SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations

Career Conversations with Sam Elliott.  Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety. Sam Elliott stars alongside Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in Warner Bros. Pictures "A Star is Born." He has an iconic career that began with a bit part in the classic film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” He rose to stardom playing the lead in the cult classic “Lifeguard,” and has since built a career with many memorable and iconic film and television roles.  Elliott’s other film work includes “The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot,” directed by Robert Krzykowski and executive produced by John Sayles. On television, Elliott stars opposite Ashton Kutcher in the hit Netflix comedy series “The Ranch”.  Recently, Elliott received rave reviews for his starring turn in Brett Haley’s “The Hero,” opposite Laura Prepon and Nick Offerman, making it his second feature with Haley, following “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” His other notable film credits include “Mask,” “Fatal Beauty,” “Road House,” “Rush,” “Gettysburg,” “

Career Q&A with Chita Rivera on September 11, 2015.  Moderated by Richard Ridge, BroadwayWorld.com.   An accomplished and versatile actress/singer/dancer, Chita Rivera has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and received eight additional Tony nominations for an exceptional 10 Tony nominations. On Friday, November 6, 2015, WNET/THIRTEEN will air the Great Performances special Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin’ To Do, a retrospective on her extraordinary life and career nationally on PBS. She recently starred in The Visit, the final John Kander/Fred Ebb/Terrence McNally musical directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela Daniele on Broadway (2015), following the acclaimed production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in the summer of 2014. She starred in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer’s Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terrence McNally and directed by Gracie

Career Q&A with Ewan McGregor on November 28, 2012.  Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Back Stage. EWAN MCGREGOR (Henry) has proven himself as a true actor time and again, from his breakthrough role as the heroin-addicted Mark Renton in Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, to the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode 1, to starring as "Christian" opposite Nicole Kidman in the Academy Award® and BAFTA award winning musical Moulin Rouge directed by Baz Luhrmann. He was seen starring in Focus Features' slice-of-life film, Beginners, opposite Christopher Plummer, based on director Mike Mills personal story. Beginners recently won for Best Ensemble Cast and Best Feature at the 2011 Gotham Film Awards. The film also received the Best Feature nomination at the upcoming 2012 Independent Spirit Awards and attention by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Follow the SAG-AFTRA Foundation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagaftraFOUND/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagaftraFOUNDA

Career Q&A with Ray Liotta on June 5, 2017.  Moderated by Stacey Wilson Hunt, New York Magazine. Ray Liotta stars on the NBC drama “Shades of Blue” as Lt. Matt Wozniak. Liotta started his career with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in Jonathan Demme’s “Something Wild” and followed that by co-starring opposite Tom Hulce in “Dominic and Eugene.” He’s also well-known for the iconic role of Shoeless Joe Jackson in the Oscar-nominated film “Field of Dreams.”  But perhaps the film that brought Liotta his most widespread acclaim was his portrayal of real-life mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s epic movie “Goodfellas” starring opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. His performance helped the film earn a Best Picture nomination and solidified Liotta's status with critics and the public alike. Liotta continued to create notable performances in films such as “Copland,” opposite Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel for director James Mangold; “Hannibal,” opposite Anthony Hopkins for director Ridley Sc

Q&A with Laverne Cox on July 30, 2014.  Moderated by Mark Peikert, Executive Editor, Backstage.  Laverne Cox is an Emmy-winning actress who can be seen in the Netflix original series “Orange is The New Black” where she plays the ground breaking role of Sophia Burset, an incarcerated African American, transgender woman.  The shows critically acclaimed second season is currently available on Netflix. Laverne is the first trans woman of color to have a leading role on a mainstream scripted television show. Her work as an actress and advocate landed her on the cover of TIME Magazine as well as an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series” and a Critic’s Choice nomination for “Best Supporting Actress.”

