E. G. Marshall

Actor

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

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.

"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."

People Talking About ...

E. G. Marshall

Full Interview

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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

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

05:43

Bold Ones, The

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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

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E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope

00:45

E.G. Marshall on appearing on Chicago Hope

02:07

Defenders, The

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E.G. Marshall on the pilot of The Defenders