|
|
|
|
|
Name: Etel Billig
Home Town: Park Forest, Illinois
Character: Esther
|
What attracted you to the Entertainment Industry and what was your first job or big break in the business?
Grew up in New York City - Father was in vaudeville. My first big break was appearing in stock with Basil Rathbone, Ethel Waters and Inger Stevens.
What is the biggest challenge you faced trying to break into the industry and how did you overcome it?
Getting seen on stage by people who could see your potential for film.
What advice can you give those trying to break into the "industry?"
Train - know your craft. Be comfortable at auditions - don't let the training and work show.
Please describe your character in "Stolen Summer" and why you were attracted to the role.
Esther is a warm person who is truly concerned about the Rabbi. She expresses her dismay at what she considers an insult to Judaism and how it can anger the congregants. But most of all, she cares about the Rabbi.
Can you share any tricks of the trade that help you work better as an actor?
Study - train - continue your training, see films and see plays.
What's the best lesson you've learned in regards to working in Hollywood?
Don't audition for roles you know you are wrong for. Agents sometimes offer you for things you'd never be cast in.
What advice would you give to writers on how to craft a script that can help actors better understand or relate to their character?
Making sure, as in good plays, there are what we call character lines (things other characters say about your character or what your character says about itself).
What advice would you give a director on how to make your job as an actor easier on set?
Take time to talk with your actors, and make sure you've both discovered the same things about their character.
List your top five favorite films.
- Citizen Kane
- Lawrence of Arabia
- The Producers
- Manhattan (Woody Allen's)
- A Place in the Sun
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
