Austin Pendleton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Austin Pendleton
Pendleton in 2006
Born	Austin Campbell Pendleton (1940-03-27) March 27, 1940 (age 85) Warren, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University, 1961
Occupation	Actor playwright theatre director
Years active	1962–present
Spouse(s)	Katina Commings ​ (m. 1970)​
Children	1

Austin Campbell Pendleton (born March 27, 1940) is an American actor, playwright (a person who writes plays), and theatre director. He is known for playing unique and memorable characters in movies and on stage.

You might recognize his voice as Gurgle, the nervous purple and yellow fish in the Disney and Pixar movie Finding Nemo. Over his long career, he has appeared in many famous films. These include What's Up, Doc? (1972), The Muppet Movie (1979), and My Cousin Vinny (1992).

Pendleton has also won major awards for his work in the theater. He was nominated for a Tony Award for directing the play The Little Foxes. He has also won two Obie Awards, which are special awards for plays performed in smaller New York theaters known as off-Broadway. In 2007, he received a special award for being a "Renaissance Man of the American Theatre," meaning he is skilled in many different areas of theater.

Early Life and Love for Theater

Austin Pendleton was born in Warren, Ohio. His mother, Frances, was a professional actress, and his father, Thorn, owned a tool company. Watching his mother perform on stage sparked his interest in acting from a young age.

When he was in junior high, he even started putting on his own plays in his family's basement. He continued to act while studying at Yale University, a famous university he graduated from in 1961. At Yale, he was part of the drama club and even helped write two musical plays.

A Career on Stage and Screen

After college, Pendleton moved to New York City to become a professional actor. In 1964, he was in the original Broadway cast of the famous musical Fiddler on the Roof, where he played Motel the tailor. This was a huge start to his career.

Acting in Movies and TV

Pendleton is a well-known character actor. This means he is an expert at playing interesting and unusual supporting characters rather than the main hero.

His movie roles show his wide range of talent. He played a clumsy scientist in Short Circuit (1986) and a key witness in the comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992). He was also part of the cast of A Beautiful Mind (2001), which was nominated for a major acting award. In 2016, he returned as the voice of Gurgle in Finding Dory.

Directing and Writing for the Stage

Besides acting, Pendleton is a talented director and writer. He earned a Tony Award nomination for directing a play called The Little Foxes starring the famous actress Elizabeth Taylor. He has directed many other plays on and off Broadway.

He also wrote his own plays, including Uncle Bob, Booth, and Orson's Shadow. These plays were performed in New York and showed his skill as a storyteller.

A Respected Teacher and Mentor

For many years, Pendleton has taught acting at HB Studio in New York. He is also a member of the famous Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Many famous actors look up to him.

In 2016, a documentary called Starring Austin Pendleton was made about his life. In the film, famous actors like Meryl Streep, Ethan Hawke, and Maggie Gyllenhaal talked about how much they admired his work and how he influenced them.

Personal Life

Pendleton married actress Katina Commings in 1970. They have one child together.

Selected Works

Here are some of Austin Pendleton's most well-known roles in theater, film, and television.

Theater

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Austin Pendleton para niños