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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
- “Art is theft, art is armed robbery, art is not pleasing your mother.” — Janet Malcolm
- “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
- Physical Media Booklet Essay podcast interview
- “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
Anatomy of Two Pratfalls: Cary Grant and Elvis Presley
Both men were superb athletes in their primes, and both had “funny bones”. It was difficult for these men to suppress their comedic impulses. Cary Grant did so completely in Notorious, one of the reasons why his performance is still … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
Tagged Cary Grant, comedy, Elvis Presley, screwball comedy, The Awful Truth
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Jennifer McCabe on Acting: “Bring Yourself.”
Jennifer McCabe I met Jennifer McCabe in 1995 when we both were grad students at the Actors’ Studio MFA Program in Manhattan. We became friends, of a sort, during our 9 a.m. dance classes at the Alvin Ailey Dance Studio … Continue reading
2011 Oscars: Best Actor Nominees
This article originally appeared on Capital New York. Demián Bichir as Carlos Galindo in A Better Life Mexico-born actor Demián Bichir plays Carlos, an undocumented immigrant struggling to get by in Los Angeles, working as a gardener, and sleeping on … Continue reading
2011 Oscars: Best Actress nominees
This article originally appeared on Capital New York. Viola Davis as Aibileen in “The Help” As Aibileen, the strong yet pained maid in The Help, Viola Davis finally steps front and center. It’s about time. She’s been doing phenomenal supporting … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Lana Turner
You can open up George Eliot’s Middlemarch and find a gem of language on every page. Not an exaggeration. It’s almost overwhelming, you want her to slow down … because her genius is just too much, I am just a … Continue reading
2011 Oscars: Best Supporting Actor
This was originally published on Capital New York. Nick Nolte: Paddy Conlon in Warrior Nick Nolte has cornered the market in tortured characters, playing them with searing authenticity and power. Nolte has been nominated for Oscars three times, as Best … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
Tagged Brad Pitt, Ewan McGregor, Ingmar Bergman, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, Mélanie Laurent, Nick Nolte
5 Comments
Press Play’s “Should Win” Series: Best Actress
Press Play contributors pick the Oscars in a series of video essays, produced by Kevin Lee and Matt Zoller Seitz. I did the voiceover narration on this one. These take so much work, Kevin Lee does such a great job … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
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Press Play’s ‘Should Win’ Video Series:
Unfolding over this week at the wonderful Press Play is an ongoing Should Win series of video essays, taking a look at all of the major Oscar nominees. I was asked to narrate a couple of the video essays, written … Continue reading
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2011 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress Nominees
This piece originally appeared on Capital New York. Melissa McCarthy: “Megan” in Bridesmaids. Melissa McCarthy came up through the vibrant improv and standup scene in New York City. Up until now, she was mainly known for her recurring role on … Continue reading
Posted in Actors, Movies
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