Lancaster, Burt

Lancaster, Burt (Burton Stephen Lancaster), 1913-94, American film actor, b. New York City. A superb athlete, he began his career as an acrobat. Best known for his roles as a cerebral tough guy, he achieved stardom as a washed-up boxer in his first film, The Killers (1946). Lancaster showed his versatility in a wide variety of roles in more than 70 films—dramas, westerns, action pictures, war movies, and many more—during his long career. He won the Academy Award for best actor for his compelling portrayal of a corrupt preacher in Elmer Gantry (1960) and was nominated for Oscars for From Here to Eternity (1953), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), and Atlantic City (1981). Among his other films are All My Sons (1948), The Rose Tattoo (1955), Trapeze (1956), The Leopard (1963), The Swimmer (1968), 1900 (1976), Local Hero (1983), and Field of Dreams (1989). Beginning in the late 1970s, Lancaster made a graceful transition from leading-man roles to character parts, the most notable of which was a gangster past his prime in the elegiac Atlantic City.

(born Nov. 2, 1913, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Oct. 20, 1994, Century City, Calif.) U.S. film actor. He toured with circuses as an acrobat in the 1930s and served in North Africa and Italy during World War II. He first appeared in movie houses in The Killers (1946), which made him a star. He was noted for his portrayals of physically tough, emotionally sensitive characters. Lancaster's many films include Come Back, Little Sheba (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953), The Rose Tattoo (1955), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Elmer Gantry (1960, Academy Award), The Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Leopard (1963), Atlantic City (1981), Local Hero (1983), and Field of Dreams (1989).

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Sarah Beth Lancaster (born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. She is known for her roles of Rachel in Saved by the Bell: The New Class and Madison Kellner on Everwood. She also had a recurring guest role on NBC's Scrubs as JD's love-interest, Lisa the Gift-Shop Girl, and played Marjorie in ABC's TV series What About Brian. In 2005 she starred in the TV movie Living With the Enemy with Mark Humphrey.

Currently, Lancaster is co-starring in the NBC comedy-spy series Chuck, as the lead character's sister, Ellie.

Biography

Lancaster was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas, alongside her younger brother Daniel; parents Barbara and Michael were a homemaker and a real estate agent, respectively. Eventually, Michael's job moved the Lancaster family to Mission Viejo, California, where Sarah took up acting classes with R. J. Adams at The Actors Workshop.

Sarah's abilities landed her a talent agent, who helped the then-eighth grader to secure her first series-regular role on Saved by the Bell: The New Class in 1993. During this time, she was tutored on the set and took college courses at the University of California, Irvine to expedite her graduation from high school. After graduation from New Hart Jr. High, she moved to Los Angeles to further her acting career.

Sarah racked up other guest-starring roles, on shows such as: Dawson's Creek, That '70s Show, Scrubs, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She also landed two recurring roles: on The WB series, Everwood, as Ephram's love interest Madison Kellner; and on David E. Kelley's FOX series, Boston Public.

Lancaster has also worked as a jealous girlfriend-turned-serial killer in the movie Lovers Lane...and as the blackjack dealer, Veronica Harold, on CBS's short-lived Dr. Vegas. Lancaster's other talents include eight years of training in jazz and funk dancing.

Sarah is no relation to late acting great Burt Lancaster, although she admits to being asked about him a lot.

She says growing up in Kansas led her to become a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team. Lancaster says she never cared for the football team but their run to the 2008 Orange Bowl made her a bandwagon fan.

She says she has a tattoo but adds she is too shy to admit where it is located.

External links

• The Unofficial Sarah Lancaster Website
• NBC's official "Chuck" site
• Living With The Enemy - Incendo Media Site