Actors on Acting Archives

Leonardo DiCaprio on ‘The Great Gatsby’: “It’s intimidating … because you’re almost setting yourself up for disaster”

I’m feeling incredibly ambivalent about Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby because it is adapted from my all-time favorite book. While I’m happy to see the book get even more recognition, I’m not crazy about the cast, the soundtrack (I didn’t know there was so much hip hop in the 1920s), that it was shot half a world away from where it takes place, and the simple fact that no adaptation of The Great Gatsby has ever been able to capture the wild spirit of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.

Ben Kingsley: “I think when actors are playing villains, the best key is not to look at how evil they can be, but to look into their total conviction”

Without spoiling much, Ben Kingsley absolutely steals the show in Iron Man 3. He plays the Mandarin, a terrorist who controls the television airwaves in order to broadcast his vicious acts.

Bobby Cannavale’s Advice to High School Actors: “‘Say yes to everything,’ because you learn by doing”

Thirty Bronx Theatre High School students had the opportunity to pick the brain of one of New York’s top stage actors, Bobby Cannavale, when he visited with them on behalf of the Roundabout Theatre Company’s education program to chat about acting.

Greetings from Tim Buckley’s Penn Badgley on Not Impersonating Jeff Buckley’s Voice and Being “Done With” T.V.

Penn Badgley is more than ready to leave behind his days as a CW heartthrob on Gossip Girls. With his new role as legendary singer Jeff Buckley in Greetings from Tim Buckley, Badgley is already earning critics’ attention for his portrayal.

Colin Firth: “Life as an actor is a constant roll of the dice”

Colin Firth was a relatively popular actor even before he won an Oscar for The King’s Speech, so it’s not hard to guess that his stock rose afterward. However, Firth says that while he’s certainly more in demand it doesn’t make the roles he’s offered any less of a chance when he accepts one.

Matthew McConaughey Decided to Read Every Negative Review Ever Written About Him

Although Matthew McConaughey recently claimed that his recent decision to pursue better quality roles in acclaimed movies wasn’t a conscious decision, he admits

All Michael Shannon Wants is to Appear on David Letterman

Michael Shannon’s rise from relative unknown to Oscar nominee to blockbuster movie super-villain has been long, but not as tough as some of his friends suggest.

Michael Shannon: “I guess any time I take a job, I’m not afraid to dig into something, no matter how ugly it may be”

Michael Shannon’s big movie this year is undoubtedly Man of Steel, in which he plays the Superman villain General Zod, but those who enjoy Shannon in his dark roles are also looking forward to his role as real-life serial hit man Richard Kuklinski in The Iceman.

Clark Gregg on His Movie ‘Trust Me’: “Anyone who is in Hollywood long enough, you go through some… kind of feeling like that untouchable loser who can’t get a break”

Clark Gregg took time out from his schedule of appearing in all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies to film Trust Me, a movie he wrote, directed, and starred in about Howard, a luckless Hollywood agent for child actors who seems to finally have hit his stroke of luck with a young actress.

Robert Downey, Jr.: “Nothing pleases me more than when somebody who was awe-inspired to be working with me realizes I’m just another schmuck”

Though Robert Downey, Jr. is an acclaimed actor, in an interview with GQ he shrugs off the acclaim to point out how normal he thinks he really is what he calls a “ridiculous industry.”

Cuba Gooding Jr.: “When I’m not being creative is when I’m frustrated”

Cuba Gooding Jr. hasn’t had the greatest success since winning his Oscar for Jerry Maguire. Let’s just say making Snow Dogs didn’t do much for his career. But now that Gooding is starring in The Trip to Bountiful on Broadway, he feels like things are finally back on track.

Revolution’s Billy Burke: This show “has been the most physically challenging thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve been doing this for a long time”

It’s hard to imagine Billy Burke playing any other character in NBC’s Revolution besides Miles Matheson. But the pilot was actually shot with Burke playing militia leader Sebastian Monroe.

Will Forte Takes on His First Dramatic Role in ‘Run & Jump’

Will Forte is best known for his comedy skills, after spending eight years on Saturday Night Live.

Clark Gregg on Directing ‘Trust Me’, the Story of a Child Actor Turned Agent

It’s definitely an adjustment to go from shooting a huge blockbuster movie to an independent film. Just ask Clark Gregg who has appeared in films like Iron Man and The Avengers, and is now starring in the dark comedy, Trust Me.

Carey Mulligan on Auditioning for ‘The Great Gatsby’ and How “Acting is No Longer the Focus” of Her Life

One of the greatest achievements in Carey Mulligan’s career (perhaps even more than being nominated for an Oscar for An Education) was when she landed the part of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

Bette Midler on Her Staying Power: “I made my own work, I made my own shows, I put them together in a way that made people want to see them”

Bette Midler has returned to the Broadway stage this month as real-life Hollywood agent Sue Mengers in I’ll Eat You Last, the first time Midler has appeared on Broadway since her concert show Bette! Divine Madness ended its limited run in January 1980.

Emilie de Ravin on Playing 3 Versions of the Same Person in ‘Once Upon a Time’

Most actresses are cast in a TV series to play one part. On the hit ABC fairytale drama Once Upon a Time, actors often have to portray two versions of the same character—one in present day Storybrooke, Maine and the other from the enchanted Fairytale land.

Zac Efron Takes Advice from Dennis Quaid: “Play as many different types of roles as possible”

So let me get this straight — Zac Efron, that guy who was in all those High School Musical movies and 17 Again, has spent the last several years starring in indie films? Okay, I actually knew that already, but it’s still pretty surprising considering he probably still had five or so years left of milking teen heartthrob movies but instead chose to do more under the radar projects like Liberal Arts, The Paperboy, and At Any Price.

Ben Foster on Getting Cast in ‘Orphans’, Looking Up to Daniel Radcliffe and Why His Mom is Worried About Him

Harry Potter was actually Ben Foster’s inspiration for doing a play on Broadway. Well, technically it was Daniel Radcliffe who gave him the push to do Lyle Kessler’s Orphans.

Robert Downey, Jr. on Winning an Oscar: “I know it’s going to happen… That’s just a fact”

In his in-depth interview with Robert Downey, Jr. for GQ, correspondent Chris Heath ends with asking Downey if he aspires to win an Oscar. Naturally, the twice-nominated Downey responds with the familiar “it doesn’t really matter to me” answer we’re used to hearing from actors.