{{short description|American actress (1951–2017)}} {{Use American English|date=July 2020}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Elizabeth Kemp | image = Elizabeth_Kemp.jpg | caption = Kemp in 2011 | birth_name = | birth_date = November 5, 1951 | birth_place = Key West, Florida, U.S. | death_date= {{death date and age|2017|09|01|1951|11|5}} | death_place=Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = Actress, acting coach | years_active = 1973–2017 | alma_mater=American Academy of Dramatic Arts }}
'''Elizabeth Kemp''' (November 5, 1951 – September 1, 2017) was an American actress, theatre director, and acting coach. She began her screen career playing Betsy in the television series ''Love of Life'' in 1973. She performed on stage many times as well as directing a number of productions in the US as well as internationally. She went on to become an acting coach and faculty member of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.
==Early life and education== Elizabeth Kemp was born on November 5, 1951 in Key West, Florida, the daughter of Nancy Jean (Haycock) and Joseph Clifton Kemp, a business executive and U.S. Navy officer and test pilot stationed at the Pentagon.<ref name=filmref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/45/Elizabeth-Kemp.html|title=Elizabeth Kemp Biography|work=FilmReference.com|access-date=September 3, 2017}}</ref>
Kemp showed talent as a child painter from age 13–16, and graduated from high school with a special award for creative achievement. At 16 she applied to the Rhode Island School of Design, but was told to wait a year.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}
She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Actors Studio in New York City, under Lee Strasberg.<ref>{{cite web|title=Actors Use Dreams to Understand Characters They Play - The Role of Their Dreams - The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/07/fashion/07dreams.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|work=The New York Times|author=Kershaw, Sarah|date=May 6, 2009|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref>
==Career== ===Acting career=== Kemp was in the original cast of ''The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'', which began at the off-Broadway The Actors Studio{{when|date=October 2024}} before moving to Broadway, where it became a long-running hit.<ref name=leopold/> Her mentor, Elia Kazan, took Tennessee Williams to see Kemp in the show, when Williams was looking for an actress to play Baby Doll in the world premiere of one of his last plays, ''Tiger Tail''.<ref>[https://iicnewyork.esteri.it/iic_newyork/en/gli_eventi/calendario/la-magnani-arrives-off-broadway-march-22nd-at-arclight-theatre.html "La Magnani! Arrives Off-Broadway March 22nd at Arclight Theatre"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072505/https://iicnewyork.esteri.it/iic_newyork/en/gli_eventi/calendario/la-magnani-arrives-off-broadway-march-22nd-at-arclight-theatre.html |date=August 29, 2018 }}. ''Italian Cultural Institute of New York''. Retrieved August 29, 2018.</ref> After the performance, Williams gave her the part, and she worked closely with him in developing the role.<ref name="leopold" /> In 1978, she appeared on Broadway in a minor part in ''Once in a Lifetime''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/once-in-a-lifetime-4065|work=Internet Broadway Database|title=Once in a Lifetime|access-date=August 30, 2017}}</ref>
She made her television debut in the series ''Love of Life'' in 1973.<ref name=filmref/>
In 1980, Kemp made her feature film debut in the horror film ''He Knows You're Alone'', opposite Caitlin O'Heaney and Tom Hanks.<ref name="commentary">Mastroianni, Armand, and Scott Parker. ''He Knows You're Alone'' audio commentary (DVD). Warner Bros. 2004.</ref>
===Directing=== As a stage director, Kemp was responsible for many productions at The Actors Studio, including ''The Glass Menagerie'', ''The Beauty Queen of Leenane'', and the world premiere of Edward Allan Baker's ''Free Gift Inside''. Internationally, Kemp directed ''The Stronger and Homesick'' at Strindberg's Intimate Theater in Stockholm, and ''Dreamstories'' at The Claude LeLouch Theatre Cine 13 in Paris and La Spazia Teatro in Rome.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}
===Teaching=== Kemp left Los Angeles and returned to New York City, where she worked odd jobs, including waiting tables at a restaurant.<ref name="leopold" /> Soon after, she began teaching acting at the Strasberg Institute, then became a member of the Acting Faculty—and later, chair<ref>{{cite news|series=Gold Standard|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/02/20/ST2009022002156.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Special Affects: If the Stars Make You Forget Who They Are, That's Greatness |date=February 22, 2009|author=Hornaday, Ann|access-date=November 11, 2015}}</ref>— of The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.<ref name="leopold">{{cite web|title=Actress' role of a lifetime: Being a mentor - CNN.com|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/10/living/creativity-spark-elizabeth-kemp-mentor/index.html|work=CNN|access-date=November 12, 2015|author=Leopold, Todd|date=February 13, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://elizabethkemp.com/|work=Elizabeth Kemp Official Site|title=About|access-date=September 2, 2017|archive-date=September 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919211757/http://elizabethkemp.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
