Alan Alda on his methodology for memorizing lines
03:55
Alan Alda on the importance of the relationship between the writers and the actors on M*A*S*H, as facilitated by director Gene Reynolds
03:45
Alan Alda on the role of improvisational training in his acting work, specifically work done at Second City
02:06
Alan Alda on the uncomfortable things actors must do to accommodate the camera
03:02
Alan Alda on working out a scene with Wayne Rogers on M*A*S*H, after shooting for the satisfaction of getting it right
01:43
Alan Alda on winning an Emmy, and how some of your best writing work can come as a surprise
01:36
George Carlin on the origin of his famous routine "Seven Dirty Words"
04:09
George Carlin on getting fired from the Copacabana and being relieved to finally leave mainstream comedy
06:31
George Carlin on getting to write about the "freak show"
02:08
George Carlin on the evolution of his comedy
05:27
George Carlin on why he never gets tired of performing his routines
03:03
George Carlin on why he never gets tired of performing his routines
03:03
George Carlin on defining himself and his role as an entertainer and a comedian
02:59
George Carlin on advice he gives young comedians: write it down and classify everything
01:28
Margaret Cho on what she enjoys about comedy and why performing in front of an audience feels safe
01:12
Margaret Cho on what she learns from bombing on stage
00:57
Margaret Cho on how her act developed
01:19
Margaret Cho on always wanting to be an actress and on how she got roles when there were no parts for Asian Americans
02:06
Margaret Cho on her first comedy show/special after All-American Girl, I'm The One That I Want, and how comedy helped her at that time
02:24
Margaret Cho on the craft of comedy and her writing process
01:57
Margaret Cho on getting to work with her mentors
01:01
Margaret Cho on advice from other comedians that she's taken to heart
01:13
Margaret Cho on balancing serious topics and humor in her comedy; on cancel culture and on whether she's ever felt restricted in her comedy
05:43
Margaret Cho on the role of comedy in today's political climate
02:08
Margaret Cho on being a role model for Asian American female comedians
00:41
Margaret Cho on advice to an aspiring comedian
00:30
Margaret Cho on what she wishes she had known when she first started her career
00:18
Margaret Cho on advice for young women entering the industry
00:31
Carlos Mencia on making a connection with his audience as a comedian, and the commonalities between people of different backgrounds
04:09
Carlos Mencia on the risks and rewards of doing edgy or racial humor
04:43
Carlos Mencia on aiming to inspire people, as well as make them laugh, though his comedy
03:00
Carlos Mencia on how comedy can heal divides, and solve problems in society
03:45
Carlos Mencia on his reaction to the notion of political correctness in comedy, and in life
10:13
Carlos Mencia on using "blue" material in his act, and how the choice of words can affect comedy
02:01
Carlos Mencia on comedians tailoring their acts to their environments
03:00
Carlos Mencia on being responsible to his community in his comedy
01:45
Carlos Mencia on having been accused of stealing jokes from other comedians
08:03
Carlos Mencia on advice to aspiring comedians
04:08
Shecky Greene on why he started in comedy, and on his earliest gigs
05:36
Shecky Greene on the relationship between laughter and depression
03:26
Shecky Greene on developing his comedy act, characters in comedy, and his role in creating the Comedy Store
04:36
Shecky Greene on doing dialects in his act, and on working for the mob
02:03
Shecky Greene on what he has gotten out of his comedy career
02:23
Shecky Greene on his comedic persona, and on appearing on Today with Katie Couric
06:46
Shecky Greene on surviving in comedy
02:34
Shecky Greene on the then-current state of comedy, and on Jewish comedy and the joys of performing
04:29
Shecky Greene on summing up his career
03:08
Lewis Black on his early interest in drama, and on becoming a comedian
05:45
Lewis Black on doing open mic nights at Catch a Rising Star in New York City
03:11
Lewis Black on working out his stand-up routine in front of audiences
03:47
Lewis Black on developing his comic persona
