Actors

Actress Sigourney Weaver. She made her first film appearance in a scene so short you could miss her. She played Woody Allen’s date in “Annie Hall” after he broke up with Annie. After that she made her big debut in “Alien” as Ripley, and went on to star in the other Alien films. Her other credits include: “Gorillas in the Mist,” “Working Girl,” “CopyCat.” She’s now starring in “Galaxyquest” and “A Map of the World.”

Character actor John C. Reilly. He's starred In all three of director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson's films. He played a small-time gambler In "Hard Eight," a porn star In "Boogie Nights," and a police officer In the new "Magnolia." Reilly has also worked with directors Brian DePalma ("Casualties of War") and Terrence Malik ("The Thin Red Line"). Reilly got his start In Chicago at the Goodman School of Drama and worked with the Steppenwolf theatre.

Actress Susan Sarandon. She's currently starring in the new film "Anywhere But Here," and "Cradle Will Rock." Over her 30 years in films she's starred in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" which became a cult classic, as well as "Atlantic City," "Thelma and Louise," "Bull Durham," "Dead Man Walking," and more.

Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. He stars as a drag-queen in the new movie "Flawless" which also stars Robert DeNiro. Hoffman also had parts in the films "Happiness," "Next Stop Wonderland," and "Boogie Nights."

Actor Liev Schreiber. The 32-year old's film credits include "The Daytrippers," "A Walk on the Moon," and the "Scream" movies. He's currently starring in New York in the Public Theatre's new production of "Hamlet." And he plays Orson Welles in the HBO drama "RKO 281" about the clash between Welles and William Randolph Hearst over the making of Welles's masterpiece, "Citizen Kane." It premiered last night.

Actor Gene Hackman. The star of the films "Bonnie and Clyde," "The French Connection," "The Conversation," and "Unforgiven" is now an author. He's collaborated with Daniel Lenihan (LEN-ah-han) who we'll also from hear from (one of the world's leading underwater archaeologists) on the new novel, "Wake of the Perdido Star: A novel of shipwrecks, pirates, and the sea" (Newmarket Press). (THIS INTERVIEW CONTINUES INTO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SHOW).

Stage legend Elaine Stritch. In a career spanning more than 40 years, she has received acclaim for her work on stage, as well as on television and in motion pictures. She starred in the original 1961 Broadway production of Noel Coward's musical Sail Away. In honor of Coward's upcoming centenary, she'll reprise her role in a concert production at Carnegie Hall.

Monologist, actor and writer Spalding Gray. His newest work is "Morning, Noon, and Night" (Fararr, Straus, and Giroux) about being a father and raising a family. Gray's monologues include, "Monster in a Box" about all the distractions that prevented him from completing his novel, "Impossible Vacation," and "Swimming to Cambodia" about filming a movie in Cambodia. His monologue and book "Gray's Anatomy" was about his eye problems, and his adventures in the mainstream and alternative health care industries.

Singer and actor Kris Kristofferson. He can be seen in the recent John Sayles movie, "Limbo." And he has his first album out in about five years, "The Austin Sessions" (Atlantic). It features a new version of his song (known best for Janis Joplin's version) "Me And Bobby McGee" and teams him up with Jackson Browne and Vince Gill.

Actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes They're best known for their respective roles in "The English Patient" and "Shakespeare in Love." Their mother, Jennifer Lash, was an accomplished novelist in England. Her last novel, "Blood Ties" was written as she was dying of breast cancer. Her sons talk about their mother. Their sister Sophie, also joins the conversation.