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- “I’m one of those people who thinks you can have a happy life and still be an artist.” — Shelley Duvall
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- “If I don’t feel it, I can’t play it.” — James Cotton
- “I don’t have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I’d become. I’m me, and I’m like nobody else.” — Lena Horne
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Category Archives: Actors
Happy Birthday, John Wayne
From Who the Hell’s in It: Conversations with Hollywood’s Legendary Actors, by Peter Bogdonavich: His performances in these pictures [Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, The Searchers, The Wings of Eagles, Man Who Shot Liberty Valance] rate with the finest examples … Continue reading
The Best Roger Moore Story
Charm like that cannot be manufactured. Charm like that is a lost art. He was that way effortlessly. I won’t lie: I like my James Bond as a RAKE. A sex-pot double-entendre-loving RAKE. Enough with brooding men with dark back-stories. … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, RIP
4 Comments
R.I.P. Powers Boothe
His was my favorite kind of career. A reliable character actor over DECADES of work. Someone like Boothe is the bread and butter of the industry. Without someone like Boothe, the A-Listers cannot shine as bright. Think of the way … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, RIP
12 Comments
Bette and Joan
My 8 re-caps of Feud for the Times are here. It was such a fun assignment. Sorry to see it end.
On Elia Kazan’s East of Eden and the Revelation That Was James Dean: for Library of America
Recently, I wrote a small piece which could be given a High School English class title: What James Dean and East of Eden meant to me. When I wrote it, I was deep in research for a huge piece which … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
Tagged drama, East of Eden, Elia Kazan, James Dean, John Steinbeck, reviews
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“All his passwords were Hitler.”
This is incredibly charming and moving. Bob Saget, John Stamos and Jimmy Kimmel reminisce about Don Rickles.
Posted in Actors, RIP, Television
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“There’s just one in a generation like her.” On Kim Stanley
The legend of Kim Stanley is strongest among actors, especially actors in the Actors Studio world, where her shadow continues to loom. The woman only did 4 films. That’s it. And yet … the myth, the MYTH OF THIS WOMAN. … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, Television
8 Comments
Two Scenes Where Actors Climb Over Fences: Compare and Contrast
First, we have Liam Neeson jumping over a fence in Taken 3, with a total of 15 cuts in a moment that lasts seconds. (I hope the link to this Tweet works. I could not track down the Gif anywhere … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies, Television
Tagged Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Supernatural
62 Comments
James Baldwin on Bette Davis
From James Baldwin’s The Devil Finds Work, an indispensable work of not only film criticism but cultural commentary and observation. Here is Baldwin on the impact seeing Bette Davis on the screen for the first time made on him as … Continue reading
The Muriel Awards 2016: My Entry on Isabelle Huppert in Elle
Every year, the Muriel Awards – an alternate and online award – chooses folks to vote on the best of the year in film. Each voter fills in an extensive ballot. Ballots are tallied. It’s always a wonderful and somewhat … Continue reading