WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.459 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today we are focusing 00:00:02.459 --> 00:00:06.919 on an actor whose face, voice, and presence are 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:09.099 truly everywhere. I mean, he touches nearly every 00:00:09.099 --> 00:00:11.839 single genre imaginable. But his sheer breadth 00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:14.300 of work, you know, from Shakespeare and Chekhov 00:00:14.300 --> 00:00:16.899 on the West End to, well, maybe the most iconic 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:19.260 summer blockbuster villain of the last 20 years, 00:00:19.379 --> 00:00:22.199 it's often completely underestimated. We are 00:00:22.199 --> 00:00:24.960 diving deep into the career of the unparalleled 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.370 chameleon. Yeah, it's an essential mission, really, 00:00:28.449 --> 00:00:30.910 for anyone who considers themselves, you know, 00:00:30.910 --> 00:00:33.409 well -informed about modern cinema and theater. 00:00:33.570 --> 00:00:35.289 Because the moment you start digging into his 00:00:35.289 --> 00:00:36.929 filmography, you realize he hasn't just sort 00:00:36.929 --> 00:00:38.850 of appeared in every genre. He has often, like, 00:00:38.890 --> 00:00:41.310 mastered them. And he's collected top -tier nominations 00:00:41.310 --> 00:00:43.549 along the way. We have, well, a mountain of sources 00:00:43.549 --> 00:00:46.189 here covering his decades -long career, charting 00:00:46.189 --> 00:00:47.950 his journey from his very grounded immigrant 00:00:47.950 --> 00:00:50.899 roots in London all the way to securing... dual 00:00:50.899 --> 00:00:53.979 UK and US citizenship in 2004 and becoming this 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:57.560 truly global acting force. Exactly. So our task 00:00:57.560 --> 00:01:00.979 today is to synthesize this massive career, right? 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:03.500 We need to extract the key moments of transformation 00:01:03.500 --> 00:01:07.099 and figure out how one person manages to be recognized 00:01:07.099 --> 00:01:09.799 by almost every major institution. I mean, we're 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:11.939 talking about an actor with three Tony Award 00:01:11.939 --> 00:01:14.980 nominations for Broadway work, two BAFTA nominations, 00:01:15.299 --> 00:01:18.299 an Independent Spirit Award nom, five SAG nominations. 00:01:18.700 --> 00:01:21.379 It's just an insane resume. It spans technical 00:01:21.379 --> 00:01:24.120 theater excellence, critical film acclaim, and 00:01:24.120 --> 00:01:26.269 massive commercial achievement. Often, like, 00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:27.810 all at the same time. And what's fascinating 00:01:27.810 --> 00:01:29.790 there is that consistency. It really speaks to 00:01:29.790 --> 00:01:33.310 a level of commitment and high -quality performance 00:01:33.310 --> 00:01:36.209 across wildly different formats that is just 00:01:36.209 --> 00:01:39.489 so rare. He is equally respected by the intellectual 00:01:39.489 --> 00:01:41.510 theater crowd for playing Mark Rothko in Red, 00:01:41.629 --> 00:01:43.709 as he's beloved by comic book fans for playing 00:01:43.709 --> 00:01:46.250 Dr. Octopus. That versatility isn't accidental. 00:01:46.510 --> 00:01:48.989 It's a defining characteristic we really need 00:01:48.989 --> 00:01:50.790 to unpack, starting right at the beginning. OK, 00:01:50.829 --> 00:01:52.670 let's unpack this then, because his early life 00:01:52.670 --> 00:01:55.569 is genuinely surprising, I think. And it provides 00:01:55.569 --> 00:01:59.689 such essential context for the grit and grounding 00:01:59.689 --> 00:02:02.930 he brings to his later characters. He was born 00:02:02.930 --> 00:02:05.290 Alfredo Molina in the Paddington District of 00:02:05.290 --> 00:02:08.270 London back in 1953. Absolutely. He grew up in 00:02:08.270 --> 00:02:10.349 Nightingale, which, you know, at the time was 00:02:10.349 --> 00:02:13.129 a heavily working class district full of immigrant 00:02:13.129 --> 00:02:16.550 families, really quite far removed from the glamorous 00:02:16.550 --> 00:02:19.569 world of Hollywood he would eventually inhabit. 00:02:19.909 --> 00:02:21.949 And that family heritage is crucial, isn't it? 00:02:21.969 --> 00:02:24.150 It's the story of immigration and resilience 00:02:24.150 --> 00:02:26.449 that really shaped his early life experience. 00:02:26.930 --> 00:02:28.569 Oh, yes. His background is completely immigrant. 00:02:28.689 --> 00:02:32.310 His father was Spanish from Murcia. And he had 00:02:32.310 --> 00:02:34.689 a truly remarkable history. Apparently, he parachuted 00:02:34.689 --> 00:02:37.030 into France with the SOE. That's the Special 00:02:37.030 --> 00:02:39.110 Operations Executive, you know, the British World 00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:42.789 War II sabotage unit before D -Day. And later, 00:02:42.849 --> 00:02:44.930 he worked as a waiter. His mother was Italian, 00:02:45.030 --> 00:02:46.770 and she worked as a cleaner. So you have this 00:02:46.770 --> 00:02:48.870 very, very grounded working class foundation. 00:02:49.129 --> 00:02:52.210 built on European immigrant labor, which provides 00:02:52.210 --> 00:02:55.129 a stark contrast to the elite, classically trained 00:02:55.129 --> 00:02:57.629 actor he became. Right. And that pursuit of acting 00:02:57.629 --> 00:03:00.210 started incredibly young, didn't it? Our sources 00:03:00.210 --> 00:03:03.150 pinpoint the moment pretty precisely. He saw 00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:05.430 the film Spartacus when he was only nine years 00:03:05.430 --> 00:03:07.629 old. And that immediately convinced him that 00:03:07.629 --> 00:03:10.389 acting was his path. I mean, that is early single 00:03:10.389 --> 00:03:12.770 -minded commitment. It really is. And he followed 00:03:12.770 --> 00:03:15.590 through diligently. He trained at the rigorous 00:03:15.590 --> 00:03:18.830 Guildhall School of Music and Drama. And he was 00:03:18.830 --> 00:03:20.169 also a member of the National Youth Theater. 