If any of you have ever watched Inside The Actors Studio you'll be familiar with this. Often called the Proust or Pivot Questionnaire* these 10 questions are a fun little exercise in glimpsing at someone's personality. Although they're typically given at the end of a long, in depth and well prepared interview in front of an audience of acting students, I got a kick out of them and have been asking them to most everyone the last few days...
The Questions:- What is your favorite word?
- What is your least favorite word?
- What turns you on, creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
- What turns you off, creatively, spiritually or emotionally ?
- What sound or noise do you love?
- What sound or noise do you hate?
- What is your favorite curse word?
- What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
- What profession would you not like to do?
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
*These 10 questions are not actually the Proust or Pivot Questionnaire but a simplified and distilled version based on the concept of using the Proust Questionnaire, which was first done by 1970's French TV host Bernard Pivot in his show Apostrophes. The real Proust Questionnaire stems from the late 1800's and is much more detailed, much longer and is a neat little story in and of itself.
These are 10 interesting questions and often provide great insight into a person's life (and particularly their current state). The best part is there's no rules. No right or wrong response. Whatever you want to say (or not say) is part of the whole process. You can think about them or just answer the first thing that comes to mind. It doesn't really matter- because either way your answers are your answers. You can keep it simple or elaborate. You can have fun or be serious. You can answer however you want.
My answers:
- What is your favorite word? Connection (with persnickety or bamboozled a close second)
- What is your least favorite word? Pessimistic
- What turns you on, creatively, spiritually or emotionally ? Play
- What turns you off, creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Cigarettes
- What sound or noise do you love? My son's laugh (although the sound of a fan is right up there)
- What sound or noise do you hate? The sound my wife makes when she's stressed
- What is your favorite curse word? Don't curse really but would be a tie between "son of a" and "flipper!"
- What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Movie maker
- What profession would you not like to do? Telemarketing
- If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? You did well. Come on in though because the work isn't over and we gotta lot work left to do.
My answers would have been different a couple years ago and will probably be a bit different a year from now.
What are your answers? Feel free to share- I'd love to get a glimpse into your world.
Thanks for reading, have a great day!
P.S. Here's a few actors going through the questions.
Here's the Inside The Actors Studio website.
Matthew McConaughey Interview
The questions that led to what is known as the Proust Questionnaire:
- ^ Carter, William C., and Henry-Jean Servat. 2005. The Proust questionnaire. New York: Assouline.
Categories: Health & Wellness, Perspective, Things That Interest Me | Tags: actors questions, fun, inside the actors studio, personality, personality questionnaire, proust, proust questionnaire, questions | Permalink.
