Biography
Byrne Piven was an American actor and director. Born Bernard Piven in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he moved to Chicago in 1954 and co-founded the Playwrights Theatre Club with his wife Joyce, a forerunner of the Second City improv troupe. He taught and directed at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Evanston, Illinois, for three decades.
Piven appeared in numerous stage productions, earning a Joseph Jefferson Award for his role in The Man in 605. His film credits include Being John Malkovich (1999) as Captain Mertin, Very Bad Things (1998), Miracle on 34th Street (1994) and Trojan War (1997). Television roles encompassed episodes of The X-Files, Frasier, Miami Vice, Magnum, P.I. and Early Edition. He also featured in Uncle Ben's rice commercials during the 1970s.
He was the father of actors Jeremy Piven and director Shira Piven. Piven died in Evanston, Illinois, in 2002.
