and those that can't teach, I guess.

Wanted to defend Mike Meyers, I loved this one. He's such a strange guy, but I thought he was just hysterical for two hours. And he seemed pretty sweet with his wife also. I know he came prepared, but still! He dusted off all his characters on the spot and tremendously funny.

Lipton is amazingly wierd and annoying. The first time I saw the show, I really thought he was joking with that routine. The format and the questions, seem to push the actors into making some pompous statements. I think Meyers was trying hard not to sound that way, but he didn't quite succeed.

Com'on, he did Lothar of the hill people!

Does anyone know when the Hugh Jackman ep is going to air?

Going back to the actors on the B,C,D level discussion we were having earlier, I actually think that Jackman would be a good person to have that conversation with. He did a lot of...paying the bills kind of roles in Australia. Plus there is his wife, who definately falls into that category.

In Canada, Bravo has a different schedule than in the US - yesterday was a re-run of the episode with Robin Williams. He just ran wild over Lipton - Williams needs a relatively strong host who can rope him in once and a while - Lipton was totally lost - I don't think Robin actually answered one question Lipman put to him. Then the whole bit about the plane wings on his lapel pin - was hilarious but you could see that Lipton wasn't amused.

Can't say that I blame Lipton...Robin Williams is one person whom I can only handle for so long. Once Billy Crystal & Whoopie Goldberg hosted the Oscars, I feared their buddy Robin would eventually get the gig. It'd be a 9 hour spectacle with Williams hosting, he so manic.

Finally got to see Jude Law (re-run) on Friday...very interesting. Law's answer to Lipton's inquiry regarding how Law's handsome looks affect his career was very eloquent.

Loved the episode with Russell Crowe last night. Why someone like him - who's been nominated for 3 straight best actor Oscars in a row, will probably get a 4th next month not to mention he starred in the last two best film Oscar winners - gets one hour and Tom Cruise (next week) gets two just astounds me. L.A. talk radio has been inundated with ads for The Last Samurai all of which mention Cruise's Golden Globe nomination. It seems like he's pleading for some sort of acknowledgement and if I was a voter, it'd work against him. God help us if he's nominated for an Oscar. There are days I think Pat Kingsley sits at the right hand of Lucifer.

I was fascinated with Russell's turn in the Lip-seat. He seldom made eye contact with Lip, but was completely engaged with the discussion and charming with the students. His anecdotes were funny, his imitations of Scott, Hansen and Poulsen were dead-on, and he was serious without being pretentious.

Good on ye, Russ.

I loved how Russell made a point of saying that he's never really had formal training, and that often times the best way to learn is just to get out there and do it. He came off as very charming, even when he started to get a bit overly idealistic towards the end. However, when El Lip asked him about the band I had to change the channel in order to keep from cringing.

I don't understand what Tom Cruise would possibly have to talk about for two hours. . .it's going to be even more of a schmooze fest than normal. Lipton is going to have a field day, he gets to kiss the ass of someone who lives for that kind of stuff.

Haven't seen Russell yet, but I'm hoping that they re-run it soon. I'm sure it was really good, since he doesn't seem the type to put up with Lipton's fawning.

Hee! I've always assumed that 30 Odd foot of Grunts was a description of Russell's singing!

Amen! Saw The Last Samurai on New Years Day, and the Japanese actor, Ken Watanabe, blew Tom Cruise off the screen. I would love a two hour Actor's Studio with Russell Crowe; I thought his answers were spot-on, without a lot of camera mugging. The clips in the promo for Cruise's session already are curling my toes. I definitely agree that Cruise is practically begging for the public to take him as a "serious" actor. Sorry, outside of Born on the Fourth of July, I just can't go there.

His was my favorite episode. He was goofy but interesting, and there were some sad and poignant moments, such as when he discussed his late father. This was the only episode I watched in its entirety; with others, I always flip channels because they had boring moments. Not so with Myers.