05:41
Lewis Black on the source of the anger in his comedy, and learning how to use the anger
07:53
Lewis Black on audience reaction to the evolution of his angry character
01:52
Lewis Black on doing political humor
06:26
Lewis Black on judging how far he can go with audiences
04:03
Lewis Black on whether comedy can be taught
05:54
Lewis Black on dealing with the business end of show business as a comedian
07:21
Lewis Black on longevity in a comedian's career
02:59
Eddie Brill on teaching and learning comedy
03:34
Eddie Brill on developing a comedic voice
02:20
Eddie Brill on comedians using blue material
02:34
Eddie Brill on learning from older comedians
01:40
Eddie Brill on comedians being born or made
01:16
Eddie Brill on dealing with the business end of show business
01:57
Eddie Brill on the comedian's relationship to their audience
04:37
Eddie Brill on auditioning, and on working with Aretha Franklin
09:13
Eddie Brill on writing jokes, and on the power of laughter
03:12
Eddie Brill on what he gets out of being a comedian
01:37
Bill Dana on the importance of having a good agent
02:38
Bill Dana on the difficulties comedians face
02:39
Bill Dana on comedy being a difficult job, and on the most important quality of a comic
02:27
Bill Dana on comedians using situations and constraints to their advantage, and on the impatience of audiences
04:39
Bill Dana on learning to use humor as a weapon to disarm
01:33
Bill Dana on when he first learned he could make people laugh, and on attending Emerson College
03:31
Bill Dana on his early comedic influences
05:24
Bill Dana on what he's learned about the business side of the entertainment/comedy industry
03:13
Bill Dana on comedians stealing each other's material
02:22
Bill Dana on the source of his comedy, and his characters, and on Jonathan Harris as "Mr. Phillips" on The Bill Dana Show
02:26
Bill Dana on his answer to the question "What is funny?"
01:40
Bill Dana on the need for a performer to pay their dues
01:42
Bill Dana on his answer to the question "Was it worth it?"
01:28
Bill Dana on ethnic humor, and on the importance of good representation
04:22
Shelley Berman on the type of performer he is, and on developing his early nightclub act
07:40
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
08:00
Shelley Berman on the comedian Jim MacGeorge, and on his own poetry
04:33
Shelley Berman on the source of comedy in a script or situation, and on "teaching" comedy
04:16
Shelley Berman on the construct of comedy, and the difficulty in pinpointing what is funny or why people laugh
03:03
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
07:07
Shelley Berman on the importance of comedy in his life, and American life in general
05:07
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
23:16
Tony Roberts on the craft of being a straight man, and on his philosophy of comedy
03:59
Tony Roberts on dealing with the peaks and valleys of an actor's career
08:01
Tony Roberts on an actor dealing with and learning from his audience
01:56
Tony Roberts on summing up his career as an actor, and how he has navigated it
04:38
Tony Roberts on the role agents and managers have played in his career
02:52
Tony Roberts on how an actor deals with being typecast
03:45
Tony Roberts on how he feels about his career
02:18
Dick Gregory on what comedy can do and cannot do for society
03:52
Dick Gregory on what he wanted to accomplish with this stand-up comedy, and on his early experiences with nightclubs
04:47
Dick Gregory on coming up with material for his act
07:12
Dick Gregory on defining what a comedian is
01:47
Dick Gregory on using his life experiences as fodder for his act
09:45
Dick Gregory on advice to aspiring comedians, and on profanity in comedy
05:23
Dick Gregory on comedians developing a technique
08:29
Dick Gregory on the role of the comic in society
07:31
Jan Murray on comedians from different generations, recognizing the great comedians of each one, and the greatness and faults of comedians from the then-current generation
02:07
Jan Murray on becoming the host of Blind Date and on being the first comedian to host a live game show
04:40
Jan Murray on using isolated stories at the start of his routine to get the audience used to his persona
