I've always loved Houdini, not just because of what he did, but also because of what he stood for. He was a self-made man in a time when the idea of celebrity was still new, and he used his celebrity for good.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
As a kid, I always was obsessed with Houdini.
Whereas you have someone like Houdini, who works really, really hard to get really, really famous, and then has actual intellectual ideas that he puts into the culture that stay there.
Houdini connected to people on an emotional level so that when he would escape that straight jacket it wasn't about the straight jacket. It was about people looking at it and escaping poverty. When you have that it's the truest form of magic.
My favorite actor is Sir Ben Kingsley - nobody is as good as him, in my opinion. I think he's so good as an artist.
I like Edward G. Robinson - he started as a character actor and became a lead, which is probably why I like him.
I don't think you can say something is or isn't magic. That's what was cool about Houdini, because he was a magician who had a magic show, but he was also an escape artist, and they kind of, over time, blended together. They both kind of enhance each other, I think.
It may sound strange to say it of someone so famous, but I think Leonardo DiCaprio is underrated, particularly from an awards perspective. He is a very versatile actor. He started very young, and 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?' is one of my favourite films.
I love 'Capote.' Huge fan of Philip Seymour Hoffman; if he's not my all-time favorite actor he's definitely in my top five. I just love him so much.
Viggo Mortensen had the biggest impact on me in terms of approach, dedication, intention, and artistic outlook, and I'm nowhere close to how good he is as an artist, and I wouldn't even put myself in the same category as an actor.
I really love listening to Hozier. He's great.