Based on my years of Crowe-watching, I've learned that Russell doesn't suffer fools gladly. I concluded that the only way he could make it through the interview was to focus on the students and not make eye contact with Lipton...just a guess. I have a friend who was in attendance...even managed to spot her in the audience...she said he was actually there for much longer than the hour that aired. Wish Bravo had chosen to show more Crowe and less Cruise.

I've followed him for a long time, too, and as an actor he does seem to have real integrity. I think he had the pomposity blinders on by not looking at the Lip directly, because this was an audience he cared enough about to speak to plainly and directly. (And, OT, I think he should have won the Oscar that year over Denzel, because he deserved it over Denzel.)

I'm surprised that I'm the first who has anything to say about the Tom Cruise marathon episode. BTW, hi all. I'm a first-time poster in this thread.

The most amusing part for me was when Tom Cruise made the masturbation innuendo when asked which hand he writes with. Pretty funny from a guy who seems serious and philisophical about 150% of the time.

The most annoying thing was how Lipton kept talking about himself - more than normal, I thought. Maybe it was just 'cause it was an extended episode, but then man kept interjecting comments about his father leaving, etc. Also, the story about how he was asked to do a cameo in Vanilla Sky because it's not a real NYC party unless James Lipton is there? Come on. ANNOYING.

Otherwise, an okay episode.

Oh man, I used to watch this show when I was in college. One could make a lethal drinking game out of this show just going on the amount of shameless buttkissing remarks Lipton makes. I like the show but he really grates after five or six minutes.

I think I'm one of the few who enjoyed the Robin Williams episode. Not because I learned anything new about the guy, but because he DID run roughshod over Lipton. On another note, has anybody seen the Donald Sutherland episode? From what I hear, it won't be shown too often because he basically shot Lipton's pompous act down totally. Having seen the episode, I can safely agree that he did.

That episode was Classic Cruise: Flash the smile, laugh heartily, appear gracious, humble, and earnest...but essesntially say very little of real wit or insight. I don't think you can really deny Cruise's accomplishments as an actor or movie star (he's made any number of great films, and has worked with virtually every major filmmaker of the past quarter-century), and on film he certainly has charisma to spare. But in person, he usually comes off as awkward and overly philosophical, although said philosophies are usually platitudes of the most obvious sort.

That's always been my Cruise theory: For two decades, people have speculated as to Cruise's secrecy and privacy and seemingly distant public persona, and whether it's a possible cover for being either gay or a raging Scientologist, but I've always thought Cruise's BIG SECRET that he's worked so hard to shield us from is simply that he's not especially bright. Not that he isn't pleasant, earnest, or enthusiastic, all of which he is in spades. And he certainly knows how to choose a good director or screenplay.

But catch Cruise in an interview, and he's always quick to flash the grin, the cackling laugh, or some Oprah-level feel-good wisdom as soon as he's stumped or uncomfortable. While he'll laugh up a storm, he's not exactly quick on the draw with a witty response or a relevant anecdote. Usually he'll laugh, followed by an awkward silence, then retreat to Oprah/Tony Robbins mode with utmost intensity. Repeat ad nauseum.

That said, he handled himself pretty well opposite Lipton, who could barely conceal his boner at times and was truly in rare form. Anytime Lipton starts throwing out references to himself as a master pilot (as he also did during Travolta's show last year), you know it's time to flip channels for at least five minutes.

As for next week, Charlize Theron. OK, she's great in MONSTER, and she HAS made 174,967 movies since 1996, but like Naomi Watts, I have to wonder if their appearance in front of the Actors Studio isn't a LITTLE premature. Watts, in particular, has appeared in roughly five movies anyone's seen, all from the last year and a half. Not that she and Theron aren't immensely talented -- and popular, hence probably good ratings -- but they hardly have an extensive career to sagely reflect upon, a la a Travolta, Newman, Cruise, Williams, DeNiro, etc.

Am I the only one who would much rather have seen Nicole on that stage than Tom? Or have I been brainwashed too much by the likes of Vanity Fair. . .?

Anyway, totally agree on the Watts/Theron comment. They both have a lot of potential, but I would have waited for them to have gotten a larger resume before coming on. This is particularly true of Theron, for while she has been in a lot of movies and has done well in most of them, few of them have been that good. Sweet November anyone? It's great to have all of these new episodes in a row, but I would rather have to wait for someone really good than get an episode with someone sort of random.

