Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors | |
---|---|
Genre | Talk show |
Created by | Michelle Sobrino-Stearns |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 14 |
No. of episodes | 46 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Donna Pennestri, John Ross, Andrew Russell, Brenda Brkusic, Michelle Merker |
Running time | 1 hour |
Production companies | PBS SoCal Variety Media |
Distributor | National Educational Telecommunications Association |
Release | |
Original network | Syndication |
Original release | December 21, 2014 present | –
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors is an American entertainment talk show television series co-produced by PBS SoCal and Variety Media. It premiered December 21, 2014 on PBS SoCal.[1]
Plot[]
Each episode brings together multiple pairs of actors engaging in intimate one-on-one discussions about their acting craft and work.
Episodes[]
Season 1 (2014–15)[]
Episode 1:
- Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) with Edward Norton (Birdman)
- Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) with Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler)
- Hilary Swank (The Homesman) with Tilda Swinton (Snowpiercer)
- Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year) with Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle)
Episode 2:
- Jessica Chastain (Interstellar) with Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher)
- Laura Dern (Wild) with Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
- Josh Brolin (Inherent Vice) with J. K. Simmons (Whiplash)
- James Corden (Into the Woods) with Kevin Costner (Black or White)
Episode 3:
- Michael Keaton (Birdman) with Reese Witherspoon (Wild)
- Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) with Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game)
- Jack O'Connell (Unbroken) with David Oyelowo (Selma)
- Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) with Jenny Slate (Obvious Child)
Episode 4:
- Jennifer Aniston (Cake) with Emily Blunt (Into the Woods)
- Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) with Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes)
- Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night) with Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner)
- Chadwick Boseman (Get on Up) with Logan Lerman (Fury)
Season 2 (2015)[]
Episode 1:
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) with Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
- Taraji P. Henson (Empire) with Queen Latifah (Bessie)
- Jessica Lange (American Horror Story) with Taylor Schilling (Orange Is the New Black)
- Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honourable Woman) with Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)
- Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) with Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex)
Episode 2:
- Don Cheadle (House of Lies) with Claire Danes (Homeland)
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) with Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
- Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) with Clive Owen (The Knick)
- Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) with Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie)
- Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) with Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin)
Season 3 (2015–16)[]
Episode 1:
- Cate Blanchett (Carol and Truth) with Ian McKellen (Mr. Holmes)
- Benicio Del Toro (Sicario) with Will Smith (Concussion)
- Joel Edgerton (Black Mass) with Brie Larson (Room)
- Amy Schumer (Trainwreck) with Lily Tomlin (Grandma)
Episode 2:
- Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) with Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs)
- Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy) with Carey Mulligan (Suffragette)
- Steve Carell (The Big Short) with Rooney Mara (Carol)
- Bryan Cranston (Trumbo) with Jason Segel (The End of the Tour)
Episode 3:
- Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight) with Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs)
- Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight) with Michael Keaton (Spotlight)
- Paul Dano (Love & Mercy) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Walk)
- Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) with Isabella Rossellini (Joy)
Season 4 (2016)[]
Episode 1:
- Jamie Lee Curtis (Scream Queens) with Lady Gaga (American Horror Story: Hotel)
- Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish) with Courtney B. Vance (American Crime Story)
- Felicity Huffman (American Crime) with Jennifer Lopez (Shades of Blue)
- Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager) with Aaron Paul (The Path)
- Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) with Jay Duplass (Transparent)
Episode 2:
- Bobby Cannavale (Vinyl) with Sarah Paulson (American Crime Story)
- Rob Lowe (The Grinder) with John Travolta (American Crime Story)
- Aziz Ansari (Master of None) with Kerry Washington (Confirmation)
- Kirsten Dunst (Fargo) with Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
- Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley) with Patrick Stewart (Blunt Talk)
Season 5 (2017)[]
Episode 1:
- Viola Davis (Fences) with Tom Hanks (Sully)
- Molly Shannon (Other People) with Emma Stone (La La Land)
- Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) with Nicole Kidman (Lion)
- Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) with Matthew McConaughey (Gold)
Episode 2:
- Natalie Portman (Jackie) with Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea)
- Amy Adams (Arrival and Nocturnal Animals) with Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge)
- Taraji P. Henson (Hidden Figures) with Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool)
- Annette Bening (20th Century Women) with Naomie Harris (Moonlight)
Episode 3:
- Colin Farrell (The Lobster) with Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins)
- Adam Driver (Paterson) with Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals)
