8 of the Best Interviews and Profiles of Classic Movie Stars

Humphrey Bogart, famous for films like Casablanca and To Have and Have Not, appeared on the cover of the June 7, 1954 edition of TIME magazine. The profile took a deep dive into Bogart’s accomplishments—the important roles he's played, the $200,000 movie fees he charged, his stately home and eccentric purchases like two Jaguars—as well as the personality of the screen legend.

Even more interesting? Bogart didn't hold back with critiques of a few fellow Golden Age actors. “I don’t approve of the John Waynes and the Gary Coopers saying, 'Shucks, I ain't no actor—I'm just a bridge builder or a gas-station attendant,’” Bogart rattled off to the article’s author. “If they aren't actors, what the hell are they getting paid for? I have respect for my profession. I worked hard at it.”

Esquire’s August 1, 1957 profile of Audrey Hepburn not only touched on the film star’s lovable nature—the writer Robert W. Marks likened her demeanor to "an amalgam of naïveté and sophistication," but ventured into the darker depths of Hepburn’s psyche, too. The piece navigates her childhood growing up in war-torn Europe, her early years of acting, where she was “terrified” because she had little to no experience and the sensitivity she felt to stress. The article reminds the reader that, yes, Audrey Hepburn will always be remembered as being larger than life, but at the end of the day, she was human, too.

Frank Sinatra may be known as one of the greatest performers of all time—not only did he take the stage to sing hits like "That's Life" and "New York, New York," but he starred in dozens of films throughout his long career, too. And the highly acclaimed profile Esquire published on him in the 1960s may just be as famous as the New Jersey crooner himself.

As the story goes, ex-New York Times writer Gay Talese traveled to Los Angeles on assignment to profile the superstar in a piece that would be published in Esquire's April 1966 issue. Although Talese ran into unforeseen obstacles—Sinatra refused to be interviewed—the article is considered one of the most notable celebrity profiles ever written with beautiful narrative framing and incisive interviews with many of Sinatra's friends and associates. It touched on everything from Sinatra's seismic effect on the industry to the star's deep desire to stay relevant.

Golden Age legend Joan Collins sat down with Town and Country in 2021 ahead of her appearance on the anthology horror TV series American Horror Story. The legendary actress, who starred in classic films like Esther and the King and played the oh-so-glamorous Alexis on the hit show Dynasty, talked about her favorite Hollywood stars, how Bette Davis intimidated her when she was a young actress learning the ropes and the worst advice she ever received from Warren Beatty.

When author David Netto asked Collins if she had a role she regretted not taking, the actress responded, “Je ne regrette rien. But in 1960, I was offered a script called Sons and Lovers with Dean Stockwell. I wanted to do it, and I don’t think it was bad. However, I was living with and engaged to a young actor called Warren Beatty, who said, ‘This is absolute crap.’ So I turned it down, and Mary Ure did it and was nominated for an Oscar. At that time, I was more influenced by men.” That anecdote goes to show you, you should always go with your gut.

Hollywood actress Elizabeth Taylor made her first and only appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1992. Interestingly enough, Taylor wasn't on the show to promote any new work but instead was there to thank the talk show host for over three decades of "brilliant entertainment."

Besides exchanging pleasantries, the two spoke about Taylor's illustrious career that began when she was just a child, her life living in the public eye, and...wait for it, astrology. When asked by Carson how easy she felt she was to live with, Taylor replied, "Well, I'm a Pisces, and we're very sensitive."

Singin' in the Rain star Debbie Reynolds sat down with American film historian and television presenter Robert Osborne at Turner Classic Movies to discuss her decades-long career in show biz. Reynolds, who rose to fame following the catchy 1950s musical, shared some experiences from the Singin' in the Rain set with fellow stars Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Cyd Charisse and more.

"Well, Donald was adorable, and I loved working with him," Reynolds shared. "He was a tremendous dancer, and he could just do anything." She explained that the two became good friends from their time on the set, and he even taught her how to do a backflip.

Renowned film star Ingrid Bergman, famous for starring in movies like Casablanca, appeared on a 1978 episode of The Dick Cavett Show to share some surprising behind-the-scenes tales of what went into making the legendary film.

"It sounds unbelievable, but we were going to do two ends," Bergman told Cavett. "We were going to shoot both ends—that I go with the husband and that I stay with Humphrey [Bogart] in Casablanca and find some reason the husband leaves alone. So, we never knew what we were doing from one day to the other—it seems strange that [this] picture, of all pictures that were much better organized, and [this] one with all the confusion and the script written day-by-day [...] became a classic." The more you know!

Actress, singer and dancer Rita Moreno, who famously played Anita in the 1961 movie musical adaptation of West Side Story, was interviewed by Esquire in 2021, where she gave entertaining answers that perfectly captured her dynamic personality. In the piece, she talks about topics ranging from dating to therapy and doesn't hold back.

"People asked me, 'What did you think of Elvis?' And mind you, I had been going with Marlon [Brando] for quite some time, so I said he was a bit dull," Moreno shared with the interviewer, Justin Kirkland. "He was a sweet country boy. He was nice and he was boring. I don't know how else to tell you." Oh, Rita!