Acting

We remember British actor Sir Alec Guinness who died Saturday at the age of 86. He’s known to older audiences for his roles in films like “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” and to younger audiences as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. (REBROADCAST from 2/27/1986)

We remember actress Nancy Marchand who died Sunday at the age of 71. Most recently she was best-known for playing the bitter mother of Tony Soprano in the HBO series “The Sopranos.” During the 1970s she played the newspaper publisher on the “Lou Grant” show. (interview with TV critic David Bianculli rebroadcast from 3/18/99)

Actor John Spencer. He plays Leo McGarry, the Chief of Staff to the President in the tv series "The West Wing." The show, set in the Whitehouse, and concerning a fictional democratic President and his staff has just won a prestigious George Peabody award. In this first season of the show, Spencer's character has had to deal with his former alcoholism becoming a matter of public scrutiny. Spencder previously was a regular on "L.A. Law" and began his career on "The Patty Duke Show."

Actor Michael Imperioli. He currently stars as Christopher In the HBO series "The Sopranos" and wrote one of this season's episodes. He's also appeared In five Spike Lee films, and starred In, co-wrote and executive produced Lee's latest film "Summer of Sam." Imperioli also appeared In the films "Goodfellas," "Malcolm X," "Clockers," and "Household Saints."

Actress Sigourney Weaver. She made her first film appearance in a scene so short you could miss her. She played Woody Allen’s date in “Annie Hall” after he broke up with Annie. After that she made her big debut in “Alien” as Ripley, and went on to star in the other Alien films. Her other credits include: “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Working Girl,” “CopyCat.” She’s now starring in “Galaxyquest” and “A Map of the World.”

Character actor John C. Reilly. He's starred In all three of director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson's films. He played a small-time gambler In "Hard Eight," a porn star In "Boogie Nights," and a police officer In the new "Magnolia." Reilly has also worked with directors Brian DePalma ("Casualties of War") and Terrence Malik ("The Thin Red Line"). Reilly got his start In Chicago at the Goodman School of Drama and worked with the Steppenwolf theatre.

Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.

Actor Brian Dennehy who won a Tony Award for his portrayal of Willy Loman in the current Broadway production of "Death of a Salesman." Mr. Dennehy recently starred in the television movies "Shadow of a Doubt" and "Jack Reed: A Search for Justice." He is perhaps best known for his work in feature films, which include Presumed Innocent, Best Seller, Twice in a Lifetime, F/X, Cocoon, Silverado, Gorky Park, First Blood, Never Cry Wolf, and Peter Greenaway’s Belly of an Architect.

Actress Nancy Marchand talks with TV critic David BIianculli. She's best known for her reoccurring roll as Mrs. Pynchon on the TV series "Lou Grant." Recently she had a role in HBO's series "The Sopranos." Marchand's film credits include "Jefferson in Paris," "The Naked Gun," and "The Bostonians."

Chalfant is starring in the highly acclaimed Off Broadway play "Wit," about a scholar of John Donne undergoing grueling treatments for terminal cancer. She previously found success in Tony Kushner's "Angels in America."

Hagen taught acting for more than 40 years, working with such actors as Jack Lemmon, Sigourney Weaver, Matthew Broderick and the late Geraldine Page. Her first book about acting, "Respect for Acting" was published in 1973 and is still in print. Her follow up to that is the book "A Challenge for the Actor." (1991) She and her late husband Herbert Berghof founded the HB Studio in New York.

We feature a special radio documentary about one guy's infatuation with what might have been. As a child, Dan Gediman was chosen to be one of the "Zoom" kids on the 1970s public television show "Zoom." But the deal fell through. As an adult Gediman went to find and interview the kids who were on the show to see what he missed. This segment can also be heard on the next edition of the Public Radio International program This American Life, from WBEZ.

Actor Campbell Scott stars in the new film "The Spanish Prisoners." Scott is the son of George C. Scott and Colleen Dewhurst. In 1990, Scott gained recognition for his role in "Longtime Companion." His filmography (list of films) includes: "Dead Again," "Dying Young," "Singles," "Mrs Parker and the Vicious Circle," "The Sheltering Sky," and "Big Night."

Actor Kevin Kline. He can currently be seen in the movies "In and Out" and "The Ice Storm." This winter, he'll also be playing the title role in the Anton Chekhov's play, "Ivanov." Kline's past movies include "Dave," "The Big Chill," and "I Love You to Death." He received an Academy Award for "A Fish Called Wanda."

Actor Bruno Kirbly and playwright Alan Zweibel. Zweibel wrote the play "Bunny Bunny" about his friendship with Gilda Radner, whom he met while working on "Saturday Night Live." Their friendship lasted the rest of her life. The play is on view through December 1st at Plays and Players Theatre in a Philadelphia. Kirby plays Zweibel in the play.

Wuhl talks with Terry about his new HBO comedy series "Arli$$." It is about the life of Arliss Michaels, a high powered Los Angeles sports agent. The cable sitcom began airing last month and airs Wednesday nights. Wuhl also played Larry in "Bull Durham," Alex Knox the investigative reporter in the movie "Batman," and D.J. Marty Driewitz in the film "Good Morning Vietnam."

A new monologue by the NPR commentator, playwright, and housecleaner. "Drama Bug" was featured on This American Life, a nationally broadcast radio program hosted by Ira Glass and produced at WBEZ in Chicago. Sedaris is known nationally for his humor writing; he launched his radio commentator career with his "SantaLand Diaries," broadcast during NPR's "Morning Edition in 1992.

Actress Lili Taylor the lead character in the new movie "I Shot Andy Warhol" The film is based on a true story and Taylor plays the outraged feminist loner Valerie Solanas, who shot Andy Warhol in June 1968.

Actress Frances McDormand who's currently appearing in the reality-based crime drama, "Fargo." She plays a pregnant chief-of-police in a rural Minnesota town who is confronted by her first homicide investigation. Her previous movies include, "Raising Arizona" and "Mississippi Burning."