00:03:20.310 --> 00:03:22.629 So you get this fantastic combination of real 00:03:22.629 --> 00:03:25.550 -world grit from his upbringing meeting, you 00:03:25.550 --> 00:03:28.150 know, intensive, high -level classical training. 00:03:28.490 --> 00:03:32.289 That juxtaposition, I think, is key to understanding 00:03:32.289 --> 00:03:35.129 his later ability to play both, well, kings and 00:03:35.129 --> 00:03:38.199 commoners with equal authenticity. Though in 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:40.020 a detail that makes him feel incredibly human 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:41.939 and relatable, even after all that training, 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:45.460 our sources note that as late as May 2024, he 00:03:45.460 --> 00:03:47.060 actually admitted his father was disappointed 00:03:47.060 --> 00:03:49.419 in his career choice. Preferred he take a higher 00:03:49.419 --> 00:03:51.879 paying, you know, more stable job. That pressure 00:03:51.879 --> 00:03:53.639 from immigrant parents striving for financial 00:03:53.639 --> 00:03:56.340 security is a very common and powerful story, 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.219 isn't it? Even for future BAFTA nominee. Oh, 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.259 it speaks volumes about the sacrifice he made 00:04:01.259 --> 00:04:04.759 for his artistic pursuit. He really chose passion 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:08.080 over perceived financial stability. And speaking 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:10.520 of professional choices, a key transition happened 00:04:10.520 --> 00:04:13.919 when he was 21. He anglicized his name from Alfredo 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.519 to Alfred, apparently at the urging of his first 00:04:16.519 --> 00:04:18.779 agent. This probably wasn't a rejection of his 00:04:18.779 --> 00:04:20.620 roots, but maybe more of a pragmatic attempt 00:04:20.620 --> 00:04:23.879 to fit more seamlessly into the prevailing British 00:04:23.879 --> 00:04:26.300 acting establishment of the time. But speaking 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:28.860 of establishing a professional identity, we absolutely 00:04:28.860 --> 00:04:31.000 have to talk about his film debut. Before he 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:32.879 was a multi -nominated stage veteran, before 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.459 he was a massive television lead, he was just... 00:04:36.690 --> 00:04:39.910 Satipo. Satipo, yeah. The traitorous and ill 00:04:39.910 --> 00:04:42.610 -fated guide in the iconic opening sequence of 00:04:42.610 --> 00:04:45.470 Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. It is such a 00:04:45.470 --> 00:04:48.009 minimal role in terms of screen time. He's literally 00:04:48.009 --> 00:04:50.389 in the first 10 minutes, but it's instantly memorable 00:04:50.389 --> 00:04:52.470 because, you know, he's the first person we see 00:04:52.470 --> 00:04:55.410 betraying Indiana Jones and in classic cinematic 00:04:55.410 --> 00:04:57.899 fashion meeting a... Pretty unfortunate end involving 00:04:57.899 --> 00:05:01.920 a booby -trapped stone wall. And what a way to 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.019 start. I mean, that role is just cemented in 00:05:04.019 --> 00:05:06.000 cinematic history, and those lines are unforgettable. 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:08.420 People still shout the line at him, right? He 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:10.500 confirms it. Throw me the idol, I'll throw you 00:05:10.500 --> 00:05:12.939 the whip. He reflected on that job years later, 00:05:13.019 --> 00:05:15.800 I think around 2013, calling it a genuine gift 00:05:15.800 --> 00:05:19.420 from God. That, in his words, saved my bacon. 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:23.220 He specifically credited the Indiana Jones series, 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:25.720 saying he owed his stage and film career to it. 00:05:25.819 --> 00:05:28.259 It's a remarkable piece of trivia really that 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:30.620 the global phenomenon that is Raiders launched 00:05:30.620 --> 00:05:32.819 his career, even if it was just for a few minutes 00:05:32.819 --> 00:05:35.100 of screen time. He had done some earlier screen 00:05:35.100 --> 00:05:37.990 work. appeared with Leonard Rossiter in the sitcom 00:05:37.990 --> 00:05:40.990 The Losers in 78, but Raiders, that gave him 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:43.689 the necessary global visibility. Yeah, that role 00:05:43.689 --> 00:05:46.050 gave him the crucial momentum he needed to push 00:05:46.050 --> 00:05:48.290 into the late 80s and start securing leading 00:05:48.290 --> 00:05:50.870 roles. He had his proper big screen break in 00:05:50.870 --> 00:05:53.290 Letter to Brezhnev in 1985, which was a pretty 00:05:53.290 --> 00:05:56.389 significant independent film success. Yes, and 00:05:56.389 --> 00:05:58.870 he followed that with a very high -profile, complex, 00:05:59.009 --> 00:06:02.990 and emotionally challenging role in 1987. He 00:06:02.990 --> 00:06:05.649 played Kenneth Halliwell, who was the lover and 00:06:05.649 --> 00:06:07.930 eventual murderer of the playwright Joe Wharton 00:06:07.930 --> 00:06:10.410 in Break Up Your Ears. This was a tremendous 00:06:10.410 --> 00:06:13.810 dramatic leap, proving... really early on, that 00:06:13.810 --> 00:06:15.649 he could handle roles of intense psychological 00:06:15.649 --> 00:06:19.009 depth and historical accuracy. That role definitely 00:06:19.009 --> 00:06:22.170 established his early dramatic prowess. And here's 00:06:22.170 --> 00:06:24.470 a great trivia nugget that just proves how quickly 00:06:24.470 --> 00:06:27.290 an actor's path can diverge. Apparently, he was 00:06:27.290 --> 00:06:29.689 originally cast as Arnold Rimmer in the seminal 00:06:29.689 --> 00:06:32.750 TV sitcom Red Dwarf, but he was replaced by Chris 00:06:32.750 --> 00:06:35.149 Berry. So that single decision meant he pivoted 00:06:35.149 --> 00:06:37.790 away from potentially long -running sci -fi comedy 00:06:37.790 --> 00:06:40.970 and instead continued to pursue you know, diverse 00:06:40.970 --> 00:06:42.829 film and stage work. Wow, it's almost impossible 00:06:42.829 --> 00:06:44.930 to imagine that timeline, isn't it? But moving 00:06:44.930 --> 00:06:47.410 into the 1990s, we see him really solidify that 00:06:47.410 --> 00:06:50.029 versatility, transitioning from British television 00:06:50.029 --> 00:06:52.170 ubiquity, where he was already, you know, a known 00:06:52.170 --> 00:06:55.490 quantity, to international film and crucially 00:06:55.490 --> 00:06:57.689 genuine high -level Broadway acclaim. Right. 