BTW, Barbra Streisand is coming up. Wow, that will be two raging egos on one stage. I don't know if I can handle that.

Wish list anyone? People who I would love to see in the near future:
Ewan McGregor, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman

for reference

If I may change the subject for a minute...

As other posters have mentioned, Bravo Canada airs different episodes from Bravo USA. In fact, I think we are quite a bit behind, as the last episode we saw was the Will&Grace cast, which I think aired in the US several months ago.

Anyway, I've noticed that Lipton is increasingly making use of the "talking to the characters routine". I hate this, does anyone else hate this? Is there a valid reason why he does it, meaning is it an exercise that helps the students? I just find it annoying, I tune in because I'm interested in what actor or actress has to say, not their characters. If I want to see the characters I'll watch the shows or movies. Just my opinion, he did it so much in that W&G episode that I just had to come on here and vent a little.

I only ever see this show if I'm over at my mother's, since I don't have the channel it's on here in the UK. I'm disappointed I've not seen the Jude Law episode though. I agree with the earlier poster who suggested Ewan McGregor would make an ideal candidate - I've seen him interviewed on other shows and he was utterly charming, professional and funny.

I liked the Ian McKellen episode, but the strangest I've seen had to be the Vanessa Redgrave episode. is it me, or did a lot of the students not seem to have a clue what she was going on about?

I don't watch this show with any regularity but caught, by coincidence, the episode with the Simpsons cast. We enjoyed the talk-to-the-characters schtick on that occasion, just because our then-11-year-old (a big Simpsons fan) found it fascinating. I know what you're saying though, bonster.

It was interesting that during that segment of the episode, Julie Kavner was suddenly just...gone. As in, no longer on the stage. We wondered if it was because she didn't want to participate in something that would mess with the audience's belief in the "reality" of Marge.

I think that's right, CydW. Kavner has a policy. Bless her heart.

I'm on the bandwagon with putting the kibosh on chatting with the characters. For the most part, the actors have had no input in creating the character in the first place (only inhabiting). The writer has that job, and there are no writers on hand to assist these poor, lamblike creatures with this improv. Ick.

Speaking of writers, and since the AS has a writing program, how about getting William Goldman? That'd be a howl AND a hoot.

And I have finally decided that Cruise's grin is way too akin to a dog baring his fangs for me to find it lovely. He scrunches his forehead, pulls down his nose, and raises the outside of his lips. Bah.

Hey Bonster,

I was watching a bit of the W&G episode and was thinking the exact same thing. When he asked Grace to make the 'face' from the Antique Roadshows episode, I changed the channel. I mean really, who cares? The Simpsons was an exception IMHO, because most of them voice so many different characters and it was really neat to see the actors and hear the characters' voices at the same time. But I hope this isn't a regular thing.

BTW, what the hell you talking about wrt to Julie Kavner? She has a policy? What is the policy - not doing the voices?

I'm in Canada, so who knows when we'll get see to TC.

I'm guessing what attica meant is that she won't bust out Marge's voice when the visual is not of Marge. Undermines the illusion.

Undermines the illusion, breaks the fourth wall. Plus, it's shrewd. It's one thing to discuss a performance. It's quite another thing to Perform. Especially without preparation, for an asshat, and for free. Go, Julie.

She may be trying to avoid total identification with the character, too--to the extent she can.

Ick. Tom Cruise.

I'm waiting for them to rerun the Gabriel Byrne one, which featured a classic line from GB in response to JL's description of him as a [paraphrased] "handome, brooding leading man": "I would like to break out of this ‘dark, brooding' image, cause I'm actually not like that at all. In Ireland, brooding is a term we use for hens. A brooding hen is supposed to lay eggs. Everytime somebody says ‘He's dark and brooding,' I think: ‘He's about to lay an egg.'" Way to dump on JL, Gabriel! i knew there was a reason I loved you.

