Recently in Actors Category

My good friend and fellow critic Tim Gordon and I went to hear hip-hop artist/actor/philanthropist Ludacris speak at the National Press Club on Friday. He was there to talk about his foundation and the work it does in Atlanta and around the world to help provide opportunities, guidance, and inspiration for young people. His opening remarks were impressive as he described programs that provided 20 cars to people who needed them in order to do their jobs and take care of their families and described his goal: "Not so much to see what nobody has seen as to think what nobody has thought about what everybody sees." He spoke about his family's "deep-rooted tradition of service that underscores the responsibility we all have." He was grateful that his own commitment to giving back was underscored is his first job, working for Radio One. Boss Cathy Hughes insisted on community service from her employees each week, establishing a precedent for what Ludacris would do after he became a successful recording artist.

The best part was his responses to the questions from the audience, which included local teenagers and fans as well as seasoned reporters. He told the audience not to attribute violence to hip-hop but to ignorance. And he spoke of the way the hip-hop community came together in a matter of hours to help him when one of his projects needed support. My favorite moment was his answer to a question about the most important lessons he learned from his mother, Roberta Shields, who now serves as president of the foundation. He said he could not count the important lessons he learned from her but he would tell us one. He always did well in school, especially in math, but she would give him extra work to do and he did not like it, especially one annual assignment to write down his expectations and goals. He hated it at the time, but Ludacris (born Chris Bridges) attributes his success to her insistence that he be specific and concrete and accountable for his aspirations. He learned from that to "stop quitting." If he did not achieve the previous year's goals, he had to think about why he did not and how to do better next time. I looked over at her and saw her beaming with pride.

Talking with Raven-Symone on the telephone, it was easy to imagine that I was really speaking to Iridessa, the character she plays in the new DVD, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure. She has such a sparkly quality, I could hear just why she was selected for the role.

NM: Were you a fan of Tinker Bell when you were a little girl? Did you watch 'Peter Pan?'

R-S: Of course I did! I loved all the Peter Pan incarnations.

NM: Tell me about Iridessa, the character you play.

R-S: She is a light fairy, like lightning bugs with their glow, and I am excited to play her. She is fun, smart, and kind of wary, and that is like me, because I am, too.

NM: You are known in your television show, That's So Raven, for a lot of physical comedy. How do you convey a character just through voice?

R-S: You have to be able to make the words come alive. And I am lucky because the artists and the director are so creative and imaginative -- they inspire me.

NM: I hear that they tried to make this Tinker Bell story boy-friendly and that it is directed at boys as well as girls.

R-S: The underlying story of friendship is universal. And it really is a story that appeals to everyone, boys and girls and young and older. There is a great boy character, Terence [voice of Jesse McCartney]. And Tinker Bell is really a guy's girl, a best friend, not overly tomboy but very adventuresome. She is also humble and she messes up -- she's a normal person with wings!

NM: You conveyed so much in your body language when you get hugged by the Sy character. How did you create that physicality?

MS: You know what? It just happens. It just naturally happened that way. We did it once and everyone laughed and it was like the blessing for the whole movie. You do as much preparation as you can and then when you get yourself into the space and you're asked to just do it you leave yourself open to what happens.

NM: In a conventional movie, we would have had some sort of explanation, probably very simplistic, about what led to the strained relationship between your character Larry and his wife Judith. But in the Coen brothers movies, we seldom get that kind of clarity. Did you and the actress who played your wife come to some kind of understanding about the history of your characters' relationship?

MS: Absolutely. Sari Lennick and I got together and talked about what those things were for us. Since they didn't explore it in front of the camera we felt like we needed to bring something to ground us in what we were going to do so we discussed that thoroughly.

NM: You said that the director of photography, Roger Deakins, is almost like a third director because they wait until he thinks the light is perfect before shooting. How do you, as someone trained in theater, where there is prolonged concentration, stay ready so that you can jump into the scene the moment the sunlight is what Deakins has been waiting for?

MS: It's just one of those things that comes with doing film work. The light is all important in terms of capturing a particular moment and part of the challenge of the job for me is to be ready. I did my work before hand and hoped that when I got in front of the camera the work would pay off.

NM: One of the movie's greatest strengths is the specificity of the production design which does a lot to tell us who these characters are. How was your performance helped by the make-up, hair, and clothing that seem so perfect for a middle-class suburb in 1967?

