Vivian Nathan facts for kids

Vivian Nathan (born Vivian Firko) was an American actress. She was born on October 26, 1916, and passed away on April 3, 2015, at the age of 98. Vivian Nathan was a very important person in the world of acting. She was one of the first people to join the Actors Studio when it started in 1947. This famous acting school helped many actors learn their craft. She even served on its board of directors for a long time, until 1999.

Vivian Nathan performed in many plays on Broadway, which is the highest level of theater in the United States. Some of her famous Broadway shows include The Rose Tattoo (1951) and Camino Real (1953). She also appeared in movies, like the crime thriller Klute.

Her Early Life

Vivian Nathan was born in Manhattan, New York City, on October 26, 1916. Her parents were Hipolit and Anna Firko. Soon after she was born, her family moved to Maspeth, Queens. There, Vivian went to Holy Cross Parochial School. Later, she attended the St. Nicholas school in Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Acting on Stage

In 1944, a theater producer named John Golden noticed Vivian. She was still using her birth name, Firko, at the time. She made her first appearance on Broadway in 1948. This was in a play called Sundown Beach, directed by Elia Kazan.

Vivian Nathan became one of the first members of the Actors Studio when it was created in 1947. It was founded by Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg. Besides acting, Vivian also taught acting and led sessions at the Studio. One of her students was the well-known actress, Kim Stanley. Vivian Nathan was on the board of directors for the Actors Studio until 1999. She worked alongside other famous actors like Paul Newman and Al Pacino.

In 1951, Vivian Nathan was in the original Broadway show of The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. She acted with Maureen Stapleton and Eli Wallach. She worked again with Martin Balsam in 1953 for the play Camino Real, which Elia Kazan also directed.

Vivian Nathan won a special award called the Clarence Derwent Award in 1955. She received it for her role as the Charwoman in a play called Anastasia.

In 1966, she played a character who survived the Holocaust in the play The Investigation. Later, in 1977, Vivian Nathan acted with Anne Bancroft in the play Golda. Other Broadway plays she was in include The Watering Place and Semi-Detached.

Movies She Starred In

Vivian Nathan's first movie was a romantic comedy from 1958 called Teacher's Pet. She acted alongside Clark Gable in this film. She also appeared in the crime drama The Young Savages. In another movie, The Outsider, she played the mother of Tony Curtis's character. She gave a memorable performance as a psychiatrist in the 1971 crime thriller Klute, which starred Jane Fonda.

Appearing on TV

Vivian Nathan also acted on television. She was in an episode of Studio One called The Last Summer. She appeared in two episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, a popular mystery show. She also had roles in episodes of Playhouse 90, including Journey To The Day and The Violent Heart.

Her Later Years and Passing

Vivian Nathan passed away on April 3, 2015. She was 98 years old. She died at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. Her husband, Nathan Schwalb, had passed away in 2000. They had been married for over 50 years. A memorial service was held for Vivian Nathan in New York City on April 12, 2015.

Awards and Special Mentions

• 1955: Clarence Derwent Award for her role as the Charwoman in the play Anastasia.

Movies List

• Teacher's Pet (1958) as Edna Kovac
• The Young Savages (1961) as Mrs. Escalante
• The Outsider (1961) as Nancy Hayes
• Klute (1971) as Psychiatrist