James Lipton

Inside the Actors Studio gives Lipton a clear purpose: getting performers to talk about how they work in front of people learning the craft. Bradley Cooper's 2011 return as a guest, after studying in the programme, makes that purpose unusually visible. Lipton's detailed preparation and formal manner can feel ceremonious, but the useful material lies in the route from training and early choices to a working method. Choose the longer career conversation over a compilation of celebrity reactions.