Inside the Actors Studio is a series on the Bravo cable television channel, hosted by James Lipton. It is produced and directed by Jeff Wurtz; the executive producer is James Lipton. The program, which premiered in 1994, is distributed by CABLEready and is broadcast in 125 countries around the world reaching 89,000,000 homes. It is currently taped at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University's New York City campus.

About the program

[Lipton by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|150px|left|[[James Lipton]]]

The program began as a televised craft seminar for students of the Actors Studio Drama School, originally a joint venture of the Actors Studio and New School University. It was taped at the New School's Tishman Auditorium in New York City.

In May 2005, the contract between the Actors Studio and New School University was not renewed. Beginning with the twelfth season, in the fall of 2005, the program has been taped at the Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University's New York City campus. The show now has a new set with a gritty backstage feel, designed by Will Rothfuss for Blair Broadcast Designs, and The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University has re-opened in new facilities.

[] with guest Angelina Jolie]]. The majority of the show is held as a one-on-one interview.
Since its premiere, Inside the Actors Studio has had over 200 guests. Of those guests, the very first having been Paul Newman, were succeeded by 74 Academy Award winners: 8 directors; four screenwriters; 61 actors and actresses; and two musicians. For its 200th show, James Lipton became the guest subject of the show. He was questioned by Dave Chappelle whom James picked personally. The show ended with Pace University provost announcing that the college is sponsoring a scholarship in Chapelle's name to his high school alma mater.

While most of the show is a one-on-one interview conducted by Lipton, this is followed by the host submitting a questionnaire to the guest. The questionnaire concept was originated by French television personality Bernard Pivot, after the Proust Questionnaire. The ten questions Lipton asks are:

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?

The program usually concludes with a question-and-answer session with the students.

In France, the show has been broadcast since 1999 on Paris Première.

Guests

Ben Affleck Alan Alda Tim Allen Judd Apatow Lauren Bacall Alec Baldwin Antonio Banderas Ellen Barkin Roseanne Barr Drew Barrymore Kim Basinger Jason BatemanBRAVO WRITES A NEW CHAPTER WITH DEVELOPMENT OF SCRIPTED SERIES AND LIVE WEEKLY TOPICAL SHOW Kathy Bates Ned Beatty Halle Berry Juliette Binoche Cate Blanchett Bon Jovi Jeff Bridges Matthew Broderick Josh Brolin Pierce Brosnan Carol Burnett Ellen Burstyn Steve Buscemi Gabriel Byrne James Caan Nicolas Cage Michael Caine George Carlin Stockard Channing Dave Chappelle Don Cheadle Glenn Close Jennifer Connelly Francis Ford Coppola Kevin Costner Russell Crowe Tom Cruise Billy Crystal John Cusack Willem Dafoe Matt Damon Geena Davis

Robert De Niro Johnny Depp Danny DeVito Cameron Diaz Matt Dillon Stanley Donen Michael Douglas Robert Downey Jr. Richard Dreyfuss David Duchovny Olympia Dukakis Faye Dunaway Robert Duvall Clint Eastwood Peter Falk Sally Field Ralph Fiennes Laurence Fishburne Jane Fonda Harrison Ford Jodie Foster Michael J. Fox (with Tracy Pollan) Jamie Foxx Morgan Freeman James Gandolfini Andy Garcia Ricky Gervais Richard Gere Danny Glover Whoopi Goldberg William Goldman John Goodman Hugh Grant Lee Grant Melanie Griffith Gene Hackman Tom Hanks (First guest to appear twice) Ed Harris Teri Hatcher Ethan Hawke Goldie Hawn Salma Hayek

Dustin Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman Anthony Hopkins Dennis Hopper Ron Howard Helen Hunt Holly Hunter John Hurt Anjelica Huston Jeremy Irons Hugh Jackman Anne Jackson (with Eli Wallach) Samuel L. Jackson Norman Jewison Billy Joel Elton John Angelina Jolie Tommy Lee Jones Harvey Keitel Val Kilmer Ben Kingsley Kevin Kline Martin Landau Diane Lane Nathan Lane Jessica Lange Queen Latifah Hugh Laurie Jude Law Martin Lawrence Denis Leary Spike Lee Jennifer Jason Leigh Jack Lemmon Jay Leno Jerry Lewis Laura Linney James Lipton (Hosted by Dave Chappelle) Jennifer Lopez Julia Louis-Dreyfus Sidney Lumet Shirley MacLaine