The Simpsons episode bugged me because it didn't have Matt Groening or any of the writers. While I think that the voice actors are amazing, it's the writers that make that show. Ditto with the Will and Grace ep (although it did have the writers/director). Both of the episodes should have been two hours considering the amount of people who were on the stage. That should be a good rule of thumb for them, increase the time in proportion to the number of guests. Tom Cruise does not need two more hours of screen time.

whoever it was the said Cruise had a smile like a jackal, word. Penolope looks she's going to swallowed whole whenever she is standing next to him.

Glad to know I'm not the only one!

I only caught a brief part of the Simpsons episode, but I can agree with the posters who said this was a different situation, especially because I assume they were brought on specifically to discuss their characters on that show as opposed to their careers in general.

And maybe that's the reason they had the Will and Grace group as well, but since they are all actors who have done other things, I would have been more interested in hearing about some of those things. But I've seen him do the character thing with other actors as well, who were alone on the stage. Mike Myers is the only one I can think of now, and that was a 2-hour show so he did it a lot! It was so annoying. I know there were others but they are not coming to mind right now.

wow, that is a spot-on assessment of tom cruise. i was *cringing* for him when he was struggling to articulate his approach to his craft (what with all the blathering about finding his character in the moment, and going with "feeling nothing.")

all of that doesn't prevent me from liking his movies, however. very strange. i guess i'm in the minority; i love vanilla sky and EWS.

No! Her performances are far more interesting than his.

How many times can Cruise play the same asshole? Think about it, whether he's driving stock cars, mixing drinks, piloting fighter jets, driving his addled brother cross country, practicing law, spying, speaking motivationally before a paying crowd, shooting pool, playing high school football...(what activity have I missed?)...he's the same trouble maker who bucks the system, pisses off his superiors, thinks he knows better and ultimately gets the girl....only the props have been changed.

The only Cruise films that I've seen I really liked were The Firm (because of the cast, ok except for Jeanne Tripplehorn & I liked the Grisham novel) and Rainman (because of Hoffman). I've never seen Born on the Fourth of July which is probably Cruise's most challenging performance because Oliver Stone's paranoia just pisses me off.

As far as Naomi Watts is concerned, you'd be surprised to see everything she's been in. Mulholland Drive just made the American movie going public just sit up and take notice.

With Crowe, Cruise, Watts, Law, Zellweger & Theron recently appearing or about to appear on the show, it looks like Lipton is trying to become a bit more contemporary and feature the impending Oscar nominees. I think Sean Penn was even a recent guest.

Yes, that's the ticket. Ditto, too, on the observation on JL's fawning pilot compadre comments. When he starts pointing to his AOPA lapel pin, I know it's time to flip to another channel.
I'm sorry, but IMHO, there's no way Top Gun classifies as an outstanding moment in cinema. It's a GREAT popcorn flick, but that's it. And big boffo box office doesn't mean squat to me. Has Steve Buscemi ever been a guest on this show? Now, that's somebody I'd like to hear from.

teenage pimp. One must never forget Risky Business. You got to admit though, he did look damn good playing volleyball in Top Gun. hmm. . .volleyball scene. . .whoops sorry. Cruise is very much a commercial actor. He almost never takes real risks in the roles that he choses. The movies that he has been in are for the most part very solid popcorn flicks that he knows he will fit well into. Movies like Vanilla Sky and EWS didn't quite work because you couldn't get past his movie stardom to get into the complicated plots and ideas that were being conveyed. He worked in Magnolia because his part was small, but it was the most showy. He could be in the distraction in the film because that was how the part was written. I used to really like Tom Cruise, I mean to the point where I said I wanted to marry him (I was seven and didn't know what Scientology was yet *shudder*), but his act has worn really, really thin. Just keep putting him popcorn flicks. He works there.

For years, I've held a low opinion of TC's work, because as Trompe L'Oeil says, he always plays the same role:

Cocky, brash young [job description], who finds love and/or redemption along the way.

Every single role. Every single movie. (Okay, there was no redemption in Magnolia. Maybe Anderson had to cut it for time.....)

