Lipton in a promotional with tennis star Roger Federer

A poet. A leader. A producer. A director. An actor. A screenwriter. A novelist. His CV would flash all these identities and many more, but it is as the host of Inside The Actor?s Studio that 125 countries of the world have known and loved James Lipton. A young man of 80, he spoke to The Telegraph just days before his show debuts in India on Sony?s English movie channel PIX.

?Twelve years ago I decided to start a craft seminar for the students of my Actor?s Studio Drama School,? recalled Lipton, who?s been a founder of degree programmes in film-making in many institutions. ?The basic premise was that through the interview with actors, directors and technicians, the students could look ahead and understand what was in store for them in the industry. So, these guests would come and not only talk to me but interact with the students. Now, Bravo Networks said, ?We are shooting this.? At that time I didn?t know that I would end up doing more than 5,000 interviews and reaching so many homes.?

Those interviews have included everyone from Dustin Hoffman and Paul Newman to Johnny Depp and Kevin Spacey. The 47 PIX episodes will include stars like Will Smith, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Charlize Theron, Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Al Pacino. ?My criterion for choosing the guests on the show is very simple ? he or she must have something to teach my students,? said Lipton, who is also the writer and executive producer of the show. ?So some of the best episodes have been those featuring Barbara Streisand, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Robert De Niro. These people do not need special teaching abilities; a simple recount of their experiences, successes and failures means so much.?

But when it started out, Lipton wasn?t sure Inside The Actor?s Studio was going to work. ?Interviews usually happen in Hollywood coinciding with a movie promotion,? he explained. ?Stars would come out with these seven-minute pieces talking about their new releases. The likes of Jay Leno and David Letterman will do these interviews. Now, our show only talked about the craft that goes into movie making. There was not even any gossip on the show. So we felt that such dry content would limit audiences. Of course we were wrong. I am not saying that this interview show is better than the others but the meaningful moments that had shaped the lives of stars mean a lot to the audiences.? And to critics too, with Inside The Actor?s Studio winning 11 back-to-back Emmy nominations. ?It?s really enormous, even outside the US,? said Lipton. ?In France, people jump out of their cars to talk to me about the show. It?s a rage in places like Japan, Russia and Germany. In Greece and Finland, they watch it with subtitles because they do not want to lose out on the voices of their favourite stars.?

Lipton feels that the series will be big in India too. ?It is a great motion picture capital of the world and although I am not promising or claiming anything, I believe the Indian public will find the show very educative and entertaining.?

Having done everything from writing musicals to producing movies, Lipton now finds his job as interviewer the most fulfilling. ?I had never anticipated that Inside The Actor?s Studio will become such an enormous part of my life,? he said somewhat emotionally.

?I am even writing a book called Inside Inside, the story of my remarkable last 12 years. In this period I have worked on the show for 14 hours a day, seven days a week taking only two days off in the whole year.?

And what have been the tricks of his trade? ?I do not consider myself better than any other interviewer,? was the modest reply. ?But I have discovered the key lies in listening. When you keep listening to your guest, you get your next question.?

Just before hanging up, Lipton almost whispered, the excitement oozing in his voice: ?At one of the Guild meetings recently, Al (Pacino) was so excited when I told him we are now coming to India.?