Leslie Mann William H. Macy Mary Stuart Masterson Ian McKellen Bette Midler Arthur Miller Liza Minnelli Julianne Moore Mary Tyler Moore Jeanne Moreau Eddie Murphy Mike Myers Paul Newman Mike Nichols Edward Norton Conan O'Brien Rosie O'Donnell Al Pacino Gwyneth Paltrow Sarah Jessica Parker Estelle Parsons Arthur Penn Sean Penn Bernadette Peters Michelle Pfeiffer Amy Poehler Sydney Pollack Tracy Pollan (with Michael J. Fox) Natalie Portman Dennis Quaid Anthony Quinn Daniel Radcliffe Robert Redford Vanessa Redgrave Christopher Reeve Burt Reynolds Tim Robbins Julia Roberts Chris Rock Diana Ross Mickey Rourke Mark Ruffalo Meg Ryan Mark Rydell

Susan Sarandon Martin Scorsese Kyra Sedgwick Charlie Sheen Martin Sheen Brooke Shields Martin Short Neil Simon Gary Sinise Christian Slater Will Smith Stephen Sondheim Sissy Spacek Kevin Spacey Steven Spielberg Sylvester Stallone Ben Stiller Sharon Stone Meryl Streep Barbra Streisand Donald Sutherland Kiefer Sutherland Hilary Swank Charlize Theron Billy Bob Thornton Benicio del Toro John Travolta Mark Wahlberg Christopher Walken Eli Wallach (with Anne Jackson) Barbara Walters Naomi Watts Sigourney Weaver Forest Whitaker Gene Wilder Robin Williams Bruce Willis Debra Winger Kate Winslet Shelley Winters James Woods Joanne Woodward Renée Zellweger

[] at Pace University]]

Ensemble guests:

• Cast of Everybody Loves Raymond (Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Doris Roberts, and Peter Boyle)

• Cast of Family Guy (Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green and Mike Henry)
• Mila Kunis, who plays Meg, had a schedule conflict and was unavailableJames Lipton, Lover of “Family Guy”

• Casts of Law & Order (creator Dick Wolf, Chris Noth (Law & Order; Law & Order: Criminal Intent), S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order))
• Christopher Meloni (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) had to leave before his interview during the taping because of an illness he had that day, he was edited out of the introduction since he was not able to be interviewed during the show.

• Cast of The Producers musical (director Susan Stroman, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick)

• Cast of The Simpsons (Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, and Yeardley Smith)
• Kavner left in the middle of the show for an unknown reason, leaving an empty chair for much of the show until it was removed during a commercial break. Although Kavner is known for not approving of doing her Marge Simpson voice in person, she did perform the voice (as well as that of Patty and Selma) while hiding her face behind a cardboard cutout of Marge's face.

• Cast of Will & Grace (Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally)

Declined/Standing Invitations

• Gregory Peck repeatedly turned down Lipton's offer to be interviewed ever since the beginning of the show, but he finally agreed to do so. However, he passed away before his scheduled appearance in 2003.

• Brad Pitt, Jack Nicholson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Denzel Washington and Sean Connery all declined the chance to appear on the show. Any and all prospective guests that elude the opportunity to visit the Actors Studio are given a standing invitation every year.

• When the program was based at New School University, Gary Oldman was selected as the most popular request for which guest should come visit the Actors Studio. As of 2009, he has not appeared on the show.

• Ever since 1994, Lipton tried to persuade Marlon Brando and Katherine Hepburn to come on the show. Although they were both members of the Actors Studio, neither wanted to interrupt their retirement from show business, whether it would be talk-show or otherwise. Hepburn died in 2003, and Brando died not long after in 2004.

DVD Releases

Select episodes of the show have been released by Shout! Factory. Three DVDs containing a single episode each feature Robin Williams, Johnny Depp, and Barbra Streisand. Two compilation sets were also released. 'Leading Men' features Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Sean Penn, and Russell Crowe. 'Icons' features Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and Barbra Streisand.