03:56
Jan Murray on learning to adapt his material to the audience when performing in Israel
03:11
Jan Murray on being a naturally funny kid and getting into comedy as a result
01:32
Jan Murray on entertaining in the Cavaliers Social Club early in his career
02:24
Jan Murray on getting his gig working in the Catskill Mountains
04:07
Jan Murray on getting his gig at the Melbourne Hotel and deciding to pursue show business
02:10
Jan Murray on how entertainers come from all walks of life
00:42
Jan Murray on receiving show business advice from Al Jolson
07:37
Jan Murray on performing for benefits and how it impacts a comedian's business
02:38
Jan Murray on providing feedback to Shelley Winters and adapting a routine they did together
04:24
Jan Murray on performing comedy as medicine
00:19
Steven Wright on the first joke he ever performed and on unknowingly learning techniques by listening to comedy performances on the radio
05:13
Steven Wright on every comedian being a teacher and a student at the same time
01:48
Steven Wright on his delivery
01:27
Steven Wright on starting to tell jokes with longer setups, on pauses in delivery, and on waiting out a laugh
04:38
Steven Wright on a comedian's relationship with the audience
03:59
Steven Wright on his love of words when he was young
01:35
Steven Wright on his advice to anyone with a goal - take the risk
01:44
Steven Wright on how he creates his material
03:32
Steven Wright on advice to aspiring comedians
02:12
Steven Wright on whether or not you can teach someone to be funny
00:51
Steven Wright on whether or not you can teach someone to be funny
00:51
Steven Wright on the four things he would't talk about in his act and his rules for performing -- and when/why he would break his own rules
06:30
Steven Wright on his nerves when he first started doing stand-up -- on differences between being funny amongst friends vs. on a stage
01:47
Steven Wright on the challenges of starting out in stand-up
00:56
Louis Nye on what drew him to comedy
01:22
Louis Nye on the value of humor
01:11
Louis Nye on bringing back Old Vaudeville in his characters
02:59
Louis Nye on his characters potentially being offensive and on working with Jack Benny, Bop Hope, and Jimmy Durante
02:59
Louis Nye on his process for learning dialects
03:28
Louis Nye on tools he learned for getting laughs
01:13
Louis Nye on the business of comedy
02:59
Louis Nye on the Pagliacci syndrome and the prevalence of depression among comedians
01:42
Louis Nye on his work in nightclubs and on Broadway
02:34
Louis Nye on how comedy has changed since he started his career
04:02
Louis Nye on advice to students about a career in comedy and on sacrifices he made to be in the business
05:31
Louis Nye on what drove him to be a comedian and on his career longevity
02:01
Louis Nye on people expecting him to be in character
00:34
Louis Nye on originality in comedy
01:23
Louis Nye on whether it was all worth it
02:17
Robert Culp on modifying his acting when going from stage to television
05:15
Robert Culp on making a living as an actor
03:15
Robert Culp on making money as an actor, and on getting work on the stage
06:48
Robert Culp on writing a play, and on learning how to prepare material to perform
05:25
Robert Culp on his chemistry with Bill Cosby on I Spy, and on acting advice he gave him
08:02
Robert Culp on advice to an aspiring actor
00:41
Jeannie Epper on being one of the founding members of the Stuntwoman's Association of Motion Pictures
03:36
Jeannie Epper on dealing with the risks and fears that come with being a stuntwoman; on being part of a stunt family
03:56
Jeannie Epper on how safety regulations have changed for stunt people over the years
05:55
Jeannie Epper on her style as a stuntwoman, and insurance coverage for her profession
00:44
Jeannie Epper on how CGI has affected stunt work
03:03
Jeannie Epper on advice to an aspiring stunt person
01:26
Sandra Gimpel on how she learned to do stunts on Lost in Space, on which she was Bill Mumy's stunt double and stand-in
02:19
Sandra Gimpel on the community of stunt performers when she started out in the business, and on the most importance advice she got from early mentors
01:46
Sandra Gimpel on the fact that most stunt performers were men when she started out in the business
