Lew Palter was an American-born character actor best known for his role in Titanic (1997). He was a beloved acting program professor at California Institute for the Arts for 42 years.
Lew Palter, ‘Titanic’ Actor and Longtime CalArts Teacher, Dies at 94 as published online at the Hollywood Reporter.com on 26 Jun 2023 and written by Mike Barnes.
Palter acted in and directed plays off-Broadway before joining the Millbrook Playhouse in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania, in the mid-1960s. He then made his onscreen debut on a 1967 episode of NBC’s Run for Your Life. His acting career spanned from 1967-2018.
He graduated from Tufts University, then earned his master’s degree from Alfred University and his Ph.D. in theater from Northwestern University. Palter began working at CalArts in 1971 and served as an acting teacher and director at the Santa Clarita school until his retirement in 2013. He also conducted private workshops around the country and around the world, including in Edinburgh and at Carnegie Mellon and UCLA. His thousands of students over the years included Ed Harris, Don Cheadle, and Cecily Strong, whom he encouraged to try out for the improv group The Groundlings on the way to her breakout gig on the long-running and popular Saturday Night Live TV show.
In between, he enlisted in 1946 and served in the U.S. Army.
He was married to Nancy Vawter until her death in 2020. One daughter, Catherine, and three grandchildren.
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Categories: Northwestern University | California Institute of the Arts | Tufts University | Film Actors | American Actors | Notables