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Actual article: This week, Toronto has been teeming with power brokers, deal makers, social climbers and all the obligatory buzz and glamour and bluster that come when the Toronto International Film Festival takes over the city. While public shrieks have been reserved for the celebrities, private whispers have revolved around a topic that hit closer to home: the departure of Piers Handling, and whoever might succeed him as TIFF's CEO.
On the eve of the 42nd annual festival, Handling dropped an unexpected third-act twist into TIFF's narrative: He will be stepping down after 2018's edition. "I felt it was the right moment," Handling told The Globe and Mail in early September. "The timing was personal, and not tied to any unhappiness with the organization."
The move marks the end of a 23-year career with one of the largest festivals in the world, and caps a lifetime spent in the trenches of cinema. "It's a vocation for me; it's never been a job," he said. "I'm one of the luckiest guys in the world."
There are countless cinephiles who would agree, and might happily queue for blocks and blocks – the length of a rush-ticket line outside Roy Thomson Hall, perhaps – for the chance to step into Handling's shoes.
But whoever ends up taking this position will have a job that goes far beyond hobnobbing with Angelina Jolie or sipping wine with Francis Ford Coppola. The new CEO will have to steer the organization through one of the rockiest phases in its history and address an identity crisis that may be Handling's lasting legacy. While it may not be obvious from its glitzy exterior, with its red carpets, smiling celebrities and buzzy premieres, the festival that put Toronto on the map – and generates an estimated $189-million for the city – is grappling with increasingly pressing challenges.
Industry veterans complain that the two-week event is bloated and no longer a great place to do business, while Toronto-based film fans grouse about ticket prices and long lineups.
Audiences aren't showing up for screenings at the Lightbox building on King Street West, designed to provide a headquarters for TIFF year-round and serve as a draw for both local film lovers and tourists.
And the medium of film itself is losing its lustre as streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime shift viewers' focus toward small screens.
Meanwhile, the organization is grappling with a deficit and an exodus of senior staff.
Conversations with more than 40 current and former TIFF employees, as well as about two dozen other individuals close to the organization, present a picture of an institution whose vision is unarticulated and whose current business model appears to diverge with industry and audience trends. Many who've left TIFF also complain about a challenging work environment. (Many of The Globe's sources agreed to speak only on the condition that they not be identified, due to concerns that this will negatively affect their careers in the arts industry.)
Last weekend, TIFF started the year-long farewell tour of the man who helped "TIFF become the festival it is today: the largest public event dedicated to films lovers in the world."
But like many media executives, Handling didn't count on the world changing. Whoever inherits the organization he's leaving behind may have a difficult time finding their own Hollywood ending.
The Dusty Dream Like many showbiz daydreams, TIFF was conceived on a Cannes terrace, right near the bar. It was at the famed Carlton Hotel where, in the '70s, Toronto lawyer Dusty Cohl perfected the art of the liquid lunch, cozying up to critics and studio executives during his annual jaunts to the French Riviera. Cohl floated the idea of a Toronto film festival with his friend Bill Marshall, a communications expert who had formed his own film company. The pair teamed up with Henk Van der Kolk, a former architect who worked alongside Marshall producing films for the Ontario government, and TIFF was born.
In 1976, the trio announced Toronto's first "Festival of Festivals," a week-long celebration of international cinema. Film-starved Torontonians ate up its 80 movies and $6 passes, with 7,000 people hitting the fest each day. Steadily, the annual event grew in size, prominence and star power, with Hollywood studios eager to show off Oscar-friendly wares to a passionate audience, and celebrities happy to show up for media junkets that didn't require a transatlantic flight.
Four decades later, TIFF is huge – one of the biggest events in the film industry calendar, and easily the highest-profile charity in the Canadian arts landscape. The festival now showcases hundreds of films – the 2016 program featured 296 (more than twice as many as Sundance and six times the Cannes offering), but the growth has been accompanied by industry griping. "To put it bluntly, TIFF has become a dumping ground, serving up hundreds of new movies with hardly any discernible sense of curation," Variety magazine's chief film critic, Peter Debruge, wrote at the close of last year's event. Industry deal makers used to show up at the festival expecting to see – and acquire – must-see films, movies they could rely on to become big-screen hits and Oscar contenders. But with so many films in the mix, "no [media] outlet …. can see and review everything, potential buyers don't know what to check out, and publicists find it virtually impossible to bring attention to small, deserving films that get steamrolled by the sheer volume on offer," Debruge wrote.
As a result, filmmakers seem less keen on bringing their work to TIFF – a fact that became abundantly clear at the festival's opening press conference on July 25, where Handling and artistic director Cameron Bailey introduced this year's program.
A week earlier, Venice had snagged the buzzy Matt Damon comedy Downsizing for its opening. The month before, New York got Richard Linklater's Last Flag Flying, starring Oscar catnip Steve Carell and Bryan Cranston. TIFF needed a similar show stopper – a blockbuster that matters, like Blade Runner 2049, or a lightning bolt from someone setting the world on fire, like Xavier Dolan. But on that morning in July, Handling and Bailey didn't announce an opening film, promising answers on that front later. In the end, the under-the-radar tennis biopic Borg vs. McEnroe kicked off the fest – a film that isn't even the buzziest tennis biopic of the season (that would be the Emma Stone drama Battle of the Sexes).
It was the continuation of a trend that saw competing festivals Venice and Telluride snapping up world premieres – Moonlight and La La Land last year; Battle of the Sexes and The Shape of Water this year – leaving Toronto with warmed-over seconds.
This year's festival has scaled back somewhat – in February, organizers revealed that the 2017 event would have two fewer venues and 20 per cent fewer films, providing what a TIFF press release described as a more "tightly curated" experience.
But TIFF has grown in other ways, too, and there is an increasing sense that the organization's current challenges can be traced back to one particular expansion: the construction of the TIFF Lightbox, the highly ambitious downtown building that was designed to be the crown jewel of the organization. Home to the festival offices and to three floors of cinemas and exhibition space, the Lightbox was intended to attract film lovers and tourists throughout the year. But its screenings and events have failed to generate big box office.
For Handling, the idea for a headquarters had been brewing since 1987, when he was named programming director – but it was an idea with history, too. "The voyage to this building is the dream that not just I had, but a few others, including [former festival director] Wayne Clarkson, to build a centre of critical study somewhere in Canada," said Handling, who spoke with The Globe alongside artistic director Cameron Bailey and COO Michele Maheux in late August, two weeks before announcing his retirement. "Why in the hell did we, as Canadians, have to go elsewhere?"
The Lightbox was no small project. Unlike, say, the single-screen Hot Docs cinema a few blocks north, TIFF wanted five screens housing 1,400 seats – plus museum-scale exhibitions, a film reference library and archive, a retail store, and a vast array of educational and community-outreach initiatives. It was a dedicated space for the devout cinephile – and an unprecedented move in the art-house world.
The first warning sign against erecting a high-brow multiplex in the early throes of a digital age was just how difficult it was to come up with the money. Plans for the building were revealed in 2003, but TIFF struggled for years to reach its fundraising target of $196-million.
"We thought it would take three to five years," said Brendan Calder, a former board chair. "It took 10."
Dalton McGuinty's Liberals kicked in $35-million – plus a low-interest provincial loan of $46-million, which was made possible after TIFF was deemed an "arts training facility" by Queen's Park in 2009.
When the Lightbox finally opened its doors in 2010, Handling proclaimed that it would "put Toronto on the international map year-round," becoming a "magnet" that would walk the fine line between cinematic integrity and commercial viability.
In the seven years since, the industry landscape has changed dramatically. At the turn of the decade, the conversion from celluloid to digital projectors seemed like the biggest possible industry shakeup. Now, the rise of streaming services and digital downloads has radically altered the business model and institutions are forced to innovate or die trying. As evidenced from this summer's movie season – the worst in more than a decade – fewer and fewer people are going out to the movies. Major chains like Cineplex have diversified, inching away from cinema and closer toward interactive entertainment. The British Film Institute, which runs the London Film Festival, augments its brick-and-mortar cinemas with a vast array of digital content from its archives. The Sundance Institute has branched out into subscription-based streaming services, offering an archive of past presentations for home streaming. The Venice Film Festival offers selections on a pay-per-view model. Toronto's Hot Docs festival enjoys branded partnerships with everyone from iTunes to the Cineplex Store, and is expanding into Britain for Hot Docs London.
Film organizations across the world must now do a delicate dance between accommodating new digital demands and ensuring that the theatrical experience isn't sacrificed in favour of disruptive technology. Cannes has already tripped over the issue, allowing Netflix films to compete for its prestigious Palme d'Or Award this year, drawing angry complaints from French theatre owners.
TIFF has lurched and stumbled in its quest to keep up. Its website doesn't make any of the festival's films available to home viewers, limiting its content instead to a small collection of National Film Board productions and a tangled web of poorly-promoted podcasts, press-conference videos and editorial posts. Over the past year, TIFF has at least begun playing catch-up, investing $700,000 into the digital arena in an effort to expand its global audience and drive new revenue. But for the most part, Handling has placed his biggest bet on the Lightbox – a gamble that doesn't seem to be paying off.
TIFF doesn't make attendance numbers for its Lightbox screenings publicly available, so it's difficult to gauge exactly how many filmgoers the Lightbox is attracting (or how much money it's bringing in). But the King Street West venue hasn't become a significant draw for film enthusiasts.
The Lightbox's attendance has plunged – 49,000 fewer visitors last year, a drop of 27 per cent, according to figures recently reported in the Toronto Star. Its gallery space – designed to showcase the visions of cinema's most iconic filmmakers – saw most of its exhibitions staff quietly axed this past fall. And its marketing barely escapes the Lightbox's walls. Unless you are a TIFF member or one of the city's most avid filmgoers, you could walk by the Lightbox and remain blissfully unaware of a single thing that goes on inside.
TIFF "still has a world-class brand," said Barry Avrich, a filmmaker and former board member, "but it's going to take some fresh vision from retail, consumer programming and marketing experts, given how the lines have become intensely blurred when it comes to how people watch film. They will have to experiment with programming to find the right blend of function and relevance."
Who's next? When Handling, 68, announced his retirement, TIFF's official press release noted he has been director and CEO "for almost 25 years," since 1994. Few, if any, comparable arts organizations have witnessed such a long executive tenure – which makes succession that much harder and more delicate a task.
Most inside and outside the Lightbox agree that Cameron Bailey is the heir apparent. Like Handling, Bailey comes to TIFF with a deep appreciation for film. His cinematic education blossomed in university, while studying at the University of Western Ontario, where he got his honours degree in English literature. "It was a contemporary cinema course, which began with Godard's Breathless," Bailey told The Globe two years ago. "It then went everywhere but Hollywood, so it was Asian cinema, it was Latin American and Brazilian cinema novo, it was Italian and African film. That introduced whole new worlds to me."
Bailey worked as a film critic before joining TIFF in 1990 as a programmer, securing the position of festival co-director in 2007 after Noah Cowan relinquished the post to become artistic director of the Lightbox . (Cowan, the original heir apparent to Handling, would depart in 2014 for the San Francisco Film Society.)
Along the way, Bailey became a familiar, dapper talking head when it comes to matters of cinema, able to work both a room of cineastes and a dinner table of wealthy donors, in contrast to Handling's more introverted persona – a self-described "loner."
