Inside The Actors Studio - Icons DVD Review

The introduction on the first disc gives an extensive history as to the birth of the concept for the show by host James Lipton. He makes sure to brag and name drop as often as he ever does as he explains the Actor’s Studio, which Lipton is the dean of, and the television show which came from it as well. He brags about the thirteen years they have been on air and the eleven consecutive Emmy nominations as he gives the information about the show in the same way he talks up a guest before the come onto the stage. Each introduction to the individual episodes show how much Lipton loves to hear himself talk, but most of all he loves to hear himself talk about The Actor’s Studio. He quotes statistics about the success of Inside the Actor’s Studio and makes references to past guests and what they said when they were on the show. Although the show is fantastic it takes a bit of strength to swallow Lipton’s refined style as a host. The strength usually comes from the guests.

The first guest included in the set was in fact the first guest to ever appear on the show; the then president of The Actor’s Studio, Paul Newman. This was recorded shortly after Newman had finished shooting Nobody’s Perfect and writer/director Robert Benton even lends a hand in answering a question during the second portion of the show. Newman talks about everything from the rumors that he said he would sleep with Robert Redford for a million dollars to his difficulty watching himself in earlier films, but the point he emphasizes the most to the aspiring artists listening is that he believes in hard work and tenaciousness. The additional footage is fantastic, including additional stories including the reason that he was number 19 on Richard Nixon’s enemy list, but although Lipton brags about the hours of footage not used on each episode, there are only a handful of deleted scenes included. Luckily they are a handful of hand picked moments which are not at all boring as much of the other footage might have been.

Appropriately on the same disc as Paul Newman is the episode with Robert Redford. Redford tells stories of his rebellious youth in Los Angeles including a humorous story in which he was imprisoned for trashing universal Studios after they wouldn’t take him and his step-brother as stunt-men. Redford also talks about his relationship with Paul Newman and the pranks that they play against each other still. Lipton walks us through Redford’s career as an accidental actor to a star to a director and finally as an icon in independent filmmaking. It is obvious that the crowd is somewhat younger because the applause grows as the films mentioned are more recent. The interview is extremely recent, even touching upon An Unfinished Life briefly. The episodes have become much longer in the decade or so since Newman was on the show, and while the shorter episode left you wanting more, this one almost pushes the limit in length, but the number of deleted scenes are about the same surprisingly.

Clint Eastwood makes another great guest, especially considering his younger years in Hollywood. It is amazing to listen to his journey during the final years of the studio system and especially his making of the famous spaghetti westerns. There was a great deal of freedom because nobody thought that the film made by Sergio Leone would be a success. Even Eastwood explains his surprise since the film was giving different titles after shooting finished. As important as these early roles were, there is also as much emphasis placed on Eastwood’s directing career, which is covered up to Mystic River.

Barbara Streisand is an obvious choice for the final icon as a performer in many ways. She has achieved incredible success acting, singing, directing, writing and producing and we all know the list goes on because she has also received quite a reputation as a controlling artist as well. Whether this is true or not, she is at home in the flattering hands of Lipton, who is practically drooling at her success. Streisand seems to enjoy it as well, taking quite a moment to enjoy the applause before sitting and allowing the interview to begin. She gives an interview as well as a short display of her singing ability, and enjoyment of this depends very much on individual opinions of her.