To Play a Smoker on ‘Rectify’, Abigail Spencer Asked a Smoker How to Act Like a Smoker
“I had never smoked before playing Amantha. I thought it was going to be my kryptonite.” – Abigail Spencer
Why Alexander Skarsgård Always Thinks He’s Going to Be Fired
“It’s not about wanting to show I’m versatile. It’s just feeling that excitement of not knowing who a character is but figuring it out and finding him.” – Alexander Skarsgård
Mahershala Ali on Playing the Villain in ‘Luke Cage’: “The task is for you to humanize them”
“If you go into playing these people and put your energy toward the anger and the violence, you disconnect yourself from the root of who these people are, who any character is.” – Mahershala Ali
Benedict Cumberbatch on the Importance of Building a Character’s Backstory
“It’s important to understand the who, what, where, why of the character before you meet him” – Benedict Cumberbatch
Naomie Harris on ‘Moonlight’: “It was a privilege to be part of this amazing project”
“To do your best work with anyone, I think you need to feel safe and comfortable.” – Actress Naomie Harris
Luke Evans on Being Cast in Beauty and the Beast and the “Huge Moment” He Had Early in His Career
“It’s a validation that you are the right person for the job because they’ve chosen and they’ve seen you do something connected to that role.” – Luke Evans on Auditioning
Parker Posey on Her Improv Skills: “I still don’t think I’m actually good at it”
“Every time I do something, I worry it’s my last job… I think that’s normal though.” – Parker Posey
William H. Macy: “This may sound pretentious, but I am getting better at what I do every day”
“I love the fact that I work every day.” – William H. Macy
Luke Hemsworth on ‘Westworld’: “It was a no-brainer to me. I was absolutely going to jump onboard”
“As an actor, if you’re given very little information about what’s going on, then you’re forced to make it up.” – Luke Hemsworth
Khary Payton on His ‘Walking Dead’ Audition: “It was one of the more substantial auditions I’ve ever done”
“I always say I’m in the hope business. You’ve got to stay hopeful. You’ve got to get up off your behind and try again…” – Khary Payton
Hayley Atwell’s Best Career Advice: “I’d say the main thing is: show up. Show up and be professional”
Atwell reflects on her career and recounts why she wanted to become an actress since she was a child and what was the best career advice she ever received.
Mike Colter on Playing ‘Luke Cage’: “I was looking at it from the standpoint of an artist”
Colter says that it didn’t take long for him to understand the importance of the character in comic book history.
Emily Blunt on ‘The Girl on the Train’: “It is a rarity in Hollywood to have a mainstream film with such a flawed [female] character”
“For me, when you’re doing a high-octane emotional scene, I can’t plan them out, so I don’t rehearse them.” – Emily Blunt
Rebecca Hall on ‘Christine’ and Why She Stays Loyal to Theater
“The kind of career that I want is not easy as a lady to manifest, because everyone wants a lady to be likable” – Rebecca Hall
‘Luke Cage’ Star Simone Missick on Why She Loves Her Character, Misty Knight
Simone Missick: “When I read the sides – you know Marvel is so secretive I didn’t get a script — I had no idea this was Misty Knight, that she was a superhero”
Zachary Quinto on What He Misses About Auditioning and Live Theater
“I loved auditioning because it was just an opportunity to act. Whether or not I got the job was the next hurdle, but the idea that I would get to act that day was the thing that excited me the most about it.” – Zachary Quinto
Sarah Paulson: “I muscled a lot of what I’ve achieved by sheer force of will and relentless determination”
“If my career had turned out like the fantasy I had of what it was going to be, it would never have made me happy” – Sarah Paulson
Boyd Holbrook on Shooting ‘Narcos’ in Colombia: “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done”
Holbrook talks about working with the real-life Steve Murphy, what movie inspired his narration, and why shooting in Colombia was so challenging.
How Joseph Gordon-Levitt Developed his ‘Snowden’ Voice
“You’re playing someone that everybody in the world has seen before. It’s a little different than playing a fictitious character.” – Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Renée Zellweger on Returning to Film After a Six-Year Absence: “I needed to grow as a person in ways that didn’t revolve around my work”
Zellweger talks about what prompted her six-year absence from Hollywood, what’s different about playing Jones again, and ageism in Hollywood.