"Great leaders paint a vision, and the avatar for great leadership is storytelling," said Ron Moore, a former long-time TIFF board member. "Every great executive I've worked with tells a story – to consumers, to staff, to get people to buy the story or work for it. Cameron has those skills. Does he have the day-to-day [profit and loss] experience? No, but you can learn that – there's no mystery to those things – if he wants to."
That seems to be the case. In addition to quietly taking on an expanded Lightbox role last fall – essentially assuming the responsibilities left vacant by Cowan three years ago – Bailey recently enrolled as a guest student at an intensive Rotman School of Management course for soon-to-be MBA graduates, taught by former TIFF board chair Calder. It seems to be a question of when, not if, Bailey will take over. Yet when pressed in an interview last month – two weeks before Handling's departure was announced – Bailey demurred. Taking Calder's course, he said, was about "learning to be a better manager, it doesn't go beyond that. A lot of people are subject-matter experts here, and they've risen in the ranks and now are managing people."
Meanwhile, TIFF is undertaking a global search for Handling's replacement – possibly a formality, or an indication that the board wants to avoid placing another "diehard film geek," as Handling has often been described, into a role that now requires serious business acumen, and the proven ability to put butts in seats.
"Cameron is great, but you have to wonder about the last time they put a person who came up through programming in charge," said one source close to the operation. "They now need to keep business top of mind."
Jennifer Tory, chair of the TIFF board, told The Globe that the organization will be looking for, among other things, someone who can keep up with the fast pace of change in the film industry – "someone very comfortable with innovation, and continuing to evolve the organization." The health of the Lightbox, and TIFF itself, may depend upon it.
Inside the lightbox On paper, one of TIFF's recent bets, Something in the Air: The Cinema of Olivier Assayas, was the perfect fit for the Lightbox. The summer-long retrospective was a complete look at one of today's top filmmakers. TIFF even managed to get Assayas himself to make four in-person appearances to discuss his oeuvre. When the series kicked off on June 22, with the French filmmaker appearing before a rare 35mm print of his 1994 film Cold Water, it attracted an almost sold-out crowd of 200 people to Cinema 3 – but earned just $1,200 (more than a quarter of the tickets were complimentary). The following night, Assayas's introduction of Clean brought in 140 people, for about $1,000. The day after that, a digital restoration of the director's classic 1996 satire Irma Vep brought in 95 people, for $630. Subsequent screenings averaged about 65 people. New-release programming has also failed to catch fire: One recent selection, Lady Macbeth, got a huge internal push, but on the first Saturday of its opening weekend in July, only 220 people showed up for eight screenings across the building's two biggest theatres. Provocative titles that might lure in curious Lightbox newbies bypass the building completely (the arty cannibal tale Raw went to the Royal; Terrence Malick's sex-and-soliloquy epic Song to Song played Cineplex's Yonge-Dundas; Ashley McKenzie's remarkable Werewolf languished at the tiny Carlton).
TIFF has undoubtedly experienced, and engineered, hits. Its Cinematheque program has a fiercely loyal crowd. And Moonlight was championed by Bailey from its festival debut to its months-long run at the Lightbox, where it earned about $320,000. But it was not exclusive to TIFF, and pulled in $440,000 a few blocks north, at the Cineplex-owned Varsity.
According to comScore, box office for the Lightbox's year-round programming grossed between $1.2-million and $1.3-million last year, including taxes. Subtract distribution fees – 40 to 45 per cent – and it's likely its screenings contributed, in net terms, between roughly $660,000 and $780,000 to TIFF's earned revenue of $20.5-million. Combined with a thinning attendance, the numbers represent a serious challenge if TIFF is relying on old-school film exhibition to help pay off at least some of the $33-million that was still outstanding on its provincial government loan as of Dec. 31.
But Handling defended TIFF's high-minded programming in his interview with The Globe. "We'd love to have more people doing every activity we're involved with. But we're trying to show certain films that we think are transformative," he said. "The exclusives, it's nice when you get them. But the raison d'etre of the building isn't that." Certainly, they run a host of charitable programs for the community, including the Share Her Journey campaign which aims to get more women in front of and behind the camera. Still, the yawning gap between the art-house films showcased at the Lightbox and the increasingly commercial offerings of the annual festival reflects what some have called an identity crisis at TIFF. Is it an arts-focused forum for esoteric, global cinema or a market-based organization that serves the business needs of the movie-making industry? Even if screenings aren't the Lightbox's sole purpose, its other initiatives are flailing as well. Handling once told The Globe that the "biggest risk" for the Lightbox is its museum-style exhibitions. TIFF made a splash in 2010 with its initial offering, the Tim Burton exhibit on loan from New York's Museum of Modern Art, which attracted 111,000 paying visitors over five months. Subsequent efforts have been less successful (Grace Kelly drew 48,000) or flops (Federico Fellini had about 10,000). And so, last fall, TIFF eliminated the majority of its exhibitions department – although its fate may have been sealed years before.
"The demise of the exhibition program was when Cowan left. He was the one who championed it," said Barr Gilmore, who designed TIFF exhibitions such as the Fellini and Stanley Kubrick shows. "But doing two or three major exhibitions in a year is a lot. There was a conversation about, are we a museum or a consumer art gallery or both? That never got resolved."
Cowan said that when "the theory of exhibitions met reality, it was a bit more difficult." "We were told going in that Toronto is a hard city when it comes to museums and galleries," Handling said. "The financial risk was very high, so we decided the priorities of the organization were going to be somewhat different."
For now, as the Art Gallery of Ontario prepares to open its Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters exhibit, TIFF will use its gallery space for press conferences and event rentals.
The revenue will likely be appreciated. While TIFF gets an undisclosed share from the two Oliver & Bonacini restaurants in the Lightbox, it doesn't receive parking revenue from the underground lot – unlike nearby Roy Thomson Hall, home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which earns $1.85-million in parking revenue each year. Nor does it appear to be maximizing the revenue potential of its ground-level retail space, some of which currently sits empty.
The festival now faces a $1-million deficit, though Handling suggests this isn't a cause for concern. "Our operating deficit last year was $200,000, and then we invested another $700,000 in digital," he said. "It was a blip. We have a rigorous finance and audit committee on the board, and an extremely competent CFO in Doug [Allison]." (A request for an interview with Allison was denied.)
TIFF's new five-year plan for 2018-2022, authored by Bailey and Allison, aims to offer a turnaround. An early draft of the strategy, titled "Audience First" and obtained by The Globe ahead of its planned fall release, arrives with a bold declaration: "From 2018-2022, TIFF will direct our focus more toward audience – more people, more often, more impact. Our future starts now."
The plan acknowledges that, "Our main product used to be film. Now our main service must be transformative experiences through film." And Bailey and Allison identify "key actions" on how to get there, including "Designing Lifelong Learning Stream" and "Leveraging Audience Data." But the steps read like platitudes at best ("Tailor Lightbox Spaces to Audience Segments") or daydreams at worst (despite backing away from exhibitions, one suggestion is a "Year-Round Attraction at the Lightbox" to drive a $500,000 annual increase in revenue; another seeks a growth in paid audience numbers by at least 22 per cent by 2022).
Another part of the plan is a "reimagining" of the entire building. "We want to make sure the building is actually tuned to the audience segments we're going after," Bailey said recently.
As a not-for-profit, TIFF is designed to end the year at either zero or with a slight surplus. But with faltering attendance at the Lightbox, there is a natural pressure to find other, more corporate – and patron-friendly – ways to pay its operating costs and satisfy its debt, a pressure that may have crept into TIFF's shiniest offering: the festival.
Whose festival is it? When Marshall, Cohl and Van der Kolk first imagined the ideal Festival of Festivals attendee, they were likely picturing someone like Matthew Price. The bookseller and movie fanatic started attending TIFF in 1992, and for 24 years, he planned his year around those 11 days in September. But last year, something changed. The crowds seemed more business-oriented, and the costs more prohibitive. A decade ago, a single adult ticket was less than $22, including tax; today, an evening or weekend ticket runs from $28 to $35, and that's not including galas or "premium" screenings ($52 to $59). You could also be hit with a $2 to $7 surcharge, thanks to the "dynamic" pricing initiative introduced last year.
So, Price walked away.
"It evolved away from why I started going," he said. "It's more about courting people who aren't regular moviegoers, who are there for the parties. As the festival grows, as it fragments the audience, it becomes less fun."
Price isn't alone. Last year's festival saw 2,800 fewer attendees – not a huge number considering the event's 381,000 total, but a worrisome dip given that in the past, attendance only rose. Certain audiences may have realized that TIFF was increasingly interested in glossier, more sponsor-friendly programming. The 2017 slim-down, for instance, saw the elimination of TIFF's least commercial and artistically most unconventional slates: City to City, which showcased films from a different metropolis each year, and Vanguard, a mature version of the Midnight Madness lineup.
Perhaps to compensate local cinephiles, TIFF this year offered a range of free events, including a screening of Dunkirk at the Cinesphere, and restorations of Canadian classics like Rude. But it again closed King Street, creating traffic chaos for the sake of marketing – the street is typically filled with booths and tables hosted by corporate sponsors – and subtly boosting TIFF's annual attendance numbers in the process. (The organization counts the thousands of people who pass through "Festival Street" as participants in free TIFF programming, enabling it to claim a total annual audience figure of 2.89 million people last year. One senior source dismisses that figure, which includes 989,000 "free attendance" participants, as "holding a finger in the air and making assumptions.")
The pivot away from transformative cinematic experiences toward brand-friendly marketing opportunities makes sense from a financial standpoint. Corporate sponsorships contributed about $10.6-million of TIFF's $40.5-million annual budget for 2016, although that figure represented an 18-per-cent drop over the previous year. Handling and COO Maheux explain the loss as another one-time aberration, however. One sponsor that fell through "was a phone that started blowing up on planes," Maheux said. "That was 11th-hour. Boom. Gone." And Tory said TIFF has hired a new major gifts officer, Debra Kwinter, a fundraiser from Mount Sinai Hospital, who she expects will develop a strong case for support for the organization.
Many of its big, long-time sponsors did renew, including Bell and Visa, who each signed on for another five years. Loring Phinney, vice-president of corporate marketing for Bell – the name that has adorned the Lightbox since it opened – called TIFF an "exceptional" sponsorship host. Brenda Woods, Vice President of Marketing for Visa Canada, said that after 20 years of TIFF sponsorship (which this year included the Visa screening room at the Princess of Wales Theatre, as well as a presence on King Street's "activation alley"), her company still sees "incredible value" for its cardholders.
Asked whether he was worried about future corporate sponsorships, Handling replied, "I wouldn't say there's panic. Concern? You bet. But this organization raises far more money from the corporate sector than any arts institution in the country. The growth area is philanthropy. That's where we're putting major resources." Finding new ways to bring in money has always been a goal of TIFF's, and long-time festival goers like Matthew Price also raise their eyebrows at what they see as the organization's increasing tilt toward privilege and access. Case in point: TIFF Noir, an invitation-only program launched in 2011 that offers "a superlative new level of membership" so elite that it's reserved for just 50 people, according to the welcome package. "A card that grants you access so complete, you require nothing else. No tickets. No lineups. No sold-out screenings. Simply all of the unparalleled and exclusive privileges you deserve."
When it was launched, TIFF Noir cost $25,000 per year. The cost of ultimate access today: $35,000.
Adam Moryto, an actor whose grandfather founded Ontario's Ram Forest Products, is a Noir member. He likened TIFF today to a fence: there are those on the inside, and those clamouring to get in. "There's a price to pay for that," he said. "Money does make the world go round."
