Interview

Surer Footing

Anna Kendrick left her "Up in the Air" audition convinced of one thing and one thing only: It didn't go well.

Good to the Bone

Since her breakout role as a cocaine-addicted housewife in the 2004 indie "Down to the Bone," Vera Farmiga has amassed an impressive résumé.

Women's Ware

In a career spanning almost 25 years, Clarkson has tackled a spectrum of roles on Broadway, on television, and in film.

Keep on Truckin'

When Michelle Monaghan was sent the script for "Trucker" by writer-director James Mottern, she knew she had found, in her words, "the role of a lifetime."

Poetic Justice

In "Bright Star," Abbie Cornish depicts Fannie Brawne, the lover of Romantic—and doomed—poet John Keats.

Prize Pupil

Carey Mulligan honed her patience waiting for "An Education" to get green-lighted. She read for it "about three or four times," she says, one of which was opposite fellow star Peter Sarsgaard.

U'Nique

At 10 o'clock one night, Mo'Nique got a call at home from director Lee Daniels. "I have something for you that might f*** up your career," the filmmaker told her.

High-Flying, Adored

Jason Reitman has one piece of advice for actors who come in to audition for him: "Don't act." This may sound contradictory, but Reitman is a strong believer in being yourself.

Scottie Thompson: A Back Stage Exclusive

"Don't try and do the right thing because there is no right thing, there's just the right thing for you," says actress Scottie Thompson.

Navid Negahban: A Back Stage Exclusive

Navid Negahban has received a great deal of acclaim for his powerful leading role in the stunning dramatic feature "The Stoning of Soraya M."