Anna Strasberg, Widow of Lee Strasberg and Inheritor of Marilyn Monroe Estate, Dies at 84

Anna Strasberg, an actress and the widow of famed acting coach Lee Strasberg who wound up inheriting the bulk of Marilyn Monroe’s estate, has died. She was 84.

Strasberg died Saturday in New York City of natural causes, a publicist for The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute told The Hollywood Reporter. She co-founded the institute and served as artistic director and “visionary leader” at the home of the Method acting approach.

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“Anna ensured that The Institute became a beacon for aspiring actors and remains a cherished space for artistic exploration and growth,” a statement said. “Her lifelong commitment to The Method and unwavering devotion to The Institute have left an indelible mark on the world of acting and the countless talented people she inspired.

“Her presence will be dearly missed, but her legacy lives on through The Method and every class of passionate students.”

Monroe died at age 36 on Aug. 4, 1962, and in her will left 75 percent of her physical property and IP rights to her acting coaches, Actors Studio legend Lee Strasberg and his second wife, Paula, who would die in 1966. Lee married Anna a year later.

With Lee’s death in February 1982, Anna inherited the Monroe estate. She hired CMG Worldwide to represent the late actress, and the licensing agency would generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue and profits from commercial endeavors off Monroe. (Other CMG clients included the estates of Natalie Wood and James Dean.)

In 1999, Anna commissioned Christie’s to auction off Monroe memorabilia, including the flesh-colored gown she wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden in May 1962. The dress fetched more than $1 million among about a thousand items that generated $13.4 million.

CMG’s deal with the Monroe estate ended in 2010, and a year later, Anna reached another licensing deal, this one worth a reported $20 million to $30 million, with Authentic Brands Group. She continued as a minority partner in the joint venture.

Anna Strasberg was born Anna Mizrahi on April 16, 1939, in Caracas, Venezuela. She came to the U.S. in 1960, worked for the United Nations and appeared in the 1965 film Stay Tuned for Terror and on 1966 episodes of Run for Your Life and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.

She met Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio, and her other credits includes Riot on Sunset Strip (1967) and installments of The Rat Patrol, The Felony Squad and Judd for the Defense.

Survivors include her sons, David, artistic director and CEO of the Strasberg institute, and Adam; daughters-in-law Lindsey and Nora; grandchildren Gwendolyn, Scarlett, Sawyer, Owen and Asher; sisters Victoria and Elena; nephew Sasha; and a goddaughter, actress Drew Barrymore.

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