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Playing a Conman.

Stage and screen actor Joe Mantegna. He can be seen now in "House of Games," the first film effort by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, with whom Mantegna has had a long association. His stage work includes the lead role in "Glengarry, Glen Ross," the Mamet play that won the 1984 Pulitzer Prize; Mantegna won a Tony Award for his performance. Mantegna revels in shady characters: gamblers, cutthroat salesman, mobsters and Hollywood hucksters.

09:55
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Other segments from the episode on January 21, 1988

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, January 21, 1988: Interview with Ryszard Kapuscinski; Review of the film "Less Than Zero"'s soundtrack album; Interview with Joe Mantegna; Review of the film "Moonstruck."
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27:08

The Revolutions Experienced by Ryszard Kapuscinski.

Polish writer Ryszard Kapuscinski. His writing lies somewhere between history and journalism. He was a foreign correspondent for the Polish Press Agency. His books in English include The Emperor, about Ethiopian emperor Haille Selassie, Shah of Shah, about the Shah of Iran, and Another Day of Life, about Angola.

Interview
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07:00

Flop Movie, Hit Soundtrack.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the soundtrack for the movie "Less Than Zero." Though the movie was something of a flop, the soundtrack continues to produce hits.

Review

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Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.

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09:30

A Comedian Plays a Comedian

Jonathan Katz stars as standup comedian Jackie Shore in the new movie Things Change, which was written by his friend David Mamet. Katz played a con man in the earlier Mamet movie House of Games, which Katz says was loosely based on their experience as small-time ping pong hustlers.

Interview

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Remembering Irish singer–songwriter Glen Hansard

Best-known for his band The Frames and his part in the 2007 film Once, Hansard got his start as a street busker in Dublin. He died July 29 in a motorcycle crash. Originally broadcast in 2008.

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08:42

Celebrating Tony Bennett on what would have been his 100th birthday

Bennett, who died in 2023, was known for a string of hits, including "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." Kevin Whitehead offers an appreciation and remembers some of Bennett's lesser-known songs.

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'I Want Your Sex' urges Gen Z to get a little more X-rated

In the new comedy "I Want Your Sex," Olivia Wilde plays an LA-based artist who initiates a dominant-submissive relationship with her younger employee, played by Cooper Hoffman. It's the first new feature in 12 years from the queer cinema pioneer Gregg Araki, and it's opening in theaters today after premiering to much acclaim in January at the Sundance Film Festival. Our film critic, Justin Chang, has this review.

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