Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Season 2

Kerry Washington ("Scandal") in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

Mindy Kaling (star and executive producer of “The Mindy Project”) began her writing career as an intern on Conan O’Brien’s talk show. When they reunited in Variety’s Actors on Actors studio, they quickly segued into a revealing conversation about pleasing their parents. Or not.

If there’s one thing Matt LeBlanc and Jesse Tyler Ferguson know, it’s how to make audiences laugh. During their one-on-one conversation at Variety’s Actors on Actors studio, the stars of Showtime’s “Episodes” and ABC’s “Modern Family” discussed how they keep their roles fresh after a long run of several successful seasons. And, of course, crack each other up in the process.

Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Honorable Woman”) and Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”) teamed up in Variety‘s Actors on Actors studio. The two talented thespians — who have also worked on film and the stage — talked about the unique challenges of working in television.

It may be a cliche, but blondes Jessica Lange and Taylor Schilling did have plenty of fun when they sat down for a conversation at Variety’s Actors on Actors studio. The stars of “American Horror Story: Freak Show” and “Orange Is the New Black” discovered they’ve got more in common than just their hair color. Here, they reveal what they’ve learned about their craft, and how best to perform it — whether on screen, on stage, or on location in Ireland.

Though one’s now starring in a drama, the other in a comedy, Lizzy Caplan (“Masters of Sex”) and Allison Janney (“Mom”) have both famously spent time in the other category — and agree that the lines are now getting blurred. Their back-and-forth banter at Variety’s “Actors on Actors” studio proved the point, as the actresses chatted about the thrill of doing theater, and the emotional toll of getting into character.

Josh Gad ("The Comedians") and Justin Theroux ("The Leftovers:) talk about what drew them to their parts on television and their influences.

Uzo Aduba ("Orange is the New Black") and Gina Rodriguez ("Jane the Virgin") discuss working with their show’s creators and the balance between comedy and drama in their respective shows.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep") and Jeffrey Tambor ("Transparent") talk about their long and varied careers and what keeps them at the top of their game.

Jamie Dornan ("The Fall") and Michael Kelly ("House of Cards:) discuss how they get into character and the pratfalls of playing dark characters.

Don Cheadle ("House of Lies") and Claire Danes ("Homeland") talk about how they keep it fresh even after multiple seasons of their television shows and what makes cable "the place to be".

Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”) reveals that she was written as a guest star in the pilot of “E.R.,” while Clive Owen (“The Knick”) talks about his break with the independent film “Croupier.”

Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder") and Jane Fonda ("Grace and Frankie") talk about their process, fighting for roles, and playing complex women in television.

Bob Odenkirk ("Better Call Saul") and Michael Sheen ("Masters of Sex") discuss working in both comedy and drama. Bob Odenkirk tells Michael Sheen that he knew nothing about his character, Saul, before taking the job on Breaking Bad and discusses how the character grew in the series.

Taraji P. Henson ("Empire") with Queen Latifah ("Bessie") talk about staying in character and the break-neck speed of filming television.