The trouble inside The salaries of TIFF's top ranks appear in line with similar organizations elsewhere. In 2016, Handling made $352,000 – more than, say, Lesli Klainberg ($321,000, according to 2015 figures), executive director of the Film Society of Lincoln Centre, but less than Sundance executive director Keri Putnam ($580,000 in 2015). He and 16 other TIFF employees appear on the Sunshine List, the annual report that details all public-sector employees earning $100,000 or more per year. (Charitable agencies that receive more than $1-million from Queen's Park are required to disclose top salaries.)
But at the lower end of the TIFF spectrum, many current and former employees said their compensation didn't reflect what they described as punishing work. Some who have worked in the middle of the organization reported earning less than $45,000.
A number said they were willing to take less money than they could have made elsewhere, because they wanted TIFF to succeed in its charitable mission, but didn't anticipate the long work hours and stress that extended beyond the festival period.
Festival hours are one thing – everyone goes into TIFF knowing September and the month leading up to it is a nightmare. The shock, they said, came during the rest of the year, the result of what some described as a high-pressure atmosphere designed to drive revenue in the Lightbox.
The problems appear to extend to management levels and above: Three of TIFF's four vice-presidents and two departmental directors have left since 2016. For his part, Handling said there are "probably rough edges" to the organization, but he said he takes such concerns seriously. "I don't feel I work in a toxic work environment, but I'm not one of the other 200 employees," he said. "I think I have my pulse on certain things, but I think when you're an organization of that size, there may be people who feel this is maybe not the right organization for them."
At an average annual rate of 18 per cent, TIFF's staff turnover is "below the Ontario benchmark of 25 per cent," according to a spokesperson citing the Boland Survey, which examines the non-profit sector. Yet a Boland official notes its work is based on a "small sample size" and is "not a representative survey." The churn is higher than that of comparable arts organizations including the Ontario Arts Council, the Canadian Opera Company, the TSO, the National Arts Centre, and the Royal Ontario Museum, whose staff churn rates hovered last year between five and 13 per cent.
While TIFF didn't supply its churn rate for 2016, The Globe found at least 45 employees, or about 22 per cent, had left between September, 2016, and August, 2017. The departures were both voluntary and involuntary, though some had more pressing reasons than others.
Jennie Robinson Faber worked for TIFF in 2016 as a creative technology lead and was responsible for relaunching the website. The job was huge – Faber was hired in January, but the deadline to complete the job was July and she was assigned only a three-person team. Still, she was motivated by TIFF's brand. "It was an obvious problem that I had the skill set to help solve," she said.
Like other staff across various departments, Faber described an untenable work environment rife with miscommunication, mismanagement and a questionable overtime policy. (TIFF does not pay overtime; staff can instead accrue up to 16 days of lieu time, a limit many call grossly inadequate given the demands of festival season.) "I would not hesitate to call it exploitative. They would not be able to do what they've done without exploiting people," Faber said. "My health suffered. Even after festival season, you launch right into fall season. There's never time to see if people are okay. And people are not okay."
Bailey acknowledged that culture is something he's been tackling head-on since taking on his expanded role in the Lightbox this past winter. "We've got a more integrated team, we're meeting every Monday afternoon, talking as an organization, as opposed to 'my area vs. my area,' that kind of thing," he said. "We're still in the early stages of that … but it's now one conversation, where it was a little fractured in the past. Maheux chalked up the turnover to the young age of TIFF's work force.
"[Our staff] is an average age of 36 and more than 20 per cent of the team is under 30," she said. "The average for a millennial in any workplace … is 1.8 years." "A lot of people, they've either hit the ceiling here or want to move on," Handling added. "Is it tough to see them go? It's heartbreaking for me, for some of them. But they've gone on and flourished."
The future As the festival wraps up this weekend, what will TIFF be celebrating?
It might be the pride of attracting the brightest lights of Hollywood. Perhaps the fact that, 42 years after Cohl, Marshall and Van der Kolk had a crazy dream, Handling and his team helped make it a reality, again and again.
Whatever the cause, it is hard to deny the wave of excitement that ripples across the city every September – a feeling equally hard to recapture during the rest of the year inside the Lightbox, Handling's lasting gift to the organization. In the waning days of August, a week before Handling would announce his departure, the lobby of the Lightbox was nearly empty. Upstairs, inside Cinema 4, a screening of Lady Macbeth was in progress. The sound was perfect. The visuals were crisp. The seats were comfy. It was an enjoyable afternoon for the entire audience – of four people.
TIFF's new CEO will no doubt aim to fill more of those seats. As the organization's strategic plan notes, TIFF's future "starts now," and the new mantra appears to be "more people, more often, more impact."
To transform the way people see the world through film, then, TIFF will need to transform itself. Enjoy the show.

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Music	The most Oscar-nominated person alive is not an actor or director... and he only trails Walt Disney for the most Oscar nominations in history.	Walt Disney
science	New studies find dehumanization of Mexicans and Muslims predicts support for the GOP and in particular Trump. They also show that Latinos and Muslims in the United States feel heavily dehumanized, and that feeling was associated with support for violence and unwillingness to fight terrorism.	United
personalfinance	Claiming Uber rides to and from work as a business expense	Uber
AskReddit	People who have visited the United States, where did you come from, and how were you treated?	United
personalfinance	Replace 2010 Honda Insight battery or sell car?	Honda
AskReddit	How would you make a better Google Search today?	Google
AskReddit	The main character in the last children's book you read is running for President of the United States, what are their campaign promises?	United
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IAmA	AMA Request Tyson Kidd / Theodore James "TJ" Wilson	Tyson
Showerthoughts	The United States of America has a rich history of wealthy white men not wanting to pay taxes.	United
gaming	They may have stood a chance if their leaders weren't Arses... Rome: Total War 2	Total
DIY	Since were posting IKEA Billy Built-in's	IKEA
personalfinance	Variable Annuity vs Vanguard Target Date Fund	Target
UpliftingNews	Taco Bell is Bringing Alcoholic Slushies to Orange County	Orange
UpliftingNews	Taco Bell is Bringing Alcoholic Slushies to Orange County	Bell
news	Oliver Dearlove: Banker killed with 'single punch' for talking to women - BBC News	BBC
videos	This Providence Judge Haunts My Youtube Feed Now - But here's one with real charges, not just a traffic light!	Youtube
news	North Korea missile test: US allies discuss steps - BBC News	BBC
videos	Bollywood Music Ripoffs — My attempt at Youtube Rants	Youtube
AskReddit	Younger people on Reddit 18 yoa- 25 yoa What resource other than Google or equivalent do you use to fact check what you've learned?	Google
gaming	Games with good online multiplayer for the Xbox One?	Xbox
AskReddit	How do you like your Subway Sandwich?	Subway
LifeProTips	LPT: Go to your local IKEA and when checking out, buy 5 of their blue bags for $1 each. Keep two in your car for groceries and two in your house for things like packages, and other things you need to carry out while on the run.	IKEA
news	White House 'was warned over Michael Flynn's Russia contact' - BBC News	BBC
pics	This Wells Fargo ATM used a photo of a man holding his phone upside down.	Wells Fargo
TwoXChromosomes	Maternity Leave and Why the United States is the Only Developed Nation Without It	United
AskReddit	Time Travelers of reddit, what are some future events that are going to occur that we can use to make money?	Travelers
todayilearned	TIL that there has never been a confirmed incident where "Krokodil" was used in the United States or Canada.	United
WritingPrompts	EU John Wick actually takes place in a MMORPG called "The Continental Hotel" and John Wick is the #1 player.	Continental
Showerthoughts	Watching the Westminster Dog Show sponsored by Purina - I bet none of the owners actually feed their dogs Purina	Purina
AskReddit	How is the United States President paid his salary? Does he get a weekly check? And if it will be donated, how does that work?	United
funny	Yes that's a full family size Costco salad. This guy purchased the salad than sat down at the food court and started eating.	Costco
worldnews	Ebola 'super-spreaders' cause most cases - BBC News	BBC
TwoXChromosomes	Siri and Google Assistant should listen for "Don't rob me" and "Don't rape me", and upon hearing that automatically silently call emergency response, read out your GPS coordinates to the operator and then keep the call alive so the victimizer's voice is recorded.	Google
Showerthoughts	The corny and short lived Zune really paved the way for the monthly payment unlimited music model Apple and Spotify use today.	Apple
worldnews	No justice in sight for India's riot rape survivors - BBC News	BBC
television	Planet of the Apps — New Series Coming Soon On Apple Music	Apple
funny	Guy from work casually mentioned he was on Youtube when he was younger. He shouldn't have, we found it.	Youtube
Showerthoughts	There are probably some people who go to IKEA just to get food, and not to get furniture	IKEA
LifeProTips	LPT: For free medical advise 24/7, call any pharmacy in the United States and ask to speak with a pharmacist. Pharmacists can answer most drug related questions on the spot and have access to many medical resources that many people cannot access without a paid subscription.	United
todayilearned	TIL Lego basic block patent expired almost 40 years ago.	Lego
news	Self-employment 'reduces tax take' as firms avoid responsibilities - BBC News	BBC
listentothis	Elevators to the Grateful Sky -- Ridernaut Stoner Rock 2013	Sky
AskReddit	If the BBC made an adaptation of Parks & Recreation, who would play who?	BBC
listentothis	Death Grips -- Black 80808 Black Google & 80808 Experimental Hip-Hop/Remix 2016	Google
listentothis	Painted In Exile -- DM Black Metal / Progressive Metal 2014	Progressive
news	Killed soldier's father criticises compensation proposals - BBC News	BBC
Showerthoughts	Lamborghini and Ferrari Ads on TV	Ferrari
AskReddit	What shocking connection has Instagram traversing your IG & Facebook friend graph made for you?	Facebook
television	ESPN Profit Plummets: ESPN's income declined 11% compared to last year. Every single day this year ESPN has lost roughly 10,000 cable and satellite subscribers.	ESPN
AskReddit	Why Dove Sticker Gone Viral?	Dove
AskReddit	What is the most efficient way to completely wipe my Facebook profile and activity clean?	Facebook
Showerthoughts	The fact that Google autocompletes all of my questions is an affirmation of how unoriginal all my problems are.	Google
Showerthoughts	I really with eBay had a "not China" tab added to their search function so I can stop seeing walls of the same jpg with different prices and companies.	eBay
worldnews	Toshiba chairman quits as losses loom - Toshiba chairman Shigenori Shiga has resigned, hours after the company was forced to delay revealing details of a multi-billion dollar loss.	Toshiba
