Leon Louis Palter (1928 - 2023)

Born 3 Nov 1928 in New York City, New York, United States

Ancestors

Died 21 May 2023 at age 94 in Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Lew Palter was born in New York.

Lew Palter is a Military Veteran.
Served in the United States Army 1946-1948

Lew Palter was a Californian.

Lew Palter is Notable.

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.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Palter

• https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q731560

• Lew Palter @IMDb.com

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4GK-Q8Q : accessed 4 July 2023), Leasle L Palter in household of Jack Palter, White Plains, Westchester, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 366, sheet 5A, line 38, family 98, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1666; FHL microfilm 2,341,400.

• "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:KQSD-87C : Thu Jun 15 11:23:42 UTC 2023), Entry for Jack Polter and Belle Polter, 1940.

• "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:6XR7-6BQT : Sun Jan 29 11:59:51 UTC 2023), Entry for Lewis Palter, 15 April 1950.

• "United States Public Records, 1970-2009", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KTM2-TQM : 18 December 2019), Leon L Paleter, 1993-2000.

• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014", database with images, FamilySearch (ark:/61903/1:1:6285-78T4 : Tue Jun 27 20:39:56 UTC 2023), Entry for Lew Palter and James Cameron, 27 June 2023.