Jason Miller (playwright)

Infobox actor
name = Jason Miller


caption = As Father Karras in "The Exorcist III", 1990
birthname = John Anthony Miller
birthdate = birth date|mf=yes|1939|4|22|mf=y
birthplace = flagicon|USALong Island City, Queens, U.S.
deathdate = death date and age|mf=yes|2001|5|13|1939|4|22|mf=y
deathplace = Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
spouse = Linda Miller (1963-1973)
Susan Bernard (1974-1983)
Ruth Josem (1984-1990)
pulitzerawards = Pulitzer Prize
1973 "That Championship Season"
academyawards = Nominated: Best Supporting Actor
1973 "The Excorcist"

Jason Miller (April 22, 1939 – May 13, 2001) was an American actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.

Biography

Early life

Miller was born John Anthony Miller in Long Island City, Queens, the son of Mary Claire (née Collins), a teacher, and John A. Miller, an electrician. [ [http://www.scrantontimestribune.com/zwire/jasonmiller/story5.htm Scranton Times Tribune ] ] [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/74/Jason-Miller.html Jason Miller Biography (1939-2001) ] ] He was of Irish ancestry. His family moved to the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where Miller was educated at St. Patrick's High School and the Jesuit-run University of Scranton. He also attended The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

Career

Miller was launched into stardom in 1973 by winning a Pulitzer Prize for his play, "That Championship Season". That same year, he was offered the role of the troubled priest in William Friedkin's horror film "The Exorcist" (1973), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Miller's film career was sporadic, however, preferring to work in regional theatre.

Miller continued to act occasionally in such films as "The Ninth Configuration" (1980), "Toy Soldiers" (1984), "The Exorcist III" (1990) and "Rudy" (1993). Miller's most recent project had been a revival of "The Odd Couple" for the Pennsylvania Summer Theatre Festival, in which he was appearing in the role of Oscar Madison.

Writings

* Plays:"Nobody Hears a Broken Drum" (1970)
"That Championship Season" (1972)
"Barrymore's Ghost" (2000)

* Book:"Three One-Act Plays" (1973, drama)

Personal life and death

Miller was the father of actors Jason Patric (by first wife Linda Gleason, daughter of Jackie Gleason) and Joshua John Miller (by second wife Susan Bernard). On May 13, 2001, the thrice-divorced Miller died of a heart attack in Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62. [Jennifer Henn, "Scranton Times Tribune", 2001-05-14. [http://www.scrantontimestribune.com/zwire/jasonmiller/story1.htm Jason Miller dies] . Accessed 2007-12-28.]

In 2004, actor Paul Sorvino, a longtime friend of Miller, was commissioned by the city of Scranton to create a bronze bust of the late playwright and actor.A play about his life was written by Rodger Jacobs entitled Go Irish: The Purgatory Diaries of Jason Miller [http://calendar.timesleader.com/scranton-pa/events/show/68066580-go-irish-the-purgatory-diaries-of-jason-miller]

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0588553|name=Jason Miller