Member Profiles
Austin Pendleton
Biography
Austin Pendleton began his artistic relationship with Steppenwolf by directing Say Goodnight, Gracie for the 1979-1980 season. In addition to directing at Steppenwolf, Austin has appeared as an actor in such productions as The Crucible, Uncle Vanya, Valparaiso, The Sunset Limited (also Off-Broadway) and Educating Rita (also Off-Broadway). His film work is as diverse as A Beautiful Mind, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge and The Muppet Movie. His award-winning plays include Booth, Uncle Bob and Orson's Shadow, which received its world premiere in the Steppenwolf Garage.
Watch & Listen
Q & A With Austin Pendleton
Q. What's your favorite book set in or about suburbia?
A. I think maybe my favorite book about suburbia is still The Collected Stories of John Cheever. Those stories are printed in the order he wrote them and they start before World War II, so of course suburbia doesn't enter the picture for a whilein the book. But when it does, everything changes. America changes. Peoples' souls change. He captures it wittingly and harrowingly.
Credits & Awards
Film
Wall Street 2; Picadilly Jim; Dirty Work; Finding NemoA Beautiful Mind; Queenie in Love; Manna from Heaven; Mr. and Mrs. Bridge; What's Up Doc; Joe the King; The Associate; Trial and Error; Amistad; Sue; The Muppet Movie, My Cousin Vinny; Christmas with the Kranks.
Theatre
Actor Broadway: The Diary of Anne Frank; Doubles; Hail Strawdyke; Fiddler on the Roof?
Actor Off-Broadway: The Sunset Limited; Richard II; Hamlet; Richard III; The Last Sweet Days of Isaac; Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad
Actor Regional: King Lear, Waiting for Godot (New Repertory Theatre); The Black Monk (Samuel Beckett Theatre); Love Drunk (Abingdon Theatre).
Director Off-Broadway: The Little Foxes; Spoils of War; The Runner Stumbles; Fifty Words; Uncle Vanya; Vieux Carre; Golden Age; Bus Stop frequent directing at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Director Chicago: A Minister's Wife (Writers')
Playwright and Actor: Orson's Shadow (Chicago Center for the Performing Arts and Barrow Street Theatre); Booth (Writers' Theater Chicago)
Television
Homicide (NBC); Oz (HBO); The Fourth Floor (HBO); Liberty (PBS).
Awards
L.A. Drama Critics Award - Best Writing (Orson's Shadow); Clarence Derwent Award (Hail Strawdyke); Obie Award (The Last Sweet Days of Isaac).