Laura Linney on mastering acting at Juilliard | American Masters | PBS

Official website: www.pbs.org/americanmasters | #AmericanMastersPBS
On March 7, 2000, Laura Linney discussed her time at the prestigious and notorious Juilliard and how it helped shape her as an actor. "I was just lucky that Juilliard accepted me because it was the right program for me. It's not right for everyone, but I was really, really lucky to get in." Interview conducted for "American Masters: Juilliard" (2003), directed by Maro Chermayeff.
Chapters:
00:00 How Laura Linney decided on attending Juilliard
04:00 Linney's audition day
04:48 Making the callback list
06:44 The profound bond of the ensemble
08:25 The thrill of acting classes
09:29 Facing self-doubt in her third year
11:56 "I really knew it was going to be hard and I wanted to be pushed."
12:57 The personal reasons for attending Juilliard
14:12 Learning lessons in endurance, creativity, and fulfillment from Juilliard
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The American Masters Digital Archive includes over 1,000 hours of footage from more than 1,000 original, never-before-seen, full, raw interviews: a treasure trove of the movers and shakers of American culture, including Maya Angelou, Patti Smith, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Matthew Broderick, Carl Reiner, Joan Rivers, Audra McDonald, Lee Grant, Patricia Bosworth, Sidney Lumet, William Buckley and many others.
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Now in its 36th season on PBS, American Masters was recently nominated for an IDA Award, two Primetime Emmy® Awards and was awarded two News & Documentary Emmys. The series illuminates the lives and creative journeys of our nation’s most enduring artistic giants-those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape-through compelling, unvarnished stories. Setting the standard for documentary film profiles, the series has earned widespread critical acclaim and 28 Emmy Awards-including 10 for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series and five for Outstanding Non-Fiction Special-14 Peabodys, three Grammys, two Producers Guild Awards, an Oscar, and many other honors. To further explore the lives and works of more than 250 masters past and present, the American Masters website offers full episodes, film outtakes, filmmaker interviews, the podcast American Masters: Creative Spark, educational resources, digital original series and more. The series is a production of The WNET Group.

[@kenuyeno]

I feel so comforted watching Laura in this video. I could watch her talking about baking bread and I would still love it.

[@BetteDavis19]

lmao I'm the same as you

[@johnheart6890]

By far the best and most thorough interview I’ve seen about the drama division at the Juilliard school. Her audition experience was exactly the same as mine- almost exactly the same. I wonder what group she was in? Robert Williams; John Stix, & Liz Smith: that is a serious panel, I can tell you that. I find it interesting that Robert Neff Williams came to her mind first. He knew everything there was to know about voice (and theater for that matter) and was the most important teacher for me at the school. He was also so tough that people were kind of afraid of him (in the first year at least; I think I was always a bit terrified myself. According to my classmates, Micheal stulbarg said this (and I believe it) first years don’t know anything; second years think they know everything; third years DO know everything; and fourth years want to forget everything! That has some accuracy. It was so nice to see this. She seems like a very kind person and I appreciate her being willing to share. I would like to add something. It is rather unfashionable and unstylish for a Juilliard grad to make comments on a KZbin post about the school. It is likely that not many graduates will comment. If I was still an actor, if I was still in the business, if I wanted people to take me seriously as a potential star, I wouldn’t be commenting either. But, I am no longer in the business and had limited success, so I don’t care. The good thing is it’s been a while and I don’t really care about acting that much anymore. Something really special has to come along for me to get excited. A few days ago I watched Manchester by the sea, two of my Juilliard friends were in it and they were wonderful. That was really exciting and a great movie that I’m still thinking about because it’s a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned! But for the most part I’m not as interested in movies or theater anymore and am very selective in what I am willing to watch. if you really want to know about Julliard, you should also know about the people who don’t become celebrated actors. The school has value even to the people that end up on paths that separate them from performing. A school is no guarantee of success and I met a lot of actors who did not go to Juilliard that were better than me. Yet I wouldn’t trade my Juilliard experiences for anything. And like her, I do feel bonded, absolutely, to my class, whether I’m in contact with then or not, they are always in my heart.

[@IceAintNice]

“It is rather unfashionable……” Why? And why should Juilliard get a pass on anyone commenting on their experience, good or bad, at the school?

[@johnheart6890]

@@IceAintNice Because people that are professional are more interested in actual current credits in film, theater, and TV, than they are in letting everyone know that they went to a good school. They want to promote themselves, not the school. They will not want to spend much of an interview talking about the school- they would rather talk about their current project. It may be fashionable for some people in other professions to talk at length about their education - but it is a mistake for successful actors (and perhaps unsuccessful ones as well). I myself can talk about it all day- but I’m no longer in the biz, so who cares, but for others, they will have a tendency not to talk about it. That tendency is a good tendency for people seeking employment.

[@Varekai0723]

Laura was in Group 19. Jeanne Tripplehorn was her classmate and they are still good friends.

[@dennysevangelista2505]

Hi John, is there any way i can get in touch with you, please?

[@mme.dilettante]

I just love Laura Linney's laugh; it's so authentic.

[@curtisgrindahl446]

Laura Linney is a delight and this is a wonderful interview. Her experience reminds me of being a graduate student in psychology at a program that was very process oriented. We bared our souls with one another and created friendships that last a lifetime out of that experience. At one point in my clinical training I worked with a young woman who was an aspiring actress. As she described the training she received it was very much like what we were all doing in graduate school... coming to terms with our demons as we learned to express our aliveness. That comes across in this conversation. Thank you.

[@ericmgarrison]

Just recently, my 81-year-old mother has introduced me to the Ozarks and I am watching it for her second time/my first time and I have always enjoyed seeing Ms. Linney on stage and screen. I remember seeing her in the Crucible almost 20 years ago before seeing her and her Virginia Theatre co-star, Mr. Neeson, appear in the same film, Love Actually - and I pull out that BlueRay every December and many days in between. What a wonderful actress and a beautiful person inside and out..

[@louiserose2609]

I love her! Wonderful person and actor!!

[@raymondanka6030]

Laura's a sweetheart.........Te amo, mi amor. Nice honest, sincere face & personality.

[@janelovesmskimhyunjoo]

Great interview.

[@wiktoriakorszlak6275]

I love this woman so much!

[@RebeccaKhan-fx7jf]

Laura, you may want to teach acting, since you love seeing the students so much.

[@lahippie2458]

laura❤❤❤😭😭😭

[@raleigh5683]

If anyone knows where I can watch or buy a copy of this full episode, PLEASE let me know. Even if you have a physical copy that you are willing to sell :-)

[@ryanharrington146]

Amazing.

[@RebeccaKhan-fx7jf]

I can see how good you would be on Broadway.

[@RebeccaKhan-fx7jf]

That's great. Val Kilmer and Kelsey Grammer went there, etc.

[@mdtys]

those dimples...