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- “When liberty is taken away by force it can be restored by force. When it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered.” — Dorothy Thompson
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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
- “There’s a difference between writing about something and living through it. I did both.” — poet/novelist Margaret Walker
- “I believe what Camus says. When the curtain rings down, your job is done.” — Warren Oates
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- “My voice isn’t an instrument I can just hang up on a hook.” — Audra McDonald
- “You can’t be on top all the time. It isn’t natural.” — Olivia de Havilland
- “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
“She has a large family … about 20. At last count.” – Gena Rowlands on Angelina Jolie
Gena Rowlands’ introduction speech to Angelina Jolie’s receiving of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 2013 Governors Awards. Jolie was one of three recipients, and unfortunately, they separated out these awards from the actual Oscar ceremony, a mistake, I … Continue reading
QA with Dan Callahan on Vanessa Redgrave
I interviewed author Dan Callahan about the biography he just wrote on the life of Vanessa Redgrave, Vanessa: The Life of Vanessa Redgrave. The book is amazing. If you are not familiar with Dan Callahan’s work, it’s a perfect opportunity. … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Books
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On Lauren Bacall
A fascinating analysis of Lauren Bacall’s walk by Joe McElhaney. I have spent a lot of time thinking about Lauren Bacall, studying Lauren Bacall. McElhaney’s piece is a goldmine. Here is just one insightful observation: Bacall’s importance as a film … Continue reading
Congrats to Alexandra Billings: Transparent
My great friend Alexandra Billings (notably, the first transgendered person to actually play a transgendered person on network television) has been cast in a recurring role in a new series called Transparent – an Amazon original series, with a helluva … Continue reading
You Rang?
Tallulah Bankhead in the deeply effed-up film The Cheat. Because this moment, played with zero irony whatsoever, never, ever, EVER gets old.
John and Gena
In 1992, Gena Rowlands gave an interview to Gary Indiana for Interview magazine. It was a generous interview, with a gorgeous spread of photographs, many of them taken by the legendary Sam Shaw (who took so many famous photos of … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Directors, Movies, Personal
Tagged Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Love Streams, Opening Night
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Announcement: John Cassavetes’ Love Streams on Criterion
I’ve held back on sharing this news until Criterion made the announcement. John Cassavetes’ 1984 film Love Streams will be one of their August releases, and a video-essay, written and narrated by yours truly, will be included in the special … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Directors, Movies
Tagged drama, Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Love Streams
36 Comments
Zac Efron in Neighbors
The reviews intrigued me. Zac Efron was called out repeatedly, and reviewers were using surprising words like “melancholy,” to describe what he was doing, which made me totally curious. Not that it surprised me that Efron was good (I have … Continue reading
Emma Stone Wins
Sheer liquid joy. I love the glimpses you get of the band over to the side, roaring with laughter, as she goes to town with Blues Traveler. I wrote about her loopy comedic sensibility in my brief review of the … Continue reading
Posted in Actors
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