Johnny Depp Regularly Visits Sick Children as Captain Jack Sparrow
Johnny Depp visits sick children in the hospital dressed as his popular Captain Jack Sparrow character from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Clint Eastwood Wants to Cast Veterans of ‘Jersey Boys’ Productions for His Film Adaptation
Jersey Boys has not only been a Broadway hit since opening in 2005 at the August Wilson Theatre, but has been a popular favorite in in theaters all over the world. All in all, the various Jersey Boys productions have grossed over one billion in sales over the past eight years — so all those talented performers must have been doing something right.
Craig Robinson on ‘This Is The End’, Playing a “Heightened” Version of Himself and Saying Goodbye to ‘The Office’
Darryl on The Office is a perfect example of a character whose role on a show expanded as the actor portraying him, Craig Robinson, got increasingly famous. Thankfully there wasn’t anything wrong with that — Robinson’s Darryl was one of the best characters on the show because Robinson himself is a very funny guy.
Nathan Lane Says He’s Finished with Musicals: “Perhaps if some tremendous thing came along, but I would really think twice about it”
It’s hard to think of any actor who has been more associated with Broadway in the last twenty-five years than Nathan Lane. The two-time Tony Award winner has rarely been off the New York stage during that time and he currently stars in The Nance, a play about a New York burlesque theater actor in the 1930s.
Michael Shannon on Why He Doesn’t Consider General Zod a Villain and If He’ll Ever Do Comedy
I’m no casting agent, but I have pegged Michael Shannon for a super-villain role for years. Still, I never thought Shannon — who has never really appeared in any blockbuster — would ever be tapped to star in such a role.
Jonah Hill Insists He’s a Serious Actor, So Stop Asking Him About Bodily Functions
It’s official: Jonah Hill is a serious actor. Sure, he might be co-starring in This Is The End and is likely returning for a sequel for 21 Jump Street, but in an interview with Rolling Stone Hill refuses to speak about his more famous filthy comedies and only wants to speak about his transition from comedian to serious actor in films like Moneyball and The Wolf of Wall Street.
The Business of Broadway: When “Star Casting” Doesn’t Work
Last week, I analyzed examples of the most successful examples of star casting on Broadway in recent years. While those productions are on the top tier, other productions don’t fare as well – with some even closing early, which is usually considered a major embarrassment for the star in question in additional to the significant financial loses faced by the producers.
Paul Bettany on How He Rekindled His Love for Acting
Millions of people probably know Paul Bettany best for being the witty English voice of Iron Man’s virtual assistant, Jarvis. While that’s not completely a shame (those gigs probably land Bettany quite a bit of well-deserved money), viewers who haven’t seen more of Bettany’s work are missing out on a wonderful actor — particularly now, when Bettany claims he feels re-energized.
The Business of Broadway: When “Star Casting” Works
In the past few years it seems like a Hollywood star opens a play on Broadway on almost a monthly basis. While this is a huge boost for Broadway and New York City – think of how many people traveled to Manhattan just to see Tom Hanks on stage in the last few weeks – the trend of “star casting” is controversial among Broadway regulars, many of whom see it as outsider stars jacking up ticket prices and “taking away” roles from legitimate Broadway actors for huge paychecks.
Review: ‘Hamlet’ / ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’ at the Sargent Theater (NYC)
Brandon Walker’s forte is emotionally conflicted, mentally troubled characters, and if that doesn’t describe Hamlet’s character I don’t know what does.
Paul Bettany on Lars von Trier and Modern Directors: “For the most part, directors have lost faith in actors”
Paul Bettany gave a remarkably candid interview with The Guardian while working on Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. Though he didn’t say much about Nolan’s next film (and knowing how secretive Nolan is about his projects that’s not surprising), he did talk about what he looks for in a director — and what he thinks modern directors have lost.
Johnny Depp in Dispute Over ‘Black Mass’ Salary
For quite some time Johnny Depp was attached to star in the biopic Black Mass as Boston mobster Whitey Bulger, who is currently on trial for his role in 19 murders. But it was suddenly announced on May 30 that he was out after a pay dispute. Or is he? That seems to depend on whom you ask.
Russell Crowe on Getting in Shape for ‘Man of Steel’: “I didn’t realize that I would be wearing spandex. I didn’t realize that I’d have to fit into it as well”
Though Russell Crowe is no stranger to beefing up for a role, it had been some time since he had to do so before he agreed to portray Superman’s Kryptonian father Jor-El in Man of Steel. Crowe is following in the footsteps of Marlon Brando, who played Jor-El in 1978’s Superman (and again nearly thirty years later in Superman Returns, which featured unused footage from the original).
Jenna Fischer on Why She’s Doing Theater After ‘The Office’ Finale: “My heart wouldn’t allow me to step into another television show”
So life after The Office begins for its principal cast, like Jenna Fischer, who had been with the show for the entirety of its nine-year run. For Fischer “life after” starts with her New York theater debut at the strictly limited engagement world premiere of Reasons to Be Happy, a play by Neil LaBute, which runs through the end of June at the Lucille Lortel Theatre
Henry Cavill on Playing Superman, Taking on an Icon and Learning Clark Kent’s Midwestern Accent
Henry Cavill almost played Superman several years ago while Warner Bros. was developing the project that would eventually become Superman Returns. Though that ultimately didn’t work out, opportunity ended up knocking for Cavill when he was selected to portray Superman in director Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel, a new origin movie of the world’s first superhero.
German Documentary Reveals Heath Ledger’s Joker Diary (video)
It has been said when the late Heath Ledger got into roles he really got into them. And when he portrayed Batman’s arch-villain The Joker in The Dark Knight, for which he won a posthumous Oscar for, Ledger went even deeper, including keeping a “Joker diary.”
David Morse on Theater: “It’s totally pretend, but we give ourselves over to it in such an emotional way”
David Morse is an actor who has had a long career in film, television, and theater for over thirty years and has never seemed to take a break. He has returned to the stage in New York in The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin at the Roundabout’s Laura Pels Theatre.
SAG-AFTRA Approves Contract for Commercials
After weeks of negotiating during a time when commercial actors have seen themselves working harder for less pay, members of SAG-AFTRA have strongly approved a new deals for acting for television and radio commercials.
Hugh Jackman: “I’m an actor, man. Never trust an actor, whatever their energy is”
The Wolverine will be the sixth time Hugh Jackman will be playing the quick-tempered Marvel superhero on screen (and he’s already signed for a seventh time in X:Men – Days of Future Past), and most fans wouldn’t have anyone else play Logan at this point.
James Lipton Reveals His Past as a Parisian Pimp: “It was a great year of my life”
James Lipton, the long-time host of Inside the Actors Studio, has revealed the details of his past as a pimp in 1950s Paris to Parade.