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.
Homeland’s David Harewood is “an overnight success that was 25 years in the making”
David Harewood isn’t bitter that he was killed off Showtime’s hit series, Homeland. In fact, he credits the show with turning his career around.
The First Time Jon Hamm Met Bryan Cranston: “We were simply two actors, in costume and out of context”
Looks like we’re not the only ones obsessed with Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of Walter White on AMC’s Breaking Bad. Cranston was recently named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world. To write about his achievements, TIME landed no less than Jon Hamm to talk up Cranston’s talent.
Alexander Skarsgard on ‘Disconnect’, ‘True Blood’ and Taking Risks In Front of the Camera: “If you’re not comfortable, you’re going to play it safe”
Despite being on HBO’s True Blood for more than six seasons, Alexander Skarsgard is still enjoying his time playing vampire, Eric Northman.
Peter Dinklage: “I expected the entertainment business to see only my size and nothing else, so I wanted to pretend my size wasn’t who I was at all”
With millions of fans tuning in each week, Game of Thrones is among the most popular television series HBO has ever had. One of the most compelling characters on the show is Tyrion Lannister, who is portrayed by Peter Dinklage
Alan Tudyk on Playing Racist Baseball Manager in ’42’: “It would leave a stain on your mood, and put you into a bad mood into the next day”
In a movie that deals with racial prejudice like 42, naturally the roles most people would want to play are the characters who overcome racism, like Jackie Robinson (portrayed by Chadwick Boseman) and Branch Rickey (portrayed by Harrison Ford).
Bradley Cooper: “I surround myself with people who are honest with me”
To me, 2012 in film marked a year in which a number of actors revealed to the world that they could really, well, act. For example, prior to Silver Linings Playbook, Bradley Cooper was best known for his good looks and starring in comedies like The Hangover movies and Wedding Crashers and romantic comedies. But Cooper proved his chops in Silver Linings Playbook and was even nominated for an Oscar.