Stella Adler, an American actress who committed her life to studying theatre, was one of the most influential figures in contemporary acting. Acting ran in her veins as a young child, as she was born to Yiddish theatre artists Jacob and Sarah Adler. Stella Adler made her stage debut at the age of four and quickly rose to the top. She appeared in a number of plays with her own company, Independent Yiddish Art Company, and later on Broadway and in Hollywood. Adler was one of the fortunate few who had the opportunity to work with Konstantin Stanislavski, the great Russian actor and director. He was not only a big influence on her, but he also transformed her point of view, substituting emotional content for method acting. Stella Adler Studio of Acting was started by her in 1949. The foundation’s goal was to pass on the best of what she had learnt in the Yiddish Theater, Broadway, Hollywood, and Stanislavsky. Marlon Brando, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Dolores del Ro, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch, Martin Sheen, Manu Tupou, Harvey Keitel, Melanie Griffith, Peter Bogdanovich, and Warren Beatty were among those who learned from her. Interestingly, her teaching at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting has dominated American acting until now, more than half a century after its founding.
Childhood and Adolescence
Stella Adler was born in New York City to actors Sara and Jacob P. Adler. She had five siblings, all of whom went on to be professional performers like their parents. In the early twentieth century, her parents co-founded the Independent Yiddish Art Company to promote Yiddish theater in the United States. She joined them when she was four years old, making her theatrical debut in one of her father’s works, ‘Broken Hearts.’
Acting came effortlessly to the brilliant young girl, who honed her skills by observing other actors and learning via observation. Because of her constant and active involvement in acting and drama, she had little opportunity to pursue formal schooling. Despite this, she continued to attend public schools and New York University as time permitted.
Career of Stella Adler
Her first big break on the stage came in London with the play Elisa Ben Avia, in which she portrayed Naomi. The performance, which was produced by her father’s firm, ran for a year until she returned to New York. She made her English language debut as the Butterfly in the Broadway play ‘The World We Live In’ in 1922. She also performed on the vaudeville circuit for a season.
The famed Russian actor-director Konstantin Stanislavski and his troupe, Moscow Art Theatre, paid her a visit that had a significant impact on her and helped shape much of her future career. She became a member of the American Laboratory Theatre in 1925. She was introduced to Stanislavski’s beliefs and art style when she was there.
She joined the Group Theatre in New York, created by Harold Cluman, Lee Strasberg, and Cheryl Crawford, six years later. ‘Success Story,’ ‘Awake and Sing!,’ ‘Paradise Lost,’ and ‘Golden Boy And More to Give to People’ were among the plays she worked on.
In 1934, she moved to Paris with Cluman to study under Stanislavski, becoming one of the select few who boasted about having such an opportunity. Members of the Group Theatre, including Adler, had previously focused on method acting. When it came to acting, Stanislavski emphasized the importance of using imagination rather than recollection. She returned to Russia and began instructing members of the Group Theatre ensemble in acting workshops.
She traveled to Hollywood in 1937 and acted in a number of films under the name Stella Ardler for six years. Meanwhile, she continued to perform with Group Theatre until it was abolished in 1941. Her time in Hollywood was not as fruitful as her time in the theatre, as she did not land significant roles. She returned to the stage in the early 1940s, acting and directing on Broadway, due to a lack of quality in the roles.
She moved back to New York City and began teaching at Erwin Piscator’s Dramatic Workshop at the New School for Social Research. She eventually began acting and directing as well. She emphasized the Stanislavski approach throughout, emphasizing that the actors should not only look for meaning in the words, but also in the spaces between them, in order to depict the unsaid message. Only in this way can a character be brought to life. Stella Adler Studio of Acting was started by her in 1949. The school taught her everything she had learnt in the Yiddish Theatre, Broadway, Hollywood, and Stanislavsky.
Marlon Brando, Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, Dolores del Rio, Robert De Niro, Elaine Stritch, Martin Sheen, Manu Tupou, Harvey Keitel, Melanie Griffith, Peter Bogdanovich, and Warren Beatty were all coached at Stella Adler Acting Studio, where she taught them about characterisation and screenplay.
She taught at the New School and Yale School of Drama in addition to her self-founded institute. She was also the head of New York University’s undergraduate theater department and one of the country’s top acting professors.
In 1988, she published her first book, ‘The Technique of Acting,’ which was her first foray into writing.
Personal History and Legacy
She met Horace Eliascheff, whom she subsequently married, during her first professional term in London. Elle, the couple’s kid, was born to them. The marriage, on the other hand, did not endure long and was eventually annulled.
Harold Cluman, one of the founding members of the Group Theatre, married her in 1943. This relationship, too, was short-lived, and the couple split up in 1960.
She married Mitchell A. Wilson for the third time. The union lasted until the death of the latter in 1973. Due to heart failure, she died on December 21, 1992, in Los Angeles, California. She was laid to rest at New York’s Mount Carmel Cemetery. In 2006, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Stella Adler Theatre, located at 6773 Hollywood Boulevard. Her acting schools in New York City and Los Angeles are still open for business.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Stella Adler is $3 Million.