I agree. His roles in The Pawnbroker and The Heat of The Night were more than great acting. They were unforgettable moments in the history of cinema. Towering achievements that defined that era.
No matter what I'm doing if In the Heat of the Night comes on I automatically stop what I'm doing and watch. Rod Steiger and Sidney Poitier's performances in that movie was one of a kind
What can I give you as an Actor. I can only give you a memory but a memory means I'm part of your thinking process. Which means I'm part of your brain. That ain't a bad gift. Precious, Genuine
Steiger was such a powerhouse--the bad directors didn't know how to handle him or were scared of him. A perfect example is 'The January Man' (1989) where director John Patrick Shanley was too afraid to tell Steiger he was way over-the-top in his scene. But Sidney Lumet was genius and really shaped Steiger's intensity in 'The Pawnbroker.'
Cool how he mentions Day-Lewis in that list of 'difficult' i.e great actors as even before he went on to do 'There will be Blood' someone like Steiger considered him one of the greats.
I know that the word "underrated" is almost becoming a clichee and that the word is used mistakenly to describe people who are not really underrated. But I honestly believe that Rod Steiger was underrated. It´s also sad to hear that he suffered from depression for a long period of time during his life and especially during the 1980´ies.
Wow ! Till I watched this just now, I never knew Rod Steiger fathered a son late in life. He seemed like a happy & content person when he taped this (good for him). But how sad he died a few years later & wasn't able to see his son grow up. But he left us with MANY wonderful film and TV performances ! THANKS for sharing this cool clip ! :-)
I really liked it, though I wish Larry King would have let Mr Steiger finish some of his comments. Overall, I enjoyed Mr King's celebrity interviews but often he interrupted too much !
Check out his battle with depression He said at one point he was so depressed he never left his home for days and would even urinate in bottles so he didnt have to walk to the bathroom
I just love watching Rod Steiger, James Woods, Peter Falk, Peter Ustinov, David Warner (?), et al , more than pretty boys such as Grant. Peck, Flynn, Taylor, Powell, Beatty, et al.
What a wonderful actor! One movie that showcased his acting skills was No Way To Treat a Lady and another movie with Edward G. Robinson, can't remember the name of it, but both VERY good!!
+wingsandash Absolutely. A real actor--a rarity, these days. He was willing to put it all on the line--to take risks. I believe he was also a born teacher--he had so much wisdom to share with younger generations. His death was, in my opinion, tantamount to the burning down of a library.
