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16 June 2000
Acting for Fame
Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring young actress/actor trying
to break into the film industry. All I want to do is to become a famous
actress. I just don't know how.
A: If you want to be famous for being a good actor the first
thing to do is forget the idea of being famous. Act as often as you can,
as amateur or professional, working with those you admire. Go to the
theatre and the cinema as often as you can afford. Be prepared for the
long haul. And good luck will be important.
Georgian Greetings
Q: Should you ever perform in Atlanta, please know that some of the
appreciative applause you hear will be mine.
A: The last time I was in Atlanta (publicising my Richard
III movie) the Governor decided to honour me by calling it "Ian
McKellen Day" in Georgia! Then he was advised that, it being the
third Monday in January, the day was already reserved for Martin Luther
King. As compensation he declared me henceforward his official "aide
de camp", making me, I suppose, the only openly-gay officer currently
serving in the American armed forces!
An Actor Asks About Commercials
Q: I am getting calls for commercials. Do you think an actor can do
commercials? I mean morally, is there a true standard to what an actor
does.
A: When commercial television started up in the United Kingdom I was appalled by the
inartistic interruptions by the advertisers and even turned down some work
because of it. I find it almost impossible to enjoy drama or films on
American television, unless they are shown without a break.
As for the
commercials themselves, two objections come to mind. Unless you are
already famous (and sometimes even then) it isn't good for your face and
voice to be closely associated with a product. When Laurence Olivier did
his commercial for Polaroid cameras, he made sure it was never shown in
his home country. As for the product itself,
it will be up to each actor to decide whether it deserves his promotion.
Ah, it could be said, it's only advertising! But would the same apply if
you were asked to advertise a political party whose policies you didn't
approve of?
Recordings
Q: Do you know if there are any official video or audio recordings of
your solo show "A Knight Out"? I wonder also if there is a
complete video available of your "Acting Shakespeare".
A: I'm afraid you are out of luck. So far, "A Knight
Out" has not been recorded, mainly because I consider it as work in
progress. Until I have revived it at least once more for the stage and
re-shaped it, there won't be a video.
As for "Acting Shakespeare", this was broadcast by PBS
in USA in 1985 when schools and colleges were encouraged to tape it for
their private use. There has not been a commercially-released version, so
your only chance of seeing the show would be to plunder the library of one
of those many academic institutions who still use it as a teaching aid.
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