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Andre Gregory

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
29

Gender
Male

Birthday
May 11, 1934 (92 years old)

Place of Birth
Paris, France

Andre Gregory

Biography

Andre Gregory (born May 11, 1934) is a French-born American actor. He studied at Harvard University, where he was affiliated with Adams House. During the 1960s and 1970s, Gregory directed a number of avant-garde productions developed through ensemble collaboration, the most famous of which was Alice in Wonderland (1970), based on Lewis Carroll's two classic Alice books. He founded his own theatrical company, The Manhattan Project, in 1968. In 1975 he directed Our Late Night, the first produced play by Wallace Shawn, which began a long working relationship between the two men.

Shortly afterward, Gregory's growing misgivings about the role of theatre in modern life, and what he felt was a trend toward fascism in the United States, led him to abruptly abandon theatre and leave the country. As described in the film My Dinner with Andre (1981), he traveled to Poland at director Jerzy Grotowski's invitation, where he developed a number of experimental theatrical events for private audiences. He spent several years in a variety of esoteric spiritual communities (such as Findhorn) developing an interest and practice in what could be called New Age beliefs.

Although Gregory left the theatre in 1975, he has returned several times to direct small productions, usually for invited audiences. These included a long-running workshop of Uncle Vanya (adapted by David Mamet), which was developed from 1990 to 1994 and featured Shawn and Julianne Moore. Though never publicly performed, it was released as the film Vanya on 42nd Street by Gregory and Louis Malle. He appeared as himself, directing the play featured within the film. Gregory also directed a radio production of Shawn's play, The Designated Mourner, in 2002.

He has had occasional film roles as a character actor, including John the Baptist in The Last Temptation of Christ and Reverend Spellgood in The Mosquito Coast, and as Dante, a restaurateur, alongside Rosanna Arquette, David Bowie, and Buck Henry in The Linguini Incident.

His best-known film performance was as the title character in My Dinner with Andre (1981), directed by Louis Malle, in which he and Wallace Shawn, playing characters based on themselves, have a long conversation over dinner. They discuss Gregory's spiritual sojourn in Europe and his doubts about the future of theatre and of Western civilization in general.

He appeared with Goldie Hawn in Protocol (1984). In 1988 he played the father in Some Girls, with Jennifer Connelly and Patrick Dempsey. In 1993, he performed in the movie Demolition Man with Sylvester Stallone.

Returning to theatre, Gregory directed Shawn's play Grasses of a Thousand Colors, which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in May 2009. He next worked with Shawn on a new version of Ibsen's The Master Builder. This resulted in the film Fear of Falling (2013), directed by Jonathan Demme. The film was retitled A Master Builder at its opening in New York in June 2014.

In 2013, he directed Grasses of a Thousand Colors and The Designated Mourner, starring Shawn in a co-production between Theatre for a New Audience and The Public Theater in New York.

A 2013 documentary about Gregory's life, Andre Gregory: Before and After Dinner, was directed by his wife, Cindy Kleine. He and Kleine discussed it on the May 3, 2013, episode of Charlie Rose.

Known For

Acting

2014A Master Builderas Knut Brovik
2014The Last Impresarioas Self
2013Andre Gregory: Before and After Dinneras Self
2011My Heart Swims in Bloodas Old Man
2009André Gregory and Wallace Shawnas
1999Goodbye Loveras Rev. Finlayson
1998Celebrityas John Papadakis
1997Hudson River Bluesas
1997Who Is Henry Jaglom?as Self
1995Last Summer in the Hamptonsas Ivan Axelrod
1994Vanya on 42nd Streetas Himself
1994The Shadowas Burbank
1993Demolition Manas Warden William Smithers - Aged
1991The Linguini Incidentas Dante
1990The Bonfire of the Vanitiesas Aubrey Buffing
1988Location Production Footage: The Last Temptation of Christas Self
1988Some Girlsas Mr. D'Arc
1988The Last Temptation of Christas John the Baptist
1987Street Smartas Ted Avery
1986The Mosquito Coastas Reverend Spellgood
1986Follies: In Concertas Dimitri Weismann
1985Always … But Not Foreveras Party Philosopher
1984Protocolas Nawaf Al Kabeer
1984The Soldier's Taleas Narrator (voice)
1983Alice in Wonderlandas Mad Hatter
1982Author! Author!as J.J.
1981My Dinner with Andreas Andre Gregory
1971Great Performancesas Dimitri
1971Great Performancesas Mad Hatter

Production

2014A Master Builder...Producer
2014A Master Builder...Theatre Play
1994Vanya on 42nd Street...Screenplay
1981My Dinner with Andre...Writer
1975Our Late Night...Director