"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."

    About This Interview

    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.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Play 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

    16:24

    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

    12:22

    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"

    15:14

    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

    13:44

    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

    10:52

    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

    10:26

    On The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist; on working briefly with James Dean on The Web

    08:05

    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

    10:31

    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

    07:39

    On his training as an actor, and on working with the Actors Studio; on his method of acting; on appearing on Chicago Hope

    07:30

    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

    06:29

    On his family; on his continuing to work; on his proudest career achievements

    03:57

    Actors Studio

    E.G. Marshall on Actors Studio, and on acting on live television

    05:43

    Bold Ones, The

    E.G. Marshall on starring on the series The Bold Ones as "Dr. David Craig"

    04:46

    E.G. Marshall on the success of The Bold Ones, and on working with the cast of the show

    02:52

    Chicago Hope

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope

    02:07

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope

    00:45

    Defenders, The

    E.G. Marshall on the pilot of The Defenders

    02:45

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders creator Reginald Rose and on his character on the show "Lawrence Preston"

    02:47

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders producer Herbert Brodkin, and on the subject matter of the show

    04:52

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist

    05:59

    E.G. Marshall on the guest stars and series regulars on The Defenders, including Robert Reed

    02:35

    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

    02:29

    E.G. Marshall on declining to return to The Defenders for a fifth year, and on the revival of the show

    05:28

    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

    02:29

    Kraft Television Theatre

    E.G. Marshall on doing "MacBeth" for Kraft Television Theater

    04:56

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on Kraft Television Theatre

    05:00

    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

    03:41

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

    03:56

    Studio One

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on the Studio One production of "Mary Poppins"

    01:21

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on the Studio One production of
    "The Out-of-Towners"

    00:36

    Web, The

    E.G. Marshall on working briefly with James Dean on The Web

    00:59

    1939-40 World's Fair

    E.G. Marshall on working at the 1939-40 World's Fair, and on his earliest memories of television

    03:11

    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

    02:29

    Historic Events and Social Change

    E.G. Marshall on working at the 1939-40 World's Fair, and on his earliest memories of television

    03:11

    Hollywood Blacklist

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist

    05:59

    Industry Crossroads

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist

    05:59

    Television Industry

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders doing an episode about the Hollywood Blacklist

    05:59

    E.G. Marshall on the pilot of The Defenders

    02:45

    TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)

    E.G. Marshall on the the classic anthology series of the '50s, and the producers of those shows

    03:01

    E.G. Marshall on acting on live television in the '50s

    02:55

    Actor

    E.G. Marshall on his training as an actor, and on working with The Actors Studio

    03:47

    E.G. Marshall on his method of acting

    03:10

    Performers

    E.G. Marshall on his training as an actor, and on working with The Actors Studio

    03:47

    E.G. Marshall on his method of acting

    03:10

    Classic Anthology Series

    E.G. Marshall on Actors Studio, and on acting on live television

    05:43

    E.G. Marshall on appearing on Studio One, Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, and Kraft Television Theatre

    22:08

    Legal Dramas

    E.G. Marshall on starring as "Lawrence Preston" on The Defenders

    16:23

    E.G. Marshall on acting on The Defenders

    10:32

    Medical Dramas

    E.G. Marshall on acting on The Bold Ones

    07:38

    E.G. Marshall on acting on Chicago Hope

    00:45

    Herbert Brodkin

    E.G. Marshall on The Defenders producer Herbert Brodkin, and on the subject matter of the show

    04:49

    Paddy Chayefsky

    E.G. Marshall on working with various television writers including Tad Mosel and Paddy Chayefsky

    05:19

    Fred Coe

    G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn

    01:35

    James Dean

    E.G. Marshall on working briefly with James Dean on The Web

    00:59

    John Frankenheimer

    G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn

    01:35

    Angela Lansbury

    G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.

    01:00

    Sidney Lumet

    G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn

    01:35

    E.G. Marshall on various directors he worked in on television including Sidney Lumet, and Delbert Mann

    02:14

    Delbert Mann

    E.G. Marshall on various directors he worked in on television including Sidney Lumet, and Delbert Mann

    02:14

    Worthington Miner

    G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn

    01:35

    Tad Mosel

    E.G. Marshall on working with various television writers including Tad Mosel and Paddy Chayefsky

    05:19

    Arthur Penn

    G.E. Marshall on Fred Coe, Worthington Minor, Sidney Lumet, John Frankenheimer and Arthur Penn

    01:35

    Daniel Petrie, Sr.

    G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.

    01:00

    Robert Reed

    E.G. Marshall on the guest stars and series regulars on The Defenders, including Robert Reed

    02:35

    Eva Marie Saint

    G.E. Marshall on Eva Marie Saint

    01:48

    Kim Stanley

    G.E. Marshall on Angela Lansbury, Kim Stanley, and Daniel Petrie, Sr.

    01:00

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