John Houseman Biography

John Houseman

Having begun his career as a theater director and then working with Orson Welles on both the Negro Theatre Project and the Mercury Theatre, Houseman is ironically best known for his performances in front of the camera in the 1970s and 1980s. His producer credits include The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Julius Caesar (1953). He won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1973 for his first major acting role as Prof. Kingsfield in The Paper Chase, reprising the role on the small screen for the short-lived series (1978–79). From there, he secured roles in a few critically acclaimed films, including Three Days of the Condor (1975) and television's Lincoln (1988) but mostly appeared in television series and mini-series.