Conversations with David Hyde Pierce on April 12, 2013. Moderated by Richard Ridge, Broadway World. Emmy and Tony Award winner David Hyde Pierce can be seen on Broadway starring opposite Sigourney Weaver and Kristine Nielsen in Christopher Durang's new comedy, "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike."  The show opened in March following sold out runs at Princeton's McCarter Theatre and at Lincoln Center. Pierce made his professional and Broadway debut in 1982 in Durang's "Beyond Therapy" and went on to create roles in Off-Broadway productions of Mark O'Donnell's "That's it Folks!," Richard Greenberg's "The Author's Voice" and Jules Feiffer's "Elliot Loves" before returning to Broadway in "The Heidi Chronicles." In 2005, Pierce originated the role of 'Sir Robin' in the Broadway production of "Monty Python's Spamalot," and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.  In 2007, he won the Tony Award and earned another Drama Desk Award nomination for his role in the musical comedy "Curtains." Perhaps best known f

Career Retrospective with Rachel Weisz, starring in THE FAVOURITE, on January 31, 2019. Moderated by Mara Webster.  Academy Award-winning actress Rachel Weisz, who is known for portraying women of incredible spirit and intelligence, continues to seek out challenging projects and roles both on screen and on stage and as a producer. Follow the SAG-AFTRA Foundation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagaftraFOUND/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagaftraFOUNDATION Twitter: https://twitter.com/sagaftraFOUND The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, educational and state-of-the-art resources to SAG-AFTRA members. The Foundation believes that the contributions made to our culture by performing artists are not only valuable, but essential. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation relies entirely on donations to provide emergency assistance and free educational programs to SAG-AFTRA artists. This conversation is made possible thanks to the

A career retrospective with F. Murray Abraham on May 6, 2021. Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety. Follow the SAG-AFTRA Foundation on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sagaftraFOUND/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sagaftraFOUNDATION Twitter: https://twitter.com/sagaftraFOUND The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most comprehensive, educational and state-of-the-art resources to SAG-AFTRA members. The Foundation believes that the contributions made to our culture by performing artists are not only valuable, but essential. The SAG-AFTRA Foundation relies entirely on donations to provide emergency assistance and free educational programs to SAG-AFTRA artists. This conversation is made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters. Over the past year, the Foundation has given over $6.5 million in disaster relief to more than 7,000 performers. If you are a SAG-AFTRA artist and need help, please ask. And, if you can help, please give at:

Career Q&A with Beau Bridges on August 12, 2015.  Moderated by Oliver Jones.

A career retrospective with Olympia Dukakis on May 10, 2007. Moderated by Catherine Mary Stewart.

Career Q&A with Carl Weathers on May 18, 2017.  Moderated by Caroline O'Connor. Carl Weathers has worked for more than 40 years in both film and television and his feature films have grossed more than $1 billion in box office revenue. He is most recognized for roles in "Rocky," "Predator" and "Happy Gilmore," and those performances have solidified Weathers as a sought-after and recognizable talent. He currently stars as Cook County State's Attorney Mark Jefferies on the NBC drama "Chicago Justice."   Weathers earned a bachelor's degree in theater arts from San Diego State University. He accumulated additional theater study credits from San Francisco State University and started his professional acting career in San Francisco before moving to Los Angeles, where he continued to study acting at Hugh Zetland Acting and Charles Conrad Studios. Since that trip to Hollywood, his good fortune has continued and his love for the industry has grown.

Conversations with John Goodman on November 19, 2013. Moderated by Stacey Wilson, The Hollywood Reporter.

A Career Retrospective with Kathryn Hahn on April 21, 2017. Moderated by Stacey Wilson Hunt, New York Magazine. Kathryn Hahn’s versatility in both comedy and drama has made her one of Hollywood’s most sought after actresses and has shaped a career full of memorable roles.  Hahn was seen in Jill Soloway’s new comedy pilot “I Love Dick” set to premiere on May 12. She plays the role of a wife (Chris) who’s relationship is put to the test when they both fall for the same professor. Hahn also recently has completed production starring in the Max Wrinkler indie coming-of-age film, “Flower,” opposite Adam Scott, Zoey Deutch and Tim Heidecker, set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.  Hahn was most recently seen on Season 3 of the Emmy Nominated Amazon original series “Transparent” created by Jill Soloway.  The show received a 2016 Emmy nomination for ‘Best Comedy’ as well as won the 2015 Golden Globe award for ‘Best Comedy.’   Hahn was also recently cast in the Netflix drama “Private Life”.