television	Planet America - ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation	ABC
videos	New Video: How to improve your Linkedin and resume	Linkedin
worldnews	'Stop Trump state visit' petition rejected - BBC News	BBC
television	The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah, admits to BBC that he's not neutral	BBC
photoshopbattles	PsBattle: This woman caught by Google Maps Street View in Pisa Italy.	Google
AskReddit	How many people in the the United states are addicted to gambling?	United
news	UK inflation highest since June 2014 - BBC News	BBC
Music	Hakanai - Fields and Fawns Math Rock/Twinkly Guitar. New Split EP out today, 2/14. FFO: TTNG, Colour, Delta Sleep, Toe.	Delta
EarthPorn	Took this photo of the beautiful Rocky Mountains during my bike ride across the United States, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It is by far my favorite, as it became a part of the tattoo that I got after completing the ~4,500 mile journey. 1836x2295	United
AskReddit	Westworld Fans of Reddit: You just woke up. Bernard and Dr. Ford are looking right at you. What's your first impression?	Ford
Showerthoughts	Taco Bell's new Naked Chalupa is a rip off of the KFC Double Down which was a rip off of the McGangBang.	KFC
worldnews	Inside China's space base as mission blasts off - BBC News	BBC
worldnews	Murders, Robberies Of Drivers In Brazil Force Uber To Rethink Cash Strategy	Uber
UpliftingNews	Ireland public raises €340k to send teenager with cancer to United States for treatment after heartbreaking video goes viral	United
UpliftingNews	Irish public raises 340K to send teen with cancer to United States for treatment after her heartbreaking video goes viral	United
worldnews	India to launch 104 satellites in single space mission - BBC News	BBC
funny	My friend ordered chips with gravy from McDonald's and thought it tasted a bit sweet... was actually caramel sauce	McDonald's
news	Josh Elliott Parts Ways With CBS News	CBS
gaming	[MOST RIDICULOUS CLUTCH EVER!	Rainbow Six Siege Velvet Shell Mira / Jackal #41 Ft. Nogla, Moo](https://www.reddit.com/gaming/comments/5tzq6q/most_ridiculous_clutch_ever_rainbow_six_siege/)
worldnews	Dubai announces passenger drone plans - BBC News	BBC
Documentaries	PENJELASAN LENGKAP ASURANSI AXA UNTUK KE LUAR NEGERI	AXA
Futurology	Asteroid Day 2017 announced for June 30th - this time as an officially recognised United Nations event. Astronaut Chris Hadfield tells me why we should take the threat of celestial rocks seriously	United
space	Asteroid Day 2017 announced for June 30th - this time as an officially recognised United Nations event. Astronaut Chris Hadfield tells me why we should take the threat of celestial rocks seriously	United
pics	Does anyone else remember doing this as a kid with a Gatorade bottle?	Gatorade
Showerthoughts	It must be infuriating to get in an accident on the highway then have Google Maps notify you of a traffic incident as you're waiting for the wrecker.	Google
mildlyinteresting	Sabaton album cover looks like a book with Apple Music shadow effect	Apple
pics	Pewdiepie made BBC national news in my office today over the Disney controversy. World's gone mad	BBC
Futurology	[Create Facebook Bots	Use Bot Tools - Gupshup.io](https://www.reddit.com/Futurology/comments/5tzz4m/create_facebook_bots_use_bot_tools_gupshupio/)
pics	Surfer at Logan Rock, Porthcurno . . . England, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland	United
EarthPorn	Cold start in Altnafeadh, Scotland, United Kingdom by Pete Rowbottom 1600 x 900	United
pics	2900 pieces and 3 months work - My 2D Lego R2D2 is finished	Lego
worldnews	Sweden Builds Camel Park to Help Integrate Migrants	Camel
Showerthoughts	If Apple really wanted to mess with people on Aprils fools day, they should switch where the "snooze" and "stop" buttons are on the iPhone alarm clock.	Apple
Showerthoughts	Does 7-Eleven look for shady areas to place its businesses, or do shady areas develop around 7-Elevens?	7-Eleven
AskReddit	which hotel You like the most in the United States where to stay ?	United
news	North Korean leader's brother 'killed in Malaysia' - reports - BBC News	BBC
aww	Digging for survivors after the storm in Halifax NS	Halifax
Music	Mr Blue Sky - Lily Allen	Sky
videos	Blake Lively Looks Lovely as Ever in Heart-Print Dress at L'Oréal Galentines Day Soirée	L'Oréal
videos	Boy with cerebral palsy meets Manchester United players	United
nottheonion	These Burger King Locations Are Putting Sex Toys in 'Adult' Meals for Valentine's Day	Burger King
listentothis	Drab Majesty -- Dot In The Sky Tragic-Wave 2017	Sky
funny	If you Google the gold Ferrero Rocher chocolates CeeLo Green pops up	Google
WritingPrompts	WP Fast food franchises have become the dominant religions. You meet some unsavoury acolytes of the Burger King whilst on a pilgrimage to Kentucky.	Burger King
Showerthoughts	I don't know why but I always come out of Wikipedia to then Google something anticipating another search result back into Wikipedia	Google
AskReddit	When you redeem a app store apple card, you can point your camera at the code and it will add funds. So what pervents Sony or google from adding the feature?	Sony
sports	NBA D-League rebrands as the NBA Gatorade League, or G-League	Gatorade
funny	My local PD posted this to their Facebook the other night.	Facebook
EarthPorn	Never thought to post here before, but you guys inspired me. Bell rock, Arizona 1920x1080p	Bell
AskReddit	If you were President of the United States, what is the first law you would pass?	United
dataisbeautiful	Jewelry Search Trends in Google from 2004-2017, Just in Time for Valentine’s	Google
pics	So my Facebook friend made a purchase and it came to life with a permanent marker	Facebook
news	Montana: Bill Would Ban Texting While Driving, Doesn't Cover Watching Youtube or Playing Games	Youtube
nottheonion	Development League to be renamed NBA Gatorade League	Gatorade
AskReddit	Bus drivers, cabbies, Uber and Lyft drivers of Reddit, what really grinds your gears?	Uber
food	Homemade Orange chicken	Orange
worldnews	Kaziranga: The park that shoots people to protect rhinos - BBC News A hopefully informative follow up to yesterday's top post on worldnews	BBC
books	Most popular romance novels by genre. Discover the best romance books by content, themes and topics.	Discover
todayilearned	TIL A BBC Reporter struggled to complete his report infront of large bonfire of Narcotics	BBC
history	Since the dawn of war, how has the recognition and treatment of PTSD/ Shell Shock changed?	Shell
mildlyinteresting	These Lego bricks are so tiny.	Lego
Art	Mario, Microsoft Word, 14 lines one paragraph of Sherwood Anderson's poem "Hands"	Microsoft
funny	Breaking News: Canada has already built a wall between themselves and the United States Trans Labrador Highway between Red Bay and Lodge Bay	United
Showerthoughts	Why doesn't Subway sell ice cream sandwiches?	Subway
worldnews	Disney and Google cut ties with PewDiePie	Google
funny	When the Uber driver takes too long and she is horny right now. Kind of Nsfw	Uber
Art	Mario, Microsoft Word, 14 lines of Sherwood Anderson's poem "Hands"	Microsoft
funny	Toronto Stock Exchange's on Google is a Honda ricer	Google
funny	Toronto Stock Exchange's on Google is a Honda ricer	Honda
AskReddit	What mouse to get for my lenovo laptop?	lenovo
mildlyinteresting	This truck has the same color scheme as the FedEx drop box	FedEx
news	Grandmother of Chicago girl shot in head says she's 'fighting for her life at 11 years old' - ABC News	ABC
movies	Ghost In The Shell 2017 - Official Trailer - Paramount Pictures	Shell
gaming	The PS3 outlived the Xbox 360, Wii, and Wii U.	Xbox
gaming	Collection of 1400+ Playstation 2 Games!	Playstation
movies	Here's a review I did for The Lego Movie. I'm trying to start a small hobby in reviewing and would love some feedback.	Lego
worldnews	The United States Used Depleted Uranium in Syria	United
worldnews	New York Fashion Week: Breast cancer survivors hit the catwalk - BBC News	BBC
AskReddit	what was the best Uber ride you have ever received? what made it memorable?	Uber
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: How did Stalin's rise to power affect the United States and Russia	United
television	Mike Lupica’s rambling, diva fits forced ESPN to cancel beloved show	ESPN
UpliftingNews	India Officially Doubles Its Solar Parks Target To 40 Gigawatts	Target
worldnews	India Officially Doubles Its Solar Parks Target To 40 Gigawatts	Target
worldnews	Toshiba chairman quits over $3.4bn loss - BBC News	BBC
movies	Everything, Everything - Trailer #1 - Warner Bros. UK	Warner Bros.
AskReddit	Besides Apple products, what was your best unboxing experience?	Apple
funny	This Pizza Hut delivery car uses a pizza box as a car topper sign.	Pizza Hut
mildlyinteresting	All of my Facebook friends are in red shirt, except the two, but they are both black and white	Facebook
worldnews	North Korean leader's brother Kim Jong-nam killed at Malaysia airport - BBC News	BBC
Futurology	The Billionaire Founder of eBay Plans to Give Thousands of Kenyans Free Income for 12 Years	eBay
gaming	PS4 owners with a PS+ account: Would you be happy if Sony offered PS2 classics along with the PS+ games they currently offer monthly?	Sony
mildlyinteresting	My McDonald's receipt printed without the most important part of the order number	McDonald's
philosophy	Samsung Will Supply Apple With a Total 160 Million OLED Panels for iPhone 8	Apple
philosophy	Samsung Will Supply Apple With a Total 160 Million OLED Panels for iPhone 8	Total
funny	Seriously... Burger King is putting out an adult's meal for valentine's day, like a kid's meal but somehow more gross.	Burger King
space	When this post is four hours old 21:39 UTC, an Ariane 5 rocket will launch Sky Brasil-1 and Telkom 3S into orbit. Live discussion & updates thread at /Arianespace	Sky
funny	My dad's DRs office has mostly elderly patients. They print out typical old people Facebook posts and hang them on the wall in the waiting room.	Facebook
videos	New Video: How to improve your Linkedin and resume	Linkedin
news	SEC.gov - Morgan Stanley Settles Charges Related to ETF Investments	Morgan Stanley
funny	I went ahead an declared my love on Facebook this Valentine's Day	Facebook
television	Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Tops ‘Tonight Show’ in Total Viewers	Total
worldnews	Police job candidate arrested for drinking and driving - BBC News	BBC
funny	The Lego Batman helmet is officially the worst lego to step on.	Lego
food	Homemade Freshly Sliced Turkey and Roast Beef Sandwich on Fresh Baked Brioche With a Baby Kale Salad Dressed With Homemade Vinaigrette and Paired With Graft's "Fur Coat" A Sour Hopped Apple Cider: Valentine's Day Lunch	Apple
funny	I guess Kroger is an optimist	Kroger
television	Archie Comics Signs Development Deal With Warner Bros. TV	Warner Bros.
pics	Can't wait to step on the Lego Batman helmet in the middle of the night.	Lego
explainlikeimfive	ELI5: What's the deal with users on Facebook posting the purple bird that shakes it's head, all over the comments section of various pages?	Facebook
WritingPrompts	EU In 2020 The Helghan empire has took control earth however, the United States Armed forces fight back even harder then ever before.	United
news	PewDiePie: Disney, Google cut ties with YouTube star accused of anti-Semitism	Google

Verified? (This bot cannot verify AMAs just yet)
Date: 2014-04-05
Link to submission (Has self-text)

Questions	Answers
I've never played a Fallout game, I've never played any game in fact, and you need to get out more dude. This is one of the least politically correct statements possible on Reddit.	You want political correctness, definitely go to a different site.
Who would win in a fight, you or Danny Trejo?	Trejo for sure. I would forfeit. I wouldn't even fucking show up for that one.
My mother is a huge fan of you and probably wishes she could have married you. Her question is "Are you going to be narrating anymore books?"	You mean doing books on tape? Well I have my own book coming out in September called Easy Street, and I'll be doing the audiobook for that as well.
