Cast members from the new black-and-white silent film "The Artist" spoke to a sold-out crowd at Back Stage's "Evening With…" event on Nov. 6 at the DGA Theatre in Los Angeles. The film, from French director Michel Hazanavicius, details the decline of a silent-movie star, played by Jean Dujardin, in 1920s Hollywood. Dujardin was on hand with James Cromwell, who plays his loyal servant, and Penelope Ann Miller, who plays his dissatisfied wife. At one point, Dujardin discussed taking five months of tap dancing lessons for the role—and demonstrated that he still knows the moves. When asked about not speaking on film, Cromwell pointed out that he didn't have many lines in his Oscar-nominated turn in "Babe" either. "I've gotten used to it," he said. "That's what a character actor is. You don't get the girl and you don't get to talk much. But I'm big, so I make up for it."