- Dev Patel (Lion) with Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures)
- Sally Field (Hello, My Name Is Doris) with Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen)
- Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) with Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women)
Season 6 (2017)[]
Episode 1:
- Sarah Jessica Parker (Divorce) with Michelle Pfeiffer (The Wizard of Lies)
- Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick) with John Lithgow (The Crown)
- Thandie Newton (Westworld) with Oprah Winfrey (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)
- Freida Pinto (Guerrilla) with Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
- Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life) with Constance Zimmer (Unreal)
Episode 2:
- Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies) with Ewan McGregor (Fargo)
- Pamela Adlon (Better Things) with Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
- Anthony Anderson (Black-ish) with Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory)
- Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) with Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)
- Riz Ahmed (The Night Of) with Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale)
- Brit Marling (The OA) with Issa Rae (Insecure)
Season 7 (2018)[]
Episode 1:
- Jennifer Lawrence (Mother!) with Adam Sandler (The Meyerowitz Stories)
- Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) with Kate Winslet (Wonder Wheel)
- Jake Gyllenhaal (Stronger) with Margot Robbie (I, Tonya)
- Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) with Kristen Wiig (Downsizing)
- Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) with Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out)
Episode 2:
- Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) with Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick)
- Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) with Hugh Jackman (Logan)
- Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) with Salma Hayek (Beatriz at Dinner)
- Allison Janney (I, Tonya) with Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
Episode 3:
- Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game) with Holly Hunter (The Big Sick)
- Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) with Kate Winslet (Wonder Wheel)
- Hong Chau (Downsizing) with Diane Kruger (In the Fade)
- Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water) with Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird)
- Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool) with Robert Pattinson (Good Time)
Season 8 (2018)[]
Episode 1:
- Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose) with Claire Foy (The Crown)
- Angela Bassett (9-1-1) with Laura Dern (The Tale)
- Darren Criss (American Crime Story) with Mandy Moore (This Is Us)
- Jason Bateman (Ozark) with Bill Hader (Barry)
- Jessica Biel (The Sinner) with Alison Brie (GLOW)
Episode 2:
- Debra Messing (Will & Grace) with Sharon Stone (Mosaic)
- Michael B. Jordan (Fahrenheit 451) with Issa Rae (Insecure)
- Jeff Daniels (The Looming Tower) with Laura Linney (Ozark)
- Tiffany Haddish (The Last O.G.) with John Legend (Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert)
- Edie Falco (Law & Order: True Crime) with J. K. Simmons (Counterpart)
Season 9 (2019)[]
Episode 1:
- Amy Adams (Vice) with Nicole Kidman (Boy Erased)
- Mahershala Ali (Green Book) with John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman)
- Darren Criss (American Crime Story) with Mandy Moore (This Is Us)
- Felicity Jones (On the Basis of Sex) with Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians)
Episode 2:
- Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) with Lupita Nyong'o (Black Panther)
- Timothée Chalamet (Beautiful Boy) with Emma Stone (The Favourite)
- Emily Blunt (Mary Poppins Returns and A Quiet Place) with Hugh Jackman (The Front Runner)
Episode 3:
- John Krasinski (A Quiet Place) with Rosamund Pike (A Private War)
- Michael B. Jordan (Creed II and Black Panther) with Charlize Theron (Tully)
- Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Kindergarten Teacher) with Regina King (If Beale Street Could Talk)
Episode 4:
- Glenn Close (The Wife) with Sam Elliott (A Star Is Born)
- Armie Hammer (On the Basis of Sex and Sorry to Bother You) with Dakota Johnson (Suspiria)
- Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) with Viggo Mortensen (Green Book)
Episode 5:
- Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) with Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns)
Season 10[]
Episode 1:
- Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora) with Julia Roberts (Homecoming)
- Amy Adams (Sharp Objects) with Richard Madden (Bodyguard)
- Taraji P. Henson (Empire) with Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy)
Episode 2:
- Benicio del Toro (Escape at Dannemora) with Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
- Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) with Regina Hall (Black Monday)
- Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon) with Renée Zellweger (What/If)
Episode 3:
- Chris Pine (I Am the Night) with Robin Wright (House of Cards)
- Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) with Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)
- Sacha Baron Cohen (Who Is America?) with Don Cheadle (Black Monday)
Episode 4:
- Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) with Billy Porter (Pose)
- Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish) with Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story)
- Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll) with Maya Rudolph (Forever)
Season 11 (2020)[]
Episode 1:
- Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) with Renée Zellweger (Judy)
- Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) with Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems)
- Awkwafina (The Farewell) with Taron Egerton (Rocketman)
Episode 2:
- Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) with Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name)
