Top 10 ‘Inside The Actors Studio’ Interviews

Originally thought up seemingly on a whim by host and Actor’s Studio Dean James Lipton, Inside The Actors Studio has been hitting the airwaves for well over a decade and a half now, and has not only passed its 250 episode mark, but has become a must-watch for anyone with even a passing interest in cinema as a craft. Getting people ranging from Paul Newman to the cast of Family Guy, Lipton, and the Studio stage, has played host to some of the most interesting, important and influential names in all of cinema, theater or television. Hell, even Elton John hit the stage to discuss his career. However, when there are that many episodes to dig through, it’s tough to find the real gems. Well, hopefully I can be of some service. Here are my ten favorite episodes of this legendary series.

10.) Kevin Spacey

Possibly the most entertaining of all interviews. Not remarkably exciting craft-wise, this episode is all about the charm of Spacey, and is a definitive example of the type of mood Lipton hopes to set on his stage. Really fun, extremely engaging and featuring a handful of breathlessly funny impressions from Spacey, the interview here is pure TV fun. Fans of Spacey will be enraptured by his sheer charisma, and crafts people will find a handful of nuggets to dig into. Again, it’s not a groundbreaking bit of TV, but it is a perfect entry point for those trying to really sink their teeth into this legendary TV series.

9.) The Simpsons

People may scoff at something like this, a look at a TV voice cast, but very few interviews are engaging as this one. A truly thrilling look at a collection of craftsmen who have been working on their art for decades, this interview brings to light the impetus behind the creation of the most iconic TV characters of this generation. These are extremely talented character actors who often have the toughest job an actor can ask for. Take away an actor’s face, and all you are left with is a voice, and these men and women have some of the most diverse voices in pop culture; voices that have become generation defining characters and household names.

8.) Bradley Cooper

The prodigal son returns. Almost since day one, Lipton’s main goal was to one day see one of his students take the jump from in the audience during a lecture, to being the one having their life dissected. And with one Bradley Cooper, that happened. From the beginning, this is as emotionally charged an evening as you’ll see during this series, and while Cooper’s career has been short and full of odd choices, there are a handful of real gems here. His discussion of a film like Wet Hot American Summer is entertaining and proof that Cooper may, hopefully, be on to a career similar to that of a Clooney. He’s charming, insanely well spoken (as you’ll see when they show clips of him asking really interesting questions, particularly that of Sean Penn) and the pure love for the Actor’s Studio shown by Cooper proves that this school and this degree program is truly changing lives.

7.) Edward Norton

A notoriously tough interview, this is the epitome of the type of interview Norton can be so great at. Inherently enthusiastic about his craft, he’s a tad bit reserved (opposite of a Spacey, really), but is so well spoken and insightful about his work that it becomes something far greater than just an enjoyable TV interview. Similar in many ways to the equally great Sean Penn episode, this is a really interesting and craft-centric look at an actor who has become just as well known for his work as he has for his difficulty on set. However, this proves that all that difficulty is truly worth it when Norton digs deep, as he does in a film like 25^th Hour, a real masterpiece.

6.) Robert Downey Jr.

As candid an interview as you’re likely to find. An actor who has see his fair share of drama throughout his life, Robert Downey Jr. has no issue discussing his life both as the son of a filmmaker and an actor with a real story to tell. Before his drug problems took his career into a downward spiral, he was an Oscar nominated thespian and an Emmy winning TV actor, and has since become one of the greatest stories of a career rising, falling, and then rising to even greater heights in all of film history. There isn’t a ton of craft discussion here (even though Downey Jr. has had one of the more interesting careers a current A-lister has had, working with directors like Mike Figgis and Richard Linklater), but for sheer impossible-to-turn-off and utterly captivating one on one discussion, this is about as great an interview as the show has ever given us.

5.) George Clooney

The most insightful of all of the interviews here. Clooney, best known as an A list sex symbol, proves himself not only a true craftsman, but an engrossing mind. Proving once again to have one of the most interesting careers a screen icon could ever have, Clooney is a man who both wants to enjoy a career he believes was entirely based on chance, but is a man who has become comfortable as a major voice both in front if and behind the camera. It’s truly a must see interview forties who see Clooney as nothing more than a pretty face.

4.) Paul Newman

It’s hard to beat the first one, and even harder when your first show looks at the life and career of Paul Newman. While this does suffer from being the first show, it’s no less special, particularly as Lipton begins digging into Newman’s career. Brazenly insightful and wonderfully intimate, this was not only a great insight into what was to come inside the actor’s studio, but a really entertaining start to a series that has spanned well over a decade.

3.) Dave Chappelle

Talk about timing. Coming at a point in Chappelle’s career post-leaving his TV show, this interview is arguably the definitive look at the artist as proto-revolutionary. Chappelle is completely self-aware of the controversy he sparked, yet is beyond articulate as to why he did what he did leaving his legendary series. When Chappelle speaks here, the viewer becomes absolutely engrossed in not only Chappelle’s truly bizarre jump from stoner movie star to generation defining social commentator, but just how humble and thoughtful he truly is. It’s simply a brilliant interview that gives a timely insight to a name at the center of one of the biggest pop culture controversies of his time.

2.) James Lipton

This one is pretty damn special. With the roles reversed from my number 3 episode, Chappelle takes to the interviewer side of the stage to shine a light on Mr. Lipton himself. While this one may not be as exciting for craft nerds as Chappelle’s episode, it’s no less thrilling to see the back story of a man who we only really knew from his time digging into the lives of others. With enough soft spoken charisma to fill a small arena, Lipton proves to be just as engaging a guest as he’s ever had on that stage.

1.) Dustin Hoffman

This was the episode that ultimately put the idea for this list in my mind. Hoffman joins Lipton on grave and gives the viewer over an hour of deeply moving and personal anecdotes, yet the greatest aspect of this interview is the passion with which Hoffman talks about his craft. While they miss pictures like Straw Dogs and Little Big Man (pretty seminal works in Hoffman’s oeuvre), it still stands as the most engaging and provocative interview to date.