Eli Wallach: Portrait of a somewhat Methodical master
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Eli Wallach will be presented with an honorary Oscar on Nov. 13, and though this award salutes his wide-ranging film career it will also serve more broadly as a reminder of his fine contribution to American acting. Wallach’s work, whether in theater, TV or film, sets a standard that has made him a consummate actor’s actor.
An Actors Studio stalwart and an expert practitioner of the ‘Method,’ Wallach isn’t an ideologue about his craft. His pragmatic approach, recognizing methods of working rather than a single model, has given him a wide-ranging career that has commuted comfortably between westerns and Tennessee Williams.
Wallach turns 95 on Pearl Harbor Day (it’s how the WWII vet refers to his birthday), but his energy and capacity for scene stealing remain undiminished.
To read this Sunday Arts & Books feature on Eli Wallach, click here.
-- Charles McNulty
