美国国家公共电台 NPR Actor Michael Stuhlbarg On His Approach To Playing Real-Life Characters

 

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

When we say someone's having a breakout year in Hollywood, we're often talking about an ingenue in their 20s starring in a sequel to some big-budget franchise¹. Well, Michael Stuhlbarg is having a breakout year in Hollywood, and he turns 50 this summer. He was in three of this year's best picture-nominated films, and none of those movies feature superheroes or comic book characters. Quick rundown - in "The Shape Of Water," Michael Stuhlbarg plays a Russian spy. He learned to speak some Russian for that role.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE SHAPE OF WATER")

MICHAEL STUHLBARG: (As Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, speaking Russian).

SHAPIRO: The movie "Call Me By Your Name" builds up to a father-to-son speech where Stuhlbarg leaves audiences in tears.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CALL ME BY YOUR NAME")

STUHLBARG: (As Mr. Perlman) Nature has cunning ways of finding our weakest spot. Just remember; I'm here.

SHAPIRO: And in "The Post," Stuhlbarg plays the executive editor of The New York Times, Abe Rosenthal.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE POST")

STUHLBARG: (As Abe Rosenthal) If you're nervous and need a distraction², I do happen to have a copy of today's Times...

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: (As character) Abe...

STUHLBARG: (As Abe Rosenthal) ...Unless you read it already.

(LAUGHTER)

SHAPIRO: Now he's playing another real-life character in the Hulu miniseries "The Looming³ Tower." Here he is as the White House counterterrorism adviser⁴ Richard Clarke in the years leading up to 9/11.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LOOMING TOWER")

STUHLBARG: (As Richard Clarke) He starts throwing bombs, and the press will say he's spilling blood to distract everyone from Monica Lewinsky. That's what they'll say.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Dick, advise the president that some of us aren't into it for the politics. We're into it for America.

STUHLBARG: (As Richard Clarke) I won't be passing that on, but thank you.

SHAPIRO: Michael Stuhlbarg, welcome.

STUHLBARG: Thank you. Thank you.

SHAPIRO: I'm exhausted⁵ just listening to that.

(LAUGHTER)

STUHLBARG: Me too.

SHAPIRO: I know that sometimes these things get filmed years apart. Did you know there was going to be this explosion of Michael Stuhlbargs on the screen?

STUHLBARG: No, no way, no. It's really funny. I mean, I did film "Call Me By Your Name" and "The Shape Of Water" back to back, but "The Post" kind of came out of nowhere, and Mr. Spielberg and all of the producers put that whole project together so quickly that that was just made this past summer and came out before the end of the year.

SHAPIRO: A couple of years ago when the actor Alan Rickman died, I spoke⁶ with the actress Dame⁷ Helen Mirren, and one of the things she said about him was there are actors whose potential is in their youth, but his potential was in maturity⁸. And I wonder whether you think that's true of you.

STUHLBARG: I guess you might say so. I really didn't know what I was doing in front of a camera for many, many years. I did theater in New York from, jeez, 1992 to 2008. Theater always gave me a kind of venue⁹ to let my energy out. And the cinema and television is much more of a contained medium where the camera can pick up even your slightest thoughts. So it's been a process of learning on the job for me.

SHAPIRO: So what was it that flipped¹⁰ the switch, the Coen brothers movie "A Serious Man" in 2008?

STUHLBARG: Yeah, I guess so. I mean, Joel and Ethan brought me in to audition¹¹ for that movie initially¹² just for a small part in the beginning of the film. At the beginning of the film, there's this Yiddish parable¹³. And I learned all that in Yiddish, brought it in, and they laughed a lot at what I did.

SHAPIRO: Did you know any Yiddish before that?

STUHLBARG: No, I didn't. I went to a tutor, and I learned the scene and tried to do my best. But they cast someone who knows Yiddish, as they should have. And after that, some months went by, and I guess they couldn't find who they were looking for for the parts of Larry and Uncle Arthur. And they saw me, and their confidence in me I think helped me step up and just do the work.

SHAPIRO: So getting the lead in this film was your consolation¹⁴ prize for not getting cast in the Yiddish cameo.

STUHLBARG: Maybe so, yeah.

SHAPIRO: (Laughter) I'd like to ask you about playing real-life characters because you've done it twice recently. You are Abe Rosenthal in "The Post."

STUHLBARG: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: He died in 2006. And now in "The Looming Tower," you play Richard Clarke, who is very much alive. How do you approach playing somebody who is well-known and, at least in the case of "The Looming Tower," likely going to watch your performance?

STUHLBARG: I don't know. It's really sort of the same process for me. You gather as much information about that person as you can with the time that you have. Then you just sort of let who they are inform what you do. And there is this great debate amongst those of us who have the opportunity to play real people between, is it a portrait, or is it a photograph, you know? How close is it impression - an impression of someone, or are you trying to be as specific as possible? There are arguments for both camps.

