Uta Hagen American theater actress. Date of Birth: 12.06.1919 Country: USA

Biography of Uta Hagen

Uta Tyra Hagen was an American theater actress and renowned acting teacher. She was born on June 12, 1919, in Göttingen, Germany. When Uta was five years old, her family moved to America as her father secured a teaching position at Cornell University. She spent her childhood and youth in Madison, Wisconsin, where she attended the University of Wisconsin High School and later completed acting courses at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1936. In 1937, Uta Hagen moved to New York and that same year, she landed her first role as Ophelia opposite Eva Le Gallienne in a production of "Hamlet" at the Dennis Theatre.

In 1938, Uta Hagen made her Broadway debut in the play "The Seagull." The majority of her acting career was spent on stage, participating in many well-known productions of Shakespeare and Chekhov. Her most notable performances include "The Country Girl" (1951) and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1963), for which she received Tony Awards. Uta Hagen was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Uta Hagen was married twice. From 1938 to 1948, she was married to actor José Ferrer, but their marriage ended due to her affair with her co-star in the play "Othello," Paul Robeson. On January 25, 1957, Uta Hagen married Herbert Berghof and became co-owner and principal teacher of the acting school now known as the Herbert Berghof Studio, later renamed the Uta Hagen Studio. After her husband's death in 1990, Uta Hagen became the chairperson of the school's board of directors. Some of her notable students include Matthew Broderick, Sigourney Weaver, Liza Minnelli, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Amanda Peet.

In 1999, Uta Hagen received a Tony Award for her contributions to theater and teaching. She was also awarded the National Medal of the Arts by President George Bush in 2002 for her significant impact on the world of art. Apart from her theatrical work, Uta Hagen wrote several books on acting technique and one cookbook titled "Love for Cooking." She had one daughter, Letitia Ferrer, from her first marriage, who also became an actress. Uta Hagen passed away on January 14, 2004, in New York City at the age of 84.