- Chris Evans (Knives Out) with Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
- Mindy Kaling (Late Night) with Constance Wu (Hustlers)
Episode 3:
- Adam Driver (Marriage Story) with Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
- Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) with Alfre Woodard (Clemency)
- Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy) with Kristen Stewart (Seberg)
Episode 4:
- Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers) with Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse)
- Sterling K. Brown (Waves) with Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
- Beanie Feldstein (Booksmart) with Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Season 12 (2020)[]
Episode 1:
- Regina King (Watchmen) with Reese Witherspoon (Little Fires Everywhere)
- Anne Hathaway (Modern Love) with Hugh Jackman (Bad Education)
- Kieran Culkin (Succession) with Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek)
Episode 2:
- Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) with Kerry Washington (Little Fires Everywhere)
- Tessa Thompson (Westworld) with Ramy Youssef (Ramy)
- Russell Crowe (The Loudest Voice) with Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies)
Episode 3:
- Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show) with Lisa Kudrow (Space Force, The Good Place and Feel Good)
- Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) with Anthony Mackie (Altered Carbon)
- Henry Cavill (The Witcher) with Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: Picard)
Episode 4:
- Claire Danes (Homeland) with Damian Lewis (Billions)
- Zendaya (Euphoria) with Mj Rodriguez (Pose)
- Chris Evans (Defending Jacob) with Paul Rudd (Living with Yourself)
Season 13 (2021)[]
Episode 1:
- Jodie Foster (The Mauritanian) with Anthony Hopkins (The Father)
- Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) with Steven Yeun (Minari)
Episode 2:
- George Clooney (The Midnight Sky) with Michelle Pfeiffer (French Exit)
- Zendaya (Malcolm & Marie) with Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)
- Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) with Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island)
Episode 3:
- Ben Affleck (The Way Back) with Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm and The Trial of the Chicago 7)
- Andra Day (The United States vs. Billie Holiday) with Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami)
- Jared Leto (The Little Things) with John David Washington (Malcolm & Marie)
Episode 4:
- Jamie Dornan (Wild Mountain Thyme) with Eddie Redmayne (The Trial of the Chicago 7)
- Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman) with Amanda Seyfried (Mank)
- Tom Holland (Cherry) with Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)
Season 14 (2021)[]
Episode 1:
- Nicole Kidman (The Undoing) with Chris Rock (Fargo)
- Josh O'Connor (The Crown) with Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen's Gambit)
Episode 2:
- Ewan McGregor (Halston) with Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian)
- Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision) with Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Episode 3:
- Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) with Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)
- Emma Corrin (The Crown) with Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
Episode 4:
- Gillian Anderson (The Crown) with Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
- Uzo Aduba (In Treatment) with Billy Porter (Pose)
Season 15 (2022)[]
The fifteenth season of Variety Studio: Actors on Actors is set to premiere on February 18, 2022.[2]
The season has featured conversations between:
- Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos) with Daniel Craig (No Time to Die)
- Mahershala Ali (Swan Song) with Bradley Cooper (Nightmare Alley and Licorice Pizza)
- Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) with Jake Gyllenhaal (The Guilty)[3]
- Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos) with Kristen Stewart (Spencer)
- Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick... Boom! and The Eyes of Tammy Faye) with Rachel Zegler (West Side Story)
- Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) with Regina King (The Harder They Fall)
- Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) with Rita Moreno (West Side Story)
- Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers) with Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
- Jamie Dornan (Belfast) with Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
- Oscar Isaac (The Card Counter) with Jared Leto (House of Gucci)
- Marlee Matlin (CODA) with Bradley Whitford (Tick, Tick... Boom!)
- Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) with Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Cast[]
The series has been hosted by Variety Deputy Awards and Features editor Jenelle Riley, Variety co-editor-in-chief Andrew Wallenstein, and Variety New York bureau chief Ramin Setoodeh.
Production[]
New episodes are produced twice yearly, once to align with the Academy Awards and once to align with the Emmy Awards.
Reception[]
The series has been honored with a number of awards, including the 2019 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Series.
References[]
- ^ "Variety's Actors on Actors Conversations to Air on PBS SoCal". Variety. November 6, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ Khatchatourian, Maane (January 21, 2022). "Variety's 'Actors on Actors' Season 15 to Feature Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Ariana DeBose and More". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (January 27, 2022). "'Insanity Is Subjective': Lady Gaga and Jake Gyllenhaal Dive Deep Into Losing Themselves in Roles". Variety. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
External links[]
- Variety (magazine)
- English-language television shows
- 2010s American television talk shows
- 2014 American television series debuts
- PBS original programming