02:20
Sandra Gimpel on how her background as a dancer helped her when she became a stunt performer
01:10
Sandra Gimpel on the importance of emulating actors' movements and walk when doubling for them
01:10
Sandra Gimpel on why her small stature was advantageous when she became a stunt performer
01:48
Sandra Gimpel on "sugar glass", which is made of resin and used for stunt performers to be able go break through glass windows, and other forms of breakable glass used for stunt performers
02:51
Sandra Gimpel on the idea of actors "doing their own stunts": "99% of the actors have a stunt double...it's not that the actor can't do the stunt, it's not smart to let them do the stunt"
02:36
Sandra Gimpel on how she handled an actor wanting to their own stunts when she was the stunt coordinator on set
02:02
Sandra Gimpel on working with directors as a stunt coordinator, and on working with Jim Carrey on a stunt he wanted to perform in "The Truman Show" (where she was a stunt performer, not the coordinator on set)
04:17
Sandra Gimpel on a near fatal accident during a stunt she performed on the show Bring 'Em Back Alive, and on the importance of safety on set and double checking the set up before performing stunts
05:22
Sandra Gimpel on an accident when she was performing a stunt where she had to jump off a building, and on how she tries to ensure safety on sets
05:44
Sandra Gimpel on how much she rehearses a stunt before performing it on film, and on an accident that happened while she was performing a stunt in a Kellogg's cereal commercial
07:23
Sandra Gimpel on what a stunt coordinator does and what a second unit director does, and how it worked when she was acting as both on set
05:57
Sandra Gimpel on how the sunt coordinator works with the second unit director on set
02:07
Sandra Gimpel on her thoughts on the fatal accident that happened during the filming of a stunt on the 1983 "The Twilight Zone" movie (she did not work on that project), and on an incident when she insisted a director not shoot a stunt due to dangerous circumstances
05:56
Sandra Gimpel on whether accidents like the one on the set of "The Twilight Zone" movie have led to changes in safety standards in the industry
02:30
Sandra Gimpel on speaking out about the safety of a stunt, even at the risk of losing a job, but the fact that not everyone can or will speak up for fear of losing a gig, and on an accident on the set of Other World where she was acting as stunt coordinator
03:00
Sandra Gimpel on stunts she won't perform, including her dislike of motorcycles, and on how she handles it when the on-set set ups don't meet her expectations
02:45
Sandra Gimpel on the most dangerous stunt she's performed, and on the closest calls in her career
02:47
Sandra Gimpel on injuries she's sustained while performing stunts
01:20
Sandra Gimpel on insurance coverage for stunt performers
02:13
Sandra Gimpel on not having a speciality as a stunt performer, but being able to perform many different kinds of stunts, and on how the equipment stunt performers use has changed over time especially for women
04:16
Sandra Gimpel on redoing stunts when she is acting as second unit director
02:00
Sandra Gimpel on what makes a good stunt performer
01:09
Sandra Gimpel on each stunt person having an indvidual style, and on why Taekwondo is a good style for fighting on-camera
02:59
Sandra Gimpel on being the stunt coordinator and second unit director on Harts of the West with Beau Bridges, and on her feelings about Westerns
04:12
Sandra Gimpel on performing stunts for television versus film: "television's much faster... features, they take their time"
03:11
Sandra Gimpel on what she likes about doing stunts, and on not know she would end up as a stunt performer when she was starting out
02:15
Sandra Gimpel on how stunt work has changed since she started in the industry
01:39
Sandra Gimpel on advice for aspiring stunt performers
03:36
Leslie Hoffman on the risks of a high jump stunt and precautions she takes
02:49
Leslie Hoffman on training to be a stuntwoman
04:29
Leslie Hoffman on rehearsing stunts
02:01
Leslie Hoffman on dealing with life or death situations as a stunt person
03:18
Leslie Hoffman on doing pratfalls
