Arthur Miller

There are many Arthur Miller facts out there that fans, even the most passionate fans of his work, probably don't know. With a career spanning more than six decades, Miller is one of the most well-respected literary talents of the 20th century, especially in the world of playwrighting. While Miller was a man with his high-profile moments, there's much that remained out of the spotlight.
Early Years

• Miller was born in 1915 in New York City.
• His parent's names were Isidore and Augusta Miller.
• His father ran a successful women's clothing store, but was illiterate.
• Miller's family lost nearly everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
• In order to pay for his first year of college, Miller worked at an auto parts company for two years.
• Miller won the Avery Hopwood Award for young playwrights in 1936; he was still in college at the time.
• The University of Michigan is Miller's alma mater.
• His first Broadway play, The Man Who Had All the Luck, was a commercial failure and closed after only four performances.

Writing Career

• All My Sons (1947) became Miller's first success and earned him his first Tony Award.
• The Crucible (1953) was intended to be a statement against the McCarthy era and Communist fear.
• 1955's A View from a Bridge was considered one of Miller's best one-act plays; it was later modified to include two acts (1956).
• Among Miller's most prestigious awards, are Emmy Awards, Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
• Miller worked with a veritable who's who of Hollywood, including Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Lauren Bacall, John Malkovich, Daniel Day-Lewis, Steve McQueen and Stacy Keach

Personal Life

• Miller was married three times: Mary Slattery, Marilyn Monroe and Inge Morath.
• The playwright and Monroe divorced less than two years before the famous actress died.
• He had four children, Jane and Robert with Slattery and Rebecca and Daniel with Morath.
• Miller's daughter Rebecca married Academy Award winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis.
• Miller's youngest son was born with Down Syndrome.
• He claimed to be a life-long atheist.
• Miller was found in contempt of court when he would not name suspected communists during Congressional hearings in 1957.