Being an Actor - Softcover

Callow, Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140239251 ISBN 13: 9780140239256

Publisher: Penguin, 1995

Synopsis

A successful British actor briefly recounts his career, describes the experiences every actor goes through, and reveals his own feelings about what acting should be

About this title

About the Author:

In addition to his distinguished career in the theater, Simon Callow has appeared in the films Amadeus, A Room with A View, and Four Weddings and a Funeral. He is also the author of Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor, Shooting the Actor, and Orson Welles. He lives in London, England.

From Publishers Weekly:

Callow was told by master performer Michael MacLiammoir that he was "a born writer, perhaps, but not a born actor." He went on to become not only a most versatile actor, but with this book becomes an accomplished commentator on the theater. What makes Callow's memoir of the familiar uncertainties of an actor's life pleasurable is this actor's eccentricity. He revels in spinning tales of failed shows, arrogant directors, Oscar Wilde reincarnations such as MacLiammoir, who became Callow's first mentor, and the craziness of the profession. Stardom doesn't seem to be a preoccupation with him, and the adventure of creating unique characterizations, such as his Orlando in As You Like It, is perhaps his reward, especially when he astonished London with his portrayal of Mozart in the original staging of Amadeus. Callow is opinionated and an outspoken protector of the performer's right to interpret character, but he finds today's actors at the mercy of ambitious directors: the director "has interposed himself between actor and writer, claiming that they cannot speak each other's language." Actors and non-actors alike will find this witty, knowledgeable book delightful. Photos.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0140239251
• ISBN 13: 9780140239256
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 240