I have a love/hate relationship with this show. I enjoyed the Simpsons epi, but I too wondered why they couldn't have brought some of the creators etc. on.

Has anyone seen the Drew Barrymore episode? I thought that Lipton would completely overshadow her, and she totally rocked the interview. I just found her completely refreshing, truthful and funny. Drew was hilarious, and totally uninhibited. She did this whole schtick on her body that was awesome.

I agree. I like Watts and Theron, but I think they could've waited awhile to do episodes of them. Has this show ever done an ep with Al Pacino? I know he studied at the Actors Studio, but I don't think he has ever done this show. He is so private though, so I would not be suprised if he ever does one.

Naomi has been in close to 40 films...she's one of those faces that you just really never noticed. If you're interested at all in seeing some of her earlier films, I'd recommend 1993's Wide Sargasso Sea (it's related to Jane Eyre and tells the story behind Mr. Rochester's insane wife) and 1998's Dangerous Beauty, a truly beautiful film.


Not according to the website.

She was in Dangerous Beauty? Wow, totally missed her. I was too busy looking at Rufus Sewell, obviously.

Anyway, after seeing the Charlize Theron episode, I like her a lot more. I still think it would have been better if there were more films of "substance" to comment on. There was a lot more about her life before acting than there usually is. I would have liked it if they talked about whether or not she had voice coaching to sound American. I think the South African Afrikaans accent is one of the nicest accents on the planet and she doesn't even remotely have one, I just want to know what lengths she had to go to to either get rid of it or whether she had it or not. Good for her for winning the Globe though. She was cute in her acceptance speech. I like it when they are really excited.

Naomi played his wife...

Congrats to Naomi and Charlize on their Oscar noms. I take it all back. . .well, most of it ;)

Meanwhile, did anyone notice how Charlize did not want Lipton anywhere near her? She sort of recoiled from the greeting kiss and was none too happy to do a ballet move (although she wasn't wearing the appropriate footwear for that kind of dancing, so that may have been it)

Bravo should do a marathon of all the current Oscar nominees who have appeared on the show...why not? The best part of the marathon???? The Tom Cruise 2 hour very special ITAC will not be part of it.

I'm sure I'll NEVER be able to see the Simpson's cast ep where I live. *sigh* My favorite ep so far is definately Hugh Grant. So smart, So witty. Oh I also loved Billy Crystal and Kevin Spacey.

upcoming guests

http://www.nbcmv.com/release_detail.nbc/br...esnewguest.html

I caught two episodes yesterday - Naomi Watts and Diane Lane - and they were somewhat interesting. I like the questions he has at the end, but I always turn off when the students ask.

Trompe, you got your wish. Hope that you were able to see some of the marathon. I missed Naomi again. oh well. The bits of the Diane Lane one that I was able to see looked interesting. I'm sure they will show it again soon.

heh, Keanu Reeves

I thought Diane Lane was thoughtful and more erudite than I expected. I always expect child actors to have disdain for education, and am surprised when they don't.

I would have recommended lots less fussing with her hair, but I have that complaint with large segments of the populace, not just actors.

I liked the interview with Diane Lane. She has an interesting take on "the biz," and it is amazing that she is as centered as she is. She's definitely had a somewhat strange career, and I give her credit for keeping her performances real. I'd love to had more questions on Cotton Club; I loved the look of that movie, even it had some flaws.

Chris Rock???? Okay, I might just watch to hear him discuss his acting choices in Pootie Tang or CB4. Or just to hear JL say Pootie Tang.

eww. that is just a disturbing visual/audio

I'm excited for Jennifer Connelly, I've been waiting for her appearance. I hope she talks about my favorite JC movie, 7 minutes in Heaven!!

I hope Lipton gets finned in the crotch jumping the shark.

Can this show really jump the shark? I mean, wouldn't having Lip as the host mean that this show jumped the shark pretty much at inception? Also, being technically a graduate school course that happens to be filmed for television, does it qualify for shark jumping? Would that give the students extra credit? And wouldn't the Jay Leno ep that is airing soon be the actual moment of shark jumping and not Chris Rock (assuming that Leno was filmed first)?