Elizabeth Kemp

Elizabeth Kemp (November 5, 1951 – September 2, 2017) was an American actress and acting coach.

She began her career appearing in the television series Love of Life in 1973, after having studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. She went on to become an acting coach and faculty member of the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.

Personal life

Kemp was born in Key West, Florida, the daughter of Nancy Jean (Haycock) and Joseph Clifton Kemp, a business executive and Navy Officer/Test Pilot who was stationed at the Pentagon.

Kemp showed talent as a child painter from the ages of 13 to 16, graduating from high school with a special award for Creative Achievement. At age 16, she traveled to the Rhode Island School of Design but was told to wait a year. She instead went to New York City and studied at The Art Students League and American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She married actor Michael Margotta; the union ended in divorce.

Career

Kemp was in the original cast of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which began at The Actors Studio. Her mentor, Elia Kazan, took Tennessee Williams to see Kemp in this production and when Williams was looking for the actress to play Baby Doll in the world premiere of one of his last plays, Tiger Tail.

After the performance Williams gave her the part; an experience that proved to be most extraordinary, in that she worked closely with Tennessee Williams daily in developing the role. In 1978, she appeared on Broadway in a minor part in Once in a Lifetime.

In 1980, Kemp made her feature film debut in the horror film He Knows You're Alone, opposite Caitlin O'Heaney and Tom Hanks. Kemp received the GLAAD Award for her work on L.A. Law (1986). As a director, Kemp was responsible for many productions at The Actors Studio including The Glass Menagerie, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, and the world premier of Free Gift Inside (by Edward Allan Baker). Internationally Kemp directed The Stronger and Homesick at Strindbergs Original Intima Theater in Stockholm and Dreamstories at The Claude LeLouche Theatre Cine 13 in Paris and at La Spazia Teatro in Rome.

Kemp became a Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio in 1975. Additionally, she was also a member of the Acting Faculty and chair of The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. At the Actors Studio Drama School, Kemp was a mentor to actor and student Bradley Cooper. Kemp worked across the country at The California Actors Theatre in San Francisco, Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Folger Theatre in Washington, D.C., Center Stage in Baltimore and Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Kemp was interviewed by Martin Scorsese, alongside Al Pacino and many others, in the 2010 documentary A Letter to Elia, honoring Kemp's former mentor, Elia Kazan.

In 2017 she was acting coach for songwriter Lady Gaga.

Death

On September 2, 2017, the administrator of Kemp's official Facebook page, Rosa Asor Morelli, confirmed that Kemp died of undisclosed causes earlier in the day.