Discussion on Acting as a Profession

Why do you downgrade acting as a profession?

What? I say, why do you downgrade acting as a profession over the years?

What makes you think I do?

Well, I've read it in the press.

It's out in black and white.

If we can't believe the press,

I don't know what we can believe in this country.

You know what I mean.

You've said over the years it's not a fit profession for a man.

In an effort to help your ratings,

I'll maybe say something.

I think that we couldn't survive a second if we weren't able to act.

That acting is a survival mechanism.

And it's a social lubricant.

And we act to save our lives, actually, every day.

People lie constantly,

every day, by not saying something that they think, or saying something

that they don't think, or showing something that they don't feel,

or trying to give the appearance of feeling something that they don't actually.

I said that, didn't I? Yeah, but that's not acting. That is acting.

No, it isn't. Yes, it is.

You know what I mean.

When you're frightened and nervous in this chair,

you're distressed or uncomfortable, or you're very angry, and you know that that is

not what is necessary to... well, what cannot be shown here.

You control your face.

You're a highly controlled person. Really?

And you have to do that.

I see.

But you know what I mean is, we got into this on the phone.

You say that that's acting.

That's not. I'm motivated at that moment to do that, and I can do it.

And I suppose there's a guy here that I think is a schmuck, is a bore.

You invite frankness.

And I can act like he's interested for a time. I'm motivated by that.

But if you wake me up at 9 or 8 the following morning and say,

do that same performance before a camera,

and then do it again and again, I can't. Some people can.

Some people do it wonderfully.

And you seem to do it better than almost anybody. That isn't true.

I won't hear of the fact that what

you do is no more than what I do. Well, that isn't true.

If you're working for an ad agency,

some product,

and you hate the guy, the idea man,

the boss, and you know that every time he comes in

with some impossible notion, something that really makes you gag when you drive

home on the freeway,

you know damn well that you're not going to get a raise, or you're

not going to get it shifted out of the position that you're in if you don't say,

Leonard, I think that's terrific.

It's just beautiful.

And you even lean forward,

put your elbows on to show enthusiasm, and you get a face for it,

and you do it day after day

after day in order to survive in your job. But if you had to do the line, Leonard,

I think that's terrific six times and get something deeper and better into

it time after time.

That takes an actor. What did you say?

I said those are one time things where you have an immediate motivation.

No, they're not one time

things because it's a daily procedure. Yes, but the dialogue changes all the time.

The dialogue changes but the motivation doesn't.

Are you saying that I can play any role you can play as well as you can?

Well, that might not be true,

but I don't think that I could play some roles as well as you could play them.

I don't think I could play the role that you're playing now.

But this is me. I'm letting it all hang out. No, it's not me.

It isn't? This ain't me?

I mean, I think that you, I mean,

you're thinking of 60 things at once. How is it going? Is it getting dull?

Is he upset and distressed and articulate?

Is he bored? Is he offended?

Yeah, here's a good time for a joke. We haven't got much time.

You're thinking about nine

million things and reacting to what I say, and is that, how's that going to be?

Is that going to be offensive? No, that's good.

So you're doing this editing at an insane rate,

and you have to do that, and that's your job.

And you have this demeanor of levity and lightness and amusement and zest,

and it's easy to ascertain that that finally isn't what goes on in your mind or your

feelings at all.

I just feel like all my clothes have been taken off.

No, but that's something that I couldn't do.

I couldn't do what you do,

and that's a different kind of acting. You're playing a different kind of role.

But anyway, we've done enough.

We've made enough concession to,

what are you doing now?

Oh, nothing. I just have a commercial to do.

And you say you couldn't do

it. Let's see if you're any good at it. All you do is look up and read off the...

Any way you want.

As they say in commercialdom, have fun with it.

No, I won't do it.

I'm glad you didn't. What do you mean, ah?

The man's incorruptible, and that's what I hope.

Thank you.