Michael Schulman
Michael Schulman, a staff writer, has contributed to The New Yorker since 2006, writing primarily about arts and culture. His Profile subjects have included the comedian Bo Burnham, the talk-show host Wendy Williams, and the actors Adam Driver, Elisabeth Moss, and Jeremy Strong. He has written more than a hundred Talk of the Town pieces and contributed long-form interviews with such subjects as Linda Ronstadt, Robert De Niro, Fran Lebowitz, Anthony Hopkins, and Mel Brooks. He is the author of “Her Again: Becoming Meryl Streep,” a Times best-seller. His most recent book is “Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears.”
The Unscripted 2023 Tony Awards
It was a big night for the off-kilter appeal of “Kimberly Akimbo,” the nonbinary winners Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee, and try-hard musical-theatre-kid energy.
The Coens, the Safdies, Bo Burnham, and Wes Anderson Share a Muse
Jake Ryan, who, at nineteen, is already an indie-film veteran, looks like Jason Schwartzman’s mini-me and plays his son in Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed Hollywood
Robert Redford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Rudd, and Angela Bassett now disappear into movies whose plots can come down to “Keep glowy thing away from bad guy.”
Farewell, Kendall Roy
In a role that forms the emotional center of “Succession,” the actor Jeremy Strong never lost sight of Kendall’s undertow of pain.
Should Actors Be Paid for Auditions?
The streaming era has placed new burdens on actors to tape themselves, and an oft-forgotten clause in the SAG contract states that actors should be compensated for this work.
Singing a Legendary King of England (Not Charles)
The stars of Aaron Sorkin’s new “Camelot” comb the Cloisters for traces of King Arthur, who may or may not have existed.
Why Are TV Writers So Miserable?
On the cusp of a potential strike, writers explain why no one is having much fun making television anymore.
“The Phantom of the Opera” Takes a Final Bow
Vinson Cunningham, Helen Shaw, and Michael Schulman revisit Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-musical.
Brooke Shields Never Knew Normal
The star, who’s been a lightning rod for attention since she was a child, on how she has survived controversy and life in the public eye.
An Oscar-Night Diary: Hollywood Enjoys the Chaos-Free Vibes
The feeling in the room was one of cozy normality; it was “the Joe Biden of Oscars.”
How “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Became This Year’s Oscar Unicorn
The movie has taken an unusual route to a potential awards-night sweep.
Spring Theatre Preview
Adrienne Warren stars in “Room,” Rachel Chavkin directs the satire “The Thanksgiving Play,” accident-prone Brits put on “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” and more.
The Undeniable Royalty of Angela Bassett
The actress talks about her student days at Yale, embodying Tina Turner, her Oscar nomination for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and her funny side.
A Museum Soup-Thrower’s Worst Nightmare
Patrick Bringley, who spent a decade as a guard at the Met, tours his old workplace and considers the people between the Picasso and a fistful of mashed potatoes.
What Became of the Oscar Streaker?
After Robert Opel dashed naked across the stage in 1974, he ran for President and settled into the gay leather scene, in the orbit of Robert Mapplethorpe and Harvey Milk.
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The Best Actress Race at the Oscars Is Crowded, Unpredictable, and Weird
Andrea Riseborough came out of nowhere to earn a nomination, whereas Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett appear to be the front-runners.
The Seedy Glamour of Nineteen-Seventies Hollywood
Ave Pildas set up his camera on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, capturing a now vanished world of tourists and drifters and junkies and aspiring starlets.
Todd Field’s Long Road to “Tár”
The writer-director returns to the big screen after a sixteen-year absence. Plus: how Lydia Tár (maybe) earned her EGOT.
The Golden Globes Find an Exit from Their Self-Made Mess
Jerrod Carmichael gave the evening a tinge of danger, while Jennifer Coolidge, Quinta Brunson, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh, and other assembled stars contributed to the fizz and fun.
The Unscripted 2023 Tony Awards
It was a big night for the off-kilter appeal of “Kimberly Akimbo,” the nonbinary winners Alex Newell and J. Harrison Ghee, and try-hard musical-theatre-kid energy.
The Coens, the Safdies, Bo Burnham, and Wes Anderson Share a Muse
Jake Ryan, who, at nineteen, is already an indie-film veteran, looks like Jason Schwartzman’s mini-me and plays his son in Anderson’s “Asteroid City.”
How the Marvel Cinematic Universe Swallowed Hollywood
Robert Redford, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Rudd, and Angela Bassett now disappear into movies whose plots can come down to “Keep glowy thing away from bad guy.”
Farewell, Kendall Roy
In a role that forms the emotional center of “Succession,” the actor Jeremy Strong never lost sight of Kendall’s undertow of pain.
Should Actors Be Paid for Auditions?
The streaming era has placed new burdens on actors to tape themselves, and an oft-forgotten clause in the SAG contract states that actors should be compensated for this work.
Singing a Legendary King of England (Not Charles)
The stars of Aaron Sorkin’s new “Camelot” comb the Cloisters for traces of King Arthur, who may or may not have existed.
Why Are TV Writers So Miserable?
On the cusp of a potential strike, writers explain why no one is having much fun making television anymore.
“The Phantom of the Opera” Takes a Final Bow
Vinson Cunningham, Helen Shaw, and Michael Schulman revisit Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-musical.
Brooke Shields Never Knew Normal
The star, who’s been a lightning rod for attention since she was a child, on how she has survived controversy and life in the public eye.
An Oscar-Night Diary: Hollywood Enjoys the Chaos-Free Vibes
The feeling in the room was one of cozy normality; it was “the Joe Biden of Oscars.”
How “Everything Everywhere All at Once” Became This Year’s Oscar Unicorn
The movie has taken an unusual route to a potential awards-night sweep.
Spring Theatre Preview
Adrienne Warren stars in “Room,” Rachel Chavkin directs the satire “The Thanksgiving Play,” accident-prone Brits put on “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” and more.
The Undeniable Royalty of Angela Bassett
The actress talks about her student days at Yale, embodying Tina Turner, her Oscar nomination for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and her funny side.
A Museum Soup-Thrower’s Worst Nightmare
Patrick Bringley, who spent a decade as a guard at the Met, tours his old workplace and considers the people between the Picasso and a fistful of mashed potatoes.
What Became of the Oscar Streaker?
After Robert Opel dashed naked across the stage in 1974, he ran for President and settled into the gay leather scene, in the orbit of Robert Mapplethorpe and Harvey Milk.
The Best Actress Race at the Oscars Is Crowded, Unpredictable, and Weird
Andrea Riseborough came out of nowhere to earn a nomination, whereas Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett appear to be the front-runners.
The Seedy Glamour of Nineteen-Seventies Hollywood
Ave Pildas set up his camera on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, capturing a now vanished world of tourists and drifters and junkies and aspiring starlets.
Todd Field’s Long Road to “Tár”
The writer-director returns to the big screen after a sixteen-year absence. Plus: how Lydia Tár (maybe) earned her EGOT.
The Golden Globes Find an Exit from Their Self-Made Mess
Jerrod Carmichael gave the evening a tinge of danger, while Jennifer Coolidge, Quinta Brunson, Steven Spielberg, Michelle Yeoh, and other assembled stars contributed to the fizz and fun.