Steven Weber on Replacing Matthew Broderick in The Producers, and the Co Star Who Was Fired Two Weeks In
Steven Weber joins Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes on Dropping Names to tell the story of taking over Leo Bloom from Matthew Broderick in The Producers on Broadway, opposite the acclaimed British actor Henry Goodman, who was abruptly fired about two weeks into the run for wanting to do something…
Two moments from this episode
Walken Had To Write
Brent recalls seeing Steven Weber in The Seagull at the Public Theater in New York, with Christopher Walken in the cast as the writer Trigorin. One line stuck with him decades later, because of how completely Walken sold it.
“there's a line in The Seagull where he says, I have to write. And Chris Walken said, I have to write, I have to write. And you so believed him.”
The King Of Sweden's Review
Brent did a show in Chicago called The Portable Pioneer and Prairie Show, about Swedes who came to the Midwest. On opening night the Swedish community was invited, along with the visiting King of Sweden, who came onstage at the end to present the leading lady with roses. As he did, he caught Brent's eye and gave him a look that said everything.
“he looked over at me and he went... And I went, yeah, I know, you don't have to tell me. Because it was bad.”
Names dropped in this episode
67 names come up in this episode, in the order they are mentioned. Tap a timestamp to jump straight to that moment.
Peter Dinklage
3:58Emmy-winning actor, Threshold cast member Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0
Danny Kaye
6:45American actor, dancer, singer and comedian Wikipedia ↗
LeVar Burton
9:00Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation and host of Reading Rainbow Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Super Festivals · CC BY 2.0
Lorne Michaels
11:38Canadian and American television and film producer, comedian, screenwriter and director Wikipedia ↗
Julianne Moore
13:50Julie Anne Smith , known professionally as Julianne Moore, is an American actress Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Harald Krichel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Matthew Broderick
17:57American actor Wikipedia ↗
William Shakespeare
18:47English playwright, poet and actor Wikipedia ↗
Zero Mostel
20:39Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel was an American actor, comedian, and singer Wikipedia ↗
Jason Alexander
22:27American actor and comedian Wikipedia ↗
Photo: flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com · CC BY-SA 3.0
George Hamilton
22:54American actor Wikipedia ↗
Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com · CC BY-SA 2.0
Leslie Nielsen
23:24Actor who went from dramatic leading man to comedy icon in Airplane! and Naked Gun Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Alan Light · CC BY 2.0
Peter MacNicol
23:24American actor Wikipedia ↗
Patrick Stewart
24:47Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bryan Batt
25:34American actor best known for his role in the AMC series Mad Men as Salvatore Romano, the closeted art… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Greg Hernandez · CC BY 2.0
Michelle Forbes
27:01American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films Wikipedia ↗
Photo: sookiebontemps · CC BY-SA 2.0
Nana Visitor
27:01American actress, best known for playing Major, later Colonel, Kira Nerys in the television series… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: John Manard · CC BY-SA 4.0
David Gerrold
28:14American science fiction screenwriter and novelist Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tim Daly
29:05American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles as Joe Hackett on the NBC sitcom Wings… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Colleen Sturtevant · CC BY-SA 4.0
John Ritter
29:56American actor and comedian Wikipedia ↗
Abner Doubleday
31:05Career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War Wikipedia ↗
Julie Newmar
31:05American actress, dancer, and singer known for a variety of stage, screen, and television roles Wikipedia ↗
John F. Kennedy
33:20John Fitzgerald Kennedy , also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from… Wikipedia ↗
Charles Durning
34:29Oscar-nominated character actor in To Be or Not to Be Wikipedia ↗
Allard Lowenstein
35:23American Democratic politician who served as the U.S. representative for the 5th congressional… Wikipedia ↗
Brad Davis
35:52Robert Creel Davis , known professionally as Brad Davis, was an American actor Wikipedia ↗
Jack Nicholson
38:11American retired actor and filmmaker Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Georges Biard · CC BY-SA 3.0
Burt Lancaster
38:34American actor Wikipedia ↗
Tony Curtis
40:26American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the… Wikipedia ↗
Frank Gorshin
40:26American actor, comedian and impressionist Wikipedia ↗
Kevin Pollak
41:19American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcaster Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Amy Puzia · CC BY 3.0
Ricou Browning
43:16American stunt performer, filmmaker and actor Wikipedia ↗
Oliver Platt
45:40American actor known for his work on stage and screen Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Bridget Laudien · CC BY-SA 3.0
Peri Gilpin
American actress who portrayed Roz Doyle in the NBC sitcom Frasier and Kim Keeler in the ABC Family… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Pop Goes The Culture TV · CC BY 3.0
Whoopi Goldberg
Caryn Elaine Johnson , known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg , is an American actor, comedian… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: PhilipRomano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Gene Wilder
American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker Wikipedia ↗
Brad Oscar
American musical theatre actor, known for his Broadway performances in musicals such as The Producers… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: PhilipRomanoPhoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mel Brooks
Comedy legend, producer and star of To Be or Not to Be Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Angela George · CC BY-SA 3.0
Carolyn Bessette
American fashion publicist Wikipedia ↗
Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com · CC BY-SA 2.0
Michael Fassbender
German and Irish actor, racing driver and producer Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Gabriel Hutchinson · CC BY-SA 4.0
Noah Wyle
American actor, television director, producer and writer Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Kevin Paul · CC BY 4.0
Shirley Booth
American actress Wikipedia ↗
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto , known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com · CC BY-SA 2.0
Jerry Springer
British-American broadcaster, television host, and politician Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Nrbelex · CC BY-SA 2.5
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer… Wikipedia ↗
Photo: Carlos M. Vazquez II · CC BY 2.0
George Romero
American and Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor, and actor Wikipedia ↗
Photo: nicolas genin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene "Gene" Wesley Roddenberry Sr. was an American television screenwriter and producer who created… Wikipedia ↗
Yul Brynner
Yuliy Borisovich Briner , known professionally as Yul Brynner , was a Russian and American actor Wikipedia ↗
Albert Salmi
American actor of stage, film, and television Wikipedia ↗
Lorne Greene
Ben Cartwright on Bonanza Wikipedia ↗
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons.
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