My own question is "Was it difficult for you to be in a interracial marriage in back when you got married to Opal?" I myself am a black woman married to a white man and sometimes I still encounter racism.	Racism is everywhere. You know, you're going to encounter it whether you want to or not whatever your situation is or isn't. You make your choices and you deal with them.
How long did it take to do that "sweet pussy" speech from Sons of Anarchy last season without laughing your ass off?	Oh, I actually have to admit I laughed my ass off. It probably took twice as long as it usually should have because I ruined twice my own takes cracking myself up.
The first movie I remember seeing you in was Blade 2. I wondered who is this guy who out-badassed Snipes in his own movie? Then Hellboy exploded into theaters and I thought Finally! Big budget awesomeness for an actor who is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I stumbled across Afro-Samurai and I recognized your voice before I even saw the credits. I think that is when you became my favorite actor. Then I heard about when you visited a terminally ill child in Hellboy make-up. That impressed me on a much deeper level. As a result, I will now go see any movie you are in just because you are in it. Even shitty ones like “In The Name of the King”… Damn Uwe Boll… Voice acting for Teen Titans, Afro Samurai 1 and 2, Danny Phantom, you are FREAKING Firelord Sozin in Avatar, Tangled, Batman, 1000 Ways to Die, you are the the FUCKNG LICH from Adventure time! So, I saw you in the airport last year and I did a triple take because I didn’t believe it. Personally, I was amazed at my self-control. I ordered my drink and waited until you and your co-star had a break in conversation before I asked a question that I now don’t remember. Before you left I asked for a picture (above) and you agreed. You made airport travel awesome. What was your most memorable role voice acting?	My question: will you still need me, will you still feed me? I can't remember my most memorable role voice acting. It's because sixty-fucking-four.
You’re turning 64 next week (happy birthday) and you’re fucking HUGE compared to me!! How much can you bench?	I can bench at least 33 pounds.
What was it like working with the Make-A-Wish foundation?	Awesome. I've been working with them since Beauty and the Beast, which was in 1987.
What is your best Guillermo Del Toro story?	I'm not allowed to share it.
	The best Guillermo del Toro story is that he fought for seven years to give me the role of Hellboy, when everybody else wanted a bigger star. Seven years is a long, uphill battle man. He's the best. The fact that he's my friend is the best of all.
What is one interesting thing about you that most people don't know but that they really should?	I'm way better looking in person.
Ron, thanks for being Mickey Kaline in "Hey Arnold" it was one of my favorite shows as a kid. What did you like most about voice work compared to other acting?	You don't have to wear pants.
What was it like working with the cast and crew on Season of the Witch? Thank you again for taking time out of your day to give us this opportunity, on behalf of this AMA I'd like to commend you on your amazing work and wish you luck on your current future projects	I hope it sees the light of day. We have a great cast and a really cool director who I loved working with called Greg Francis. I loved Greg and loved working with Greg. I hope the movie sees the light of day ASAP. Nic Cage is just GORGEOUS. He's just beautiful. He's absolutely the first one on set, he not only knows his own lines, he knows your lines, he knows everybody's name. He's the most unmovie-star like movie-star I've ever met. Incredibly humble and so professional, a delight to be around, I had such a good time working with Nic and I consider him to be a friend for life.
Hey Ron, thanks for doing the AMA. I could see you pulling off a really evil Star Trek villain and I think it would be awesome to see you in an Expendables film. With that being said, what do you consider to be your dream role that you have not had the chance to do yet?	Tevye from the Fiddler on the Roof.
	I think I have an awesome Eastern European Jew in me.
How did you like being a voice actor on Archer vs. acting in SOA?	What a fucking HONOR it is to be on Archer. Are you crazy? And then to be reprised a season later, to bring back Ramon Limon a season later… oh my god indeed. My daughter was on an episode of Archer, she came with me to one of the parties and met everybody, and they said "well we'll give you something to do on the show" and she was one of the best ones ever on Archer. She played a Columbian drug lord sex symbol who ended up being a cop. It aired about 3, 4 weeks ago. She was mindblowingly good. She and I, that's one of our guilty pleasures. We watch that show together.
What was it like working on City of Lost Children?	The fact that we were in a city we were always lost in. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. City of Lost Children was like going to church everyday. These guys were like the high priests of cinema in their time, and the set was the most intense, serious place I've ever been in my entire professional career. Considering they make comedy, that's a strange combination, but then again, there's nothing conventional about Jeunet and Caro.
Ron, whose dick do we suck to get another Hellboy movie? Edit: He answered me!	I don't know. Just click your heels three times like in the Wizard of Oz and maybe it will happen. Or do whatever it was that brought Tinkerbell to life in Peter Pan.
What is your favorite beer?	Sapporo Draft.
Did you ever find your shoe in Pacific Rim?	Yes, at Guillermo Del Toro's house. Along with all the other props I tried to take with me.
Is there something you're scared of, Ron? Can you tell us?	My wife.
How was it playing a gangster in Drive?	Well, considering I was with three of my heroes, Ryan Gosling, Albert Brooks, and Bryan Cranston, and I made a few new heroes - Carey Mulligan, Oscar Isaac, Christina Hendricks, and Nicolas Winding Refn - it was pretty great.
Just now realized that Roy Dotrice played "Father" in Beauty & the Beast with you in 1987 also played "King Balor" in Hellboy II: The Golden Army 20 years later. Was it a good reunion?	Every moment I spend with Roy is a great moment. He's my adopted pops. He possesses a humanity that is almost too good to be true, but he is the kindest, sweetest, most genuine human being I've ever encountered, and I adore him.
Hi Ron. Love your work. A guy your height would normally attract a lot of attention. Let alone someone with your accomplishments. Are you able to go out like a normal person or do you always get noticed?	I just live my life exactly as I would like, and for the most part, I'm able to move freely. Every once in a while, somebody wants to stop, but it's all for the best possible reasons. Anybody who tells you that they don't like living with being complimented or being told that you did something they appreciated greatly, anybody who considers that an annoyance, may as well cut it out. There are so many harder ways to get out of life than that. I do my own shopping 2-3 days a week. I have already established how much I like to eat, so I do all my own shopping, I've never had a personal assistant. The only time I hire an assistant is to hang out with my dog while I'm on location to hang out with my dog while I'm doing 12, 14 hour days. I've never had to alter my life for any reason, and I like it that way.
Hey Ron, Thoughts on marijuana? When's the last time you smoked?	Me and Bill Clinton had a doobie with Barack a couple of years ago. Once of us didn't inhale, but the other two just had the munchies for like hours.
How often are you mistaken as the actor who played Chewbacca? I spent 18 years of my life thinking you were Chewbacca and I have no idea why.	I've never been mistaken as Chewbacca but I have been mistaken for Harry in Harry & the Hendersons.
Thanks for doing this AMA Mr. Perrlman. Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. Throughtout your career, you've done a lot of roles that require heavy makeup. How difficult is the process? What's been your favorite role requiring heavy make up?	The process is not difficult for me because every role I put the makeup on for I absolutely adored. I can't pick a favorite. If I would say Vincent I would be doing a disservice to Hellboy, and if I was saying Hellboy I would be doing a disservice to Vincent. But those would be tied for first.
Who was more interesting to play, Clay or Hellboy?	Hellboy.
Big fan, i was wondering how is it working with Doug Jones? as a lover of practical effects i'm always amazed at what he can do (you're no slouch either :)	Doug Jones - I'm going to go on the record now that might upset some people. But I hate Doug Jones. Doug Jones pisses me off, because Doug Jones is SO GOOD, SO SWEET, SO NICE, THAT HE REALLY MAKES ME LOOK BAD. SO FUCK YOU DOUG. FUCK YOU AND YOUR NICENESS.
1) When did you realize you had the coolest fucking voice ever?	Well, I appreciate that a lot. And like I said, what an honor it is to have an impact on a kid's life who is looking at the worst scenario ever and thinking about something that you did that cheered him up.
How did you find your experience with Nicholas Winding Refn in Drive?	I love Nic. I loved working with Nic. It was very bizarre, very interesting. Keeps you on your toes, because he doesn't think like anybody else I've ever met, and because of that, he challenges you to not think like anything you've ever done before. So I thought that the performance he elicited from me, and indeed from everyone in that film, was very original and very unlike the typical Perlman profile.
Do you ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think , wow I am one badass motherfucker?	The answer to both those questions is no. First of all, I wake up in the morning and most of the mirrors in my house are covered so I don't have to look at myself. And no, I don't ride my own Harley.
Do you actually ride your own harley?	Oh wait, I do ride my own Harley, or whatever you want to think.
Hey Ron, what is something everyone in the world is doing wrong?	Well, half the world is doing something right all the time? So the whole world is never doing something wrong all of the time. I gotta tell you though man, whoever it is that is denying that our planet is deeply being affected by the shit we're putting out into the air, I hope you're the first ones to have to answer for whatever it is the fuck you're thinking. We better get a handle on taking care of this incredible planet of ours. I'm sure that not everybody on the planet is guilty of that, but we're in trouble. And our kids are the ones that are going to have to pay that fucking bill.
	If you're ever denying that we're fucking up our planet with the shit we're putting in our environment, god help you. Because that is irrefutable.
Can you mention anything about your experience with helping out the make a wish foundation?	It's an honor to be asked to work with the Make A Wish Foundation. And I'm a very lucky guy that I've been asked on a number of occasions. It just means you're in the thoughts of someone who is battling for their lives, and what greater service can there be?
Love watching you in SoA ( especially when you're ranting about pussy ) and also in Hellboy, so my question is, are there are any other superhero properties you would like to be involved in ?	Hellboy 3.
	He's kind of like the quintessential anti-hero, you know? He's a bachelor who lives with empty pizza boxes and beer cans and cat litter all over the place, a big slob, and he would much rather be watching Marx brother movies than being out saving the world, that's what makes him a great superhero for me. Because even though he possesses these extraordinary powers, he's an ordinary beer drinking slob. It's a delicious juxtaposition.
Hello Ron we think you're really good looking for your age and we'd like to know... Would you ever play Hellboy again?	I am possibly attempting to keep the conversation about Hellboy for me alive. It's an uphill battle but I'll never stop trying. I don't have any updates other than that.
For my question, on SoA, which regular in real life would most likely be in a motorcylce gang club?	The character Happy, because he was actually a member of the Hell's Angels.
Are you aware that Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney named his son "Clay" after your character in Sons Of Anarchy?	I actually did read that, I guess on Twitter. And wow. All I can say is wow.
	Thanks Wayne! If I have another kid I'm going to name him Wayne Rooney after you.
What do you imagine the finished product would be like if Guillermo Del Toro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet did a film together?	Sensory overload.
Ron thanks for being such a great character actor! I grew up watching you on Beauty & the Beast then Hellboy & into Sons of Anarchy! You're just awesome! What's your favorite thing to eat from Krafty or do they make you special meals on set?	Well, craft services is definitely chocolate. I'm a chocaholic. I have about a $550 a week chocolate habit. I'll buy chocolate anywhere, from M&Ms to the best belgian chocolate on the planet, and everything in between. I eat what's in front of me. Because the craft service people on the shows I work on, they get to know that I really appreciate when they supply me with different types of chocolate. So I just like a good variety of it around, even if it's Reese's peanut butter cups? Whoever came up with that fucking combination? That guy is tied for first with the guy who invented Viagra.
Who wouldn't want to talk to Ron Perlman? Thanks for doing this AMA sir!	My pleasure!
