ROD STEIGERFew actors of his generation had the intense screen presence of Rod Steiger who died on 9 July 2002 aged 77.During a prolific 50-year career Mr Steiger made over 100 films achieving respect within Hollywood for his versatility and ability to totally immerse himself within a role.Though he is best remembered for his roles as street-hardened bad guys he also played Napoleon, Mussolini and Pontius Pilate.Trained in “the Stanislavski method” of total immersion in a character, Mr Steiger brought a consistent energy and inner strength to each character he played whether it was in a western, comedy or drama.Rodney Stephen Steiger was born in Westhampton , New York on 14 April 1925 to parents of French, German and Scottish descent. His father left the family before he was born and he was raised by his alcoholic mother.At the age of 15, Mr Steiger lied about his age to join the US Navy and during the Second World War saw combative action on destroyers in the South Pacific.Returning to New York after the war, he worked as a civil servant for the Veterans Association before enrolling at the Actor’s Studio where he was taught by Lee Strasburg and Elia Kazan.Mr Steiger honed his skills acting on Broadway and made hundreds of appearances in television dramas but his big break came in 1954 when he was cast in Kazan ’s classic On the Waterfront.Acting opposite Marlon Brando, Mr Steiger turned in an electric performance as corrupt lawyer, Charley Malloy, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.He demonstrated his versatility the following year by appearing as the melancholic Jud Fry in the musical Oklahoma ! in which Mr Steiger did all his own singing.He received a further Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a haunted Holocaust survivor in The Pawnbroker (1965) and finally won the award for his portrayal of the redneck Sheriff Bill Gillespie in In the Heat of the Night (1967).Now an established star, Mr Steiger continued to work prolifically until his death. After heart surgery in 1977 he began to suffer from severe bouts of depression and his later performances were often criticised for over acting.Mr Steiger’s personal life was turbulent – always a heavy drinker he was married five times. He had a daughter, opera singer Anne Steiger, by his marriage to actress Claire Bloom and a son by his marriage to Paula Ellis.As he began to recover from depression, Mr Steiger lectured extensively on mental health issues and spoke openly about his health problems.With his bull-neck and intense, dominating screen presence Mr Steiger is an unforgettable cinematic figure even though he did his best to remain outside of the Hollywood mainstream.After his death, film critic, Philip French said: “ 'Steiger brought a sense of pain, guilt and authenticity to his characters.”
Keep me informed of updates
