Inside the Actors Studio host James Lipton has died at the age of 93.
Lipton, who was a veteran TV writer, was the face of the famous talk show, interviewing actors – both big and small – about the craft.
He passed away peacefully on Monday morning, March 2, at his home in Manhattan, his wife Kedakai Turner confirmed.
Kedakai told TMZ:
There are so many James Lipton stories but I’m sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with.
Lipton, who was an actor and writer himself, started his career on stage and on television with credits including numerous soap operas.
He had regular appearances on Arrested Development playing Warden Stefan Gentles, a man who aspired to be a big shot screenwriter. He also starred in Bewitched, Guiding Light, The Goldbergs, Cold Squad, You Are There, and was even a voice actor for Disney’s Bolt.
In 1994, he established the Actors Studio Drama School, a graduate program affiliated with The New School in New York City. It was this same year he started Inside the Actors Studio.
The show, which saw Lipton interview nearly 300 people – including many Oscar and Emmy winners – about the secrets of their craft, became one of cable’s longest-running series.
Each one-hour episode featured an in-depth one-on-one interview with Lipton, with famous guests including: Bradley Cooper; Gwyneth Paltrow; Whoopi Goldberg; Hugh Grant; Halle Berry; Ben Affleck; and Ian McKellen.
Lipton retired in 2018 after 22 seasons when the program moved from Bravo to Ovation TV.
Our thoughts are with James’s loved ones at this difficult time.
Rest in peace, James.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).