00:06:57.889 --> 00:07:00.509 The early 90s were definitely marked by him being 00:07:00.509 --> 00:07:03.089 a constant, familiar presence on British screens. 00:07:03.389 --> 00:07:06.069 His highest profile TV role then was probably 00:07:06.069 --> 00:07:09.050 the lead in the first two series of LCID from 00:07:09.050 --> 00:07:12.529 1990 to 92, where he played a detective. And 00:07:12.529 --> 00:07:14.949 he also had that notable, if slightly annoying, 00:07:15.129 --> 00:07:17.670 appearance in the beloved BBC miniseries A Year 00:07:17.670 --> 00:07:20.170 in Provence in 93, playing the character Tony. 00:07:20.389 --> 00:07:23.209 And his acting during this period didn't go unrecognized 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:25.490 by the British industry either. He received the 00:07:25.490 --> 00:07:28.050 prestigious RTS Program. Award for Best Performance 00:07:28.050 --> 00:07:30.970 by a Male Actor in 1990, the Royal Television 00:07:30.970 --> 00:07:33.430 Society Awards. They're a major benchmark in 00:07:33.430 --> 00:07:35.649 the UK, signaling that he was already, you know, 00:07:35.649 --> 00:07:38.509 a certified star and highly respected craftsman 00:07:38.509 --> 00:07:40.589 in his home market. He absolutely was. And he 00:07:40.589 --> 00:07:43.250 used that stable UK platform to launch into truly 00:07:43.250 --> 00:07:45.509 diverse international film roles that really 00:07:45.509 --> 00:07:47.769 showed his chameleon nature in action. You see 00:07:47.769 --> 00:07:49.670 him in the critically acclaimed costume drama 00:07:49.670 --> 00:07:53.730 Enchanted April in 1992, playing the reserved, 00:07:53.910 --> 00:07:56.459 repressed Malersh Wilkins. And then immediately 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:59.120 following that, he just pivots radically. He's 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.699 in the Western comedy Maverick in 94, sharing 00:08:01.699 --> 00:08:03.519 the screen with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:06.879 And then shifts again to Jim Jarmusch's highly 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:10.279 stylized sort of philosophical Western Dead Man 00:08:10.279 --> 00:08:14.319 in 1995. This rapid genre hopping from period 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.259 drama to mainstream comedy to arthouse Western. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.779 It just demonstrated his ability to adapt instantly 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:22.980 to different directorial tones and narrative 00:08:22.980 --> 00:08:25.819 styles. The range is already staggering at this 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:28.160 point, and it includes that terrifying anecdote 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.300 related to the 1991 drama Not Without My Daughter, 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:34.059 where he played, say, Bozorg Amodi, the abusive 00:08:34.059 --> 00:08:36.379 husband of Sally Field's character. Yes, that 00:08:36.379 --> 00:08:38.679 story. It's a testament to how completely immersive 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:41.179 his performances can be. He was physically assaulted 00:08:41.179 --> 00:08:43.519 by a man who genuinely mistook him for the real 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:46.240 Mahmoodi on his way to rehearsal. The performance 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.720 was so convincing, so emotionally resonant as 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:51.000 a villain, that it actually elicited a physical, 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:53.100 visceral reaction from a member of the public. 00:08:53.500 --> 00:08:55.480 He speaks volumes, I think, about the emotional 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:57.720 intensity he was willing to bring to those complex, 00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:00.120 sometimes villainous roles. And he also started 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:02.480 building relationships with major American auteurs 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.779 in this decade, most notably Paul Thomas Anderson. 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.039 Anderson cast him in that brief but really memorable 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:11.379 sequence in Boogie Nights in 97. And then again, 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:13.960 as the emotionally distressed, like hyper anxious 00:09:13.960 --> 00:09:17.000 Solomon in the sprawling ensemble film Magnolia 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.620 in 1999, Anderson clearly recognized Molina's 00:09:20.620 --> 00:09:22.419 talent for portraying intense psychological. 00:09:22.830 --> 00:09:25.669 States. Absolutely. And while all this incredibly 00:09:25.669 --> 00:09:27.750 varied film work was expanding his international 00:09:27.750 --> 00:09:30.990 profile, he was making his major career -defining 00:09:30.990 --> 00:09:33.830 mark on the stage. He'd already signaled his 00:09:33.830 --> 00:09:35.970 ambition by earning a nomination for the Laurence 00:09:35.970 --> 00:09:38.570 Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a play way 00:09:38.570 --> 00:09:40.990 back in 1980. That was for his performance at 00:09:40.990 --> 00:09:43.669 Jet Fry in Oklahoma, in the West End. But in 00:09:43.669 --> 00:09:46.250 1998, he made his pivotal Broadway debut. That 00:09:46.250 --> 00:09:49.169 was playing Yvonne in Yasmina Rez's smash hit 00:09:49.169 --> 00:09:52.769 play, Art. Correct. Art. Which is a fantastic 00:09:52.769 --> 00:09:56.049 play, really, about three longtime male friends 00:09:56.049 --> 00:09:58.450 whose relationship kind of fractures when one 00:09:58.450 --> 00:10:01.809 buys an expensive, entirely white painting. Molina 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:04.090 played Devon, the emotionally frantic, often 00:10:04.090 --> 00:10:06.809 ignored third friend who sort of acts as a crucial 00:10:06.809 --> 00:10:09.350 pressure valve for the other two. His performance 00:10:09.350 --> 00:10:12.529 was widely hailed for its comedic timing and 00:10:12.529 --> 00:10:15.389 its emotional honesty. And that Broadway debut 00:10:15.389 --> 00:10:17.789 immediately brought him his first Tony nomination 00:10:17.789 --> 00:10:21.149 for Best Featured Actor. Critically, he didn't 00:10:21.149 --> 00:10:24.090 get nominated. He won the Drama Desk Award for 00:10:24.090 --> 00:10:26.809 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play in 1998 00:10:26.809 --> 00:10:29.409 for that same role. Right. And that win is crucial. 