INCLUDING TWO FOR BEST ACTRESS
AND FOUR TONY NOMINATIONS LAURA
LINNEY MOVED SMOOTHLY THROUGH
HOLLYWOOD.
LINNEY IS STARRING IN A AN
INTENSE MOVIE CALLED "THE
DINNER."
LAURA HAS A REPUTATION FOR BEING
ONE OF THE MOST HUMBLE AND
CHARMING ACTORS IN SNOW
BUSINESS.
AND SHE PROVED WHEN SHE AND I
GOT TOGETHER IN DON MARINO IN
NEW YORK'S THEATER DISTRICT FOR
A "SUNDAY SITDOWN."
>> A MAN WHO OPENS A DOOR.
>> LAURA LINNEY, THE DAUGHTER OF
A NEW YORK PLAYWRIGHT
PRACTICALLY DREW UP ON STAGE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN SHE'S
ALWAYS COMFORTABLE THERE.
I READ THAT YOU ACTUALLY STILL
GET STAGE FRIGHT.
>> OH, SURE.
>> IS THAT TRUE?
>> OH, YEAH.
THE CURTAIN CALL.
THE ONLY WAY TO DO A CURTAIN
CALL AND FEEL COMFORTABLE, THIS
IS HOW I MADE IT WORK FOR ME.
FOR ME, I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU.
IT'S A BOW TO SAY THANK YOU.
LINNEY'S MOTHER WAS A NURSE AND
FATHER WAS A WRITER OF PLAYS WHO
OFTEN COULD BE SEEN TOTING HIS
CURIOUS DAUGHTER INTO THEATERS.
WERE YOU AT SHOWS ALL THE TIME?
>> I WOULD TAG ALONG WHEN I CAN.
SOMETIMES, IT WAS APPROPRIATE
FOR ME TO BE THERE, SOMETIMES,
IT WASN'T.
WHEN YOU'RE LITTLE AND YOU'RE
WATCHING ADULTS UNDERSTA S UNDER STRESS IT
MAKES AN IMPRESSION.
>> SEEMINGLY DESTINED TO BE AN
ACTRESS.
LINNEY STUDIED AT THE JUILLIARD
SCHOOL IN NEW YORK.
>> THERE WAS NEVER A HAPPIER
UNDERSTUDY THAN ME.
A BUNCH OF OLD JADED
UNDERSTUDIES.
I WOULD SHOW UP EVERY DAY.
IT WAS THE PERFECT FIRST JOB FOR
ME.
>> SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION.
>> TO WATCH STOCKARD CHANG
DEVELOP THAT CHARACTER WAS JUST
A LIFE LESSON.
>> LIVING OUTSIDE HER DREAM ON
STAGE, LINNEY HAD NEVER THOUGHT
OF HERSELF AS A SCREEN ACTOR BUT
SOMEONE HAD.
AT WHAT POINT DID YOU DECIDE I'M
OFF THE THEATER BUT I'M GOING TO
TRY SCREEN.
>> I DIDN'T.
I HAD A REALLY GOOD AGENT HE WAS
START ENOUGH TO SUSS ME OUT
ASTUTELY AND REALIZED.
SHE SENT ME OUT FOR TINY LITTLE
PARTS.
AND I COULD BE SORT OF LIKE,
OKAY, MAYBE THIS ISN'T SO BAD.
>> THOSE TINY PARTS SOON TURNED
INTO BIGGER ONES LIKE A ROLE AS
CLINT EASTWOOD'S DAUGHTER IN
"ABSOLUTE POWER."
>> AM I GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT?
>> YEAH, WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE
FINE.
>> YOUR LONG LIST OF CREDITS WHO
YOU'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
WORK WITH, I IMAGINE CLINT
EASTWOOD WAS A GREAT THRILL.
>> I LOVED HIM.
HE REALLY TAUGHT ME HOW TO RELAX
IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA WHICH IS
A HUGE INVALUABLE LESSON.
HE FEELS LIKE MY FILM FATHER.
>> THE NEXT YEAR, SHE BROKE
THROUGH PLAYING OPPOSITE JIM
CARREY.
SHE'S BEEN NOMINATED FOR YOU CAN
COUNT ON ME AND THE SAVAGES.
LINNEY HAS FOUND SUCCESS ON TV
AS WELL.
EARNING AN EMMY WAS FRAZIER'S
GIRLFRIEND.
