Arthur Miller To Act in 'Plain Jane'

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” After more than five decades in theater, playwright Arthur Miller is putting down his pen and making his first appearance on the big screen. <br><br>The Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist

Wednesday, January 17th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) â€” After more than five decades in theater, playwright Arthur Miller is putting down his pen and making his first appearance on the big screen.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist will play a supporting role in the movie ``Plain Jane,'' an adaptation of his short story ``Homely Girl, a Life,'' producer Didier Sapaut said Tuesday in The Hollywood Reporter.

Israeli director Amos Gitai will oversee the $9 million English-language film, which stars Samantha Morton as the troubled daughter of a Jewish immigrant.

The 85-year-old Miller, who co-wrote the screenplay, will play Morton's father in the film.

Although the original story was set in New York, the film version will take place in the late 1930s in Palestine during the development of the modern nation of Israel.

Miller, a three-time Tony-winner who has previously appeared on-screen only in documentaries, is perhaps best known for his plays ``Death of a Salesman'' and ``The Crucible.''