Ernie Martin is one of the most revered acting teachers to emerge from New York's legendary Actors Studio. Mr. Martin is a graduate of The American Theatre Wing's Professional Drama School and a student of Lee Strasberg. He then began his teaching and directing career in 1970 for Lee Strasberg. He taught at both the New York and California locations of the Lee Strasberg Institute until 1978 when he opened his own drama studio in New York.

During the following years, Mr. Martin divided his time between New York and Los Angeles, building his now highly respected and distinguished reputation throughout the theatre community as teacher and director.

Among the critically acclaimed productions directed by Mr. Martin are David Rabe's "In the Boom Boom Room," winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award; "All My Sons," by Arthur Miller; Clifford Odets' "Awake and Sing" in New York at the Joseph Jefferson Theatre; "Where's My Little Gloria" at the Hudson Guild Theatre, and "Mama's Little Angels" at the Quaigh Theatre.

At the Actors Studio in New York, Mr. Martin directed two revivals by Tennessee Williams: "At Liberty" and "Orpheus Descending" with Ann Wedgeworth. In regional theatre, he directed Lanford Wilson's "Tally's Folly" at the Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, Connecticut, and Tennessee William's "Summer and Smoke" in Scarborough, NY.

In the 1970's, Mr. Martin lectured at Fordham University in NY. The topic: "The Creative Behavioral Approach of the Actor in Psychology." In California at the Pasadena University of Design parallel in the Arts. In 1987, Ernie Martin was featured teaching a class in the film, "Hello, Actors Studio," (a history of the Studio) a French-Canadian Production directed by Annie Tresgot. During the same year, Mr. Martin was invited to do a seminar at Lincoln Center, the program: "The Master Teacher and the Actor's Career." >p> Also during the 1980's, Mr. Martin directed Spain's premiere production of Nikolai Gogol's "Diary of a Madman" starring one of Spain's leading actors, Fermi Reixach at the Theatre Romeo in Barcelona. He was also Drama Coach and Line Director on the movie "The Black Pearl" which was filmed in Madrid and Majorca. In 1982, Mr. Martin designed and built his own theatre, The Ernie Martin Studio Theatre on West 43rd Street in the heart of New York's theatre district, a drama school for professional and beginning actors, which also house a theatre for student productions. He also established the Actors Creative Theatre, a non-profit theatre and acting company. After creating a Writers and Directors Unit, Mr. Martin produced and directed numerous original plays that were developed in the Unit and performed by the Acting Company. Included in these productions were "The Killing Time" by Ronnie Paris, "Women of Armagh" by Joseph P. McDonald, and "Beautiful Dreamer" by Martin Casella and staring Anthony Edwards.

In February of 1992, Ernie Martin was elected to the position of Artistic Director of the Actors Studio West for a period of two years. During his tenure Charles Durning, Hal Holbrook, Joe Bologna and Rene Taylor became members.

From January through April 2001, Mr. Martin directed two One Act plays by Eugene O'Neill, "Hughie" and "Before Breakfast" at the Mercat de Les Flors (The Lincoln Center of Barcelona, a 750 seat theatre). He also taught acting at the Professional Actors Association of Spain.

Since returning from Spain, Mr. Martin has directed various staged readings of original plays, and directed the Actors Creative Theatre productions of Joe McDonald's A Reed In the Wind and Sage Allen's Before the Next Blue Norther, both at the Abingdon Theatre in New York City.

In 2006 Mr. Martin joined forces with Fermi Reixach once again to direct at 20th Anniversary of Diary of A Madman, due to it's huge success in Spain, and it was performed in Catalonia, Madrid, and Barcelona. He has been Guest Master Teacher at the highly acclaimed Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Martin is featured in Eva Mekler's book "The New Generation of Acting Teachers."

Mr. Martin is now retired, having passed the teaching torch to his daughter Diánna, and is working on his memoirs. He lives with his wife, actress Ann Wedgeworth, in New York.

Mr. Martin is a Lifetime Member of the Actors Studio, as an actor, teacher, and director.