Actors on Acting Archives

Sarah Paulson on ‘Ratched’, Character Research and “Honoring” Louise Fletcher’s Performance

Actor Sarah Paulson remarks that she actually did not do much specific research to portray the iconic character, Nurse Ratched.

Joaquin Phoenix said he would hate to miss out on a great take because it was done during rehearsal and not when cameras were rolling.

Jason Bateman points out that that some scenes give him performance anxiety like when he used to audition for roles.

Actor Jason Scott Lee explains that it took a meeting with Mulan director Niki Caro in New Zealand before he was finally cast.

Darren Criss recalled what he thought was going to be a huge moment for his career, but instead turned out to be far less of a success.

Jeremy Strong speaks about his acting process and how he uses his instincts to discover the best take he can do of a scene.

Chris Rock is excited about the opportunity his role in Fargo offered him, remarking, “It is the best part I’ve ever, ever, ever had.”

David Harbour speaks about what goes into his thought process into the choices he makes for his Stranger Things character.

Kate Winslet reveals that she first thought of becoming an actress at a young age in a very uncommon place.

Eugene Levy spoke about the “persona” he adopted in his acting over the years and how grateful he feels for his Emmy recognition.

When asked what superpower he would like to have for five minutes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt answers: “Power of Empathy.”

Nina Gold has been working in casting since the 1990s, and points to one huge advantage that she has access to now: the Internet.

Jeremy Strong says that he did research his character’s personality type but he’s not directly thinking about what he learned when performing

Don Cheadle reveals that portraying a character who is in pain on screen has a tendency to affect him off-screen.

Laura Harrier at least expected that the audition would be standard procedure. As it turns out, it wasn’t normal in the slightest.

Actor Jeremy Pope was trying to keep up with the grueling Broadway schedule when his agent called him about ‘Hollywood’.

For his first film, Dylan McDermott was cast in the lead role. As he remembers, it was an incredible opportunity.

Dacre Montgomery points to his poor attitude that had hampered his ability to be a good student when asked to leave drama school three times.

Laura Linney talks aspects of acting, including challenges she still faces. It’s definitely worth listening in on her advice.

Ian McShane speaks about his career as an actor and his approach to some of his most memorable roles in both film and television.