MS: Fríða Aradóttir helped me with the hair and Jean Black helped me with the make-up. We did a "haggard chart" to keep track of the various stages of misery that my character was experiencing. Jean and Fríða have been working with the Coens forever. Fríða is very tall and Icelandic and Jean is short and from Texas, so they are really quite a pair, kind of opposites but they work so beautifully together. So I just threw myself at their mercy and we just played. Jean and I sat down with the script together and marked out what Larry might be like physically and how haggard he might be on an given day.

Costume designer Mary Zophres gave me the shell for my character by finding those clothes.

NM: I was very impressed with your physical and verbal fluency with the very complex physics material your character has to lecture on. How did you manage that?

MS: Just a lot of practice! I sat in my hotel room in Minneapolis and just wrote it out over and over and over until I didn't have to think about it so much any more, until it was just part of my natural instinct.

NM: Was there one scene that was especially challenging for you?

MS: There were a couple of moments that I just couldn't stop laughing. I just find the story so funny. My first scene with Adam Arkin, in his law office, we were both just laughing our heads off. I would start and then he would start and it took us over half an hour just to calm down. And then with Richard Kind, the scene where he is on the sofa and I am on a cot in the living room, and he says "Boy, you should have worn a hat," that just made me giggle. And then there was the constant challenge to try to monitor the emotional emotional journey that Larry was on and I had to trust that Joel would tell me if I went too far. He did on one occasion when I gave him the option of getting a little teary, but he said that is probably what is going on with him, but put a lid on it.

NM: What do you think the response will be to this movie, especially from non-Jews, who will find much of it unfamiliar?

MS: I hope that people will just come and have a good time. There may be a word here or there that they may not understand but so much of it is universal of someone who goes these troubles and tries to find an answer to his questions and has trouble trying to get them.

NM: What inspires you?

MS: I love a sense of humor, I love intelligence, I love specificity, I love surprises. I'm inspired to get out of bed in the morning and fill my day with good things.

Disney star Tiffany Thornton sings the classic "Some Day My Prince Will Come" on the spectacular new release of Disney's very first animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is a two=DVD set with both Blu-Ray and regular DVDs and a lot of extras, including a sneak peek at the upcoming "Princess and the Frog." I got a chance to talk to Tiffany about what it feels like to take on a song that is so well-known.

How did you get involved with this project?

I did the song "Let it Go" for "Hatching Pete," but I was more rapping, and then I did a song for DisneyMania called "If I Ever Knew You," and I hope I impressed them enough that they were willing to give me the opportunity to do this, and they flew out a producer from Nashville named Mark Hammond who was incredible to work with. I'm blessed to have been given the opportunity. I love this song because it's not like a techno twist which is what you do a lot of times when you want to amp up a song that was originally a ballad. It has the ballad but also a mid-tempo, almost an up-tempo feel when it kicks in, so I hope people will enjoy that.

This is one of the classic Disney songs. How do you make it yours?

Mark did such a great job reconstructing the song. I'm really going to give him all the credit. He knew how to bring my voice out, get it to sound ethereal and princess-like but also to sound also like myself. I'm from Texas so I have that country thing in my voice going on. And I do all the background vocals, the harmonies and all of that stuff.

What is the most fun thing about singing for you?

The honest of it, really. I love acting and singing so much and could never pick one. With acting it's fun to pretend to be someone else and that's awesome, it's like playing dress-up. But with singing, it's you, being vulnerable, putting this voice out there, knowing people may criticize you and ridicule you. Because people are like that with music. Music is very expressive for a lot of people. I went through a break-up a few months ago and I was listening to Taylor Swift saying "Were you in the room when we were talking about that? How do you know all those things?" Music is really close to my heart and I just want to make sure people can feel that when I sing.

And who besides Taylor Swift is on your iPod?

Demi [Lovato]'s album that just came out, Here We Go Again, is incredible. I listen to her song "Got Dynamite" every time I go to the gym. And "World of Chances" which she wrote with John Mayer is a great song. At my photo shoot yesterday I listened to a lot of Carrie Underwood. And I love James Morrison and The Script, Matt Nathanson. I love those gritty guy voices. And Sara Bareilles I think is amazing.

If you could do any Disney song next, what would it be?

"Once Upon a Dream" from "Sleeping Beauty."

When did you know you wanted to be a performer?

From day one! We put on performances in my front yard. I was always wanting to be in the spotlight. I made up songs, I wanted to be a cheerleader.

I was super-into really powerful singers. My mom and I jammed out to BeBe & CeCe Winans, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston. I'm not a singer because I'm on a Disney show; I'm a singer because God gave me a gift and I want to share it with the world.

