Uta Hagen, 1919 - 2004.

In 1999, she called her whole goal as an actress "the spontaneity that comes without planning." Whenever possible, she uncovered the drama behind the comedy - or the comedy behind the drama. As she said, "Somebody with wit and a sense of humor sees the most tragic event without the sentimentality, sees in any life experience something ludicrous - which is probably why Chekhov is my favorite."

Mel Gussow in the New York Times.

Robert De Niro studied at her studio. So did Al Pacino, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker and a long red-carpet's worth of awards-show honorees.

[...]

[Uta] Hagen's life literally was acting. She was a two-time Tony winner who helped counsel countless others to success, via personal instruction, videos and two influential books.

"We must overcome the notion that we must be regular...," a much-quoted Hagen axiom went. "It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre."

Joal Ryan for E! Online.

Posted by dwhudson at January 16, 2004 9:24 AM