Some of my favorite people to talk to at Northwestern are actors. As a retired theater kid who wishes she had the talent to belt out a song on stage or deliver an emotional monologue, watching student productions has become a favorite activity of mine.
It’s no secret that Northwestern churns out talented alumni like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Stephen Colbert and Kathryn Hahn, who all went on to have successful careers in entertainment after graduation. With productions like “Footloose,” “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” and “The Caucasian Chalk Circle” occurring in the next few weeks, there is a plethora of on-campus promise to explore. Outside of student theater, some NU students already have professional acting experience, appearing on Broadway or in Emmy-winning TV shows.
However, there’s only so much you can uncover as an outsider: Sometimes you have to go straight to the source.
Over Winter Break, I became obsessed with a video series by Variety called “Actors on Actors,” which features two artists in conversation with each other about their craft. These interviews have featured pairs like Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Lee Curtis and Colin Farrell and even odd couples like Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lopez discussing the contrast between performing at the Super Bowl halftime show and playing the brooding Batman.
I love “Actors on Actors” because of its authentic feel. Watching two people share their passions sparks conversations that feel deeper than just an interview, like you’re seeing the actors for who they truly are, and understanding why they care about their work.
The experience of being an actor is so unique that there are some questions only other actors would think to have.
Sometimes the oddest pairings spark the most interesting conversations, like Ariana Grande, who played the glamorous Glinda in Wicked, telling Adam Sandler, known for his casual street style of basketball shorts and baggy T-shirts, about love for “The Waterboy.” Another great conversation was between Jamie Lee Curtis and Colin Farrell, when the actress opened up about her sobriety and how it has influenced her acting.
This quarter, The Daily will debut our own version of this series, featuring actors from winter productions here on campus. Aimed at sparking conversation about their craft, experiences as a student actor and their respective roles, the videos will feature two actors from different productions interviewing each other.
I can’t wait to kick this series off, and I hope it helps you understand the actors on campus beyond the stage and appreciate all the effort they put into making our winters more entertaining.
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