Chris McKittrick, Author at Daily Actor: Monologues, Acting Tips, Interviews, Resources

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.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Director James Gunn on Chris Pratt: “This guy has his own, very particular, amazing take on the character”

Parks and Recreation star Chris Pratt might be an offbeat choice for any role in a superhero film, let alone the lead role of Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, the leader of Marvel Comics’ intergalactic super-team the Guardians of the Galaxy. But according to director James Gun,, when we see Pratt in the film next summer we’re going to forgo any perception we might have of him.

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.

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.

Robert Downey Jr. on How He Became Iron Man and How Much Longer He’ll Play Tony Stark

Though now it seems that it would be wrong for anyone else but Robert Downey, Jr. to play Tony Stark, when Iron Man was going through casting Downey was only a few years removed from a very public battle with drug addiction and hadn’t been a high profile name in even longer.

Constantine Maroulis on His Lead Role in Broadway’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde’: “I know that people want to sort of tear me down”

The original 1997-2001 Broadway production of the musical Jekyll & Hyde was certainly not shy about stunt celebrity casting. Musicians Jack Wagner and Sebastian Bach were two of the lead replacements, though none other than actor/musician/lifeguard legend David Hasselhoff was in the lead role at the end of the production’s run.

Alec Baldwin on Shia LaBeouf’s Exit from ‘Orphans’ and His Preference for Theater Over Film

Reviews haven’t made it out yet on Broadway’s Orphans, the Lyle Kessler play that has unfortunately become most notable for the behind-the-scenes squabbles that led to the ouster of Shia LaBeouf from one of the lead roles, but star Alec Baldwin is still doing all he can to promote it.

Jeremy Piven on Retuning to TV with ‘Mr. Selfridge’ and What His Job is as an Actor

After starring as Hollywood agent Ari Gold on eight seasons of Entourage, Jeremy Piven didn’t expect that his next major role would be in another television series. Yet Piven stars as real-life turn-of-the-twentieth-century department store tycoon Harry Selfridge in Mr. Selfridge on PBS’ Masterpiece Classic.

John C. McGinley: “If you can figure out where you fit into any particular story, you’ll be okay”

Some actors shrug off a label like “character actor” as something that somewhat minimizes their contribution to a production. However, veteran actor John C. McGinley is not one of those actors.

Jason Bateman on His Dramatic Role in ‘Disconnect’ and How He Prepares for Emotional Scenes

In Disconnect, the usually very funny Jason Bateman plays a career obsessed lawyer who is unaware that his son is being cyber bullied.

Actress Suing IMDb for Revealing Her True Age Loses Lawsuit

In the lengthy battle between Huong “Junie” Hoang and IMDb over the actress’ claims that IMDb’s illegal revelation of her true age hurt her career, the jury decided the verdict in favor of IMDb after a trial that lasted just two days.

Chadwick Boseman on the Research He Did to Play Jackie Robinson in ’42’

When moviegoers go see 42 this weekend, many will be seeing star Chadwick Boseman for the first time. Though Boseman has been acting for a decade, starring as the iconic baseball hero Jackie Robinson is by far his most high-profile role.

Los Angeles Sees Big Rise in Film and Television Production in 2013

As a native New Yorker, I’m happy that so many films and television shows have been shot here over the last dozen years or so. When I was growing up, it was far less common for movies and television shows to actually be shot in New York — even if the stories were set in New York!

Moroccan Actor Enjoys Fame From His Obama “Look-a-Like” Performance in ‘The Bible’

Along with its high ratings, the History Channel’s mini-series The Bible was in the news because the actor playing Satan kind of… sort of… well, maybe looked like Barack Obama, the President of the United States.

Actress Suing IMDb on the Witness Stand: “The entertainment industry is based on perception … if you tell someone your age, it will affect their perception”

The actress suing IMDb for posting her actual birth date on its site, Huong Hoang (who has also been credited as Junie Hoang), took the stand to speak about the long process she went through to try to get IMDb to remove her age from its website.

Erinn Hayes Replaces Chyler Leigh in NBC Pilot ‘Holding Patterns’ After Leigh is Too Sick For Table Read

Leigh was initially cast as Leah for the pilot, which is a comedy from The Office writer Justin Spitzer about the lives of a group of friends who survive a plane crash.

Patina Miller on Starring in Broadway’s ‘Pippin’: “As performers, you want to be big. Hit every moment hard”

Patina Miller faces a significant challenge as she takes on the role of the Leading Player in the Broadway revival of Pippin. For one thing, Miller’s only previous Broadway experience was starring in Sister Act.

Louis C.K. on Getting Cast in Woody Allen’s ‘Blue Jasmine’: “I’ve been waiting for that e-mail my whole life”

For most actors, getting cast in a Woody Allen movie is something to be crossed off one’s bucket list. However, when the cast list for Allen’s next film — which would eventually be titled Blue Jasmine — was revealed, two unlikely names were on the list: comedians Andrew Dice Clay and Louis C.K.