00:10:29.549 --> 00:10:31.529 The Drama Desk Awards, they honor excellence 00:10:31.529 --> 00:10:33.990 across Broadway, off -Broadway, and even off 00:10:33.990 --> 00:10:36.070 -off -Broadway. So it's a really comprehensive 00:10:36.070 --> 00:10:38.169 recognition of theatrical skill in New York City. 00:10:38.309 --> 00:10:40.470 This is the moment where he definitively cemented 00:10:40.470 --> 00:10:42.090 his status as an actor who could command any 00:10:42.090 --> 00:10:44.590 stage, from London's classical West End to the 00:10:44.590 --> 00:10:46.750 commercial heart of Broadway. So as we hit the 00:10:46.750 --> 00:10:49.929 year 2000, he's a respected stage actor, a hugely 00:10:49.929 --> 00:10:52.110 diverse character actor on screen who can jump 00:10:52.110 --> 00:10:55.049 genres effortlessly, and he's fluently conversant 00:10:55.049 --> 00:10:57.830 in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, which 00:10:57.830 --> 00:11:00.129 is amazing in itself. But here's where it gets 00:11:00.129 --> 00:11:02.590 really interesting, because the 2000s saw him 00:11:02.590 --> 00:11:05.889 achieve, like, true pop culture icon status, 00:11:06.110 --> 00:11:08.769 solidifying his ability to deliver across all 00:11:08.769 --> 00:11:11.269 platforms. The 2000s were truly the decade that 00:11:11.269 --> 00:11:12.990 defined him as an established actor, I think. 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:15.370 He started strong with Chuck a lot in 2000. Playing 00:11:15.370 --> 00:11:17.669 Comte de Reynaud, a performance that added this 00:11:17.669 --> 00:11:20.330 layer of subtle, almost wounded villainy to the 00:11:20.330 --> 00:11:22.610 ensemble. And he was part of an Academy Award 00:11:22.610 --> 00:11:25.190 -nominated Best Picture cast there, but his breakout 00:11:25.190 --> 00:11:27.889 critical role came two years later. Frida, playing 00:11:27.889 --> 00:11:30.350 the legendary Mexican painter and cultural icon 00:11:30.350 --> 00:11:33.830 Diego Rivera alongside Soma Hayek. Exactly. He 00:11:33.830 --> 00:11:35.950 gained immense critical and wide recognition 00:11:35.950 --> 00:11:38.710 for that portrayal, which required not just a 00:11:38.710 --> 00:11:41.129 massive physical transformation, you know, adopting 00:11:41.129 --> 00:11:43.889 Rivera's unique physique and bearing, but also 00:11:43.889 --> 00:11:46.190 managing the historical and emotional burden 00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:48.610 of portraying such a volatile, brilliant, complex 00:11:48.610 --> 00:11:51.549 historical figure and navigating that tumultuous 00:11:51.549 --> 00:11:54.090 relationship with Frida Kahlo. That performance 00:11:54.090 --> 00:11:56.909 earned him a highly significant BAFTA Award nomination 00:11:56.909 --> 00:11:59.470 for Best Supporting Actor and a Screen Actors 00:11:59.470 --> 00:12:01.750 Guild Award nomination, too. He followed that 00:12:01.750 --> 00:12:04.090 up by portraying the Catholic friar Johann Tetzel, 00:12:04.169 --> 00:12:06.769 whose aggressive sale of indulgences famously 00:12:06.769 --> 00:12:08.789 sparked the Protestant Reformation and Luther 00:12:08.789 --> 00:12:12.169 in 2003. And then he entered the massive conspiracy 00:12:12.169 --> 00:12:15.210 thriller space when Ron Howard cast him as Bishop 00:12:15.210 --> 00:12:17.529 Manuel Aaron Garoisa in the mega hit The Da Vinci 00:12:17.529 --> 00:12:21.210 Code in 2006. Yeah, this decade just shows him 00:12:21.210 --> 00:12:23.000 consistently delivering. critically acclaimed 00:12:23.000 --> 00:12:26.120 performances. We also see him winning the AARP 00:12:26.120 --> 00:12:27.899 Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grown -Up 00:12:27.899 --> 00:12:30.080 Love Story, which he shared with John Lithgow 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:32.500 for their nuanced and really beautiful work in 00:12:32.500 --> 00:12:35.679 Love is Strange in 2014. Okay, the filming was 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.600 a bit later, but the award came then. But looking 00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:41.360 just at the 2000s, he earned a second BAFTA nomination 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:44.039 later in the decade for his wonderful role as 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:47.580 Jack Mellor in Education in 2009. so he's stacking 00:12:47.580 --> 00:12:49.779 up critical awards nominations while taking on 00:12:49.779 --> 00:12:52.519 major historical and literary figures but the 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:54.820 critical acclaim as you said runs alongside the 00:12:54.820 --> 00:12:57.639 massive commercial recognition and that of course 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:01.350 means one thing dr octopus Otto Octavius. In 00:13:01.350 --> 00:13:04.029 Sam Raimi's Spider -Man 2 in 2004, this role 00:13:04.029 --> 00:13:06.029 wasn't just a comic book villain. Many would 00:13:06.029 --> 00:13:07.889 argue he set the modern standard for how those 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:09.389 characters should be treated, you know, with 00:13:09.389 --> 00:13:12.610 pathos, intelligence, complexity. That film was 00:13:12.610 --> 00:13:14.250 one of the highest grossing films of the year, 00:13:14.330 --> 00:13:17.129 cementing his image in global pop culture. And 00:13:17.129 --> 00:13:19.169 it earned him a satellite award nomination for 00:13:19.169 --> 00:13:21.169 best supporting actor, which is interesting. 