John Aniston on performing on stage versus performing on television
John Aniston on how he found acting roles in his early years, and on the play "Little Mary Sunshine"
John Aniston on the craft of acting
John Aniston on advice to aspiring actors
Bonnie Bartlett on what she likes about acting, and on doing comedy
Bonnie Bartlett on her process of acting once she gets a script, and on acting in different media
Bonnie Bartlett and Williams Daniels on acting together, and on their life together
Bonnie Bartlett and Williams Daniels on acting together, and on their life together
Eric Braeden on how fear can help you as an actor
Eric Braeden on making fantastical characters and storylines seem real on The Young and the Restless; on memorizing lines
Eric Braeden on not feeling satisfied by his work as an actor
Eric Braeden on advice to aspiring actors
George Carlin on the origin of his famous routine "Seven Dirty Words"
George Carlin on getting fired from the Copacabana and being relieved to finally leave mainstream comedy
George Carlin on getting to write about the "freak show"
George Carlin on the evolution of his comedy
George Carlin on why he never gets tired of performing his routines
George Carlin on why he never gets tired of performing his routines
George Carlin on defining himself and his role as an entertainer and a comedian
George Carlin on advice he gives young comedians: write it down and classify everything
Kevin Carlisle on his process of choreographing dances for television
Kevin Carlisle on what he liked about choreographing variety specials
Kevin Carlisle on traveling internationally for work
Kevin Carlisle on what he enjoys about choreography, and on what audiences like about dancing on television
Kevin Carlisle on dancers' footwear
Kevin Carlisle on advice to an aspiring choreographer
Marge Champion on her chemistry with Gower Champion and her rehearsal process
Marge Champion on the process of creating a dance number
Marge Champion on developing her act with Gower Champion and their first time on television
Marge Champion on the logistics of shooting her and Gower Champion dancing for television
Marge Champion on advice to aspiring dancers
Bill Dana on the importance of having a good agent
Bill Dana on the difficulties comedians face
Bill Dana on comedy being a difficult job, and on the most important quality of a comic
Bill Dana on comedians using situations and constraints to their advantage, and on the impatience of audiences
Bill Dana on learning to use humor as a weapon to disarm
Bill Dana on when he first learned he could make people laugh, and on attending Emerson College
Bill Dana on his early comedic influences
Bill Dana on what he's learned about the business side of the entertainment/comedy industry
Bill Dana on comedians stealing each other's material
Bill Dana on the source of his comedy, and his characters, and on Jonathan Harris as "Mr. Phillips" on The Bill Dana Show
Bill Dana on his answer to the question "What is funny?"
Bill Dana on the need for a performer to pay their dues
Bill Dana on his answer to the question "Was it worth it?"
Bill Dana on ethnic humor, and on the importance of good representation
Gary Owens on the importance of the straight man in comedy, and on working with Jonathan Winters
Gary Owens on what drew him to comedy and comedy writing, and on his days of being a disc jockey in Los Angeles
Gary Owens on his comedic style
Shelley Berman on the type of performer he is, and on developing his early nightclub act
Shelley Berman on stand-up comedians using a stool, and various other props of the trade, and on the challenges faced by a stand-up comedian
Shelley Berman on the comedian Jim MacGeorge, and on his own poetry
Shelley Berman on the source of comedy in a script or situation, and on "teaching" comedy
Shelley Berman on the construct of comedy, and the difficulty in pinpointing what is funny or why people laugh
Shelley Berman on the importance in comedy of the audience relating to the comedian, and on the evolution of comedy in terms of explicit language
Shelley Berman on the importance of comedy in his life, and American life in general
Shelley Berman on his reputation for being difficult, and on the ups and downs of his life and career, including the loss of his son
Tony Roberts on the craft of being a straight man, and on his philosophy of comedy
Tony Roberts on dealing with the peaks and valleys of an actor's career
Tony Roberts on an actor dealing with and learning from his audience
Tony Roberts on summing up his career as an actor, and how he has navigated it
Tony Roberts on the role agents and managers have played in his career
Tony Roberts on how an actor deals with being typecast
Tony Roberts on how he feels about his career
Dick Gregory on what comedy can do and cannot do for society
Dick Gregory on what he wanted to accomplish with this stand-up comedy, and on his early experiences with nightclubs
Dick Gregory on coming up with material for his act
Dick Gregory on defining what a comedian is
Dick Gregory on using his life experiences as fodder for his act
