Theater Talk: Jeff Daniels in “Blackbird"

Theater Talk presents a not-to-be-missed conversation with actor Jeff Daniels, now nominated for a Best Lead Actor in a Play TONY for his role in David Harrower's devastating drama "Blackbird," itself nominated for the TONY for Best Revival of a Play.
In an enlightening and often funny interview, Daniels talks about working with actress Michelle Williams and director Joe Mantello to create a fresh and unique performance of the powerful drama, 8 shows a week, every week until their limited run at the Belasco Theatre ends on June 11, 2016. Daniels looks back on his early days, "fresh out of a cornfield," as an intern at Marshall W. Mason's Circle Rep Theatre, as well as his discouraging first job on Broadway as an understudy in Albert Innaurato's "Gemini." Daniels also discusses his Purple Rose Theatre in Michigan, his Emmy-winning lead in Aaron Sorkin's TV series "The Newsroom" and why he followed that role up by doing the box-office smash "Dumb and Dumber To" with Jim Carrey.
Taped: 04-15-16
Theater Talk is a series devoted to the world of the stage. It began on New York television in 1993 and is co-hosted by Michael Riedel (Broadway columnist for the New York Post) and series producer Susan Haskins.
The program is one of the few independent productions on PBS and now airs weekly on Thirteen/WNET in New York and WGBH in Boston. Now, CUNY TV offers New York City viewers additional opportunities to catch each week's show. (Of course, Theater Talk is no stranger to CUNY TV, since the show is taped here each week before its first airing on Thirteen/WNET.)
The series is produced by Theater Talk Productions, a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by contributions from private foundations and individuals, as well as The New York State Council on the Arts.
Watch more Theater Talk at www.tv.cuny.edu/show/theatertalk

[@paulkitt5599]

Thank God for Jeff Daniels calling as it is and making it known that when you sign on for a theatrical run you better know your stuff otherwise you will be found out

[@PurushaDesa]

I'm gonna out on a limb for Tom Cruise. He has done fantastic performances that people conveniently forget, and he has the physical and mental stamina to do all those performances. Every interview is people saying he has a show up or go home mentality.

[@paulybarr]

Great interview- great actor. At 6.06 he does that curious thing that Americans do with the expression "I couldn't care less... ( about you/it)"- when he says " I could care less", which is illogical, given that the expression means " I hold you ( or it) at the lowest level of uninterest/ contempt, so that it is not possible to care less. Whereas, in the American version, if you COULD care less about it...

[@terrymarvin]

It would be great if Jim Carrey did a play somewhere.

[@jeffreykare]

At this point, I disagree with both of their predictions. I think Danny Burstein will win.

[@johnv7060]

I don't think the promoting of Michael's book is disgraceful, but I do think the theatre world kowtowing to Anna Wintour is. Who cares what she thinks! Schlub away!