Rod Steiger

Rodney Stephen Steiger
1925 -2002 (pneumonia and kidney failure)
American born Westhampton

Height 5' 10" (1.78 m) . Rod Steiger received his first film roles in the early 1950s. His first major one was in Teresa (1951), but his first lead role was in the TV version of Marty (1953) (TV). The movie version, however, had Ernest Borgnine in the lead and won him an Academy Award. Steiger's breakthrough role came in 1954, with the classic On the Waterfront (1954). Since then he has been a presence on the screen as everything from a popular leading man to a little-known character actor. Steiger made a name for himself in many different types of roles, from a boxer in The Harder They Fall (1956) to the title character in Al Capone (1959). He was one of dozens of stars in the epic World War II film The Longest Day (1962). In 1964 he received his second Oscar nomination for The Pawnbroker (1964). The next couple of years he was at the height of his powers. In 1965 he starred in the dark comedy The Loved One (1965), and in David Lean's epic Doctor Zhivago (1965). In 1966 he starred in the _"Play of the Month" (1965) episode "Death of a Salesman" as "Willy Loman" in the TV version of his stage play "Death of a Salesman", but in 1967 he landed what many consider his greatest role: "Sheriff Bill Gillespie" in In the Heat of the Night (1967), opposite Sidney Poitier. Steiger deservedly took home the Best Actor Oscar for his work in that film.He took another controversial role as a man with many tattoos in The Illustrated Man (1969) and as a serial killer in the classic No Way to Treat a Lady (1968). After that he seemed to have withdrawn from high-profile movies and became more selective in the roles he chose. He turned down the lead in Patton (1970) and also in The Godfather (1972). Among his more notable roles in the 1970s are Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971), Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973), as Benito Mussolini in Mussolini: Ultimo atto (1974), Portrait of a Hitman (1977), "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) (mini), F.I.S.T (1978) and The Amityville Horror (1979). He starred in the critically acclaimed The Chosen (1981) with Robby Benson and Maximilian Schell, perhaps the highlight of his 1980s movie career. Steiger increasingly moved away from the big Hollywood pictures, instead taking roles in foreign productions and independent movies. As the 1980s ended, Steiger landed a role as the buttoned-up New York City Chief of Police in January Man (1989).Steiger was seriously affected by depression for 8 years. As he returned to the screen in the late 1990s he began creating some of his most memorable roles. He was the doctor in the independently-made movie Shiloh (1996), about an abused dog. He was the crazed, kill-'em-all army general in Mars Attacks! (1996) who always called his enemies peace-mongers. He took a small part as a Supreme Court judge in The Hurricane (1999) and as a preacher in the badly produced film End of Days (1999). He was still active in films moving into the new millennium. Spouse Joan Benedict (10 October 2000 - 9 July 2002) (his death), Paula Ellis (1986 - 1997) (divorced) 1 child, Sherry Nelson (April 1973 - 1979) (divorced), Claire Bloom (20 September 1959 - 1969) (divorced) 1 child, Sally Gracie (1952 - 1958) (divorced).

Poolhall Junkies (2002) , The Hollywood Sign (2001) , A Month of Sundays (2001) , The Flying Dutchman (2001) , Lightmaker (2001) , The Last Producer (2000) , Animated Epics: Moby Dick (2000) , End of Days (1999) , The Hurricane (1999) , "Chicken Soup for the Soul" (1999) , Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season (1999) , Crazy in Alabama (1999) , Cypress Edge (1999) , Legacy (1998/I) , Modern Vampires (1998) , "The Simpsons" (1998) , Animals and the Tollkeeper (1998) , Alexandria Hotel (1998) , The Snatching of Bookie Bob (1998) , Body and Soul (1998) , Incognito (1997) , Livers Ain't Cheap (1997) , Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997) , The Kid (1997) , Mars Attacks! (1996) , Shiloh (1996) , "EZ Streets" (1996) , EZ Streets (1996) , Carpool (1996) , Dalva (1996) , "The Commish" (1996) , Out There (1995) , Columbo: Strange Bedfellows (1995) , In Pursuit of Honor (1995) , Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story (1995) , OP Center (1995) , Tous les jours dimanche (1995) , Little Surprises (1995) , Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys (1995) , The Specialist (1994) , The Last Tattoo (1994) , "Tales of the City" (1993) , Kölcsönkapott idö (1993) , The Neighbor (1993) , Lincoln (1992) , Sinatra (1992) , Due vite, un destino (1992) , Guilty as Charged (1991) , In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas (1991) , The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991), Men of Respect (1991) , Try This One for Size (1989) , Tennessee Nights (1989) , Passion and Paradise (1989) , January Man (1989) , Djavolji raj (1989) , Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge (1988) , American Gothic (1988) , Catch the Heat (1987) , The Kindred (1987) , Sword of Gideon (1986) , "Hollywood Wives" (1985) , The Glory Boys (1984) , The Naked Face (1984) , Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole (1983) , Zauberberg, Der (1982) , The Chosen (1981) , Cattle Annie and Little Britches (1981) , Lion of the Desert (1981) , The Lucky Star (1980) , Klondike Fever (1980) , Love and Bullets (1979) , The Amityville Horror (1979) , Steiner - Das eiserne Kreuz, 2. Teil (1979) , F.I.S.T (1978) , Wolf Lake (1978) , "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) , Portrait of a Hitman (1977) , W.C. Fields and Me (1976) , Hennessy (1975) , Innocents aux mains sales, Les (1975) , Lucky Luciano (1974) , Mussolini: Ultimo atto (1974) , Eroi, Gli (1973) , Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973) , Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971) , Giù la testa (1971) , Waterloo (1970/I) , Three Into Two Won't Go (1969), The Illustrated Man (1969) , The Sergeant (1968) , No Way to Treat a Lady (1968) , Ragazza e il generale, La (1967) , In the Heat of the Night (1967) , "Play of the Month" (1966) , Doctor Zhivago (1965) , The Loved One (1965) , E venne un uomo (1965) , The Pawnbroker (1964) , "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre" (1964) , The Movie Maker (1964) , Indifferenti, Gli (1964) , Mani sulla città, Le (1963) , "Route 66" (1962) , "Ben Casey" (1962) , The Longest Day (1962) , Convicts 4 (1962) , 13 West Street (1962) , The Mark (1961) , "Wagon Train" (1961) , An einem Freitag um halb zwölf (1961) , Seven Thieves (1960) , "General Electric Theater" (1960) , "On Trial" (1959) , Al Capone (1959) , "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars" (1957) , "Playhouse 90" (1958) , Cry Terror! (1958) , "Suspicion" (1958) , Across the Bridge (1957) , Run of the Arrow (1957) , The Unholy Wife (1957) , Back from Eternity (1956) , The Harder They Fall (1956) , "Screen Directors Playhouse"(1956) , Jubal (1956) , The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell (1955) , Oklahoma! (1955) , The Big Knife (1955) , "The Philco Television Playhouse" (1953) , "Producers' Showcase" (1955) , On the Waterfront (1954) , "Kraft Television Theatre" (1952) , "Justice" (1954) , "The Philip Morris Playhouse" (1954) , "Goodyear Television Playhouse" (1952) , "Medallion Theatre" (1953) , Suspense" (1953) , "Danger" (1950) , Marty (1953) , "Tales of Tomorrow" (1952) , "Out There" (1951) , "Lux Video Theatre" (1951) , Teresa (1951) , "Actor's Studio" (1950)