At the Actors Studio Drama School, Kemp was a mentor to student actors like Bradley Cooper<ref name="leopold" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/how-bradley-coopers-acting-coach-774631|work=The Hollywood Reporter|title=How Bradley Cooper's Acting Coach Taught Him to "Relax"|date=February 18, 2015|access-date=September 2, 2017|author=Siegel, Tatiana}}</ref> and Poorna Jagannathan. She worked across the country at The California Actors Theatre in San Francisco, Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C., Center Stage in Baltimore, and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}
She was also an artistic associate and tutor at 16th Street Actors Studio in Melbourne, Australia.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.16thstreet.com.au/tutors/elizabeth-kemp/ |title=Elizabeth Kemp {{!}} 16th Street |website=www.16thstreet.com.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150201073804/http://www.16thstreet.com.au/tutors/elizabeth-kemp |archive-date=2015-02-01}}</ref>
==Personal life== Kemp married actor Michael Margotta in New York City in 1984.<ref>"New York, New York City Marriage Licenses Index, 1950-1995," database, [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLSL-WPZF FamilySearch] (19 June 2017), Michael J Margotta and Elizabeth Kemp, 1984, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States; from Reclaim The Records, The NYC Marriage Index (http://www.nycmarriageindex.com : 2016); citing New York City Clerk's Office.</ref> They separated in June 1991 and later divorced.{{efn|A 2012 ''CNN'' profile notes Kemp's divorce, but a year or date is not given, nor is it available in public records; the New York City Marriage Licenses Index, however, lists Margotta and Kemp's marriage as being in 1984.}}
==Death== Kemp died of cancer on September 1, 2017,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41146456|work=BBC|title=Hugh Jackman and Lady Gaga pay tribute to acting coach|date=4 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://screenrant.com/elizabeth-kemp-actors-studio-dead-65/|work=ScreenRant|title=Actress/Teacher Elizabeth Kemp Passes Away at 65 |author=Donn, Emily|date=4 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> in Venice, Los Angeles, at age 65.<ref name=hr>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/elizabeth-kemp-dead-actress-actors-studio-teacher-was-65-1034966|title=Elizabeth Kemp, Actress and Influential Teacher at the Actors Studio, Dies at 65|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 4, 2017|access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref> She received several public tributes from former students Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman and Lady Gaga.<ref name=hr/>
The 2018 film ''A Star Is Born'' is dedicated to her memory.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
==Recognition and awards== Kemp became a lifetime member of The Actors Studio in 1975.<ref>{{cite book|first=David |last=Garfield|title=A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio|url=https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc.|location=New York|isbn=0-02-542650-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/playersplacestor00garf/page/278 278]|chapter=Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980}}</ref>
She received the GLAAD Award for her work on ''L.A. Law'' (1986).{{cn|date=October 2024}}
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1980 | ''He Knows You're Alone'' |Nancy | |- | 1982 | ''The Clairvoyant'' |Virna Nightbourne | |- | 1988 | ''Sticky Fingers'' |Nancy | |- | 1988 | ''Police Story: Burnout'' |Patricia |Television film |- | 1990 | ''Family of Spies'' |Kay | |- | 1990 | ''Challenger'' |Jane Smith |Television film |- | 1990 | ''Eating'' |Nancy |- | 1991 | ''Murderous Vision'' |Ellen Green |Television film |- | 1992 | ''Mom I Can Do It'' |Jane Morris | |- | 1992 | ''Venice/Venice'' |Interviewee | |- | 1995 | ''Animal Room'' | Shelly's Mom | |- | 2005 | ''Pills'' | Margaret Nolan |Short film |- | 2012 | ''Thanks Dad'' | Mom |Winner: Final 8 "TROPFEST", 2012 |- | 2013 | ''Manito: Brother's Sacrifice'' | Lori |Short film |- | 2014 | ''Welcome to New York'' | Florence | |- | 2015 | ''Emperor of the Free World'' | Olympias | |- | 2017 | ''A Crack in Everything'' | Constance Marshall | |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1973-1977 | ''Love of Life'' |Betsy Crawford | Series regular |- | 1979 | ''Skyways'' |Rosemary | Episode: "Bird Strike" |- | 1981 | ''I Can Jump Puddles'' |Receptionist | Episode: "Getting Your Breath" |- | 1988 | ''Vietnam War Story'' |Lynn | Episode: "Dusk to Dawn" |- | 1990 | ''Thirtysomething'' |Kate | Episode: "The Distance" |- | 1991 | ''L.A. Law'' |Maggie Barnes |Episode: "The Nut Before Christmas" |- | 2001–3 | ''Law & Order'' | Laila Jacobs / Debbie Grimes | Episodes: "School Daze", "Blaze" |- |}
==Notes== {{noteslist}}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{commons category|Elizabeth Kemp}} *{{IMDb name|0447282}} *{{IBDB name}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Elizabeth}} Category:1951 births Category:2017 deaths Category:People from Key West, Florida Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:American acting coaches Category:Actresses from Florida Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Category:American film actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:American television actresses Category:Deaths from cancer in California Category:Pace University faculty Category:American women academics