James Lipton was 93 when he passed away in 2020. You may have come across Lipton’s face once or twice if you’d ever flicked through the hundreds of channels on pay-tv looking for something to watch. With a suspiciously dark beard for a man in his 70’s and 80’s, you’d usually see Lipton sitting on a theatre stage, a famous actor to his left, and an audience of captivated young actors sitting before them.
The show you’d be watching was “Inside the Actors Studio” with Lipton as the host/interviewer. The format was different to most celebrity interviews due to the fact the actors on stage with Lipton truly wanted to be there. Lipton was well researched, there were no gossipy questions, and the actors weren’t there on a press tour to promote their latest film. The focus was mostly on what led them to acting and the films and tv shows they’d worked on across their career.
The show’s reception spoke for itself. The version hosted by Lipton ran for 24 years. It was broadcast in 125 countries, and had the fifth most Emmy award nominations in history when it ended.
While Inside the Actors Studio’s major focus was on the actors themselves, Lipton’s presence, with precise questions read from trademark blue cue cards, was invaluable. Lipton spent time in the Air Force before trying his hand as an actor, then a writer for soap operas, before going on to produce TV specials and becoming an acting teacher.
In all, he’d spent over 40 years doing various other jobs before he came to public attention. This made Lipton’s age one of the most remarkable things about him. By the time Inside the Actors Studio started, he was 67. The project he began in his late 60’s became the thing he was best known for and received the most acclaim for in his life.
Read the full “Retirement Purpose” post.
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