The Hidden Meaning in The Truman Show
Annette Bening on Starting Her Career Relatively Late
When asked “Do you think now you’re more confident as an actor than you were in the past?” Bening responds:
That’s so sweet. I love that question. I don’t know if it’s like this in your business, but with different projects you learn something new. In my business it’s absolutely the case. It’s like you go into another little universe each time, because it’s a different group of people, the subject matter is different, the time you’re working in, the themes you’re working on. It’s always a little microcosm of a world that you’re entering into.
When I started films, I had already worked in the theater a lot. I was almost 30. It took me a long time to feel comfortable working in movies. I felt kind of like I was a stage actress pretending I was a movie actress. Now I don’t feel that way. I really relish it. I went to acting school — like community college, state college, conservatory — and I needed to do all of that. But it takes a long time to forget everything that you’ve learned.
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Doubt. Clarity. Growth.
Interview: Gwendolyn Masin, Violinist
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
I consider it’s important to impart a sense of freedom in music to aspiring musicians. I come across many players who are technically proficient but do not exude a sense of enjoyment whilst playing or have too little understanding of the work. I hope, sincerely, that young musicians, after being in contact with me, feel elated and inspired after sharing music with me.
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Hear Music Played on the Viola Organista, a Piano That Sounds Like a Violin, Which Leonardo da Vinci Invented, But Never Heard
[News] The Bodyguard Announces Second UK Tour
A new tour of musical The Bodyguard will open in Glasgow this December.
The show, which ran in the West End in 2012 and previously toured the UK in 2015, will open at the Glasgow Theatre Royal on December 3.
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Casting Director Bonnie Timmermann on Trusting Your Instincts
Casting Director/Producer Bonnie Timmermann can count Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Glenn Close, Bruce Willis, and dozens of other huge names as clients she has once helped to extraordinary roles.
She elaborates on what brought her to this point — and reveals how she has grown as a casting director alongside the talent she has scouted. She says:
“Do what is in your heart. If you don’t ask you don’t receive. You need to get out and try. It doesn’t matter what the result is. The most important thing is that you tried.
Know that you can create the life you want. When I was a kid I was a musician. I wasn’t that good, so I wanted to do something else. By luck, I got a job casting at the Phoenix Theater. There was very little money! However, several plays that I cast were televised. Five years later the actors in them became big stars, including Meryl Streep and Glenn Close. When I worked in the theater I also cast Buried Child, Sam Shepard’s first play, which won the Pulitzer Prize. From my work in theater directors and producers, including Francis Ford Coppola and Michael Mann, approached me about casting films.
Trust your instincts. When I cast radio plays for the BBC and National Public Radio. I went to the theater, closed my eyes and listened to the voices. Working in radio and theater prepared me for film and television. When I cast for television, I didn’t want to use the same people that you often see on TV. We have many qualities to us. Some of us don’t have good skin. Some of us are heavy. Some are skinny. I love people who have unique faces and think differently. I look for that. I don’t just look for just the standard I-am-beautiful kind of person. I look for character inside and out. It’s not about what we look like on the outside. It’s what we project.
Dive into what you want. I’m not afraid of drowning or what the result will be. I never worry about it in the beginning. I just jump into the pool. And I don’t swim. Of course, it’s terrifying to be rejected. No one wants to be rejected. But if people reject you then that means it’s not the right fit for you.
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