What's your Actor's IQ? Part Two

It's our mission at the Andi Matheny Acting Studios to create not only well-trained, set-ready actors, but smart actors who know as much as possible about the acting business. That means knowing as many different TV and film genres as possible; staying current on Emmy and other acting award-winners; understanding the difference in acting tone between, say, a police procedural and an apocalyptic series. If you missed the quiz, you can find it here.

Ready to compare answers? Actually, there are no absolute answers, but if you were stumped by any of the questions, you can get an idea of what you might be missing in your knowledge base. Leave a comment if you agree, want to argue, have a question, or have suggestions for a future quiz!

PART ONE

Name at least one of the following without using a web search. Underline the shows for which you've actually watched one entire episode:

Disney or Nickelodeon show: Zoey 101 (I had a Guest Star role in 2007!)

Classic sitcom (live studio audience pre-1990): I Love Lucy

Sitcom (live studio audience post-1990): The Big Bang Theory

Sketch comedy series: Saturday Night Live

Medical procedural series: The Pitt

Legal procedural series: Law & Order (the OG 1990!)

Police procedural series: The Closer

Family drama series: This Is Us

Political drama series: House of Cards

Spy/espionage drama series: Homeland

Crime drama series (featuring criminals as main characters): The Sopranos

Post-apocalyptic (event or condition that radically changed life on Earth) series: The Last of Us

Sci-fi series: Severance

Dramedy: Gilmore Girls

Night time soap (drama): Dynasty

Historical drama: Death by Lightning

Foreign series: The Bridge (Bron/Broen)

Name at least one show that doesn't fit in the above categories: Better Call Saul

PART TWO

Answer the following (you can use a web search):

Who were the main acting category winners at the recent Emmys? Go ahead and look them up. How many performances did you watch? Almost all of them. In your opinion, why did they win? I'll just talk about Noah Wyle. He's seamless as Dr. Robby –makes you believe he's dedicated his life to medicine AND brings so much humanity to his work.

Name the most common types of roles/characters on a medical procedural series: Doctors (attending physicians in all branches of medicine), surgeons, nurses, interns, patients, friends and loved ones of the patients, hospital admin, EMTs, social workers

Name the most common types of roles/characters on a police procedural series: Detectives, beat cops, desk sergeant, rookie cops, witnesses, friends and loved ones of the victim, suspect, medical examiners, experts/crime consultants, informants

What is the acting tone of most police procedural series? For the police side –very realistic, grounded, non-showy, professionals doing their job. For the friends and family –may require more personalization and emotional connection. For experts, consultants, informants, etc. –Mode of Being, i.e. observing types of professional and socio-economic characteristics and behavior

What is your favorite Seinfeld episode? (You must watch the entire half-hour) The Chinese Woman

What are the tonal differences between a single-camera comedy and a sitcom performed in front of a live audience? Sitcoms performed in front of a live audience are higher energy, tend to be written with punchlines in every other line of dialogue, and get audience laughter feedback during taping. Single-camera comedy is shot on location and tends to be more subtle and character-driven rather than jokey.

What is your favorite character on a show you're currently watching, and what is it about them that appeals to you? Besides Dr. Robby on The Pitt, I love Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) on Slow Horses. He's grounded, loose, profane and hilarious.

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What past or current show could you see yourself cast in? Why? The Pitt! I'd love the opportunity to act in a show that demands such reality of its actors. Cast me!

Name the shows that inspired you and made you decide to become an actor. What was inspirational about them? The first show that inspired me to be an actor was I Love Lucy. I wanted to be funny like her.