Jason Miller (playwright)
A playwright who captured the corrosive nostalgia of American masculinity, then shocked the world as the tormented priest in 'The Exorcist'.
1939–2001 (age 62)·American actor and playwright·Birthday: April 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jason Miller lived a life of dual, towering accomplishments. The Scranton, Pennsylvania native first made his mark in the theater. His play 'That Championship Season,' a blistering look at a reunion of former high school basketball stars, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in 1973. That same year, he stepped onto the Hollywood stage in a role that would make his face iconic: Father Damien Karras in William Friedkin's 'The Exorcist.' His raw, guilt-ridden performance earned him an Academy Award nomination. Miller spent the rest of his career navigating between these two worlds—writing, acting in film and television, and eventually returning to his roots to lead the Scranton Public Theatre. His legacy is that of a profound storyteller who explored the demons of both the supernatural and the all-too-human past.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jason was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2001Died at 62
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for 'That Championship Season' in 1973.
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Father Damien Karras in 'The Exorcist'.
- Served as the artistic director of the Scranton Public Theatre in his hometown.
Did You Know?
His son, Jason Patric, is a well-known film actor.
He reprised his role as Father Karras in the 1990 film 'The Exorcist III'.
He was a skilled basketball player in his youth, which informed the dynamics of 'That Championship Season'.
“We were gods once, and now we're just men.”
