Alan Bates talks about THREE SISTERS

ALAN BATES SAID: "Vershinin is this figure who almost becomes a fantasy, a mirage. for the 3 sisters. Particularly, of course, for Masha, who falls in love with him. And he plays up to that. Not maliciously. He's just someone who lives out an idea of himself. Or someone else's idea of him. He's almost like drifting in thru life. And letting it all happen to him. And he plays the role that circumstances give him."

[@MrCondorAvenue]

What a great actor! We miss you.

[@dcasey77]

It's hard to believe that nine months after this interview, Bates died of cancer. He looks well in this interview.

[@TheCatgirl6]

At 3:09--SO agree when he says all great plays should be filmed for preservation!! It continually breaks my heart that there are legendary performances I've read or heard about but never got to experience and never will simply because the production happened before my time (or beyond my financial reach)...

[@edmund184]

yes, so much great productions are lost. Merchant of Venice (barbican 1998), The Signalman (Windsor 1999) are just a couple of examples.

[@triplethreatsteph]

3:53 - 5:52 he starts talking about the actual character Vershinin & lives of the three sisters/ the circumstances

[@thewordofgord]

wow, batesologist ! what a treat ! any Bates is good Bates, at least as far as I'm concerned. thanks in advance for any more.... wordofgord

[@jasonhurd4379]

Alan Bates was far more suited to the role of Vershinin than was Robert Stephens, who was too lacking in charisma and sex appeal for the part. That's not to say that Vershinin is necessarily a sexy and charismatic character, but Masha certainly finds him to be so, and the actor has got to be able to make us see what she sees in him, and I just don't see Stephens doing that. I quite enjoyed Bates' Vershinin.

[@robertgallagher5285]

Agree 1000# all great plays should be filmed it is a shame the Lawrence Olivier film of my favorite play August Strindbergs The Dance of Death has never been released on Home Video??!!!

[@NoName-vq3zo]

As a stage actor you would think he would know to enunciate, not swallow the words at the end of a sentence and project his voice! One shouldn't have to blare the volume at full blast to hear him!

[@EphemeralProductions]

He was a handsome man! His bisexuality attracts me to him more. ;)

[@giovanna722]

He was. Smolderingly sexy. Was there any special man, do you know?

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

Thanks - really wonderful to hear Alan talking about his craft