Jason Miller (playwright)
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| Jason Miller | |||||||
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 As Father Karras in The Exorcist III, 1990 |
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| Born | John Anthony Miller April 22, 1939  Long Island City, Queens, U.S. |
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| Died | May 13, 2001 (aged 62) Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Spouse(s) | Linda Miller (1963-1973) Susan Bernard (1974-1983) Ruth Josem (1984-1990) |
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Jason Miller (April 22, 1939 – May 13, 2001) was an American actor and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] 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.[1][2] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Writings
- Plays:
Nobody Hears a Broken Drum (1970)
That Championship Season (1972)
Barrymore's Ghost (2000)
- Book:
Three One-Act Plays (1973, drama)
[edit] 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.[3]
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.
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Other comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Finding Home | Lester Bownlow | |
| 2002 | Paradox Lake | ||
| 2000 | Slice | ||
| 1999 | That Championship Season | *** | TV Screenwriter |
| 1998 | Trance | The Doctor | a/k/a The Eternal |
| 1995 | Mommy | Lieutenant March | |
| Murdered Innocence | Detective Rollins | ||
| 1993 | Rudy | Ara Parseghian | |
| 1992 | Small Kill | Mikie | |
| 1990 | The Exorcist III | Patient X | (Father Damien Karras) |
| 1987 | Deadly Care | Dr. Miles Keefer | TV |
| Light of Day | Benjamin Rasnick | ||
| 1984 | A Touch of Scandal | Garrett Locke | TV |
| Toy Soldiers | Sarge | ||
| 1982 | That Championship Season | *** | Screenwriter Director |
| Monsignor | Don Vito Appolini | ||
| 1981 | The Best Little Girl in the World | Clay Orlovsky | TV |
| 1980 | Marilyn: The Untold Story | Arthur Miller | TV |
| The Ninth Configuration | Lt. Frankie Reno | a/k/a Twinkle, Twinkle, Killer Kane | |
| The Henderson Monster | Dr. Tom Henderson | TV | |
| 1979 | Vampire | John Rawlins | TV |
| 1978 | The Dain Curse | Owen Fitzstephan | TV Mini-Series |
| 1977 | Teufels Advokat, Des | a/k/a The Devil's Advocate (UK) | |
| 1976 | F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood | F. Scott Fitzgerald | TV |
| El Perro | Aristides Ungria | a/k/a The Dog a/k/a Vengeance (USA Video Title) |
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| 1975 | A Home of Our Own | Father William Wasson | TV |
| 1974 | The Nickel Ride | Cooper | |
| 1973 | The Exorcist | Father Damien Karras | Academy Award Nomination Best Supporting Actor |
[edit] References
- ^ Scranton Times Tribune
- ^ Jason Miller Biography (1939-2001)
- ^ Jennifer Henn, Scranton Times Tribune, 2001-05-14. Jason Miller dies. Accessed 2007-12-28.