>> IT STARTS AT 2:00 -- IT'S
ONLY -- OH, DEAR GOD!
>> AND ANOTHER FOR HER PORTRAYAL
OF ABIGAIL ADAMS IN THE LANDMARK
HBO SERIES" JOHN ADAMS.
>> I REALIZE THIS IS
EMBARRASSING I'M A WELL EDUCATED
PERSON.
>> A LOT OF PERSON LEARNED FROM
THAT SERIES.
>> I KNOW.
>> LINNEY WON FANS AND ANOTHER
EMMY FOR HER LEADING ROLE ON THE
SHOW.
THE ONE SHE WAS ASKED ABOUT THE
MOST IS SARAH FROM THE BELOVED
2003 FILM "LOVE ACTUALLY."
>> OKAY.
THAT'S DONE.
>> AND THE CAST IS GETTING BACK
TOGETHER LATER THIS MONTH FOR A
REUNION SEQUEL.
>> CAN YOU BELIEVE THE WAY THAT
MOVIE HAS ENDURED THROUGH THE
YEARS?
>> WELL, I THINK THE REASON IT'S
SO IRRESISTIBLE IS THAT THERE'S
A GENUINE KINDNESS AND SWEET
TO
NESS TO THAT FILM THAT NORMALLY
IS DISMISSED.
>> YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL.
>> EVERYONE THAT I TALKED TO
BEFORE I CAME OUT, YOU'VE GOT TO
ASK HER ABOUT THAT AGAIN.
DID YOU GET TO SEE EVERYBODY
AGAIN?
>> I DIDN'T.
NO, THEY JUST FILMED ME.
MORE OF THAT, I'M NOT OF LIBERTY
TO SAY.
>> OH, I NEED SOMETHING.
>> I'M NOT AT LIBERTY TO
DISCUSS.
BUT YOU DO FIND OUT?
>> YOU DO?
>> QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS THAT
PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE.
>> IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
>> MEANWHILE, LINNEY STARS WITH
RICHARD GERE IN A THRILLER
CALLED "THE DINNER" AND WITH
JASON BATEMAN IN THE UPCOMING
NETFLIX SERIES OZARKS.
MEANWHILE, IT'S BACK TO NEW YORK
WHERE THE 53-YEAR-OLD LIVES WITH
HER HUSBAND AND THREE SONS.
>> DO YOU EVER GET OUT TO SEE A
SHOW?
>> WELL, IT'S THE BIG
FRUSTRATION WHEN YOU'RE DOING A
PLAY THAT'S DOING WELL, YOU
CAN'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE
EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME
SCHEDULING.
>> LINNEY IS NOMINATED FOR A
TONY AWARD FOR HER PERFORMANCE
IN THE LITTLE FOXES.
A PLAY WHERE SHE AND CYNTHIA
NIXON FROM SEX AND THE CITY FAME
SWITCH ROLES.
>> SO THE IDEA OF SWITCHING
THESE ROLES EVERY NIGHT BETWEEN
YOU AND CYNTHIA, I'M TOLD WAS
YOUR IDEA INITIALINGLY?
>> IT WAS MY IDEA.
>> WHY DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT
IDEA?
>> I THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE IT
MORE INTERESTING.
>> I WANTED FOR A VARIETY OF
REASONS, A, I WOULD GET TO PLAY
BIRD EI
REASONS, A, I WOULD GET TO PLAY
BIRD EE WHICH IS THE PART I HAD
AN AFFINITY TO PLAY.
AND B, BECAUSE WOMEN HAD NEVER
DONE THIS ON BROADWAY BEFORE.
I THOUGHT GOOD I CAN BE BAD NOT
JUST IN ONE PART BUT TWO.
>> SHE'S SO GREAT.
THE LITTLE FOXES IS ON BROADWAY
NOW.
AND HER MOVIE "THE DINNER" IS IN
THEATERS.
THAT 15-MINUTE SEQUEL TO "LOVE
ACTUALLY" WILL AIR THIS THURSDAY
NIGHT DURING THE RED NOSE
SCHEDULE.
>> CHECK OUT OUR WEB EXTRAS AT
TODAY.COM/SUNDAY.
DYLAN'S BACK WITH ANOTHER LOOK
AT THE WEATHER.
HEY, DYLAN.
>> HEY, WILLIE.
WE'RE GOING TO SEE WET WEATHER