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PBS SoCal and Variety Announce New Season and Talent Line-up for Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

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Seventh season of actor on actor conversations will premiere on PBS SoCal January 2; clips will stream on Variety.com in November  

Los Angeles, November 9, 2017 -- PBS SoCal KOCE and Variety announced today the actor lineup and schedule of the seventh season of the Los Angeles Area EMMY®Award-winning Variety Studio: Actors on Actors, a series of specials co-produced by PBS SoCal. The new season will include exclusive one-on-one conversations with top talent from the year’s most notable films, who are expected to contend this awards season. Clips will appear on Variety.com starting at the end of November. Full episodes will premiere on PBS SoCal KOCE on January 2, 3, and 4, 2018 at 7 p.m., and stream on pbssocal.org.

The specials feature pairs of acclaimed actors talking with each other about their lives, their craft and their careers. This season’s featured conversations will include: Jake Gyllenhaal (Stronger) with Margot Robbie (I, Tonya), Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour) with Kate Winslet (Wonder Wheel), Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) with Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) with Salma Hayek (Beatriz at Dinner), Timothée Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) with Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) with Kristen Wiig (Downsizing, mother!), Jessica Chastain (Molly’s Game) with Holly Hunter (The Big Sick), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) with Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Diane Kruger (In The Fade) with Hong Chau (Downsizing), Hugh Jackman (Logan) with Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project), Adam Sandler (The Meyerowitz Stories) with Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird) and Robert Pattinson (Good Time) with Jamie Bell (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool).

"Our Los Angeles Area EMMY®Award-winning Variety Studio: Actors on Actors program affords Variety the opportunity to highlight outstanding film actors in the 2018 award season race.  PBS SoCal is the perfect partner to shine the light on the key contenders for the industry's top awards.” said Michelle Sobrino-Stearns Variety Group Publisher & CRO.

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors offers our audience a rare glimpse into the lives and careers of some the most-noted talent in the entertainment industry,” said Andrew Russell, President and CEO, PBS SoCal. “We appreciate our partnership with Variety on this program, because it allows us to share these fascinating stories in Southern California, as well as across the country.”

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors will be distributed to PBS stations across the nation starting in January (check local listings).

This year’s Variety Studio: Actors on Actors lounge and video on variety.com will be presented by Google Home. Google Home will be in the actors’ lounge to help make the actors' conversations even more engaging. Powered by the Google Assistant, Google Home can answer questions about Wonder Woman, turn up the tunes and listen to "Real Love" by Mary J. Blige, or use Hands Free-Calling to reach out to other cast mates for a spontaneous reunion. Google Home will be at the Variety Studio: Actors on Actors to help each actor enjoy their time talking about their lives, crafts and careers.  

ABOUT VARIETY:

Variety remains the seminal voice of the entertainment industry for 112 years and counting. Featuring award-winning breaking news reporting, insightful award-season coverage, must-read feature spotlights and intelligent analysis of the industry’s most prominent players, Variety is the trusted source for the business of global entertainment. Read by a highly engaged audience of industry insiders, Variety’s multi-platform content coverage expands across digital, mobile, social, print and branded events and summits.

In 2015 and 2016, Variety Studio: Actors on Actors was awarded a Los Angeles Area EMMY®Award for Best Entertainment Programming. “Actors on Actors,” an interview special that features pairings of prominent actors discussing their craft, was produced by PBS SoCal in partnership with Variety Media, LLC. Follow Variety on Facebook facebook.com/variety; Twitter, @variety; Instagram, @Variety. The Variety Group – Variety, Variety.com, Variety Insight, IndieWire, LA 411, NY 411 – is owned by Variety Media, LLC, a division of Penske Media Corporation.

ABOUT PBS SoCal KOCE:

PBS SoCal is the home to PBS for Greater Los Angeles and Southern California.  We deliver the full schedule of PBS programs, plus content that is for, about and by the people of Southern California.  Our content is available free through four broadcast channels, at pbssocal.org, on our mobile apps, and via connected TV services.  And we provide the community with early education resources and cultural and educational experiences through partnerships, events and grassroots outreach.  PBS SoCal has offices in Century City, Costa Mesa, and Los Angeles.  Connect with us at pbssocal.org and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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Variety Actors on Actors Awards 2017, Day 2, Los Angeles, USA - 12 Nov 2017
Photo by Katie Jones/Variety/REX/ | Jones/Variety/REX/Shutterstock

Media Contact:

Tracy Smith

tsmith@pbssocal.org

310-237-4517

 

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