03:38
Leslie Hoffman on doing staircase falls
02:38
Leslie Hoffman on performing fire stunts
06:20
Leslie Hoffman on advice to aspiring stunt people
01:44
Felicity Huffman on what she likes about acting and the importance of storytelling
01:27
Felicity Huffman on advice for aspiring actors
00:55
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
03:40
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on how they help each other prepare for roles and the challenges of preparation as an actor
06:18
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on watching each other's work and their own, and how much they prepare for roles
02:33
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
03:40
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on how they help each other prepare for roles and the challenges of preparation as an actor
06:18
Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on watching each other's work and their own, and how much they prepare for roles
02:33
Julie Ann Johnson on the training and physical requirements to be a stunt performer
01:14
Julie Ann Johnson on the role of a stunt person
00:41
Julie Ann Johnson on the wardrobe she wore as a stunt person
01:36
Julie Ann Johnson on the logistics of being a stunt person in terms of getting work
00:59
Julie Ann Johnson on the different types of stunt work she did
01:54
Julie Ann Johnson on the people on the set she works with most closely
03:28
Julie Ann Johnson on her reputation as a stunt person and what she was known to be able to do well
01:05
Julie Ann Johnson on how stunt performers pay scales are determined, and on working for Hal Needham
08:07
Julie Ann Johnson on changes that have taken place in the stunt performing industry
01:19
Julie Ann Johnson on forming the Society of Professional Stuntwomen in 1975
00:55
Julie Ann Johnson on her style as a stunt performer and her favorite kinds of stunts
03:06
Julie Ann Johnson on the importance of a stunt person staying in good shape, and on the substance abuse problems in the industry
01:11
Julie Ann Johnson on comparing how stunt women are treated in features and in television
00:42
Julie Ann Johnson on how budgets impact what a stunt person is able to do
02:19
Julie Ann Johnson on advice to an aspiring stunt woman
02:18
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
01:39
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
03:21
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
04:18
Lisa Kudrow on the challenges of performing the same character for so many years, as on Friends with "Phoebe"
02:08
Lisa Kudrow on advice to aspiring actors "as long as it's not porn, do it"
01:09
Gene LeBell on stunts he won't do and stunts he'd like to do
04:29
Gene LeBell on how he got into stunt work
02:06
Gene LeBell on the lack of early safety regulations for stunt people
01:40
Gene LeBell on his specialty in stunts and the background necessary for the profession
01:48
Gene LeBell on early stuntwomen and men doubling for women
03:07
Gene LeBell on coordinating stunts
01:58
Gene LeBell on different types of stunts - high falls, stunt driving, pratfalls, stair falls and fistfights
13:36
Gene LeBell on preparations for stunt fistfights and fire stunts
06:55
Gene LeBell on essential qualities for a stuntperson
01:19
Gene LeBell on how he's credited a stuntperson
04:53
William H. Macy on studying acting with David Mamet at Goddard College
05:45
William H. Macy on the Practical Aesthetics acting technique, which he developed with David Mamet
06:52
William H. Macy on appearing in small roles on TV series early in his career
01:21
William H. Macy on his advice to actors for reading scripts
01:42
William H. Macy on what he likes about acting
05:09
William H. Macy on "being visited by the muse" while performing onstage
01:06
William H. Macy on the best advice he's received, and his advice to actors
02:34
William H. Macy on advice to aspiring actors
03:08
Anita Mann on doing choreography for television, and what she learned from working for Lucille Ball
05:36
Anita Mann on her duties as an assistant choreographer
04:45
Anita Mann on her process of choreographing a number for television, and on choreographing the Miss America Pageant for which she won an Emmy