What is your favorite scene in all of SoA?	That's a tough one. My favorite scenes are the ones I did with Kim Coates. He's the best actor on the show, myself included.
What's your favorite Sinatra song to do during Karaoke?	The Best Is Yet To Come, French Foreign Legion, Mood Indigo, My Funny Valentine, and You Go To My Head.
Hey Ron! Huge fan; LOVED you in Hellboy 1/2 and Blade 2. Also love all of your voice over work. What are you working on now besides 13 SINS? And what is a good reason to see it besides the fact that youre involved and youre an absolute fucking stud?	Beautiful film called Before I Disappear which will hopefully be out over the next few months. A new pilot for Amazon called Hand of God, which should air sometime in the summer or fall. About to shoot a movie called Moonwalkers, which should be out in 2015. And about to direct my first movie, called Wooden Lake, in August of 2014.
off, I just want to say thank you for doing this AMA. I've been a huge fan of your work since middle school. That said.	Pure luck!
I rewatched Tangled last night, and want to ask how did you get the role of the Stabbington brothers? I know you always wanted to do a Disney movie, but I am wondering how it happened.	Everybody else who was up for the role died.
Hi Ron. Curious what you think of your sons music? I'm a fan of Delroy Edwards and was always curious what your take on stripped down techno is.	I think my son is the smoothest motherfucker on the planet.
I love listening to your movie commentary, and it sounds like you have a lot of fun on set. On which movie did you have the most fun on set? And why?	I gotta keep going back to Hellboy, because Guillermo has got the intellect of like Nietzche, Schopenhauer and Freud all put together. But he never graduated from 11 year old fart jokes. Nobody has the right to be this funny and smart at the same time. His sets are a complete mirror of who he is. When we're actually doing the work we're incredibly serious and focused, but while we're waiting for lighting to happen, or in between takes, I've probably never laughed harder or had more fun than on his. And I've done 5 movies with him now, so it's not just any one movie, it's just being in his presence.
Hello Ron, As I love your narration in Fallout 3, and I've seen that you have done other jobs in video game voice over, what is your opinion about well known actors taking roles in video games, be it voice acting or even full acting with motion capturing. How do you see the future of actors in the video game industry?	I think the whole thing boils down to is imagining it in writing. It doesn't really matter where it exists. Like right now for me, because if you'd asked me this question 5 years ago it would have been different, the best writing is in cable television. 5 years ago, it would be in independent cinema. And sometimes the way these video games are rendered, it's a very satisfying exercise for a good actor to take part in, which is a great challenge. I love being a part of them because people write great characters and great stories. It doesn't matter what form it takes, as long as there's some great depth and great originality behind it.
Hey Ron!, what was your favorite segment from 1000 Ways to Die and what was the "death" you found to be the most hilarious?	Oh jeez there were too many to mention. I can't remember. But thank you for playing You Bet Your Life!
What'd ya have for lunch Mr. Perlman?	Branzino. Italian sea bass. It was pretty good.
Ron, just wanna say I loved the film Outlander. Did you enjoy filming in Nova Scotia? Any funny behind the scenes stories?	I'd rather be eating Nova Scotia. Especially with a nice bagel, a pumpernickel bagel and some schmear.
off, I just wanted to say you're an awesome actor. Personal favorites are your voiceovers of the Fallout series and the Hellboy adaptations. Pacific Rim just got even better with you in it! Thank you for doing this! Two part question, possibly things you get all the time: One, how long did it take to get the Hellboy gear on? Two, any plans to voiceover any future video games?	Don't have any video games on the horizon right now. The Hellboy makeup took 4-6 hours.
Is Theo Rossi a nice guy in real life? I loveee Juice. And how'd you like working on Sons of Anarchy?	Theo Rossi is a great guy. I love Juice too, he was one of my favorite things about Sons of Anarchy. My two best friends on that show were Theo and Jim.
Do you think Hellboy could take down a Kaiju or a Jaeger ?	Yes. At the same time. With one hand tied behind his back. It's Hellboy, for crying out loud.
Hi Ron, huge fan. My question is regarding Drive - I really enjoyed your part and found you made your character incredibly convincing. How did playing a bumbling criminal differ from playing a badass non-human vigilante? Also, what does Ryan Gosling smell like?	Um, let me answer the second question first. I didn't get close enough to Ryan to see what he smells like. My love for him is always going to be from afar, but no less intense. And you know, the character that I played was not unsimilar to other things I've played before, but the circumstances were unique because working on a set controlled by Nic is very very unlike anything I've ever experienced before, so it was kind of like one of those moments that I search out, which is the moment you're kind of reborn again, and you're discovering yourself as an actor the first time, so you're not getting caught up in this monotony, workaday, cynical repetition.
What is your favourite food?	Pizza. Pizza in general.
	I'm a New Yorker, so hint hint.
Hello Mr. Perlman, First thing I must say is that you are one of my most fave actors. Your movies are epic! So loved you in Hellboy.. You are fanastic. I have to ask, if you wasnt acting, what would you see yourself doing? What was one if your biggest influences that made you want to become an actor?	I had a number of influences. Jerry Lewis was a big influence on me, because the effects he had on me, with those scenes as an entertainer, made me think it would be really cool to do that. To look like you're having so much fun doing something, and to keep that many people involved in your being purely entertained. Actor influences, I remember when I saw The Hunchback of Notre Dame, I actually was blown away at trying to process the combination of being at one time that outcast and ugly and unacceptable and also that beautiful and attractive, whoever was able to thread that needle was doing something truly extraordinary. It just made me curious, like what must it feel like to begin an exercise like the one Charles Laughton was given in performing Quasimodo? And to be able to do it with so much effectiveness and poetry, and how much someone must feel as a result of having done that. I think that all this contributed to my curiosity about what it might be like to be an actor, and to have that kind of an opportunity.
Wow Ron, huge fan of yours, thanks for doing the AMA. You've played a really large spectrum of characters and I was wondering which one was the easiest for you to step into?	Hellboy.
Hey Ron, big fan here. I was just wondering, did you get Charlie Hunnam on board for Pacific Rim, or was it just a coincidence?	More like a coincidence. I think Guillermo knew about him more because Charlie had worked with Alfonso Cuaron on Children of Men, and Alfonso is Guillermo's best friend, so Guillermo had heard good things about Charlie from Alfonso and asked me what my experience was like with him, and I said "he's a shit, he's completely unprofessional, but if you want to hire him, I don't give a shit." that's not true, I gave him a ringing endorsement, but I think Guillermo was going to hire him anyway with or without my endorsement. I'm really fond of Charlie, I consider him a kid brother, I consider Guillermo a kid brother, and it was great to expand the family and get two people I really love working together.
Ron, Whats your best Arnold Schwarzenegger story?	I don't think I have a good Arnold Schwarzenegger story!
	I got to know Arnold a little bit when he had made True Lies because Jim was married to Linda Hamilton at the time, so there was a lot of socializing taking place, and I just remember Arnold being just really smart, really charming and really funny. A great storyteller, which, I'm a sucker for that. But I don't have a great Arnold story because I never got to work with Arnold.
I've seen many adorable pictures and videos of you with your little dog (a Jack Russell?). What is his name and do you take him with you everywhere?	His name is Nigel. He's a Jack Russell terrier. He's 10.5 years old. And I take him with me everywhere I can. There are places I can't take him, but he goes with me all places I can take him.
Did you enjoy being a part of Enemy At The Gates? How was it having those silver teeth?	I loved Enemy at the Gates. I loved the movie, and I'm glad you asked this question. The director is just magnificent, and he continues to reappear bearing the most beautiful gifts. The role of Koulikov, I hope you, all of you who are listening in or participating in this, go out and read East Street (my memoir) because so many of the questions you ask are going to be answered in this book. You'll read about the profound effect he had on my life.
Thanks for doing this AMA! I've enjoyed your work since I was a kid watching Beauty and the Beast with my mom. My question is: what role has been the biggest challenge for you so far, the one that required you to get the furthest out of your own head to really get this other person?	The one I'm about to do in Hand of God. Clearly the most challenging role I will ever play. It's hard to describe, because I'm in the process of creating it right now and I don't like to discuss characters I'm creating until they are done, but when we meet him he's in the midst of breaking down emotionally and spiritually. He's an incredibly complicated character even when he's in control. To play someone that complex and multidimensional as that, who also happens to be breaking down emotionally, is incredibly challenging and there's no playbook for it. There's nothing that will make the doing of this any easier.
Hey Ron, how much work is it getting to ready to be Hellboy everyday during shooting? Thanks for doing this!	It took some time as I mentioned earlier, it was 4-6 hours, but I don't consider it work, it was a labor of love the whole thing.
Hi Mr. Perlman! Huge fan, my boyfriend and I love Sons of Anarchy. Do you have any funny or interesting stories from the set of SOA that you care to share with us? Thank you for doing this AMA.	I'm sure I have a ton but I can't remember them now.
Who was your role model growing up?	Mickey Mantle.
What is the best advice ever given to you?	Stick with acting!
I don't know if it's too late but I loved you in ice pirates!	It's too late!
This is a statement rather then a question.. You're one sexy son of a bitch!	Mom?
Hi Ron.Since Mission To Moscow,you've had a hell of a lot of success but I'm curious as to know what you see as the defining moment in your movie career..And although I love Hellboy,Pacific Rim and Outlander my favourite film of yours is Mutant Chronicles.	I think I mentioned earlier that Guillermo fought for SEVEN YEARS to get me the role of Hellboy. The only reason I got that role was because he was successful at the end of the day. That gave me a kind of validation I would have never gotten were it not for him prevailing in a battle that all logic said he should have lost, and the way the business works said he should have lost. So I ended up being the beneficiary of this very singular devotion. And it ended up changing the entire direction of my career. So I would have to say that I don't remember what the fucking question was, but I think I answered it.
Hi Ron, No question, I just wanted to thank you for making Hellboy one of my favorite characters ever. Nobody else could have brought him to life like you did. I dressed like Hellboy for Halloween a couple of years ago, Link to instagram.com we're pretty much twins.	Well that's cool. Thanks darling.
Fucked if I know, but thank you for taking the fucking time, and thank you for being a fucking bad-ass!	You're fucking cool.
All this time I thought Ron Perlman was that boy band producer	You need to get it together!

Last updated: 2014-04-09 23:22 UTC
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Date: 2014-04-03
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Questions	Answers
Why did they kill off Trevor?also do you think Hilary and Jazz wound up together?	Trevor's death was a horrible tragedy. I still have not recovered from that. LOVED Trevor. Loved Brian Stokes Mitchell. But I admit…the bungee drop was kind of funny. It's such a 90's way to go.
	I think they probably had something going all along? No I'm kidding, but I don't know. That's hard. Maybe? Maybe she was trying to keep that thing alive from Ice Tray. (Do you guys remember that episode with Don Cheadle as Ice Tray, and he and Hilary hooked up and she was going to go back with him back to Philly, and then he wanted to trade in his first class ticket back for two tickets in coach and I was like "no thank you!")
One of the best Hilary moments was when Will and Carlton blackmail her. How hard was it to film the slaps/barks/and other antics?	The hardest part was not laughing through it. The mechanics of it were fine, because if it was hard for me, it was okay, because it would be hard for Hilary. But the laughing part was the difficult part. We all had a difficult time getting through it and blew quite a few takes cracking up .
