaches (Sanford Meisner, Konstantin Stanislavski) without having to be dogmatic about any of them.[citation needed]