Dick Gregory on advice to aspiring comedians, and on profanity in comedy
Dick Gregory on comedians developing a technique
Dick Gregory on the role of the comic in society
Paul Rodriguez on developing his early stand-up routine, and on being Richard Pryor's runner
Paul Rodriguez on being inspired by Richard Pryor to use his Mexican heritage and identity in his act, and on the language he uses in his act
Paul Rodriguez on the importance of comedians taking chances, and on basing his comedy routines around his life
Paul Rodriguez on dealing with agents and managers in his career, and on longevity in his career
Eddie Brill on teaching and learning comedy
Eddie Brill on developing a comedic voice
Eddie Brill on comedians using blue material
Eddie Brill on learning from older comedians
Eddie Brill on comedians being born or made
Eddie Brill on dealing with the business end of show business
Eddie Brill on the comedian's relationship to their audience
Eddie Brill on auditioning, and on working with Aretha Franklin
Eddie Brill on writing jokes, and on the power of laughter
Eddie Brill on what he gets out of being a comedian
Lewis Black on his early interest in drama, and on becoming a comedian
Lewis Black on doing open mic nights at Catch a Rising Star in New York City
Lewis Black on working out his stand-up routine in front of audiences
Lewis Black on developing his comic persona
Lewis Black on the source of the anger in his comedy, and learning how to use the anger
Lewis Black on audience reaction to the evolution of his angry character
Lewis Black on doing political humor
Lewis Black on judging how far he can go with audiences
Lewis Black on whether comedy can be taught
Lewis Black on dealing with the business end of show business as a comedian
Lewis Black on longevity in a comedian's career
Shecky Greene on why he started in comedy, and on his earliest gigs
Shecky Greene on the relationship between laughter and depression
Shecky Greene on developing his comedy act, characters in comedy, and his role in creating the Comedy Store
Shecky Greene on doing dialects in his act, and on working for the mob
Shecky Greene on what he has gotten out of his comedy career
Shecky Greene on his comedic persona, and on appearing on Today with Katie Couric
Shecky Greene on surviving in comedy
Shecky Greene on the then-current state of comedy, and on Jewish comedy and the joys of performing
Shecky Greene on summing up his career
Carlos Mencia on making a connection with his audience as a comedian, and the commonalities between people of different backgrounds
Carlos Mencia on the risks and rewards of doing edgy or racial humor
Carlos Mencia on aiming to inspire people, as well as make them laugh, though his comedy
Carlos Mencia on how comedy can heal divides, and solve problems in society
Carlos Mencia on his reaction to the notion of political correctness in comedy, and in life
Carlos Mencia on using "blue" material in his act, and how the choice of words can affect comedy
Carlos Mencia on comedians tailoring their acts to their environments
Carlos Mencia on being responsible to his community in his comedy
Carlos Mencia on having been accused of stealing jokes from other comedians
Carlos Mencia on advice to aspiring comedians
Charles Grodin on labeling himself according to his talents
Charles Grodin on an important lesson Uta Hagen taught him in acting
Charles Grodin on his philosophy of acting
Charles Grodin on important skills and tools for the actor
Charles Grodin on his brand of comedy, and on figuring out he was funny
Charles Grodin on his base of support when he decided to become an actor
William Daniels on what he likes about acting, and on his mentor Howard Lindsay
William Daniels on his distinctive voice
William Daniels on how he approaches a script, and on being president of the Screen Actors Guild
William Daniels on advice to an aspiring actor
Ed Begley, Jr. on the "rules" of comedy, and on then-favorite comedians, and managers of comedians
Ed Begley, Jr. on a performer or actor controlling his image or how he's seen by the public, and on improving as an actor or comedian
Ed Begley, Jr. on advice for aspiring performers
Jeannie Epper on being one of the founding members of the Stuntwoman's Association of Motion Pictures
Jeannie Epper on dealing with the risks and fears that come with being a stuntwoman; on being part of a stunt family
Jeannie Epper on how safety regulations have changed for stunt people over the years
Jeannie Epper on her style as a stuntwoman, and insurance coverage for her profession
Jeannie Epper on how CGI has affected stunt work
Jeannie Epper on advice to an aspiring stunt person
Nanette Fabray on her acting style
Nanette Fabray on good advice she's gotten regarding her acting in her career
Nanette Fabray on working with a difficult director
Nanette Fabray on advice to aspiring actors
Edie Falco on not consciously doing research for roles
Edie Falco on why she prefers shooting single-camera television shows without an audience
Edie Falco on what she likes about acting
Edie Falco on advice to aspiring actors
