Category Archives: Actors

“Character roles definitely age better than your ingenues. You don’t get to keep doing that.” — Catherine O’Hara

Posted on March 4, 2026 by sheila

It’s a sad day. It is Catherine O’Hara’s birthday. What a tragic loss. Unexpected. I am glad I so appreciated her – and venerated her, really – while she was still with us. There was nobody – NOBODY – like … Continue reading →

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“I wasn’t born an actress, you know. Events made me one.” — Jean Harlow

Posted on March 3, 2026 by sheila

Today is Jean Harlow’s birthday. Here is a discussion Mitchell and I had about her. The setup of the conversation (an ongoing series): I throw names of famous people at Mitchell, and ask him to describe each person in only … Continue reading →

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“I just love telling stories. That’s what we do and it’s a good business to be in, especially if you know you have talent.” –Jensen Ackles

Posted on March 1, 2026 by sheila

It’s his birthday today. I’ve written so much about him. My Supernatural re-caps are filled with tributes/explorations to his talent. He has no flaws as an actor. This is so rare. He can do anything. And he is lucky to … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, On This Day, Television | Tagged , , | 221 Comments

“I, along with the critics, have never taken myself very seriously.” — Elizabeth Taylor

Posted on February 27, 2026 by sheila

It’s her birthday today. I wrote a big piece on my Substack about National Velvet/A Place in the Sun/Suddenly Last Summer/Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and General Hospital. Naturally there is more to discuss – … Continue reading →

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“Imagination! Imagination! I put it first years ago, when I was asked what qualities I thought necessary for success on the stage.” –Ellen Terry

Posted on February 27, 2026 by sheila

“It is only in comedy that people seem to know what I am driving at!” — Ellen Terry It’s her birthday. In 1907, great English actress Ellen Terry (approaching her 50th year onstage) appeared in George Bernard Shaw’s satirical Captain … Continue reading →

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“I’m really confident. I had a perfect childhood. I had perfect parents and grandparents. They just love me, simply. So I have no fears.” — Mélanie Laurent

Posted on February 21, 2026 by sheila

Today is the birthday of French actress and director Mélanie Laurent. Probably most American audiences (and international audiences, outside of France) were first introduced to the extraordinary Mélanie Laurent in her perfoƒrmance as the revolutionary Shoshanna in Inglourious Basterds. Laurent … Continue reading →

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“If people want to know who I am, it is all in the work.” — Alan Rickman

Posted on February 21, 2026 by sheila

It’s his birthday today. When Alan Rickman died, I paid tribute to him for Rogerebert.com, including my memory of seeing him in the unforgettable Broadway production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives, opposite Lindsay Duncan. I still have the poster. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day, Theatre | 9 Comments

R.I.P. Eric Dane: Alex remembers him

Posted on February 20, 2026 by sheila

Old-timers will remember the Adventures of Alex and Sheila, shared on my blog and on Alex’s Live Journal. We have gone through a lot (much of it of our own making). We have had automobile mishaps, we drove through the … Continue reading →

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It’s Ron Eldard’s Birthday: the first famous person I interviewed

Posted on February 20, 2026 by sheila

Here’s the story of the first famous person I interviewed – an actor I had admired for a long time: Mr. Ron Eldard. I saw the excellent Roadie at the Tribeca Film Festival. Eldard plays a roadie fired from his … Continue reading →

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“I also like to play roles where the women are a little crazy. I just have a feel for crazy people.” – Lili Taylor

Posted on February 20, 2026 by sheila

“If someone puts up $100 million on a movie, they’re gonna be concerned about whether they’ll get it back. So they’re not gonna make a movie about three girls, you know?” — Lili Taylor It’s her birthday today. Like most … Continue reading →

Posted in Actors, Movies, On This Day | Tagged , , | 6 Comments