Paul Gleason(1939-2006)
- Actor
- Producer
Character actor Paul Gleason was adept at playing tough guys and white collar sleazebags, making his film debut in
Winter A-Go-Go (1965). He made a name for himself portraying these unlikeable characters. A native of Jersey City, New Jersey, Gleason studied extensively at the Actor's Studio in New York City in the mid-60s with Lee Strasberg (his mentor) and was seen in
a handful of Roger Corman productions
before landing a a three-year role on the TV soap opera
All My Children (1970). He appeared in over 60 films, with key roles in
Sàn Kiếm Chác (1983),
Đương Đầu Với Thử Thách (1988),
Miami Blues (1990),
Boiling Point (1993) and
Làm Sao Để Tốt Nghiệp (2002). However, he is
perhaps best remembered for his role as the no-nonsense principal
"Richard Vernon" in
Hội Điểm Tâm (1985). He also guest-starred in numerous television series, including
Hill Street Blues (1981),
Ngã Rẽ Cuộc Đời (1998) and
Những Người Bạn (1994). Gleason passed away
of mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer at a Burbank, California
hospital on May 29th 2006 at the age of 67.
