About
"Once NBC and CBS had television set up, they had to put stuff on the air. I was one of the most used actors in New York because I memorized lines quickly and I never got flustered because the camera was live. And I enjoyed it. It was an exciting time. I did hundreds of shows, sometimes two in a week because I was the guy who could do it and some people were terrified of it. But I wasn't."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, E. G. Marshall (1910-1998) talks about his childhood, education, and performing with the American Art Theater. He recalls early roles on Broadway including The Skin of Our Teeth and The Iceman Cometh, and his time at the Actors Studio. He describes his earliest television roles including a Kraft Theatre production of "Macbeth," a Studio One adaptation of "Mary Poppins," and his roles on several classic anthology series such as The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and Actors Studio. Marshall discusses starring in the popular legal drama The Defenders alongside Robert Reed, and playing a doctor in The Bold Ones. He speaks of his then-recent role on Chicago Hope, as well as his wish at the time to keep working for as long as possible. Bill Tynan conducted the interview on October 15, 1997 in Armonk, NY.
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on touring with The American Art Theater; on his first acting jobs and how he supported himself early on in New York City
On working at the 1939-40 World's Fair, and on his earliest memories of television; on his early television work; on doing "MacBeth" for Kraft Television Theater
Chapter 2
On appearing on various Actors Studio productions, and on acting on live television; on appearing in the movie version of "Twelve Angry Men"
On appearing on the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse productions of "The Bachelor Party" and "Middle of the Night"; on appearing on Kraft Television Theatre ; on appearing on other episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Chapter 3
On working with various television writers including Tad Mosel and Paddy Chayefsky; on a typical work week on live television; on various directors he worked in on television including Sidney Lumet, and Delbert Mann
On the pilot of The Defenders; on The Defenders creator Reginald Rose and on his character on the show "Lawrence Preston"; on The Defenders producer Herbert Brodkin, and on the subject matter of the show
On The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist; on working briefly with James Dean on The Web
Chapter 4
On the guest stars and series regulars on The Defenders, including Robert Reed; on the fame that resulted from his starring on The Defenders, and on winning Emmy Awards for his work on the show; on declining to return to the show for a fifth year, and on the revival of the show
On starring on the series The Bold Ones as "Dr. David Craig"; on the success of The Bold Ones, and on working with the cast of the show
On his training as an actor, and on working with the Actors Studio; on his method of acting; on appearing on Chicago Hope
Chapter 5
On appearing on Chicago Hope; on Eva Marie Saint, Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.; on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
On his family; on his continuing to work; on his proudest career achievements
Shows
Actors Studio
E.G. Marshall on Actors Studio, and on acting on live television
Bold Ones, The
E.G. Marshall on starring on the series The Bold Ones as "Dr. David Craig"
E.G. Marshall on the success of The Bold Ones, and on working with the cast of the show
Chicago Hope
E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope
E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope
Defenders, The
E.G. Marshall on the pilot of The Defenders
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders creator Reginald Rose and on his character on the show "Lawrence Preston"
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders producer Herbert Brodkin, and on the subject matter of the show
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist
E.G. Marshall on the guest stars and series regulars on The Defenders, including Robert Reed
E.G. Marshall on the fame that resulted from his starring on The Defenders, and on winning Emmy Awards for his work on the show
E.G. Marshall on declining to return to The Defenders for a fifth year, and on the revival of the show
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
E.G. Marshall on the fame that resulted from his starring on The Defenders, and on winning Emmys for his work on the show
Kraft Television Theatre
E.G. Marshall on doing "MacBeth" for Kraft Television Theater
E.G. Marshall on appearing on Kraft Television Theatre
Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
E.G. Marshall on appearing on the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse productions of "The Bachelor Party" and "Middle of the Night
E.G. Marshall on appearing on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Studio One
E.G. Marshall on appearing on the Studio One production of "Mary Poppins"
E.G. Marshall on appearing on the Studio One production of
"The Out-of-Towners"
Web, The
E.G. Marshall on working briefly with James Dean on The Web
Topics
1939-40 World's Fair
E.G. Marshall on working at the 1939-40 World's Fair, and on his earliest memories of television
Emmy Awards
E.G. Marshall on the fame that resulted from his starring on The Defenders, and on winning Emmys for his work on the show
Historic Events and Social Change
E.G. Marshall on working at the 1939-40 World's Fair, and on his earliest memories of television
Hollywood Blacklist
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist
Television Industry
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist
E.G. Marshall on the pilot of The Defenders
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
E.G. Marshall on the the classic anthology series of the '50s, and the producers of those shows
E.G. Marshall on acting on live television in the '50s
Professions
Actor
E.G. Marshall on his training as an actor, and on working with The Actors Studio
E.G. Marshall on his method of acting
Performers
E.G. Marshall on his training as an actor, and on working with The Actors Studio
E.G. Marshall on his method of acting
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
E.G. Marshall on Actors Studio, and on acting on live television
E.G. Marshall on appearing on Studio One, Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, and Kraft Television Theatre
Legal Dramas
E.G. Marshall on starring as "Lawrence Preston" on The Defenders
E.G. Marshall on acting on The Defenders
Medical Dramas
E.G. Marshall on acting on The Bold Ones
E.G. Marshall on acting on Chicago Hope
People
Herbert Brodkin
E.G. Marshall on The Defenders producer Herbert Brodkin, and on the subject matter of the show
Paddy Chayefsky
E.G. Marshall on working with various television writers including Tad Mosel and Paddy Chayefsky
Fred Coe
G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
James Dean
E.G. Marshall on working briefly with James Dean on The Web
John Frankenheimer
G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
Angela Lansbury
G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.
Sidney Lumet
G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
E.G. Marshall on various directors he worked in on television including Sidney Lumet, and Delbert Mann
Delbert Mann
E.G. Marshall on various directors he worked in on television including Sidney Lumet, and Delbert Mann
Worthington Miner
G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
Tad Mosel
E.G. Marshall on working with various television writers including Tad Mosel and Paddy Chayefsky
Arthur Penn
G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn
Daniel Petrie, Sr.
G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.
Robert Reed
E.G. Marshall on the guest stars and series regulars on The Defenders, including Robert Reed
Eva Marie Saint
G.E. Marshall on Eva Marie Saint
Kim Stanley
G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.