Actors on Acting Archives

Kate Winslet On Her Body, Her Confidence and Working with Big-Headed Stars

A few years ago a band called the Silver Brazilians released a song titled “Kate Winslet”, which served as an ode to the beauty of the titular Titanic actress. However, with lyrics like “Kate Winslet / You know you look so fine / When they talk about your weight girl / I wouldn’t pay no mind / I’m no diplomat / but you look better fat / Kate Winslet,” it does mention Winslet’s often-discussed figure in a less-than-flattering way.

Newsroom’s Jeff Daniels: “We get a new play, basically, 90 pages every two weeks. And there is little to no rehearsal”

Actor Jeff Daniels has been making the rounds in promotion of his latest role in Aaron Sorkin’s new hit HBO series, The Newsroom, that just managed to rake in 2.1 million viewers in its debut.

Brian D’Arcy James on His New Musical Revue and What He’s Learned from ‘Smash’

It’s ironic that one of the most experienced Broadway musical actors on the NBC television series Smash, Brian D’Arcy James, plays one of the characters who isn’t involved in the Broadway business.

Nathan Lane on His ‘Iceman Cometh’ Pre-Show Preparation

During the run of the show, he and actress Laurie Metcalf (who is currently starring as Mary Tyrone in O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night on London’s West End) exchanged emails about the pressures of working with O’Neill’s text, food before shows and pre-show preparation.

Keira Knightley on ‘Seeking a Friend’: “It was one of the best scripts I’d seen in years – and so unique”

In Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Keira Knightley’s character Penny joins the ranks of cinema’s Manic Pixie Dream Girls. Not familiar with the term? Coined by film critic Nathan Rabin to describe the type of free-spirited, indie-music loving, quirky young girls who seem to only exist in movies to open up emotionally hollow men (like Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State and Zooey Deschannel’s in 500 Days of Summer), Knightley’s version of the MPDG serves as inspiration to Steve Carrell’s character in the film, who is trying to come to terms with the failures in his life as the world is coming to an end.

Kevin Spacey Talks About Learning From The Best – Jack Lemmon, Joseph Papp & Mike Nichols

After learning from the best as a young actor – Jack Lemmon, Joseph Papp, Mike Nichols – Kevin Spacey is ready to give back.

Julianne Hough: “My biggest fear is that people think, Oh, just because she was on ‘Dancing with the Stars’, she thinks she can act now”

Julianne Hough is talking a lot about Rock of Ages, the film adaptation of the smash hit Broadway musical that features some of the greatest rock hits of the 1980s. She talked about how Dancing with the Stars helped her acting career and whether or not her fellow actors are singing on the soundtrack.

Joe Manganiello on ‘Magic Mike,’ ‘True Blood’ and Hanging Out With Wolves

Actor Joe Manganiello has learned to take a light-hearted approach to his career. How could he not? He plays a werewolf on HBO’s True Blood and a stripper in Steven Soderbergh’s new movie Magic Mike.

Chris Rock Says Voicing Animated Characters: “The easiest job in the world”

By the time most franchises reach the third film, audiences are either sure they’ve seen enough (does anyone really want to see a Men in Black 4?) or still clamoring more. In the case of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which topped the box office this past weekend, the franchise might still have legs.

Giancarlo Esposito Talks Starring in the New Play, ‘Storefront Church’ and His Career: “It was a long journey to find myself”

Giancarlo Esposito, best known for his role as murderous Gustavo Fring on AMC’s Breaking Bad, is starring in John Patrick Shanley’s new play, Storefront Church. The show, which also stars Ron Cephas Jones and Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins, is part three in a series that also includes the acclaimed play Doubt.

Philip Seymour Hoffman: “Acting’s not something you get good at and stay good at” (Video)

Here’s a nice Q&A with Philip Seymour Hoffman from CBS’ Sunday Morning. They have a quick career retrospective, showing his first appearance on Law & Order and up to his performances in Capote and Moneyball.

Martin Starr: “I’m allergic to money, because the choices that I make usually concern the people and the project itself, rather than the financial gain that is projected”

Starr admits that very often those small roles don’t pay much, but that doesn’t matter much to him.

Andrew Rannells on ‘Girls’ and His Upcoming Fall Show, ‘The New Normal’

Andrew Rannells recently appeared on HBO’s hit show Girls as formerly-closeted ex-boyfriend, Elijah and in an interview with Vulture, Rannells touched on some of the racial controversy surrounding the show.

Jessica Paré Talks About Getting ‘Mad Men’ Role and Being Certain She’d Be Written Out

Mad Men star Jessica Paré didn’t expect to be on the show for long. She had one line in her first episode but that didn’t stop her excitement

Watch: Jennifer Garner and Alfred Molina in the Short Film, ‘Serena’

In this short film, Jennifer Garner plays Serena, a woman who makes a series of strange and shocking confessions to her priest, played by Alfred Molina.

Tom Hardy Talks ‘Lawless’, ‘Dark Knight’ and Acting: “When I’m working, I have this discipline and I get meaning from it”

Tom Hardy is about to appear in a role that will most likely solidify him as a major star, Bane in The Dark Knight Rises.

Michael Fassbender on Early Auditions, Directors and Acting: “I take my work seriously but I can’t take myself too seriously”

Michael Fassbender is an actor who most people weren’t aware of in 2010, but by the end of 2011 his name and his naked body were the talk of the town. He talks about his early experiences breaking into acting and how he has coped with his fame post-Shame.

Brooklyn Decker on Auditioning for ‘Battleship’: “The whole time they’re like, ‘You’re not tough enough. We don’t think you’re tough enough to do this role'”

In a conversation at the American premiere for the movie, Decker admits that during the audition process it seemed unlikely that she would land the role.

Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss on the Evolution of Peggy

Elisabeth Moss has gotten to do some growing along with her character, Peggy Olson, as Mad Men has progressed over the years.

Watch: Jon Hamm Gives Advice to Young Girls: “Everybody Farts”

I have no idea whose idea it was at Rookie Magazine to have Jon Hamm dispense his manly wisdom to a some randomly selected teen girls, but they deserve a raise.