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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
On Jack Nicholson in The Cry Baby Killer (1958): “Hi, Mom.”
In the late 1950s, producer/director Roger Corman took an acting class. He wanted to get a better understanding of the actors’ process. (A good tip for directors, by the way.) There was a young actor in the class named Jack … Continue reading
“What Was It, Spence?”
Gillian Anderson reads a letter Katharine Hepburn wrote to Spencer Tracy 18 years after his death. The letter is pretty famous, I’ve read it before, but it came to life for me in a different way, falling into Anderson’s beautiful … Continue reading
Gena Rowlands in Opening Night
“So please. Tell me. Tell me what this play doesn’t express.” “Hope.” I had a great time talking with Peter Labuza for his Cinephiliacs podcast, and the final 25 minutes we spend talking about Cassavetes’ Opening Night. You can download … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
Tagged drama, Gena Rowlands, John Cassavetes, Opening Night
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Snapshots
— Deadline screaming down the pike. I’ve been immersed in this project for a month now. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a marathon not a sprint. It’s going to be hard to … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Michael Caine
Yesterday was Michael Caine’s 81st birthday. In honor of him, here is a wonderful post by my friend Kim Morgan, who describes sitting in a roundtable discussion with Michael Caine, where he related a wonderful story about learning to hold … Continue reading
A Master at Work: Claude Rains Orders Dinner in Deception
A couple months ago, a conversation ensued amongst a couple of film people on Facebook about Deception (1946). I’d seen it but the conversation was so fascinating I pulled it out to watch again. (Check out Glenn Kenny’s analysis of … Continue reading
R.I.P. Shirley Temple
Some of my earliest movie memories are of watching Shirley Temple movies on the little black-and-white TV in my cousins’ basement den. Channel 56. I would not be who I am today if Channel 56 hadn’t existed. We didn’t watch … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, RIP
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Tribute to Philip Seymour Hoffman
RogerEbert.com contributors, including yours truly, remember Philip Seymour Hoffman.
R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman
I don’t want to believe it is true. A part of me is refusing to believe it. But apparently it is true. I don’t know what to say. With all of the great acting work he has done, I also … Continue reading
Thoughts on TV Pilots, including the Supernatural Pilot: What Works, Story Arcs, Starting Out Confidently, Working Blind
It’s fun to examine the pilots of shows that go on to be hits (preferably shows that last more than one season, where characters/plots go far far from the starting point). While everyone is making the pilot, the main thrust … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Television
Tagged Eric Kripke, Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, SPN Season 1, Supernatural
58 Comments