Michael Shannon: “When you’re an actor, it can be a hindrance if you look askance at people”
Shannon reveals how he manages to pull off such an intense role and whether he brings that same method to his other roles.
Can ‘The Mountaintop’ Producers Keep the Show Going Without Star Samuel L. Jackson?
What do producers do when a play that already has a set end date because of the lead actor’s commitment to a film ends up being a major success, especially when that lead actor is the show’s main draw?
Brad Pitt on Taking a Role: “It’s a big commitment. I’ve found it’s gotta mean something to me or what’s the point? You’ve only got so much time”
While it may be true that most entertainers have a “shelf life” — meaning that after a certain period of time their popularity, skill, or both are bound to wane — Brad Pitt has always seemed to be one of the rare exceptions.
Bill Nighy on Lead Roles: “The pressure is greater, because in the end, it’s going to depend on whether people can stand looking at you for that length of time”
“You’re in every scene and you never get 10 minutes off. And I do feel — and I think most people who play a leading role feel — a certain responsibility to the project generally and to all of [the] supporting cast … The pressure is greater, because in the end, it’s going to depend on whether people can stand looking at you for that length of time.”
Anton Yelchin on Why He Started Acting: “There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing”
Yelchin was asked what initially drew him into acting and he explains, “I loved the improvisation part of it the most, because it was a lot like just playing around with stuff. There was something about it that I just felt completely comfortable doing and happy doing.”
Leonardo DiCaprio: “When I can’t immediately define the character, and there’s an element of mystery to it and still a lot to be explored, that’s when I say yes”
Clint Eastwood’s films always come with great expectations — he is one of the few filmmakers who seems to always get magnificent reviews — but the expectations for Eastwood’s J. Edgar might be even more anticipated than usual since the film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor with a reputation for appearing in excellent films himself.
Justin Bartha: “I think there’s a sensitivity to actors and performance that’s inherit to theater”
Justin Bartha might be best known as the Wolf Pack member who is always left out of the fun in The Hangover films, but he’s also started to rack up an impressive resume in Broadway theatre in 2011.
Woody Harrelson: “I don’t think you can play someone and not think he is a good guy in some way”
“It was hard for me to believe I could even play a cop.”
Mackenzie Crook on his Career and ‘Tintin’: “It was frustrating to be in the motion-capture environment”
Mackenzie Crook might not be as well known as Rainn Wilson is in the United States, but Wilson’s character Dwight on the U.S. version of The Office owes everything to Gareth Keenan, the character Crook played in the original U.K. series of The Office. While Crook has appeared in such
Screenwriter Goes from $80 Million Box Office to Working Temp Sales Job… What Happened?
Like any other career, being a screenwriter has its ups and downs. If you don’t believe me, ask the anonymous screenwriter who spoke to Reuters about how his career has gone after his first movie made more than $80 million. But after that success his career eventually went dry and he’s currently working a two-week sales temp job.
’24 Hour Plays on Broadway’ Celebrates its Tenth Anniversary Raising Money for A Wonderful Cause
Could you write, direct, and produce a play that will hit Broadway in less than twenty-four hours? Well I’m sure just about anybody could, but would it be any good? That’s the concept behind 24 Hour Plays on Broadway, which celebrates its tenth annual production on Broadway next month.
Ralph Fiennes Laments The ‘Twitter Effect’ on the English Language
Ralph Fiennes has recently blamed Twitter and our soundbite-obsessed media for dumbing down the English language.
Happy Halloween! The Daughter of Boris Karloff Recalls Her Father’s Struggles Before ‘Frankenstein’
It’s Halloween, and I’m sure you’ve seen at least one image of Frankenstein as you’ve geared up for the holiday. Chances are that the Frankenstein that you saw was based on the bolt neck, flat-headed lumbering portrayal of Frankenstein’s Monster made famous by Boris Karloff in the Universal Frankenstein film series.
Guinness Book of World Records Says Samuel L. Jackson is the Highest-Grossing Actor of All Time
At first it’s surprising that the highest grossing box office actor of all time isn’t someone like John Wayne or Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Samuel L. Jackson.
Johnny Depp: “First and foremost, to bore your audience is like the worst thing you can do. Always try to keep them guessing”
While most would assume that Depp was legitimately wasted throughout the filming of the movie, Depp claims he wasn’t or he still would be shooting the film. Instead, he’s based his “drunk acting” on “observation.”
English Star of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Becomes a Literal Savior by Saving Family from Blaze
Levi James saved two trapped parents and their ten-month-old daughter from their burning apartment in Patchway, England, and then sprayed the fire with a garden hose until the firefighters came to the scene of the blaze.
Michael Sheen: “The whole fame thing, it’s a bit like a pinball machine… I bounce back and forth between wanting that, and not wanting that”
Michael Sheen — the often praised star of Frost/Nixon and Midnight in Paris, and also known as the best Tony Blair out there (he’s appeared as Blair three times, including in The Queen) — is one of those actors who has a long list of impressive credits but is far from a household name.
Rhys Ifans: “Shakespeare is kind of a bastion for an actor. Until you get Shakespeare, especially in England, you’re not a real actor”
Ifans confesses that not only did he not expect to get the part, but he didn’t even like Shakespeare’s work at first!
Michael Shannon Talks About “My First Exposure to the Wonderful World of Dramatic Arts”
As Shannon prepares for his upcoming role as General Zod in Man of Steel, he sat down to talk about his early years as a struggling actor.
Actors Launch Writing Careers on the New York Stage
What’s the easiest way to get the play you’ve written staged in a New York City theater?