John Forsythe on studying at the Actors Studio
John Forsythe on the difference between acting on filmed or taped television and live television
John Forsythe on advice to aspiring actors
John Forsythe on researching his acting roles and playing in front of a live audience
Sharon Gless on what caused her to lose her fear of pursuing acting
Sharon Gless on why being on a hit TV show is her favorite acting experience
Sharon Gless on the chemistry between her and Tyne Daly: it's either there or it isn't, and it was there on Cagney & Lacey
Sharon Gless on being accepted by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman for the part of "Debbie" on Queer as Folk
Louis Gossett, Jr. on making the transition from stage to television and features
Louis Gossett, Jr. on doing research to play "Fiddler" in Roots, and why the character was a breakthrough for him in terms of his acting process
Louis Gossett, Jr. on overcoming creative differences with other actors and on the importance of doing research on characters
Louis Gossett, Jr. on what he loves about acting
Leslie Hoffman on the risks of a high jump stunt and precautions she takes
Leslie Hoffman on training to be a stuntwoman
Leslie Hoffman on rehearsing stunts
Leslie Hoffman on dealing with life or death situations as a stunt person
Leslie Hoffman on doing pratfalls
Leslie Hoffman on doing staircase falls
Leslie Hoffman on performing fire stunts
Leslie Hoffman on advice to aspiring stunt people
Hal Holbrook on what he likes about acting
Hal Holbrook on rehearsing
Hal Holbrook on fame and celebrity, and on being part of an acting company
Hal Holbrook on being known as a character actor
Hal Holbrook on advice to an aspiring actor
Ellen Holly on appearing as "Stephanie" in the Broadway production of "Too Late the Phalarope," and on how she played the role
Ellen Holly on being invited to join the Actors Studio by Lee Strasberg
Ellen Holly on what she learned at the Actors Studio, and why she didn't like Lee Strasberg as a teacher
Ellen Holly on what she learned from her time on One Life to Live, including advice she would give to young actors about the business-end of television
Felicity Huffman on what she likes about acting and the importance of storytelling
Felicity Huffman on advice for aspiring actors
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on Macy studying acting with David Mamet at Goddard College and how that led to Macy teaching acting in New York, where Huffman studied with him
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on how they help each other prepare for roles and the challenges of preparation as an actor
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on watching each other's work and their own, and how much they prepare for roles
Allison Janney on becoming interested in acting and doing a play directed by Paul Newman
Allison Janney on memorization's place in acting
Allison Janney on worries about being typecast
Allison Janney on her acting style
Allison Janney on the most important advice she ever received about acting
Allison Janney on advice to aspiring actors
Geri Jewell on the first time she did stand-up comedy, and how she talked about cerebral palsy in her routine
Geri Jewell on filming the Deadwood episode "Jewel's Boot Is Made for Walking" and how show creator/director David Milch coaxed a reaction from her
Geri Jewell on what she loves about performing and her hopes for her career as she ages
Geri Jewell on advice for aspiring actors
Russell Johnson on studying at the Actors Lab
Russell Johnson on the challenges of working in live television
Russell Johnson on advice to aspiring actors
Russell Johnson on his acting style and how he prepares for roles
Bernie Kopell on doing accents, and on using them on My Favorite Martian, The Flying Nun, and The Doris Day Show
Bernie Kopell on his acting process, his preparation for a given role, and on working with Neil Simon
Lisa Kudrow on realizing there was no "mystical truth" to becoming a working actor after seeing her brother's friend, Jon Lovitz, land a gig on Saturday Night Live
Lisa Kudrow on what she learned about acting from her work at The Groundlings Improv group and how invaluable the character monologues were
Lisa Kudrow on her first-ever performance in front of an audience
Lisa Kudrow on some realities of working in television and the expectations and challenges of coming in as guest-star on a long-running sitcom
Lisa Kudrow on the challenges of performing the same character for so many years, as on Friends with "Phoebe"
Lisa Kudrow on advice to aspiring actors "as long as it's not porn, do it"
Gene LeBell on stunts he won't do and stunts he'd like to do
Gene LeBell on how he got into stunt work
Gene LeBell on the lack of early safety regulations for stunt people
Gene LeBell on his specialty in stunts and the background necessary for the profession
Gene LeBell on early stuntwomen and men doubling for women
Gene LeBell on coordinating stunts
Gene LeBell on different types of stunts - high falls, stunt driving, pratfalls, stair falls and fistfights
Gene LeBell on preparations for stunt fistfights and fire stunts