00:13:21.559 --> 00:13:23.360 What's fascinating about his interpretation of 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:25.460 Doc Ock is that he managed to make the character 00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:28.940 feel genuinely sympathetic, didn't he? Transforming 00:13:28.940 --> 00:13:31.820 him from this brilliant, kind scientist into 00:13:31.820 --> 00:13:34.960 a tragic villain consumed by his own creation. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:37.840 That depth is not something you always see in 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:40.379 superhero films, and it's a real tribute to Molina's 00:13:40.379 --> 00:13:42.799 performance. It absolutely is. You can track 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.419 his cultural relevance through one of the most, 00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:49.129 well, bizarre metrics possible. the miniature 00:13:49.129 --> 00:13:52.850 world apparently he has three distinct lego minifigures 00:13:52.850 --> 00:13:56.090 modeled after him Dr. Octopus from two separate 00:13:56.090 --> 00:13:59.029 films, Satipo from Raiders, and Sheikah Mar from 00:13:59.029 --> 00:14:01.169 Prince of Persia, The Sands of Time. That's a 00:14:01.169 --> 00:14:04.070 truly unique, multi -decade, multi -genre metric 00:14:04.070 --> 00:14:06.610 of an actor's ubiquity and lasting relevance 00:14:06.610 --> 00:14:08.870 across pop culture, right? It really is. And 00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:10.889 yet, while he was busy creating a benchmark comic 00:14:10.889 --> 00:14:13.350 book villain and securing global toy recognition, 00:14:13.690 --> 00:14:16.149 he was simultaneously back on the stage, tackling 00:14:16.149 --> 00:14:18.450 massive, demanding musical and dramatic roles. 00:14:18.690 --> 00:14:20.950 This is the dual master narrative of his career, 00:14:21.049 --> 00:14:23.330 isn't it? And it truly defines the chameleon. 00:14:23.769 --> 00:14:26.490 In 2004, the same year Spider -Man 2 dropped, 00:14:26.649 --> 00:14:29.750 he returned to Broadway to star as Tevi in a 00:14:29.750 --> 00:14:32.629 revival of Fiddler on the Roof. I mean, Tevi 00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:35.289 is an emotionally massive, demanding role in 00:14:35.289 --> 00:14:37.769 the musical theater canon, and his performance 00:14:37.769 --> 00:14:40.470 earned him his second Tony Award nomination, 00:14:40.730 --> 00:14:44.070 this time for Best Actor in a Musical. That contrast 00:14:44.070 --> 00:14:46.370 is just staggering. One moment he's a technological 00:14:46.370 --> 00:14:49.210 supervillain with four mechanical arms. The next 00:14:49.210 --> 00:14:51.889 he's singing, if I were a rich man, as a humble, 00:14:52.049 --> 00:14:54.769 worried Jewish milkman in Tsarist Russia. It's 00:14:54.769 --> 00:14:57.509 incredible. Then six years later, he pivoted 00:14:57.509 --> 00:15:00.330 back to intense drama. In 2010, he received his 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:03.509 third and most recent Tony nomination, this time 00:15:03.509 --> 00:15:05.269 for best performance by a leading actor at a 00:15:05.269 --> 00:15:07.649 play for playing the abstract expressionist painter 00:15:07.649 --> 00:15:11.700 Mark Rothko in John Logan's drama Red. Red. which 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:13.600 is known for its incredible intellectual rigor. 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:15.860 It's essentially a two -person play where Rothko 00:15:15.860 --> 00:15:18.519 engages in this master -apprentice dynamic, debating 00:15:18.519 --> 00:15:20.480 the meaning and purpose of art. So he was tackling 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:23.480 profound intellectual material on Broadway while 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:26.500 being recognized globally as a superhero antagonist. 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:29.120 And he had actually premiered that role in London 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:32.480 in 2009 and revisited in the West End again in 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:35.460 2018. So it shows a sustained commitment to certain 00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:38.860 powerful scripts. But to juggle being a global 00:15:38.860 --> 00:15:41.460 blockbuster villain, a critically acclaimed arthouse 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:44.960 actor, and Tevi and Rothko on Broadway, well, 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:47.240 it speaks to an almost unbelievable level of 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:49.929 dedication and adaptability. And we absolutely 00:15:49.929 --> 00:15:51.789 must also note his dominance in the world of 00:15:51.789 --> 00:15:54.389 audiobooks, which proved that his talent transcends 00:15:54.389 --> 00:15:57.370 the visual medium entirely. In 2007, he narrated 00:15:57.370 --> 00:16:00.190 the Chopin Manuscript. This was a massive, ambitious, 00:16:00.309 --> 00:16:02.809 17 -part original audiobook written by a team 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:05.549 of 15 best -selling thriller writers, including 00:16:05.549 --> 00:16:07.909 legends like Lee Child and Jeffrey Deaver. Yeah, 00:16:07.950 --> 00:16:09.769 the sheer volume and complexity of coordinating 00:16:09.769 --> 00:16:12.590 15 authors on a single narrative. It requires 00:16:12.590 --> 00:16:15.110 a narrator who can manage tonal shifts, character 00:16:15.110 --> 00:16:17.250 differences, and maintain listener engagement 00:16:17.250 --> 00:16:19.840 over a really long time. project and his work 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:21.740 was successful enough that the serialized novel 00:16:21.740 --> 00:16:24.039 went on to win the 2008 audiobook of the year 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:27.059 award from the audio publishers association this 00:16:27.059 --> 00:16:29.039 confirms that his voice alone carries enough 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.340 weight and character to sell a massive literary 00:16:31.340 --> 00:16:33.840 project Which is a perfect segue into the last 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.259 decade and a half, where his career expanded 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:38.639 even further into the age of streaming and animated 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:41.299 content, proving he adapted perfectly to the 00:16:41.299 --> 00:16:44.220 modern sort of fragmented media landscape. Definitely. