Thursday, April 16, 2009

Quote of the Day (Carla Gugino, on a Formative Acting Experience)


“‘Troop Beverly Hills’ was very meaningful because it allowed me to support myself for the first time, which gave me increased confidence as an actor.”—Carla Gugino, quoted in Patrick Healy, “Giving in to ‘Desire’: It Works for Her,” The New York Times, April 12, 2009

I’d wager that the above quote might be the first time in recorded history that “Troop Beverly Hills” and “meaningful” appeared in the same sentence. Certainly poor Shelley Long might think twice about that, as it confirmed that, post-Cheers, her choice of material might not be the best.

You can click on the link above just to see for yourself that the quote is true. But while you’re doing that, you’ll ask find a very interesting interview with Ms. Gugino.

I don’t recall offhand having seen the actress in film or on TV, but I do remember well her fine turn a few years ago at the Roundabout Theatre’s production of Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer, in the role that Elizabeth Taylor played onscreen. Ms. Gugino is not only an actress of considerable talent and intelligence—something that anyone who watches her can see for themselves—but also, according to colleagues in the theater, a professional of dedication and passion for her craft.

Passion in another context is what her appearance in Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms is all about. Gugino and the play (also starring Brian Dennehy) earned rave notices before being transferred to New York. It promises to be a highly sought ticket in what has been, all-around, a pretty dreary last six months on the New York theater scene.

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