Gene LeBell on essential qualities for a stuntperson
Gene LeBell on how he's credited a stuntperson
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on her early interest in acting
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the challenge of portraying a version of herself on Curb Your Enthusiasm
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on one of her favorite improv moments on Veep
Julia Louis-Dreyfus on advice to aspiring actors
William H. Macy on studying acting with David Mamet at Goddard College
William H. Macy on the Practical Aesthetics acting technique, which he developed with David Mamet
William H. Macy on appearing in small roles on TV series early in his career
William H. Macy on his advice to actors for reading scripts
William H. Macy on what he likes about acting
William H. Macy on "being visited by the muse" while performing onstage
William H. Macy on the best advice he's received, and his advice to actors
William H. Macy on advice to aspiring actors
Anita Mann on doing choreography for television, and what she learned from working for Lucille Ball
Anita Mann on her duties as an assistant choreographer
Anita Mann on her process of choreographing a number for television, and on choreographing the Miss America Pageant for which she won an Emmy Award
Anita Mann on how choreography on television has changed since she started
Anita Mann on what she looked for when she hired dancers on Solid Gold
Anita Mann on how choreography on television has changed since she first started
Anita Mann on what she enjoys about choreography
Anita Mann on advice to an aspiring choreographer
Hal Needham on doing stunts "by the seat of his pants"
Hal Needham on advice to aspiring stuntmen and directors
Hal Needham on stunt men staying physically and mentally fit
Hal Needham on insurance coverage for stunt men
Marion Ross on her process for learning her lines
Marion Ross on acting in front of an audience
Marion Ross on how she creates her characters
Marion Ross on important advice she's received as an actress, and on the importance of having an agent
Marion Ross on advice to an aspiring actor
Richard Schiff on his fear of acting
Richard Schiff on dealing with Aaron Sorkin's habit of turning in scripts late for The West Wing
Richard Schiff on auditioning
Richard Schiff on wanting to be an "actor's actor"
William Shatner on his famous halting style of delivery, and on appearing on stage in "Deathtrap"
William Shatner on what he learned performing Shakespeare on stage in Canada for several years
William Shatner on dealing with the cameras and working with directors in live television
William Shatner on how he prepared to act on live television, and some of the challenges he faced
Yeardley Smith on her stage fright and how she's overcome it by being "over prepared"
Yeardley Smith on her early determination to find success as an actress, and feeling that she had a "gift"
Yeardley Smith on playing to your strengths as an actor and finding her way into a role
Yeardley Smith on the differences between television/film and theater, and appearing as a guest star on a TV show
Yeardley Smith on performing "Lisa Simpson"
Yeardley Smith on being on The Simpsons and wanting to get more on-camera roles
June Taylor on getting music for the June Taylor Dancers
June Taylor on adapting the choreography for the cameras on Cavalcade of Stars and working with director Frank Bunetta
June Taylor on the challenges of choreographing a ballet with several dancers on The Jackie Gleason Show, and on the Jackie Gleason composed ballet "Rhapsody"
June Taylor on the rehearsal process of The Jackie Gleason Show and Gleason's aversion to rehearsing
Leslie Uggams on singing on television shows as a child and when she began to seriously studying singing
Leslie Uggams on studying acting as a child and later on with Stella Adler
Leslie Uggams on performing on stage versus performing on television
Leslie Uggams on what she loves about performing
Leslie Uggams on her favorite songs in her repertoire
Leslie Uggams on advice to an aspiring actress
Fred Willard on what he's learned about improv acting from the Christopher Guest movies
Fred Willard on playing dramatic roles and the types of roles he usually plays
Fred Willard on what he likes about acting, doing research for roles, and what attracts him to a role
Fred Willard on advice to aspiring actors
Cindy Williams on working with Penny Marhsall on the physical comedy of Laverne & Shirley
Cindy Williams on what she enjoys about acting
Cindy Williams on advice to aspiring actors
Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall on performing the physical comedy of Laverne & Shirley
Larry Wilmore on transitioning from writing jokes for himself to writing them for other people, and on finding his voice as a comic
Larry Wilmore on doing his early stand-up comedy routines and on doing improv
Larry Wilmore on his comedic influences
Larry Wilmore on his stand-up act
Larry Wilmore on considering himself to be primarily a producer, and on his kinship with stand-up comedy