Would you recognize Allen the cameraman if you saw him at the Oscars?	AOW! Yes! Absolutely! Allen and I are Facebook friends.
One of my favorite roles you've been in has been Emily from Major Payne. What was your favorite part about filming that movie?	Awww. I loved Emily! Damon was my favorite part. He was SOOO funny and I probably blew so many takes of his good stuff because I laughed. We both cracked each other up. At one point, he made them put a scrim between us during takes because he couldn't say his lines straight because my face was contorting trying not to laugh. He was SO funny.
If you had an opportunity to work with any actor or director from past or present, who would it be and why?	My mother always. But growing up I had a sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Sipperly, who became Mrs. Bone (just in case any of my sixth grade friends see this), who influenced me tremendously in terms of creativity.
Who would win in an arm wrestling competition? Hilary or Carlton?	Oh that's easy. We all know it would be Hilary.
Hey Karyn, now I've been told in AMA's ANYTHING can be asked. Me and my bros watch Fresh Prince growing up and still do. And we always wanted to know, did you and Will ever have a thing?	No. There was probably curiosity in the very beginning just naturally but nothing ever happened between us. And we quickly became like real cousins.
What was the best advice you've heard James Avery give?	As far as acting, I heard him say: when you're crying, you don't want to cry. Most people are trying NOT to cry. And as a person, we could have a drink and I could talk about it, but he gave me so much advice over the years, I would have to sit and think about it, but it's so enmeshed in me,… god I'm going to start crying. I can't think about it because I will get too emotional.
Hi Karen, I loved Fresh Prince as a kid and of course that meant I had a crush on you at some point. My question is, how did they explain the Aunt Vivian character change to the cast? Does the second Aunt Viv look as strange to you as she does to me when you watch reruns?	Well it was like Darrin in Bewitched (I might be going back too far for some people but they switched the Darrins). We went three seasons with one Aunt Viv, three with the other, obviously it was not a deal breaker for audiences ultimately. Fortunately we sustained it.
Besides the show ending, was there a truly sad moment for you during the filming of FPoB?	The show's ending was pretty damn sad. I didn't want to walk off of that stage. And I kept thinking I shouldn't! They can't get mad at me if I keep messing up and refuse to walk off. But ultimately I was a good girl and walked off like I was supposed to.
	I don't know about sad, but when the OJ verdict came down, that was very difficult day for me. Because we watched the big screen, they had split the screen to show black people watching the verdict together and white people watching the verdict together, and it was a very divisive thing the news media was doing, and it was hard to be part of a family that was so mixed - our writers and producers were black and white but predominantly white, and a predominantly black cast, and a mixed crew - but to feel the differences of opinion and the feeling of divisiveness that was being pushed through the TV was upsetting. And the thing is, it wasn't about us, it wasn't about our reaction, 't was more that I experienced it with these people, experiencing it with my family. I remember when the verdict came down, I ran to my dressing room and I was quickly comforted by Ta, Will and Alf, who quickly came to my room in that order, because everyone realized it was a difficult situation. It was a sad thing that I experienced with them, it was not about them, it was just that I experienced it with them.
I was wondering if the cast of Fresh Prince ever discussed a reunion before Mr.Avery passed away? (may he RIP) Any chance of doing one now, maybe a tribute to him as well? Hope all is well with you and I wish you luck on Sweet Blackberry and everything else you pursue!	We never had a formal reunion but we got together several times. James' passing is still so fresh that we had his memorial, which was incredibly moving, and a tribute to him, so as far as any other kind of tribute, maybe we will down the line. I would love that. I miss him terribly.
	And thank you for your kind words.
Can you do the Carlton dance?	No! If I worked hard enough on it, I probably could but I've tried to drop into it and it doesn't come easily to me. I guess I can kind of do it? I'm trying right now? If I worked on it, I could probably get it.
Hello Karyn! How did your career develop after Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Did all employers linked you to Hilary and tried to offer parts similar to that one or were you able to detach from that character and play other roles?	There was a lot of typecasting. There were some rooms I couldn't get in because people said they already "knew what I did" based on Hilary. However, probably more doors opened for me because of Hilary than were closed to me.
Is it strange that I was relieved when Hilary's fiance died? "So you're saying there's chance!"	Hahaha! You're bad.
When founding a nonprofit, what in particular made you choose the path you did?	WOW. WOW. Wow, that was great. Oh wow.
What made you passionate about this cause?	LOVED the shorts. Loved the backup dance moves. Very West Side of Philly story. It was quite accidental. My mother is a retired librarian. When she was working in the library, she headed the largest black resource center in California, and would call me and tell me about incredible stories she came across, and she told the me the story of Henry Box Brown, a slave who literally mailed himself in a box to his freedom across state lines, and I was so fascinated by the story and then couldn't believe I had never heard that story, I would tell my friends and couldn't believe NO ONE had heard this story, I thought well this HAS to be a kids book.
Were there other things that you were/are passionate about that you also considered advocating?	Then I thought that I wanted to do a series of Kids books about more people whose stories I had heard who were amazing. In school we hear about a handful of stories, great stories, but there are so many out there that eventually, when I started the company, I actually started it as a for-profit, I had not thought of the business model, I just wanted to get the stories to kids. Living with it a little bit I recognized that a nonprofit was what I wanted to do, and changed it, but it was completely accidental in that way. I wasn't looking for a cause, I just found out about these people and wanted to get these stories to young kids, the same way that we know Little Red Riding hood like the back of our hands, i thought that it would be great if kids knew about Henry Box Brown or Garrett Morgan the inventor. I wanted to plant seeds in kids early about people who inspire and who can empower them.
What was it like having will on set? There are plenty of YouTube videos where he's messing around with everyone and it just seems like a great time. Any funny stories we might enjoy?	Will is just like he seems. Full of energy, very funny, likes to play. He mooned James Avery offstage, James was on camera and Will mooned him offstage once. He's a joker and very playful. He wasn't like a George Clooney going around doing pranks all the time, but one thing he did that was hilarious: We had a line one week that kept changing, the writers were having fun with this line, and they would say "Dara can tie a cherry stem with her tongue" and then it would change to "Dara can do this," or that. And one day it became "Dara can fit a whole orange in her mouth." Will thought he'd try it himself. He shoved a whole orange in his mouth, a WHOLE ORANGE, peel and all, the look of satisfaction when he pushed the last of the orange in lasted for a millisecond and was replaced by terror when he realized he didn't know how to take it out. It was SO FUNNY. He went from so proud to panicked. I don't remember how he removed it, it was so funny and I was laughing so hard.
What's your life motto? Words to live by?	Be the change you want to see in the World. That's my original quote, no it's Gandhi.
Loved you on Fresh Prince and always remember you curly hair. =) Was wondering if you ever got sick of the curls and wanted to straighten it? Thanks for taking the time for an AMA.	I've straightened it and I straightened it on the show quite a bit during some seasons, and quite honestly, I don't think I look right with it straightened. And when we would straighten it on the show, my hair would start to break like crazy, and I would have to wear wigs, and you'd be all like "I can't go out there like this! You can't shoot me like this!" and there was nothing else to do but go out looking like that.
Thanks for doing this AMA. Did you pull any pranks while on the set of the Fresh Prince?	I'll have to think on that. BUT I can tell you that there was a situation where Alfonso and I used to carpool every day because we lived down the street from each other, and one day, in between shooting, Will got Alfonso to slap me across the face! MIND YOU, I had slapped him first, but STILL. Will messed with Alfonso's mind, "How you gonna let her do that to you?!" egged him on, and Alfonso finally gave in and slapped me across me the face! Will thought it was hilarious, everyone thought it was hilarious, but I got him back.
	I left that day without telling him, and I was the carpool ride. He went out to the parking lot and no ride home!
How did you cope with the death of Trevor? (my favorite episode!)	Karyn or Hilary? For Karyn: when we came back after the summer and read the first script and saw that Trevor died my first reaction was "OMG! They can't get rid of Brian!" and then I laughed. But I was really saddened that the actor and the character weren't going to be on the show. I'm glad they allowed Hilary to mourn him on the show. But I loved working with Brian, my scenes with him, and watching Hilary and Trevor's relationship develop. That was a hard one to get over.
What was your favorite episode to shoot?	I think it was the blackmailing episode. Because the dinner scene, barking like a dog, was fun, but one of the biggest surprises I got was when I come to Carlton for help and say that Will wants me to wash his "dirty draws" and Carlton turns and says "Will ya do mine?" The audience didn't just laugh, they didn't just clap, they started stomping their feet in the stands. If you watch the episode, you'll see I am trying so hard not to laugh in the stands, because I couldn't believe they hated me so much! We had to wait so long while they were clapping and stomping.
How did you get the role of Hillary?	I auditioned and auditioned and auditioned, for the casting assistant, and casting director, and writers, and Quincy Jones (Which was incredible) and additional producers, and then the network. It was a long process.
Was the success of the show a shock to you?	Yes. We were just having fun, I was not thinking of it in terms of going out into the world. It's a hard thing to realize when you're just in the moment having a good time and rolling around being silly, it's hard to fathom that it's reaching so many people. And they're being affected watching you. So when we started having success, it felt strange. And particularly we had such huge success AFTeR the show went off the air, and that was really odd and surprising.
Looking at your colleagues from Fresh Prince, who was the actor most like their character? How about the one most different?	Will was the most like his character. Alf and I were the least. Alfonso and I were the least like our characters.
Connected, but a little different: do you think it is possible to play a character without bringing anything of your true self into it?	Thank you for saying that, and that is a very insightful comment. Because as much as I like to think I'm not like Hilary, it's true. My dad always teases me that I was able to do that character because she lives in me somewhere. But I still deny that.
What was a typical work week like on set? Did everyone just show up Monday morning, get the new episode script, and memorize it over the next few days until shooting scenes on Thursday or Friday?	You almost have the schedule down pat. We would show up on Mondays, do a table reading where everybody sits around and read the script. Then we would have a couple hours to kill while the writers made adjustments based on what they heard in the reading. Sometimes they would send us home if the script needed too many rewrites, otherwise we would go through the stages and run whatever scripts were in good enough shape. Tuesday and Wednesday we rehearsed onstage. And at the end of those days, we did run-throughs in front of the writers and producers. And then Thursday, sometimes we would pre-shoot (we would do them if we needed them with the cameras, or just more rehearsal and run throughs. Friday we shot the show all day without an audience, and then loaded an audience in the evening, and shot live. And 95% of what was aired was the live, they only went to the other if they ABSOLUTELY needed it. It didn't match apparently, my friend who was the AD on the show, she would be there in the editing room would say that the energy would be entirely different.
finally what is one thing about being a TV star that most people don't know about (could be related to the first two questions)?	And what people don't know? That it's a lot of work, and in TV, we're not improvising, although Will would change lines sometimes. He'd consult with the writers first but we weren't improvising. We're doing the lines that the writers gave us, and I'd say that the laughter is NOT canned it's real. And sometimes it really boosts you and feels really exciting. And then it will burst and go silent, which can be really eerie.
How fresh was the fresh prince? I mean did he smell? I bet he did after that long cab ride.	HAHAHA! Yeah, one big stinky boy.
I guess aerosol paint wasn't such a good substitute for antiperspirant after all.	Haha! I just had to have that explained to me.
