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Milton Katselas

Milton Katselas began his directing career in the 1960s with the original off-Broadway production of Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story. From there he went on to direct over sixty plays and eight feature films. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Butterflies are Free. Under his direction, Blythe Danner won the Tony Award, Eileen Heckart the Academy Award, and Bette Davis her only Emmy Award. Milton has directed such actors as Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, Goldie Hawn, Christopher Walken, Burt Reynolds, George C. Scott, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, to name just a few.

The son of Greek emigrants, Katselas was born and raised in Pittsburgh, graduated from Carnegie-Mellon Institute. Milton studied with Lee Strasberg at the Actor’s Studio and was mentored by such great film and stage directors as Elia Kazan and Joshua Logan. It was through these influences and his extensive directing experience that Milton ultimately created the technique that is taught at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.

Milton was also an award-winning painter and sculptor, and has had solo exhibitions in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Tokyo. As an author, he penned two books: Acting Class, his renowned book on acting technique, and Dreams Into Action, a New York Times bestseller about getting the career you want. Milton was also an architectural designer, and his LA-based firm has both renovated and built from scratch several Los Angeles homes.

A consummate artist, Milton was forever looking to unlock and rehabilitate the potential that is lying under the surface, not only in himself but also in everyone who crossed his path.

“Put the word on the street that you’re writing about Milton Katselas, and every student he has ever had will want to tell you about the best acting teacher in the world…. They were born with the talent, but he gave them careers.” –New York Times