About René

The youngest of five brothers and son of Mexican immigrants, René Millán was first introduced to the theatre by his father, who was a former singer for the San Diego Opera Chorus. René began his acting career at the age of 17 in his hometown of San Diego, California.

After graduation from The University of San Diego High School, René began studying education and history at University of Redlands in Southern California. During his undergraduate years, he began taking classical voice lessons and participating in university plays, musicals and operas.
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Following his studies at the University of Redlands, René began graduate school with the esteemed professional actor training program at the University of Washington in Seattle.

While in graduate school, René was introduced to the Suzuki Method of actor training. The Suzuki Method immediately struck him as a completely unique actor training method that combines the physical with the mystical to flow into effective modes of performing.

René credits the Suzuki Method with helping him find his voice as an actor, finding a sense of fearlessness in front of the camera and on stage, and empowering him to overcome his naturally introverted tendencies and connect with an audience to create a powerful experience.

Since graduating from the University of Washington with an MFA, René made his Broadway debut in The Wild Party by Michael John LaChiusa and directed by George C. Wolfe. René spent the next nine years working and living as an actor in New York City, contributing to and acting in various theatre, film and television projects. René founded Millán Studio and began coaching and teaching actors in both group and individual settings in 1999.

After leaving New York City, René spent the next seven seasons as a well-known member of the acting company at the Tony Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. There, he originated the role of Juan José in the world premiere of American Night: The Ballad of Juan José by Richard Montoya and Culture Clash, directed by Jo Bonney. He also played the role of Juan José in productions at the La Jolla Playhouse, Kirk Douglas Theater in Los Angeles, and Yale Repertory Theatre. René continued teaching with Millán Studio and also as a teaching artist with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where he was able to teach in high schools and universities across Oregon and Washington.

René has been at the forefront of the Latiné theatre and film movement in North America as an actor, director, and deviser. He also serves as a mentor for Latiné actors and directors across the country.

In 2012, René was awarded the Beinecke Visiting Scholar Fellowship from Yale University. At the Yale Repertory Theatre, René starred in American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose and taught the synthesis between the Suzuki Method and western psychological acting techniques in Yale’s graduate-level acting program, a program that trained well-known actors such as Meryl Streep, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong’o, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

René lives and teaches in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife and three beautiful children.