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.740 The 2010s saw his presence just explode across 00:16:47.740 --> 00:16:50.679 television, specifically in high -profile limited 00:16:50.679 --> 00:16:53.320 series and dramatic franchises. He had already 00:16:53.320 --> 00:16:54.840 dipped his toe into the Law & Order franchise 00:16:54.840 --> 00:16:58.259 back in 2005, with a two -part crossover in SVU 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:00.259 and Trial by Jury, playing a defense attorney. 00:17:00.700 --> 00:17:03.480 But then he joined the main cast of the short 00:17:03.480 --> 00:17:06.700 -lived Law & Order, L .A. from 2010 to 2011, 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:09.400 this time as Deputy District Attorney Morales. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:12.079 Playing two different complex characters within 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:14.420 the same legal universe demonstrates yet again 00:17:14.420 --> 00:17:16.940 his ability to immerse himself completely, even 00:17:16.940 --> 00:17:19.400 in highly procedural shows. And he didn't abandon 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:21.640 his British roots either, did he? Starring opposite 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:23.799 the beloved Don French in the delightful BBC 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:26.359 sitcom Roger and Val have just got in for two 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:29.460 series between 2010 and 2012. He's truly comfortable 00:17:29.460 --> 00:17:32.019 switching between American prestige drama and 00:17:32.019 --> 00:17:34.619 gentle British comedy. And his television work 00:17:34.619 --> 00:17:36.420 during this period, however, brought him major 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:40.740 recurring Emmy recognition, which is huge. He 00:17:40.740 --> 00:17:42.779 received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:45.599 Outstanding Supporting Actor in 2014 for playing 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.220 Ben Weeks in the powerful HBO movie The Normal 00:17:48.220 --> 00:17:50.880 Heart. The Normal Heart, yeah. Dealing with the 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.059 early days of the AIDS crisis required immense 00:17:53.059 --> 00:17:55.220 emotional commitment. And he followed that up 00:17:55.220 --> 00:17:56.960 just three years later with another Primetime 00:17:56.960 --> 00:17:59.460 Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination for his phenomenal 00:17:59.460 --> 00:18:01.900 portrayal of film director Robert Aldrich in 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:04.799 Ryan Murphy's FX miniseries Feud, Bette and Joan 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.859 in 2017. That performance as Aldrich was just 00:18:07.859 --> 00:18:10.230 masterful. He had to capture this. spirit of 00:18:10.230 --> 00:18:14.390 a real life, highly intense and let's say manipulative 00:18:14.390 --> 00:18:16.890 film director navigating the fraught production 00:18:16.890 --> 00:18:19.230 of whatever happened to Baby Jane back in 62. 00:18:19.569 --> 00:18:21.829 These back to back nominations really confirmed 00:18:21.829 --> 00:18:24.990 his status as a reliable go to actor for prestige 00:18:24.990 --> 00:18:27.089 television dramas seeking historically authentic 00:18:27.089 --> 00:18:29.529 performances. But perhaps the most surprising 00:18:29.529 --> 00:18:31.670 expansion of his career in the last decade has 00:18:31.670 --> 00:18:34.109 been the sheer volume and prominence of his voice 00:18:34.109 --> 00:18:36.950 acting, which has to be a direct result of his 00:18:36.950 --> 00:18:39.819 multilingual skills and vocal dexterity. He has 00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:42.619 become a staple of major animated features. Oh, 00:18:42.660 --> 00:18:45.339 indeed. His voice work is ubiquitous now. He 00:18:45.339 --> 00:18:48.220 was Roadkill and Rango in 2011, the authoritative 00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:50.279 professor Derek Knight in Monsters University 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:53.740 in 2013. Double Dan and Ralph breaks the internet 00:18:53.740 --> 00:18:56.859 in 2018. Perhaps most widely heard, he voices 00:18:56.859 --> 00:18:59.960 King Agnar, Elsa and Anna's father, in Disney's 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:03.059 massive hit Frozen II in 2019. And his voice 00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:05.660 is equally dominant in TV animation. He was the 00:19:05.660 --> 00:19:08.240 smooth -talking Lucius Needful in Rick and Morty, 00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:10.819 the gentle yet fierce multi -bear in Gravity 00:19:10.819 --> 00:19:14.259 Falls, the main villain Rippin in Pen Zero, part 00:19:14.259 --> 00:19:16.880 -time hero, the cold but complex Mr. Freeze in 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.019 Harlequin, and the beloved authoritative Archie 00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:21.559 in The Wizards, Tales of Arcadia series. That's 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:24.099 quite a list. And that's in addition to his years 00:19:24.099 --> 00:19:26.740 of voice work in video games, which often demand 00:19:26.740 --> 00:19:30.319 marathon recording sessions. Beyond reprising 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:32.440 Otto Octavius in the Spider -Man 2 game back 00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:35.859 in 2004, he provided the main role of the complex 00:19:35.859 --> 00:19:38.740 Imperial battle mage Abner Tharn in the Elder 00:19:38.740 --> 00:19:42.359 Scrolls Online series from 2014 right through 00:19:42.359 --> 00:19:45.619 2021. I mean, this medium allows him to sustain 00:19:45.619 --> 00:19:47.740 a performance across hundreds of hours of gameplay, 00:19:47.940 --> 00:19:50.180 which is a different kind of endurance test entirely. 