Conversations Career Q&A with Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Hobbit Trilogy, Angels in America) on April 27, 2018. Moderated by Broadway World's Richard Ridge of "Backstage with Richard Ridge!" Lee Pace was last seen on Broadway in Larry Kramer’s seminal, Tony Award-winning play, The Normal Heart. He starred in the Off-Broadway production Small Tragedy, which garnered him an Outstanding Actor Lucille Lortel Award nomination, as well as in the two-character play Guardians for which he was also nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award. As a member of Group 30 in Juilliard’s Drama Division, Pace starred in multiple school productions of Romeo & Juliet, Richard II and Julius Caesar. On screen, he was most recently seen in the box office blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy as the intergalactic villain Ronan the Accuser, and in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy as the Elf King Thranduil. On the small screen, Pace is most notable for his starring role in Bryan Fuller’s award-winning and critically-accl

Career Q&A with Malcolm McDowell, starring on Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle, on May 10, 2017.  Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety. Malcolm McDowell has created a gallery of iconic characters since catapulting to the screen as Mick Travis, the rebellious upperclassman in Lindsay Anderson’s prize-winning sensation, If...  His place in movie history was subsequently secured when Stanley Kubrick found the actor he was searching for to play the gleefully amoral Alex in A Clockwork Orange; when McDowell himself conceived the idea for Mick Travis’ further adventures in Anderson’s Candide-like masterpiece, O Lucky Man!; and when he wooed Mary Steenburgen and defeated Jack the Ripper as the romantically inquisitive H.G. Wells in Time After Time.  For his motion picture work, the American Cinematheque honored him with a retrospective in June 2001, highlighted by showings of his electrifying performances in two major works. The first is Paul McGuigan’s Gangster No. 1, in which McDowell and Paul Betta

A career retrospective with Carey Mulligan on March 23, 2021. Moderated by Joe Utichi, AwardsLine Magazine.

Career Retrospective with Hayley Atwell on May 22, 2018.  Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety. Hayley’s impressive body of work has established her as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Hayley can be seen starring in HOWARD'S END. Written by Manchester By the Sea’s Oscar nominated director, Kenneth Lonergan, Hayley plays the lead role, alongside Matthew Macfadyen in the adaptation of E.M. Forster’s classic novel. Through the prism of three families: the intellectual and idealistic Schlegels, the wealthy Wilcoxes from the world of business, and the working class Basts, this period drama tracks the changing landscape of social and class divisions in turn of the century England. The series was recently launched in the US to much acclaim. Earlier this year, Hayley performed at the Hampstead Theatre in Sarah Burgess’s DRY POWDER. Directed by Anna Ledwich, Hayley took the lead role alongside Tom Riley and Aidan McArdle in the comedy which explored the PR world of New York.  Later this year, Ha

Career Q&A with Kenneth Branagh on February 6, 2012. Moderated by Jenelle Riley.

Career Q&A with Kathleen Chalfant on March 19, 2014.  Moderated by Richard Ridge, Broadway World.  BROADWAY: Angels in America (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Racing Demon, Dance With Me. OFF-BROADWAY: Wit ( Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Connecticut Critics Circle, and Obie Awards), Miss Ovington &  Dr. Dubois, Somewhere Fun, Red Dog Howls, Painting Churches, Family Week, Vita & Virginia, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Spalding Grey: Stories Left to Tell, Bloomer Girl, Nine Armenians (Drama Desk nomination), Far Away, Twelve Dreams, Henry V. OTHER NY CREDITS: The Vagina Monologues, True History and Real Adventures, Phaedra in Delirium, Iphigenia and Other Daughters, Endgame, The Party, Sister Mary Ignatius..., The Investigation of the Murder in El Salvador. LONDON & LOS ANGELES: Wit (Ovation Award), Red Dog Howls. SELECT REGIONAL THEATRE: Guthrie, Yale Rep, Long Wharf, Yale Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Mark Taper Forum, ATL, Sundan

A career retrospective with Glynn Turman on February 23, 2021. Moderated by Gil Robertson.