Good Morning Mrs. Parsons and welcome to Reddit. I speak for everyone when I thank you for coming to our site to do this. My question for you is this, Having worked on different shows and movies, how do you adjust from working with a wide variety of actors/actresses? For instance, working with the cast of Fresh Prince and more recently with Denis Leary and the folks on The Job. That has to be a huge adjustment. So how does a skilled actress do it?	First off, thank you for your kind words. The Fresh Prince was a truly unique experience. We played house for six years. We were crazy about each other. It was hard to leave. But I'm lucky to say I've had really good experiences with the actors that I've worked with from the Fresh Prince onwards. When you've got good professional people working with you, the experience is going to be a good one. It's been smooth for me.
What was the best moment working with Will Smith?	God, the best moment? Throughout, throughout, it was always great working with him. I think one of the funniest moments that I had on camera with him a lot of people have seen in bloopers, when he was telling me to move on from Trevor, and he kept coming up with different lines about how I was going to end up marrying some guy named Grady who eats soup or something like that and be wearing rhinestone gauchos, he just kept coming up with different lines, and I could not contain myself! I think he was surprising himself too with the lines he was coming up with, they were his, they were all Will that time. Another line he did which I was off camera watching which was one of the biggest laughs I ever had was when he got grounded, and he yelled at Uncle Phil "why don't you just do me like Kunta Kinte and cut off my foot!??!!" THAT was funny. And then there was "Hey Kool-Aid."
Hi Karyn, I'm excited about the film and helped in the kick-starter campaign. From the clips I've seen your kids did a great job. Do either of them want to be in the tv/film business? Caught the acting bug?	Thank you so much for donating! My son seems completely disinterested, he could care less, and he's six. My daughter, however, just did a short film. We're not encouraging her to act right now, we just want her to be a kid, but her attitude has been great. And she is interested in a lot of things, so hopefully she will explore a lot of things. But she loved acting in the movie with her brother and her father, and loved seeing the whole thing come together.
How was it working with Janet Hubert? I remember seeing or reading the past that she wasn't the easiest. Thank you for your AMA.	Though there were difficulties in the third season that many know about, Janet was an awesome actress and incredible to play off of. Always.
Excellent. Thank you for your response. Good grief did I ever have a crush on you while I was in school.	I don't know what to say to that, that's sweet. Thanks!
Hi Karyn! Do you and the rest of the fresh prince cast still get together and hang out from time to time? Also would you ever consider doing another sitcom?	Yes and yes. I see the cast whenever I can. I live in New York now, so I don't get to as often, but Tatyana was here a few weeks ago and we had a great time. We really are a family, so when we see each other we pick up where we left off. We see each other whenever there's a big occasion, and we try to see each other as often as we can. And sure, I'd do another show, if it was right!
Can you give me a rough estimate of how many times someone has approached you and started singing the Fresh Prince theme song? It's the holy grail of TV theme songs, in my opinion.	I probably don't get it half as much as Will does.
Hi Karyn! Can you tell us which role you enjoyed the most?	Hilary. Without a doubt. Loved all the stuff you're not supposed to do and saying all the things you're not supposed to say!
That's awesome! Would you say your Fresh Prince experience was really positive overall?	Without a doubt. It was great.
Awesome, thanks Karyn! Were the writers open to suggestions from the cast about changing lines? Like: this bit or joke isn't working, why don't I say it like this? or, I know my character really well now and this isn't what she would really say? Or, this joke is just dumb, let's not do it? Or was the tone on set more like, actors just do your job and say the lines given to you?	No, the writers were completely 100% open. Our tuesdays after we did our run through, we would go through our script with them and tell them problems, and they listened. They would respect our opinions and our thoughts as the actors.
Finally joined Reddit just so I could post here. I was a huge fan of Fresh Prince growing up -- thank you for your work! I bet others will cover the show, so my questions are about "Little Feet". What do you hope you accomplish with the film, and who is Alexandre Rockwell? Also: If we donate, can we go bungee jumping with you and Trevor? :)	Ohhh! Bungee jumping as a reward would have been a great idea! but seeing as I've been traumatized by bungees that won't happen. HOWEVER, I will do outgoing voicemail messages! I'll even do it as Hilary Banks. And that Alex Rockwell guy is my husband. We want to get the film out to audiences. It's a beautiful film, and it's been incredibly well received at festivals and we want to get it out to audiences.
Hello Karyn. I'm glad you are doing well with exciting and fulfilling new projects. I must admit you were a huge childhood crush of mine. I just wanted to say hi and thank you for entertaining us for so many years! On that note, do you ever watch reruns of Fresh Prince?	Almost never, however my daughter got into watching for the first time last year. And so I saw some pieces of episodes and that was weird.
Did you ever end up with a fool named Grady?	Hahaha! No but I have my rhinestone gauchos on, and a shirt that says JAM!
Yo, I like turtles. Do you like turtles? Also, how's your day going so far?	I have a russian tortoise at home. It's not a turtle, it's a tortoise, but I love turtles too. My day is going great, this is really fun!
Is there a dream role that you would absolutely love to play? Or is there any actor or actress in particular that you really want to work with? PS, I love you and thank you for doing this AMA!	Shoot, I'm never good with these answers. I don't know! I have to think about it, this is a hard one for me. I can think of a lot of actors that I really admire and like to watch. But it's not that exciting for me to think about being in a scene with them, I'd rather watch them. And as far as a part that I'd like to play, I've been asked that a lot and I couldn't have told you that a part like Hilary would be such a fun, great part to play. Even when I first auditioned for her, I didn't put that much into it at first, and then later she would go on to be the most fun for me to play, bar none, and I had written her off as this silly little nothing part initially. So I think we're so surprised by those things.
What do you like to do on your down time?	Down time? Wow, what a concept. Dreaming about it now, and having a drink with my husband sounds really nice. Hanging out with friends sounds great. I like to read. Is that boring? And I don't get a lot of time to do all the reading I would like to do.
Little Feet looks really cool! what's your role in the production and how did you come to be involved?	I gave birth to the babies that star in it. I married the guy that directed it. It's dedicated to me.
Do you still keep in touch with the rest of the cast? Reunion episode???	I never thought that there would be a reunion show, but now that we don't have James, I can pretty much assure you there won't be one.
Oh wow, it's Hilary! I used to watch Fresh Prince all the time, I still think it's one of the best examples of a perfectly paced and executed sitcoms. How did you feel about the finale? If the series went on past the finale, where would the plot have probably gone?	Oooh, good question. And yes, I think that our show runners and director and writers did a tremendous job as well. We were definitely spoiled on a lot of levels. I wasn't crazy about the finale myself, but I don't think I ever watched it all the way through, so maybe I am not being fair. I wasn't really emotionally present when we were doing it, because I was going through the trauma of saying goodbye to the show, so maybe that's why I don't like the finale.
	But where would it have gone? Good question, because soon enough we would have had to see Will and Carlton get into the professional world of their choosing or destiny or however they got there, and that in itself would have been interesting. As far as Hilary, I think she would have started to become a tragic figure, but that's just me.
Hi Karyn! Thanks so much for doing the AMA! I'm a huge Fresh Prince fan and have seen every episode. I have a LOT of questions but I guess, being from Philly, I wanted to know how it was to work with Will? I always imagined all of you having so much fun on the set! Thanks again!	We did. I looked forward to going to work every day. Honestly. And it was very hard to leave behind. It was just a laugh fest. We had deep conversations, we had times we were laughing so hard we couldn't stand it, we were banned from Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles at lunch because we'd come back and we were lethargic, we couldn't move, we would get in giggle fits especially if we had seated scenes. If we had a dinner scene where everyone was seated, immediately everyone would be like "OHHH why'd you write this?" because we couldn't get through them. It was like being in church, we would all start giggling. It might have started because of that first season episode when I got blackmailed and I had to bark like a dog seated at table, that might have set the tone for future seated scenes, because those are like FORGET IT, we couldn't get through them. The directors would get mad at us.
When did you first start to be interested in becoming an actress?	When I was six. I used to watch Jodie Foster a lot. And I wanted to do what she did. And then I checked out some play books from the library and got hooked on doing little plays.
Hi Karyn, I've been a big fan ever since Fresh Prince! How was it working on Major Payne?	Major Payne was a gas. The kids were adorable and Damon was hilarious. And very fun. I think it was very buggy and wet, and I got a bite on my forehead that looked like an egg was coming out of it that freaked everybody out (You'll notice in the movie my bangs change!) But I survived and mostly had fun.
I have heard people say that the writers of "Fresh Prince," were committed to making white people look stupid. It seemed as though every time a white person was on the show, they were arrogant, rich, white snobs. I don't agree but I can see how someone could make that argument. Do you recall any incidents or accusations about this issue?	I don't remember any accusations, but I would say that there may have been a little truth of that for one or two episodes. But since it only lasted one or two episodes, I would have to say it was just about those characters, and I would say that you would also want to look at the fact the writers who wrote those episodes were white themselves.
Hi Karyn, thanks for doing this AMA. After being on The Fresh Prince for 6 seasons, do you think you will ever be part of another TV project that will last for several years again?	Obviously, I couldn't say, but I would insanely lucky to a show run that long. And if I could have a familial relationship develop out of it, that would be even more incredible.
I still love watching the Fresh Prince re-runs. Hilary was definitely a key part of the comedy. Could you fill us in on what happened with Aunt Liv number 1? Why did she disappear? :-o.	Ohhh. There were contract disputes? And that's pretty much it? There were contract disputes.
How often do you do the "Carlton" dance?	Still trying to get it right. We'll have it down by tomorrow this time, now that I've been asked about it twice.
How was working with Denis Leary on The Job?	Great! A really good actor, a whole different brand of comedy and I thought the Job was such a good show! So did the critics, but ABC was in the habit of yanking things early at that time so we didn't get a long enough run I believe. It's a shame.
So is your pronunciation Porsche or Porscha?	There's Portia De Rossi, and then there's the car. The car is Porsche.
How many takes were required for the dance scene in Major Payne?	Oh my god! A LOT. Maybe not that many but it is something that I will remember. We had a lot of fun doing that, it was really silly and really fun. I remember that as though we did it a lot, but we probably didn't.
What do you think the key to achieving happiness is?	I'm not an unhappy person, but if you're talking about contentment, I think that is something I am working on all the time. I think Love is so much of it, and I mean that in love of self, truth, I think that's a huge huge part of it, I think when we can all get to our truth and be honest and true to ourselves and the world and to everyone around us we are almost there. We are pretty much there. That's all there is in truth and honesty and I think if you can truly have that, and truly be that, then you can be happier. If you are honest with yourself and others.
It seems you would have easily been type-cast as a bubble-head dummy. Was it hard to break away from that?	I had quite a few opportunities to play similar parts. But it wasn't that interesting for me.
Hi Kayrn! Starting out in Hollywood can be challenging and many aspiring artists don't have alot of money. Even so, do you think young actors/actresses should sign up for health insurance? Thanks!	That's a good question. Are you talking about union actors? If you are talking about union, I want to say yes, but I don't know enough about the coverage to answer that properly really.
How come he don't want me man :(	That's so sad!!! That episode makes me cry to this day.
	I remember when he had to do that scene, he spoke to me about it ahead of time, and he particularly spoke with James Avery (aka Uncle Phil) who gave him advice on how to approach the scene. And whatever he said, and acting with James, as you can see from the performance was invaluable.
That was the best performance I have seen Will do. I get shivers every time i see or even think about that scene. He nailed that performance.	I just got chills when it was brought up ! Me too.

Last updated: 2014-04-07 15:32 UTC
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