{"id":2204,"date":"2004-12-17T15:48:03","date_gmt":"2004-12-17T20:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=2204"},"modified":"2015-05-16T21:15:41","modified_gmt":"2015-05-17T01:15:41","slug":"lumet-appreciation-day-actors-and-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sheilaomalley.com\/?p=2204","title":{"rendered":"Sidney Lumet: Actors and Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sidney Lumet:<\/i><\/p>\n

Sometimes the relationship between actors and writers gets very testy indeed. As the director, I have to be very careful here. I need them both. Most writers hate actors. And yet stars are the keys to getting a picture approved by a studio. Some directors have enormous power, but nobody has the power of one of the top stars. If the star demands it, any studio will drop the writer in less than thirty seconds — and the director too, for that matter. Most of the time, I’ve done enough work ahead of time so that this sort of crisis never arises. I’ll come to an agreement with the writer before an actor has been approached, and I’ll usually have a thorough discussion with the star about the script before we decide to go ahead.<\/p>\n

These experiences vary. Most actors, despite Hitchcock’s pronouncement, are very bright. Some are superb on script. Sean Connery, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda, Paul Newman are wonderfully helpful. One can gain a lot by listening to them.<\/p>\n

Pacino isn’t terrifically articulate, but he’s got a built-in sense of the truth. If a scene or a line bothers him, I pay attention. He’s probably right.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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