Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • Services
    • Aircheck for Actors
    • Demo Reels
    • Audition Prep/Self-Tape Reader
    • Mailing Labels
    • Contribute
    • Industry Links
    • Advertise
    Daily Actor
    • Acting Tips
      • Actors on Acting
      • Advice Columns
      • Acting Quotes
      • Audition Tapes
      • How To Become An Actor
      • How to Memorize Lines
    • Monologues
      • Monologues from Plays
      • Monologues from Movies
      • Monologues from Musicals
      • Comedic Monologues
      • Dramatic Monologues
      • One Minute Monologues
      • Monologues for Women
      • Monologues for Men
      • Monologues for Teens
      • Monologues for Kids
      • All Monologues
    • Acting Resources
      • Acting Resume
        • Acting Resume Template
      • Acting Classes
        • Los Angeles Acting Classes
        • Las Vegas Acting Classes
        • San Diego Acting Classes
      • Acting Schools and Colleges
        • Los Angeles
        • New York
        • BFA Acting Schools
      • Casting Websites
      • Headshot Photographers
        • Los Angeles
        • New York City
        • Headshot Printing
      • Acting Techniques
        • What is Method Acting?
      • Stage Directions
      • Demo Reels: Everything You Need to Know
    • Interviews
      Featured
      Casting Director Interview - Brett Benner and Debby Romano

      Interview: Casting Directors Brett Benner and Debby Romano Talk ‘Shrinking’, Finding Actors and More

      Recent
      Casting Director Interview - Brett Benner and Debby Romano

      Interview: Casting Directors Brett Benner and Debby Romano Talk ‘Shrinking’, Finding Actors and More

      March 6, 2023
      Jeremy Davis Olaf in Frozen Interview

      Interview: Jeremy Davis on Playing Olaf in ‘Frozen’, Costume Mishaps and Making the Role His Own

      January 19, 2023
      Casting Director Kim Coleman Interview

      Interview: Casting Director Kim Coleman on ‘Five Days at Memorial’, Self-Tape Tips and Portraying Real People

      January 11, 2023
    • Actor Blogs
    • Reviews
      • Movies
      • Theater
      • Books
      • Products
    • Actor Services
      • Airchecks
      • Demo Reels
      • Website Design
      • Mailing Labels
    Daily Actor
    Home » Actors on Acting » Jeff Daniels: “As much as I try to create different characters, more often than not, I will be asked to play variations of myself”
    Actors on Acting

    Jeff Daniels: “As much as I try to create different characters, more often than not, I will be asked to play variations of myself”

    Lance CarterBy Lance CarterMay 20, 2009Updated:September 14, 2018No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

    Jeff Daniels is currently starring in the Broadway play, God Of Carnage (which I tried to see while I was in NYC but it was freakin sold out!). Here he answers some readers e-mails.

    From the NYTimes.com

    Do you think being nominated for the Tony will in any way influence you to do more on Broadway or elsewhere on the stage? — Megan Burnham

    Nomination or not, more theater was on my To-Do List. Kathleen and I left New York and moved back home to Michigan in 1986 to raise our family in a place we understood. While there, however, I missed the theater life, so I created the Purple Rose Theater Company. With my kids now in college and beyond, I can see doing more stage acting. Broadway. The Purple Rose. Frankly, I like being known as an actor who can do both film and stage. New York’s full of them.

    How has your playwriting influenced your acting, and vice versa? — Jeremy Gable

    Having written, I have a far better understanding of story structure. Also, since I know first hand how much goes into the writing of a script, I tend to bend over backwards to make what’s been written work. Having acted, I know each character I write has to be fully realized, have things to do that impact the story, and on a nightly basis, be someone I would look forward to playing. Otherwise, I cut it.

    I recently saw “The Squid And The Whale” again when it was broadcast by PBS. The character you play in that movie is so devastatingly selfish and egotistical it was almost unbearable to watch him at times — yet I couldn’t look away. Did you base him on someone you knew? And when you play such character in a film, does it affect your personal life? — Christine Lavin

    While I am not above shamelessly stealing from anyone, in the end, I got to Bernard by tunneling into myself. Having written, I understood the singular focus of living in my own head for months at a time. Bernard’s habit of using words others would never think to utter was stolen from a writer I met. Another told me of always listening to conversations as if they were things to be rewritten. Once I was in that head, I had Bernard. Noah [Baumbach]’s script did the rest.

    As for affecting my personal life, I work hard to leave my characters behind. The other night, Frank Langella gave me some great advice about sustaining a long run. He said, “During the day, don’t think about it at all.” So every night after the show, as soon as I take off the suit, Alan’s gone. I like to think of it as sanctioned schizophrenia.

    Any past performances you were disappointed you weren’t nominated for? — keith reddin

    Let me put it this way. Once you come to understand that nominations are completely out of your control, decided by unseen others, and unlike any scenario you may conjure up, you will be well on your way towards eliminating disappointment over such things. Accept whatever goes down with grace. If it happens, terrific, get ready to rent a limo. If it doesn’t, try not to break anything of value.

    Can you talk about the role your height has played in your career and your casting? In your eyes, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being a “tall actor”? — Mark Crawford

    The advantage is that tall actresses love me because I make them look smaller. The disadvantage would be losing work with an A-list star because you also do the same thing to him.

    You’ve done television commercials promoting the growth of industry in Michigan. How much of a role does background and roots play in your growth as an actor? — Jess

    As much as I try to create different characters, more often than not, I will be asked to play variations of myself. That said, I’ve enjoyed stretching whoever I am into as many people as possible. My actor’s fantasy is to reach the age of 80 and throw a dinner party for everyone I’ve ever played. I can see the place settings now: Alan Raleigh of “God of Carnage.” sitting next to Mr. Johnson from “Pleasantville.” “Gettysburg”‘s Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain along side Flap Horton from “Terms of Endearment.” And, of course, “Dumb & Dumber”‘s Harry Dunne trying to have a conversation with “The Squid and the Whale”‘s Bernard Berkman.

    Related

    Previous ArticleSteve Zahn on Typecasting and Living in Kentucky
    Next Article Rutina Wesley Talks Her Career, Training and Working With Anna Paquin

    Related Posts

    Jeremy Strong in Armageddon Time

    Jeremy Strong: “There’s infinite ways really to play any part. So you have to discover what feels necessary”

    March 14, 2023
    Christina Ricci

    How Christina Ricci Chooses Her Characters and Why She Loves ‘Yellowjackets’

    March 9, 2023
    Actor Sean Bean in Marriage

    Sean Bean on What Makes Acting So “Rewarding” and Why You “Can’t Wing” Emotional Scenes

    February 6, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Daily Actor Facebook Daily Actor Twitter Daily Actor Instagram Daily Actor Pinterest Daily Actor YouTube Page
    Popular Pages
    Become An Actor | Acting Tips | Acting Quotes
    Acting Resume | Resume Template
    Headshot Photographers
    Los Angeles | New York
    Print Your Headshots
    Acting Schools & Colleges
    Los Angeles | New York
    Monologues
    Movies | Plays | Comedic | Dramatic
    Men | Women | Teens | Kids
    • Contact
    • About
    • Advertise
    • Resource Listings
    • Write A Column
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy

    Disclaimer: Daily Actor at times uses affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links provides compensation to Daily Actor which helps us remain online, giving you the resources and information actors like you are looking for.

    © 2023 Daily Actor

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.