And so what's next?

I'm going to be singing a duet with Kermit the Frog in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade!

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle is one of the bright new stars who "light up the sky like a flame" in the new re-booting of the 1980 classic film, "Fame." I was lucky to get to interview her about the film.

NM: How is this version of "Fame" different from the original? If they make one 20 years from now, what will it be like?

AMPdT: "Fame" is more of reinvention rather than a remake of the 1980s hit movie. This time It follows 10 students throughout their personal and professional lives at the NY Academy of Performing Arts high school. It's different because it's more contemporary and modern for our generation like the music and the dance numbers. I think 20 years from now the next "Fame" would be patterned after our "Fame.'

NM: Which do you like more, singing or acting, and why?

AMPdT: When I was younger, I always wanted to be a singer. Singing was my first love then it all fell into acting, but once I started working I grew to love acting just as much as I loved to sing.

NM: What was your first performing job and what did you learn from it?

AMPdT: I was the first Asian American Cinderella in the bay area for the children's musical theatre of San Jose performed at the Montgomery Theatre. I learned everything from musical theatre--I loved the feeling of being on stage and touching people with my talent. That's when I realized I wanted to do more and go to Hollywood.

NM: Was there a movie or television show you saw as a child that made you say, "That is what I want to do?"

AMPdT: My obsession when I was younger was "Grease." I watched it everyday on VHS and knew every song. I would pretend I was Sandy and sing to myself to a mirror.

NM: If you could play any part in a famous Broadway musical, what would it be?

AMPdT: I'd love to play my favorite Broadway musical character .... guess who this is and where it's from...

"When's it my turn? Wouldn't I love, love to explore that world up above? Out of the sea...wish I could be........Part of that...world....!!!" ARIEL from The Little Mermaid!!!!

NM: What would be the best part of going to a performing arts school like the one in "Fame?"

AMPdT: I actually went to the Los Angeles County High school for the Arts which is very much like the "Fame" school. The best part about the school was learning how to sing different styles of music. I was a part of the vocal department Jazz club and other singing classes so I learned how to scat, sing arias, sing operatic etc.

NM: What was your biggest challenge with this role and what helped you make it work?

AMPdT: My biggest challenge was one scene, my favorite scene, with Debbie Allen. I was so nervous to do a one-on-one scene with her because she was an original Fame cast member. Kevin Tancharoen had to talk me through it and he basically told me that that scene will be the one time everyone will remember Joy and actually see my acting chops. At the end I felt like the outcome was very good.

NM: What is it like to be on the red carpet?

AMPdT: It's actually very hectic. The easiest part is posing for photographers. All you have to do is set one pose and smile. The crazy part is going through the interviews because you never know what will be asked, but it's still a lot of fun.

NM: What have you learned from your co-stars about how to deal with fame (the experience, not the movie!)?

AMPdT: I think we all learned the exact message of the film which is dreaming big, sticking with that dream and still trying to achieve success. We are all trying to make a name for ourselves in the business so we still strive hard to get to where we want to be.

NM: Do you have any pets?

AMPdT: Yes! I have two teacup pet Yorkies! Timmy, he's a boy and weighs only less than 3 and a half pounds and Nikki, she's a girl and weighs a little over 5 pounds. They're cute and I love them so much.

NM: What's on your iPod?

AMPdT: I listen to everything from the Jonas Brothers, to Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, Jordin Sparks, T-Pain and more.

Has there ever been a better movie entrance line than "Anybody got a match?" delivered by 19-year-old Lauren Bacall to 40-something Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not? Bacall said her iconic look, head tilted a little downward, glancing...

Patrick Swayze died today as he lived and performed, with class and grace. Swayze's association with iconic appearances in Dirty Dancing, Road House, Point Break, and Ghost are so towering that we forget sometimes what range and skill he showed...

Two awful movies released last week, "Extract" and "All About Steve," give me an opportunity to discuss one of my favorite topics, character actors. One of the best appears in both of them, the wonderful Beth Grant. Character actors are...

Molly Ringwald has a touching tribute to John Hughes in today's New York Times. While she had not spoken to the very private writer-director for 20 years, she and co-star Anthony Michael Hall spoke on the phone about the way...

Slate has put together a magnificent compilation of some of Meryl Streep's best accents but what I think of when I watch this is the astonishing range of the performances behind them. It is almost impossible to imagine that it...

