Allan Miller

Allan Miller was born on February 14, 1929 and grew up in a post‑war United States that would shape his commitment to both service and the arts. After World II he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in occupied Japan, where a fortuitous advertisement in Stars and Stripes led him to perform for fellow servicemen, sparking his lifelong passion for acting. Returning to America in 1948, he enrolled in Erwin Piscator's Dramatic Workshop at The New School, absorbing avant‑garde techniques while studying under celebrated teachers such as Uta Hagen and Lee Strasberg. His classmates included future legends like Geraldine Page, Charles Nelson Reilly, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Newman, placing him at the heart of a transformative generation of performers. By 1958, under Strasberg’s sponsorship, he began his own teaching career at the Dramatic Workshop, and two years later launched a private studio that counted a teenage Barbra Streisand among its earliest students. Throughout the 1970s he also shared his expertise at Yale Drama School, influencing countless actors with his blend of method discipline and practical craft. Allan Miller's on‑screen résumé is equally impressive, featuring guest roles on classic series such as Kojak, The Rockford Files, The Streets of San Francisco, Hawaii Five‑O, Wonder Woman, Dallas, and The Paper Chase. His film credits span from the gritty drama Baby Blue Marine (1976) to the cult thriller Two‑Minute Warning (1976), the comedy Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), and a memorable alien cameo in Star Trekk​i III: The Search for Spock (1984). On Broadway he appeared in the acclaimed production Brooklyn Boy and later co‑founded the Back Alley Theatre with his second wife, Laura Zucker, serving as its producing director for a decade. In addition to performing, he authored the instructional book A Passion for Acting and the DVD Auditioning, and wrote the play The Fox, which has enjoyed productions from Los Angeles to Off‑Broadway. His personal life includes a marriage to actress Anita Cooper, followed by his 1976 union with Laura Zucker, with whom he raised two children and collaborated on numerous artistic ventures.