‘Downsizing’ Director Alexander Payne on Casting: “I love having my mind blown”
“She can do it all on take one. It was as clear as the nose on our faces.” – Director Alexander Payne on Hong Chau
Casting Director Bonnie Timmermann on Trusting Your Instincts
“No one wants to be rejected. But if people reject you then that means it’s not the right fit for you” – Casting Director Bonnie Timmermann
Paul Thomas Anderson on Daniel Day-Lewis: “We’re all just trying to get it right”
When asked if he treats Day-Lewis different from other actors that he works with, Anderson answered
Danny McBride on His Early Career Struggles: “Looking back on it, I liked how dirty and grimy and dangerous it got”
After his first role in Green’s All the Real Girls, McBride thought he’d go back to writing
Annette Bening on Starting Her Career Relatively Late and How It Influenced Her Acting Process
“It took me a long time to feel comfortable working in movies. I felt kind of like I was a stage actress pretending I was a movie actress” – Annette Bening
Jon Bernthal on His Approach to Acting and How Investing Himself into a Role Makes for Better Performances
“One of the drawbacks of playing the Punisher would be the high exposure. There’s a real downside to that as an actor” – Jon Bernthal
Watch: Kelly Marie Tran’s ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Audition
The video features clips of Tran’s audition and includes clips of director Rian Johnson explaining what he was looking for in casting Rose
Watch: Daisy Ridley’s ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Audition
Ridely was asked to perform one of the movie’s most intense scenes — the torture scene with Kylo Ren — during her audition.
Daniel Day-Lewis on His “Final” Role in ‘Phantom Thread’: “The impulse to quit took root in me, and that became a compulsion”
“All my life, I’ve mouthed off about how I should stop acting, and I don’t know why it was different this time” – Daniel Day-Lewis
Adam Driver: “Basically, the only thing I try to do is know my lines”
“I never figure anything out. I do my job. That’s my goal, to be as economical as possible.” – Adam Driver
Bryan Cranston, Robert Pattinson and Armie Hammer on Working with Others
“You know, it’s not imperative that you get along with your co-stars; it’s like your in-laws — it just makes things easier” – Bryan Cranston
Margot Robbie: “I do timelines and backstories, I work with a dialect coach, a movement coach and an acting coach”
“I need to be with other actors, then my focus is on what they’re doing and all I need to do is react to it. I’m too in my head if I’m on my own.” – Margot Robbie
Jeff Daniels on ‘Godless’, Not Doing Research and Mixing Things Up in His Career
“Frank doesn’t know he’s in a Western, so I just tried to figure out what Frank was thinking and when he was thinking it” – Jeff Daniels on ‘Godless’
Lucas Hedges: “I feel like this responsibility to be a great actor, yet I have so much to learn”
“If I don’t go to work, I feel very lost and scared and confused.” – Lucas Hedges on Acting
Gary Oldman on Playing Winston Churchill in ‘Darkest Hour’: “You have a responsibility to the family to the people, to the icon, and to the image”
Oldman talks about how he got into character as the former Prime Minister.
Not Getting Lead Roles Made Emilia Clarke a Better Actor
Clarke says that while she was beginning her career as an actress, she was routinely passed over for lead roles.
Watch: Broadway Icon Harold Prince on “The Business”
Prince reflects on his decades of theater production.
Jason Bateman Thinks He’s the “Worst” When Directing Other Actors
“I’m assuming they’re doing the best job they can. I’m assuming that they’re playing the part the way they want to play it.” – Jason Bateman
Daveed Diggs on the Advice He Would Give His Younger Self
“I think I’m getting to be selective about the things I’m working on because I’m pretty confident in who I am.” – Daveed Diggs
Michael Stuhlbarg: “I don’t know if I’ve ever played someone who I’ve had absolute contempt for”
“Sometimes the work can be so hard that you have to remind yourself why you took the job in the first place” – Michael Stuhlbarg