Thank you, James Lipton

A lot of people may not know the name James Lipton, but they’ve probably seen his face and know one of his most notable contributions to the world - Inside the Actors Studio. As a teenager in the Midwest, bible-belt of Kentucky, his work opened a door into the dream known as Hollywood. Each episode was a masterclass on the creative process of acting and directing. The questions asked by this master interview and the subsequent stories that followed offered a rare artistic insight into a craft that has been more and more focused on the profitability of film, reminding us that an artist is still at the heart of the work. He took these titans of the craft and brought them back, humanizing them while still holding them in high esteem. He had an uncanny way of cutting straight to the heart of his interviewee. Because he was a peer with an insight into the process and the creative mind, his interviews were less threatening and less gotcha. They were a safe space for openness and honesty, free of judgment, only seeking to educate an audience of young and eager actors and directors.

With our current state of identity politics and a culture obsessed with outrage and judgment, what I may miss most is the civility that came with his compassion for the guests he welcomed into the actor’s studio. His candid conversations were a welcome dose of civility and inspiration. It seems to me that more and more we expect purity, both in morality and in action, from those we hold in such high regard, but what James Lipton explored was the humanity behind the stars and by reflection the humanity within ourselves. We are flawed creatures and to be held to an unattainable standard is not healthy. It alienates us from each other and doesn’t allow us to be true to ourselves, forcing us to always don a facade that we can’t even let down when we’re alone. He highlighted a need for introspection; an examination of our own actions and perhaps most of all, a need to forgive ourselves for not being perfect. Perfection is the enemy of character, of depth. Perfection is boring. It’s through strife and challenge that we become better people. Pretending to be perfect prevents us from doing the deeper work on ourselves.

That’s what James Lipton represented to me. Decency, compassion, and integrity. A Mister Rogers for those aspiring to hone their craft of film. He was not controversial, he was not attention-seeking. His brand was to not be a brand. He made a name for himself in a way that seems long forgotten: through respect. He was respected by every icon that graced his stage. When the tables were turned, James Lipton called on someone that most would not have expected - Dave Chappelle - to interview him. This was a man that had the greats of film history in his chair. Brando, Pacino, DeNiro, Hopkins - and he chose a comedian most well known for his proclivity for weed, running from the spotlight, and unique brand of comedy. But perhaps that shouldn’t have been unexpected in retrospect. Chappelle is a man of uninhibited sensibilities. He, like Lipton, is not enamored with fame. He went to Africa to prevent himself from being devoured by the business of Hollywood. He too was a craftsman and an introspective person first.

In his exchanges with Dave Chappelle, James Lipton lost a bit of himself. He was no longer the highbrow interviewer. He was boyish in his amusement. James Lipton let his guard down in a way that his guests had let their guards down. There was a mutual admiration that extended beyond the craft of acting and entertainment. A connection of intellectual curiosity for the weirdness of the idea of celebrity, to which they both privy to in their own ways.

It’s a rare person that can be around so much celebrity and greatness but still maintain an intentional distance from it. He was a giant in his own right, but unlike others that I would associate him with, like Roger Ebert, he never sought that spotlight for himself. He was a lesson in modesty even while being exceptional.

That’s something we could use more of in the world today.

In closing, I’m going to list the questions that he asked at the end of every interview. And in honor of his spirit of modesty, I’m going to leave the answers blank. Because sometimes the answers are far less important than the questions behind them.

1. What is your favorite word?

2. What is your least favorite word?

3. What turns you on?

4. What turns you off?

5. What sound or noise do you love?

6. What sound or noise do you hate?

7. What is your favorite curse word?

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

9. What profession would you not like to do?

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?