And with Richard Clarke, it was one of those remarkable¹⁵ experiences where you get to actually meet somebody. I met him. We went out to dinner, and we spoke. And he was very generous with allowing me to sort of play catch-up and ask a ton of stupid questions. And I basically just listened.

SHAPIRO: (Laughter) Do you remember any of the questions you asked him at that dinner?

STUHLBARG: Really dumb things like, where did you get your outfits¹⁶? You know, where did you shop? What kind of foods do you like? You know, I'm trying to find the minutia¹⁷ of the kinds of daily things that we might actually get to add to a scene.

SHAPIRO: And did any of those things make their way into "The Looming Tower"? Is there a scene where you're eating something that Dick Clarke told you he ate?

STUHLBARG: There is a scene where I'm drinking something that he drank or something that he enjoyed.

SHAPIRO: What was that?

STUHLBARG: A particular scotch¹⁸. It's an outside-in approach to finding your way to the more important questions about what was going on politically at the time, what was his day-to-day work. You know, you have to start somewhere, and I started with dumb questions in front of someone who I really respected.

(LAUGHTER)

SHAPIRO: And as he's answering those questions, are you both listening to the answers and watching what he does with his hands as he's talking and where he cocks his head and things like that?

STUHLBARG: Obviously Mr. Clarke had - there's a lot of videotape out there on him, so I just listened. Then I could go watch him, you know, on C-SPAN giving testimony¹⁹ in front of the 9/11 committee.

SHAPIRO: This was in 2003. Let's listen to this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RICHARD CLARKE: And the reason I am strident in my criticism of the president of the United States is because by invading Iraq, the president of the United States has greatly undermined the war on terrorism.

SHAPIRO: And then here is you playing Richard Clarke in "The Looming Tower."

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE LOOMING TOWER")

CLARKE: (As Richard Clarke) I know you want me to just push a button under my desk and blow [expletive] up, but no such button was provided to me. First I talk to your boss, then I talk to my boss, the president, who may or may not give the order.

SHAPIRO: What are you doing in that moment to play this character, I mean?

STUHLBARG: Mr. Clarke had the weight of the world on his shoulders at that time. He told me that when he was frustrated²⁰ or angry, he got quiet as opposed to lashing²¹ out at people. The more dangerous a situation was, the quieter he got, he said. So I'm making my point. Really, Mr. Clarke was the gatekeeper to the president. So I am being that gatekeeper for the president, and I had to bring him the best information that I could gather. And these people were constantly making things difficult. So I guess I'm just laying down the law in some ways as succinctly²² and directly as possible.

SHAPIRO: Unless I've missed something, I don't think you've been on the stage since, well, for about the last decade. Is that right?

STUHLBARG: Yeah, that's right.

SHAPIRO: So you were almost exclusively a stage actor, and now you haven't done it for many years.

STUHLBARG: Yeah.

SHAPIRO: Do you think you'll go back ever?

STUHLBARG: I have plans to within...

SHAPIRO: Oh, really?

STUHLBARG: ...This year.

SHAPIRO: Want to make some news?

STUHLBARG: At the moment, I can't. But I have felt a yearning²³ to get back out there, and I'm really hoping - it looks as though I'll get to do it sometime this year.

SHAPIRO: Michael Stuhlbarg, it's been great talking to you. Thank you.

STUHLBARG: Thank you very much.

SHAPIRO: That's Michael Stuhlbarg of "The Shape Of Water," "The Post," "Call Me By Your Name" and now "The Looming Tower," which is out next week on Hulu.

1 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

2 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

3 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

8 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。

9 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

10 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

11 audition   

n.(对志愿艺人等的)面试(指试读、试唱等)

参考例句：

• I'm going to the audition but I don't expect I'll get a part.我去试音，可并不指望会给我个角色演出。
• At first,they said he was too young,but later they called him for an audition.起初，他们说他太小，但后来他们叫他去试听。

12 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

13 parable   

n.寓言，比喻

参考例句：

• This is an ancient parable.这是一个古老的寓言。
• The minister preached a sermon on the parable of the lost sheep.牧师讲道时用了亡羊的比喻。

14 consolation   

n.安慰，慰问

参考例句：

• The children were a great consolation to me at that time.那时孩子们成了我的莫大安慰。
• This news was of little consolation to us.这个消息对我们来说没有什么安慰。

15 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

16 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

17 minutia   

n.微枝末节，细节

参考例句：

• They are take great pains for the every minutia.他们为每个细节煞费苦心。
• Much of his early work is concerned with the minutiae of rural life.他早期的许多作品关注的是农村生活中一些鸡毛蒜皮的琐事。

18 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

19 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

20 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 succinctly   

adv.简洁地；简洁地，简便地

参考例句：

• He writes simply and succinctly, rarely adding too much adornment. 他的写作风格朴实简练，很少添加饰词。 来自互联网
• No matter what question you are asked, answer it honestly and succinctly. 总之，不管你在面试中被问到什么问题，回答都要诚实而简明。 来自互联网

23 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。