'Inside the Actors Studio' Guests (through 2001) Quiz

Answer: Sean Penn

Penn actually received applause from the audience for lighting up. (Since Penn's appearance, Melanie Griffith and Johnny Depp have also smoked, incidentally.)

Answer: Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson

Baldwin and Basinger have each been guests, but not in the same episode. Neil Simon has been a guest, but not alongside his wife. Neither Tandy nor Cronyn were guests of the show before their deaths.

I'm fairly certain that the Wallach-Jackson interview was the only time that exactly two guests appeared on stage at the same time.

Answer: Spike Lee

To this day, I have no idea if Lee was never asked the questions at all, or if the questionnaire segment wound up on the editing room floor for some reason. Either way, I found the absence of the segment quite annoying.

Answer: Alec Baldwin

Baldwin was the guest for the 'prototype' episode of 'ITAS' -- it took place in an actual classroom as opposed to the now-familiar auditorium, and has only been shown a handful of times on Bravo. Baldwin later became a guest for the second time in the 'official' format.

Holly Hunter popped up as an audience member at the end of Steven Spielberg's episode, but she has only been the featured guest once.

Answer: Val Kilmer

Kilmer was asked by Lipton to read aloud the poem that Kilmer had used as his audition piece for Julliard. Kilmer responded with, 'Can I read it as you?' Lipton agreed to hand over his glasses so that Kilmer could look the part a bit more. (He wound up balking at reading the poem as Lipton, which is kind of a shame. Could have been quite funny.)

Ferrell does a dead-on Lipton impression, but has never been (as of October 2001) an official guest, despite making a brief appearance on the 100th episode retrospective.

Answer: Sarah Jessica Parker

Nimoy was there as a guest of close friend Gene Wilder. Young tagged along for James Caan's interview. Damon sneaked into Ben Affleck's interview incognito, but Lipton identified him near the end of the show, much to Affleck's surprise.

Sarah Jessica Parker is Matthew Broderick's wife, but she was not present during his interview.

Answer: Billy Crystal

Crystal is a well-known baseball fanatic, particularly when it comes to the Yankees.

Answer: Billy Joel

A true anomaly among 'ITAS' guests, Joel spent his two-hour interview discussing nothing but his music, occasionally stepping over to the piano to illustrate a point or simply to take a request. For fans of Joel (like myself), it was an enjoyable episode...but one has to wonder how a man who does not act, direct, or write (music aside) wound up on this show!

Answer: Francis Ford Coppola

Despite Coppola's expansive and remarkable body of work, the episode featuring him was only an hour long, which wasn't nearly enough for me. Spielberg, of course, had plenty to talk about, and Williams' improvising filled up the two hours easily...but I felt that giving someone as comparatively unaccomplished as Mike Myers the two-hour treatment was a bit odd.

Answer: Holly Hunter

At the end of the Steven Spielberg interview, it was revealed that Holly Hunter had been lurking in the back of the theater. Lipton called her up front, where she had a rather touching moment with her friend Steven. Damon was in the audience for Ben Affleck, but was not ever a guest as of October 2001. Robbins and Paltrow have been guests, but have never been in the audience.

Answer: Whoopi Goldberg

Goldberg was clearly floored, and held the framed diploma proudly above her head.

Answer: Gwyneth Paltrow

While Ribisi is the youngest person named above, as of October 2001, he has not been a guest on the show, nor has Damon. Both Affleck and Paltrow have made appearances, and Gwyneth is about six weeks younger than Ben.

Answer: Kathy Bates

An extremely funny moment capping off what was a fairly serious interview.

Answer: Ellen Barkin

Hanks cried while explaining how difficult it is for him to watch 'Philadelphia,' since most of the 60 or so gay men who appeared as extras died within a year of that film's release. Lee cried as he detailed how generous a number of black celebrities were when the budget for 'Malcolm X' was coming up short, and he needed additional funds to finish the film. Stone cried while describing the loss of one of her best friends to AIDS.

Barkin, on the other hand, was quite aloof and often amused throughout her interview -- no tears at all.

Answer: Denzel Washington

A mild exaggeration, perhaps, but Hanks apparently learned a great deal about acting while working with Washington in 'Philadelphia.' Hanks added, with a smile: 'And this is the only time I'm ever gonna give him credit for it.'

Answer: Robert DeNiro

Pacino has not yet been a guest (as of October 2001). Burnett was only too happy to perform her 'Tarzan yell.' Hanks slipped into 'Forrest Gump' mode to say, 'Momma always said that life is like a box of chocolates,' but was quick to add -- ironically enough, given the answer to this question -- "You just got DeNiro to say, 'You talkin' to me?', because I NEVER do that for anyone."

DeNiro did in fact refuse to speak that famous line from 'Taxi Driver' when he was a guest, stating, 'I never do it.' Awww...poor Lipton.

Answer: Harrison Ford

Ford came off as an extremely humble, down-to-earth, self-deprecating guy throughout his interview.

Answer: Danny Glover

I believe that Gibson eventually appeared on the show...but again, this quiz only covers shows up to October 2001.

Answer: Mary Tyler Moore

Since Lemmon's appearance on the show took place on his birthday, Lipton arranged for a cake to be brought in at the end of the show, and the students sang a chorus of 'Happy Birthday.' Burnett was treated to a rendition of the theme song to her television show.

The theme song to 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' is perhaps equally well-known, but the students didn't sing it to Moore when she was a guest.

Answer: Kevin Spacey

Spacey was asked by a very nervous (but brash!) student to join him in performing a page and a half from 'Glengarry Glen Ross.' And Spacey did it!

Answer: Steven Spielberg

The student in question shared a great-great grandparent with Spielberg's second wife, Kate Capshaw. (That's pretty distant, all right!)

Answer: Lauren Bacall

When a young male student identified himself and started to ask his question, Bacall smiled broadly and said, 'Oh, my GOD, but you're cute.' The student smiled and blushed, then asked his question. Bacall responded only with, 'And your accent is just GORGEOUS!' The flattered, flustered student eventually sat down with his question unanswered, if I recall correctly...but he wound up with an anecdote he'll be telling his grandkids about!

Answer: James Caan

Caan's role in 'The Godfather' obviously made quite an impact on certain people -- to such an extent that they often forget that he is Jewish, not Italian. Keitel and Walken are Jewish, as well. (Liotta, as of December 2002, has never been a guest on the show.)

Answer: Bernadette Peters

While all of the guests listed are known for their Broadway musical work, Peters is the only one who had an accompanist on stage with her for the express purpose of helping her perform a few songs.

Answer: None of them have

Amazingly, not one of these icons has yet taken his place in the hot seat -- and Marlon Brando never will, since he died on July 1, 2004. Get on those other two, Lipton!