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Elaine Stritch studied at the New School in New York City under the direction of Edward Piscator. Beginning her career in musical comedy on Broadway, she went from standing by for Ethel Merman in "Call Me Madam," to her Tony-nominated performance in the recent revival of Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance." Her Broadway credits include "Angel in the Wings," "Pal Joey," "On Your Toes," "Bus Stop," "Goldilocks," "Sail Away" (which she performed in both New York and London and in concert at Carnegie Hall to celebrate Noel Coward's centennial), "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Company" and "Show Boat."
In London's West End, she starred in Neil Simon's "The Gingerbread Lady" and Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings." Stritch made her film debut in the 1957 remake of "A Farewell to Arms." She co-starred in the 1977 Alan Resnais film "Providence" and the BBC TV series "Two's Company." Her other film credits include "Cocoon: The Return," "Out To Sea", "Krippendorf's Tribe," with Richard Dreyfuss, "An Unexpected Life," with Stockard Channing and Stephen Collins, Woody Allen's "September" and "Small Time Crooks," and "Autumn in New York," with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder.
Stritch's television credits include "The Cosby Show," "3rd Rock From the Sun" and "Soul Man." She was nominated for an Emmy® for her performance in the miniseries "An Inconvenient Woman," written by Dominick Dunne, and won an Emmy® for her recurring role on "Law and Order."
Her one-woman stage show "Elaine Stritch at Liberty" ran on Broadway and then in London in 2002, followed by a national tour. The show received a Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event, as well as two Drama Desk Awards, for Outstanding Solo Performance for Stritch, and Outstanding Book - Musical, for Stritch and John Lahr.
INTERVIEW
HBO: What do you like the most about what you do?
ELAINE: I'm gonna be smart-assed because that's an impossible question to answer (laughs).
It's anything but the money. I just love the work, the acting. It is absolutely the hardest work in the world and you know why? Because it's live. It's you eight times a week; you're up there, and you're responsible. John Barrymore once said " When you're in the theater, you're either there or you're dead and that's the only excuse for not showing up" And he was right. Say you've got viral pneumonia, they tell you "Yeah...well you can still do the performance can't you?" It's a wild profession but it's been the most satisfying. There's nothing like hearing a thousand,fifteen hundred, two thousand people wrap their arms around you at the end of your performance. There's nothing like it.
HBO: How about movies and television? Are you getting parts?
ELAINE: I've made about 22 movies in my life, which is not a hell of a lot when you've left your sixties. I love doing television and motion pictures. I said to a friend today, "When you're in the theater, everybody treats you like family. But when you work for tv and film, you're treated like company." In the theater, they want you to work your ass off and don't you dare ask for any compliment. If you really belong in the theater, you'll go on if you're practically dying.
I remember a little girl in "Showboat" that came to me one night and said, "Ms. Stritch, umm, I'm not going on tonight." And I said "But why not?" And she said. "I have a headache." and I said "Yes, but I need to know why you're not going on?" She didn't have too much in the comedy department so she didn't get it. I then told her she'd never make it in the theater because you have to be rigorous. And do you know what? She didn't go home that night, she went on.
HBO: Who was your favorite actor to work with?
ELAINE: Well, for women it was Kim Stanley. She was a brilliant actress. I was in "Bus Stop" with her on Broadway, and I was never bored listening to her talk. She didn't end up too well, you know..had the battle of the booze and was high-strung but she was such a brilliant actress. I don't think she caught her problem early enough and it got the better of her.
Jason Robards Jr. was one of the best I've worked with also. I also had a lot of fun working with Walter Matthau.
HBO: What actor or actress would you have loved to work with?
ELAINE: Oh that's a good one. Jack Lemmon was one. I was in the movie "Out To Sea" with him but didn't have any scenes with him. I played Dyan Cannon's mom. People wrote in and said that I, instead of Dyan, should have married Walter Matthau's character (laughs).
Another actor is Robert Redford but I'd like to do anything with him. I think he's the most attractive man in the world! Oh, and Morgan Freeman's at the top of the list. Morgan Freeman is one of the best actors in the whole bloody world. Just love him. Hell, I could marry him any day!
HBO: How did winning the Tony change your life?
ELAINE: Not one single bit! It might have changed producers' attitudes towards me because they'd sooner hire a Tony-winner than a non-Tony winner. But I never had to depend on stuff like that. When something's right for me and the producer likes me, they call. Good people get together and I'm good -- there's no question about it or I wouldn't be in this business for all these years. Imagine being in this business you were no good at for 58 years? That would be a little bit masochistic.
HBO: Going back to favorites, what was your favorite show?
ELAINE: I know that this sounds contrived but the show that I'm in ("Elaine Stritch At Liberty") is my favorite. But in retrospect, the wealth of acting experience has been with Edward Albee's plays: "A Delicate Balance", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and such. Going through those kinds of plays on stage is a real experience that takes real acting. The play is so good and the acting is a breeze because the guy gives you so much to work with. I think maybe "A Delicate Balance" is my favorite because it was my first play. But, "Showboat" was the first I did clean and sober -- I'm an alcoholic. Both of these hold a special place in my life.
HBO: If you could do any part of your life over, what part would that be?
ELAINE: Nothing. Life is not better the second time around. I am sure of that. Well...you know I might want to spend more time with my husdand John again. But now that I think about it...no. Once is enough for everything. Life is so precious and anyone with sense should know that. I've had excruciating, giddy, heavenly highs and unbearable lows and I've handled both in the long run but don't want to live my life more than once. I'm looking forward to what's left of it, I can tell you that.
HBO: What are your next projects?
ELAINE: I'm going to do my show again this summer in Boston and the Adirondacks. I'm also going to begin work on my book next year.
HBO: Thanks Elaine. Thanks for your time.
ELAINE: Oh you're welcome.
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