Sterne studied economics at the University of Western Ontario before volunteering for the Canadian Army in 1944, serving in the infantry as a sergeant.
[2][3] Heading to New York in 1945, he trained and graduated from the Dramatic Workshop[4] under the tutelage of its founder Erwin Piscator, at the same time as Rod Steiger, Bea Arthur, Walter Matthau, Tony Curtis and Harry Belafonte.
[3][5] Sterne then began his acting career in America, working on radio and TV, in summer stock and off-Broadway.
[6][7] After a career on stage, playing the leading man in various plays in New Jersey during the 1940s,[8][9][10][11][12] as well as Benvenuto Cellini in The Firebrand at Washington's Arena Stage and Joseph K in The Trial at New York's Provincetown Playhouse during the early 1950's, Sterne moved to Britain in 1956 where he had over 50 years working in theatre, TV and film.
Being able to speak German (and French)[13] enabled Sterne to perform in Drop Dead Darling on tour in Germany as well as a spell with the English Theatre in Vienna.