Ray Romano talks about ‘Men Of A Certain Age’ and the state of the sitcom

Here’s a really interesting interview with Ray Romano. He has some great insights on the state of sitcoms and his new show, Men Of A Certain Age (premiering tonight on TNT).

From thewrap.com

Stanley Tucci on ‘The Lovely Bones’ and working Meryl Streep

From wsj.com:

The Wall Street Journal: How did you decide to take on this part of a rapist and murderer?

Mr. Tucci: I really trusted Peter [Jackson] and his wife, Fran. In the original draft of the script that I read, that scene was more graphic. In the film, everything is left to your imagination, which is how it should be— it makes everything so much more scary and more interesting. Also, much of the movie was shooting in Pennsylvania, so I knew I could take a train and commute home to see my family [in upstate New York]. I also brought my family when we shot in New Zealand. I don’t think I could have done the part if I had been by myself.

Even though Saoirse Ronan [who plays the young girl] is a professional actor, did you have to gauge how much you could push her emotionally?

Yes, because it’s scary material and she’s a kid. As a parent, after every take, I’d ask her if she was OK, and she would do the same thing to me. I begged Pete to shoot in one day, but we ended up needing a day and a half. And it was at the end of the shoot, so I had to wait five months to shoot it. Once it was done, I felt so free. I like to joke a lot, and I think it’s vital for something like this.

You shot “Julie & Julia” immediately after this film, which must have been a relief.

That film was the antidote to this one, and was exactly what I needed to do. I stayed at home, worked with Meryl, laughed a ton and made martinis every night. We’re like two children together and laugh all the time, which is why we get along so well. Plus, she’s completely fearless as an actress.

In the spring, you’ll be making your debut as a theater director on “Lend Me a Tenor.” How did the project come about?

I’ve done plays all my life and the Araca Group, the guys who did “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” [with Mr. Tucci in 2002], have been after me to do another, but I couldn’t. I have three little kids and that play almost killed me. I hate the schedule and I don’t believe in eight shows a week. But directing is different. And this play is hilarious. All of the cheap gags that you find in farces are in this one farce. I would go crazy just being an actor. That’s why I started writing and directing. I don’t like being at the mercy of people I don’t like or trust.

Screenplay: ‘The Blind Side’

Want the screenplay to The Blind Side?

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Click here for the script

Thanks to Script Collector

Christian McKay: From Concert Pianist to Orson Wells

From wallstreetjournal.com

The Wall Street Journal: Despite having an injury, Richard Linklater expressly flew to New York to catch your final performance in “Rosebud” to check out your acting. That must have been exciting.

Christian McKay: It was one of those things that I’ve read about, that divine luck that actors sometimes get — but mostly not. I mean, I’ve a very lucky person and I’ve had a very contented life, but I always thought that kind of luck was beyond me. With his coming to see me, I had my own little Cinderella moment, my word.

Consequently, he invited you down to Austin for a good old-fashioned screen test.

It was marvelous. Actually on the plane down, the woman who was sitting next me to asking why I was going to Texas, and [after I told her], we spent the entire flight chatting about his films. At that time, I only knew about four or five of them, so it was a great pleasure to work with Rick and then go and check out his films and be astonished by them. I was particularly astonished by “Waking Life”;  I love that film. Rick is an emblem of that wonderful American tradition of the maverick — like how Orson was a maverick, but Rick can move form one genre to another with total ease.

And how was working with Rick?

He’s a great actor’s director and a great actor himself; he’d hate me for saying that, but I think it’s true. He’s a wonderful storyteller — he has that in common with the old man. He taught me how to act on film. For an old stage ham [like me], that was a difficult job. The gestures of the stage would be death on film, and I had a very technical job to achieve. I’m playing a theatrical, larger-than-life character, so I don’t want to be subdued. Film is limitless, but some stage presentations on film can look too theatrical.

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Clip: ‘The Lovely Bones’

Here’s a clip from Peter Jackson‘s upcoming film, The Lovely Bones.

In this scene, Stanley Tucci has his first encounter with Michael Imperioli.

Synopsis: The Lovely Bones centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

Peter Mensah: “The greatest experience for an actor is working”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 8:10 — 5.6MB)

You’ve seen Peter Mensah in tons of things but most notably 300, Hulk and Hildago. He’s usually the menacing or authoratative guy who gets in the way of the main character but in real life, he couldn’t be nicer. Maybe I shouldnt say that… I don’t want to ruin his authoritative cred!

Peter is starring in two great upcoming projects, James Cameron‘s Avatar and Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

In my exclusive interview I did at this summers Comic-Con, we talk about his Spartacus character (Doctore), working with green screens and he even offers up some advice to actors.

Is this your first Comic Con?
This is my first Comic Con. I’ve done some sci-fi fantasy. I did 300, etc., but I’ve not really attended, usually because I’m working somewhere else at the time.  This time around Rob [Tapert - Executive Producer of Spartacus] and the guys actually flew me back for this.

Tell me about your character.
I get to play a character called Doctore on Spartacus, and Doctore is the gladiator trainer.  And it’s his job fundamentally to bring up the up and coming new gladiators and also to prepare sort of the well-schooled gladiators for each and every fight.  And you know what’s fascinating about doing this is you sort of get to see how Roman society worked way back when, I think 73 B.C.  And the fact that these stadiums could house 80,000 people, would come in and watch these fights.  Physically.  They didn’t have pay-per-view.  They had to show up.

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