Hugh Dancy plays the title role in "Adam," the story of a man with Asperger Syndrome, a form of social dyslexia that is on the autism spectrum. As the movie begins, Adam's father has just died and he must learn...

The young stars of Race to Witch Mountain talked to me about making the movie, a re-imagining of the Disney classic, Escape to Witch Mountain, about a brother and sister with extraordinary powers. AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig could not...

Paul Peterson was one of my first celebrity crushes when he appeared on The Donna Reed Show. He was briefly a Mousketeer at age 8 and played Cary Grant's son (with Sophia Loren as his babysitter) in the affecting romantic...

Jeff Daniels is interviewed in the current issue of Esquire, where he made an important point about the difference between the way a character actor and a star approach a role. Stars like to be likable. The Squid and the...

"In the Loop" is a scathingly funny satire about politics and politicians. While it names no names of individuals or countries or conflicts, it is inspired by the British and American government in the run-up to the Iraq war. But...

D.W. Brown has trained, directed, and coached hundreds of actors and is co-artistic head of the distinguished and successful Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Studio. His new book, You Can Act!: A Complete Guide for Actors is both practical and inspiring with...

You know them. That is, they look familiar, but you might not be sure if that is because you saw them in a movie or because you saw them on a train. These are character actors, the indispensible performers who...

Oscar-winner Karl Malden died today at age 97. Read the superb obituaries from Adam Bernstein of the Washington Post and Jim Cheng of USA Today. Bernstein described his appeal very well, saying Malden "excelled in plainspoken, working-class roles." He had...

We mourn the loss of the beautiful and talented Farrah Fawcett, who died this morning after a long bout with cancer. She came to attention as the athletic Jill on "Charlie's Angels." Her dazzling smile and girl-you-wish-was-next door look quickly...

Fans throughout the world mourn the loss of David Carradine. The son of actor John Carradine ("The Grapes of Wrath"), he first achieved success as the star of the television series "Kung Fu," where he played a mysterious Western character...

In "Downloading Nancy," British actor Rufus Sewell plays the husband of a troubled woman (Maria Bello) who develops a tragic relationship with a man she met online (Jason Patric). Sewell often appears as smoldering, brooding characters and is perhaps most...

Movie critic Shawn Levy, author of the superb books King of Comedy: The Life and Art of Jerry Lewis and Rat Pack Confidential: Frank, Dean, Sammy, Peter, Joey and the Last Great Show Biz Party, has a new book...

Jason Dolley of the Disney Channel's popular series Cory in the House stars in Hatching Pete, now out on DVD with another family-friendly feature, "Dadnapped." He found time to talk to me between finals in his college classes, and I...

More from the "NatM: Battle of the Smithsonian" press conference: Ricky Gervais, creator and star of the original British version of The Office returns as the director of New York's Museum of Natural History. He said that he loves...

Yesterday, I attended a press conference at the historic Smithsonian Castle and had the immeasurable and almost-surreal pleasure of sitting opposite Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, director Shawn Levy, and screenwriters Robert Ben Garant and...

In an exclusive interview for the new Star Trek 1-6 movie box set, Whoopi Goldberg interviews the captains of the USS Enterprise, to boldly go where no interview has gone before....

A fond farewell to Bea Arthur, best remembered as the strident, ground-breaking "Maude" and as Dorothy on "The Golden Girls." I loved her duet in "Mame" and I loved her gutsy bravado and brilliant comic timing....

"American Violet" is based on the true story of a woman who helped to expose corrupt and racist law enforcement in her Texas community with the help of the ACLU and local counsel. Dee, the lead role, is played by...

Mary Anne von Kappelhoff -- better known as Doris Day -- turns 87 today! She could do it all -- comedy, drama, music, romance. She is best known for her light romantic comedies but her signature song comes from a...

The loss of the lovely, charming, elegant, and talented Natasha Richardson is terribly sad. Her greatest opportunity to show what she could do as an actress was on stage. She won a Tony award for her performance in "Cabaret" on...

Actress Amy Walker's astonishing virtuosity with accents is on display in this popular YouTube clip. Can you guess which one is her real native-born accent?...

It was a thrill to attend a small reception in honor of the new film, "The Wrestler," and get a chance to talk with director Darren Aronofsky and co-star Marisa Tomei. The title role is played by Mickey Rourke, in...

David Schwartz of the Museum of the Moving Image has a thoughtful essay on the showbiz satires and family psychodramas of Ben Stiller to accompany the museum's salute at their annual gala last week. It has often been said that...