00:19:50.759 --> 00:19:52.680 What's fascinating about this multi -platform 00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:54.779 dominance is that it all sort of set the stage 00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:57.539 for one of his most important recent milestones 00:19:57.539 --> 00:20:01.299 the mcu return which married his past success 00:20:01.299 --> 00:20:03.700 with his current immense relevance oh the triumphant 00:20:03.700 --> 00:20:06.240 return of dr octopus and spider -man no way home 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.940 in 2021 was a massive cultural moment yeah yeah 00:20:08.940 --> 00:20:11.099 not only did he reprise the role from the 2004 00:20:11.099 --> 00:20:13.220 film but the sources confirm he was digitally 00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:15.920 de -aged to precisely his spider -man 2 self 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:18.119 which itself is a testament to the technical 00:20:18.119 --> 00:20:20.640 advancements in filmmaking this appearance effectively 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:23.220 retconned his character's apparent death integrating 00:20:23.220 --> 00:20:25.200 him seamlessly back into the modern marvel cinematic 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.240 universe in spectacular fashion. That move truly 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:31.440 bridges his past commercial success, the performance 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:33.299 that defined him for a whole generation with 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:36.140 the future of blockbuster cinema. It was brilliantly 00:20:36.140 --> 00:20:38.920 done. And just one year later, he was starring 00:20:38.920 --> 00:20:41.279 in executive producing the Amazon Prime series 00:20:41.279 --> 00:20:44.380 Three Pines, playing Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:47.079 based on the highly popular Louise Pennybook 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:49.059 series. Yeah. While that show was unfortunately 00:20:49.059 --> 00:20:51.859 canceled after just one season, it really highlights 00:20:51.859 --> 00:20:53.920 his willingness not just to act, but to take 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.799 on creative leadership roles, investing in projects 00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:59.380 he believes in and translating established literary 00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:02.119 characters to the screen. And despite the endless 00:21:02.119 --> 00:21:04.920 churn of screen work, his dedication to the stage 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:07.799 remains absolute. Absolutely. He returned to 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:10.519 Broadway yet again in 2024, playing the central, 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.839 weary role of Professor Serebryakov in a major 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.160 revival of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, directed 00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:20.180 by Lila Neuschbauer. That is a stunning final 00:21:20.180 --> 00:21:22.099 point for this section, isn't it? He is closing 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:24.200 out his seventh decade of life and his fifth 00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.160 decade of acting with one of the most demanding 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:28.319 classical playwrights on the world's most demanding 00:21:28.319 --> 00:21:31.269 stage. Indeed. It proves that the stage remains 00:21:31.269 --> 00:21:33.569 his artistic anchor, regardless of his status 00:21:33.569 --> 00:21:36.490 as a blockbuster and voiceover superstar. And 00:21:36.490 --> 00:21:38.390 if we connect this to the bigger picture of the 00:21:38.390 --> 00:21:40.809 man himself, his personal life provides some 00:21:40.809 --> 00:21:44.349 crucial context for his grounded nature and commitment 00:21:44.349 --> 00:21:47.210 to various causes. Right. He's now based primarily 00:21:47.210 --> 00:21:49.789 in Los Angeles, California, specifically moved 00:21:49.789 --> 00:21:53.390 to La Cañada, Flintridge in 2017. As we noted 00:21:53.390 --> 00:21:56.529 earlier, he secured his dual UK -US citizenship 00:21:56.529 --> 00:22:00.369 way back in 2004, a marker of his permanent establishment 00:22:00.369 --> 00:22:03.470 in Hollywood. And his fluency in four major languages, 00:22:03.630 --> 00:22:05.970 English, French, Italian and Spanish, has obviously 00:22:05.970 --> 00:22:07.769 been instrumental in securing and delivering 00:22:07.769 --> 00:22:09.769 those incredibly diverse international roles 00:22:09.769 --> 00:22:12.440 over the years. Regarding his family. He has 00:22:12.440 --> 00:22:14.359 a daughter, Rachel, from a previous relationship, 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:16.859 and he was married to the actress Jill Gascoigne 00:22:16.859 --> 00:22:20.059 in 1986, and they remained married for 34 years 00:22:20.059 --> 00:22:22.839 until her death in 2020 from Alzheimer's disease 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:25.650 in Los Angeles. Yeah, that marriage of over three 00:22:25.650 --> 00:22:28.430 decades speaks to a deeply stable private life, 00:22:28.549 --> 00:22:30.970 despite a volatile, demanding professional career. 00:22:31.269 --> 00:22:33.369 And he subsequently married director Jennifer 00:22:33.369 --> 00:22:36.609 Lee in August 2021, who, of course, he met when 00:22:36.609 --> 00:22:38.450 they worked together on the massive success of 00:22:38.450 --> 00:22:41.410 Frozen II. So even his relationships are tied 00:22:41.410 --> 00:22:43.670 into his industry, speaking to his total immersion 00:22:43.670 --> 00:22:45.890 in the world of storytelling. And this immersion 00:22:45.890 --> 00:22:48.819 extends naturally into his advocacy. He has been 00:22:48.819 --> 00:22:51.839 a longtime advocate for people with AIDS, regularly 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:54.440 donating to research and participating actively 00:22:54.440 --> 00:22:57.420 in the Los Angeles AIDS Walk. And given his powerful 00:22:57.420 --> 00:23:00.019 work in The Normal Heart, his advocacy isn't 00:23:00.019 --> 00:23:02.140 just passive. It feels rooted in projects that 00:23:02.140 --> 00:23:04.160 highlight the need for compassion and support. 