07:52
Anita Mann on how choreography on television has changed since she started
00:59
Anita Mann on what she looked for when she hired dancers on Solid Gold
06:37
Anita Mann on how choreography on television has changed since she first started
02:15
Anita Mann on what she enjoys about choreography
01:57
Anita Mann on advice to an aspiring choreographer
02:39
Tim Reid on meeting and becoming comedy partners with Tom Dreesen
04:09
Tim Reid on developing a stand-up comedy act with Tom Dreesen; on honing their act
02:54
Tim Reid on addressing race head-on in his stand-up comedy act with Tom Dreesen
06:23
Tim Reid on the end of his partnership with Tom Dreesen
01:27
Tim Reid on comedians today that push boundaries and the power of comedy and storytelling
08:20
Tim Reid on William Paley's comments about Frank's Place and how they impacted him as a storyteller
05:19
Tim Reid on teaching his younger castmates valuable lessons about performing on an episode of Sister, Sister (possibly with guest star, Milton Berle)
03:14
Tim Reid on mentoring his younger castmates on Sister, Sister
02:10
Tim Reid on learning a valuable lesson from Jack Benny about performing
03:15
William Schallert on feeling like he could act, but that he didn't look like an actor
01:01
William Schallert on being a character actor and not feeling typecast
01:29
William Schallert on how he creates different personas
02:47
William Schallert on often playing several roles on one series
01:15
William Schallert on how he gets jobs nowadays (2012)
03:12
William Schallert on his tenure as President of SAG; on chairing a committee to merge SAG and AFTRA
11:15
William Schallert on the mission of SAG
01:09
William Schallert on advice to aspiring actors
00:54
Cybill Shepherd on acting advice she received from a fellow actor (Jason Robards)
00:33
Cybill Shepherd on what she likes in a director and getting to know John Ford and how he directed
00:55
Cybill Shepherd on her process for learning the dialogue on Moonlighting
00:35
Cybill Shepherd on what she enjoys about acting
01:00
Cybill Shepherd on what being in front of a live audience adds to a performance
00:25
Cybill Shepherd on acting in different media and what she learned about film by screening movies with Peter Bogdanovich
00:53
Cybill Shepherd on mentors throughout her career: Stella Adler and what she learned from her; on what she learned from performers and directors she worked with
02:45
Doris Singleton on honing her acting skills in radio
01:23
Doris Singleton on learning comedic timing from her work in radio
00:17
Doris Singleton on performing in front of an audience on radio shows
00:49
Doris Singleton on how acting for soap operas differed from acting for sitcoms
01:31
Doris Singleton on her acting style
00:39
Doris Singleton on the most important advice anyone ever gave her about acting
01:02
Doris Singleton on advice to actors just starting out
00:39
Doris Singleton on acting for television, stage, radio
01:10
Yeardley Smith on her stage fright and how she's overcome it by being "over prepared"
01:27
Yeardley Smith on her early determination to find success as an actress, and feeling that she had a "gift"
03:36
Yeardley Smith on playing to your strengths as an actor and finding her way into a role
01:51
Yeardley Smith on the differences between television/film and theater, and appearing as a guest star on a TV show
06:08
Yeardley Smith on performing "Lisa Simpson"
01:11
Yeardley Smith on being on The Simpsons and wanting to get more on-camera roles
05:52
Yeardley Smith on production on The Simpsons during the COVID-19 pandemic -- moving from recording like a radio play with everyone together, to recording in her home, to recording solo at the studio
04:10
Tracey Ullman on how she transforms into characters
02:15
Tracey Ullman on the role of comedy in the then-current political climate
02:40
Tracey Ullman on the power of comedy
01:51
Tracey Ullman on how she prepares to get into character, and on being respectful and professional to the crew on a set
03:34
Tracey Ullman on advice to aspiring performers
01:27
Tracey Ullman on the balance between being a performer and being a well-rounded person
01:22
Tracey Ullman on why she has resisted the term "comedienne"
00:53