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:06.839 He also appeared as himself in the 2013 documentary 00:23:06.839 --> 00:23:10.279 Walk On about Joseph Kibler, who is HIV plus 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:12.559 and paraplegic since birth, which highlights 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:14.660 his commitment to using his platform to support 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:17.059 visibility and understanding for vulnerable populations. 00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:20.640 And beyond health advocacy, he maintains a vital 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:23.140 commitment to education and the performing arts. 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:25.740 He acts as a patron of the performing arts group 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:28.980 Theater Train. And significantly, he serves as 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:30.599 a longtime member of the New American Theater 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:33.420 in Los Angeles, where he actively teaches Shakespeare 00:23:33.420 --> 00:23:35.900 and scene study. So he's not just taking the 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:38.960 roles, he's mentoring the next generation, passing 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:40.900 on the classical training he received back at 00:23:40.900 --> 00:23:42.599 Guildhall. When I look back at this incredible 00:23:42.599 --> 00:23:45.339 deep dive into his career, what stands out most 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:47.930 is the... well the completeness of his resume 00:23:47.930 --> 00:23:50.630 particularly how he constantly circles back to 00:23:50.630 --> 00:23:53.289 the stage as his foundation we started with a 00:23:53.289 --> 00:23:55.390 lawrence olivier award nomination on the west 00:23:55.390 --> 00:23:58.710 end for a musical oklahoma of all things we moved 00:23:58.710 --> 00:24:01.190 through three separate tony nominations on broadway 00:24:01.190 --> 00:24:04.390 for roles ranging from french farce art to complex 00:24:04.390 --> 00:24:07.650 russian drama unclevania and critically we saw 00:24:07.650 --> 00:24:10.890 him jump effortlessly from jim jarmusch's highly 00:24:10.890 --> 00:24:13.950 specific indie cinema to playing a high status 00:24:13.950 --> 00:24:16.750 catholic bishop in Howard's The Da Vinci Code, 00:24:16.990 --> 00:24:19.769 and then cementing his place in the MCU as the 00:24:19.769 --> 00:24:22.470 defining cinematic version of Dr. Octopus. He 00:24:22.470 --> 00:24:24.650 literally exists across every single available 00:24:24.650 --> 00:24:27.410 medium. It's quite something. He's the son of 00:24:27.410 --> 00:24:29.990 a Spanish waiter and an Italian cleaner, yet 00:24:29.990 --> 00:24:32.569 he can embody a Russian supervillain, a Mexican 00:24:32.569 --> 00:24:34.849 painter, or a classical playwright's professor 00:24:34.849 --> 00:24:38.410 and succeed in all those spheres. His dominance 00:24:38.410 --> 00:24:40.690 in voiceover work, audiobooks, and video games 00:24:40.690 --> 00:24:42.529 just confirms that he hasn't missed a single 00:24:42.529 --> 00:24:44.869 platform available to a professional actor in 00:24:44.869 --> 00:24:47.339 the last half century. It's the sheer weight 00:24:47.339 --> 00:24:49.599 of that consistent quality that is astonishing. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:52.200 If you consider the sheer volume of his work 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:54.500 and the number of awards nominations he has accrued 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:57.559 across such wildly varied formats, film, stage, 00:24:57.940 --> 00:25:01.279 television, voice, it truly demands a unique 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:03.819 critical lens, doesn't it? His career is defined 00:25:03.819 --> 00:25:06.039 not by a single signature genre or character, 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:08.759 but by consistent, complete transformation and 00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:10.920 immersion. So what does this all mean for the 00:25:10.920 --> 00:25:13.380 big picture, for the learner trying to understand 00:25:13.380 --> 00:25:15.819 modern success? Well, I think Alfred Molina's 00:25:15.819 --> 00:25:18.259 career trajectory really forces us to redefine 00:25:18.259 --> 00:25:21.519 what success in acting truly means today. Is 00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:23.819 success measured only in the global box office 00:25:23.819 --> 00:25:26.980 achieved by a character like Doc Ock? Is it measured 00:25:26.980 --> 00:25:28.900 by the critical nods he received for playing 00:25:28.900 --> 00:25:31.900 Diego Rivera? Or is it measured by the sustained 00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:34.200 ability to return to the intellectual rigor of 00:25:34.200 --> 00:25:36.980 Chekhov, or the sheer endurance required to lead 00:25:36.980 --> 00:25:39.920 a musical like Fiddler on the Roof? His multi 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:42.259 -platform dominance suggests that the most successful 00:25:42.259 --> 00:25:45.220 contemporary actor might not be the one who specializes, 00:25:45.380 --> 00:25:47.880 but the one who can perpetually adapt and immerse 00:25:47.880 --> 00:25:50.059 themselves fully in the work, no matter where 00:25:50.059 --> 00:25:52.500 the audience finds them, whether that's a massive 00:25:52.500 --> 00:25:55.599 cinematic universe, a quiet audiobook, or a small 00:25:55.599 --> 00:25:58.750 Broadway stage. That adaptability. rooted in 00:25:58.750 --> 00:26:00.589 his working class grit and classical training. 00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:02.609 Well, that's the true key to the chameleon's 00:26:02.609 --> 00:26:02.910 longevity.