UNITED KINGDOM: DALLAS STAR LINDA GRAY JOINS THE CAST OF "THE GRADUATE" AS MRS ROBINSON

Record ID: 391938

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: DALLAS STAR LINDA GRAY JOINS THE CAST OF "THE GRADUATE" AS MRS ROBINSON
  • Date: 10th October 2001
  • Summary: SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) LINDA GRAY SAYING: "Anything special, it's beyond special. It's yes, it's one of those fantasies. Every time I come to London of course like everyone else you go to theatre and to think that I was invited to come is such an honour, I'm so looking forward to it.'
  • Embargoed: 25th October 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8C65PPRM1MEGCHAL8C2ZYDTHT
  • Story Text: Jerry Hall, Kathleen Turner, Amanda Donhoe and Anne Archer have all had the opportunity to play her, now Dallas star, Linda Gray has made her West End stage debut as the latest incarnation of Mrs Robinson, in 'The Graduate'.
    American actress Linda Gray, is known throughout the world for her portrayal of 'Sue Ellen' in the hit television series, 'Dallas' in which she starred alongside Larry Hagman (J.R.) and Patrick Duffy (Bobby Ewing).
    But the former 'Dallas' star, who has passed her landmark 60th birthday has recently taken up the most challenging stage role of her entire career, she said, by making her West End debut in Terry Johnson's stage adaptation of 'The Graduate'.
    Appearing at the Gielgud Theatre on London's theatreland, audiences are once again being treated to that most infamous of scenes from 'The Graduate' - the nude scene - when Mrs Robinson let's her towel slip as she tries to seduce the much younger Benjamin.
    Talking of the strip scene, Gray revealed what she thought of the that part of the performance.
    'I think the entire audience should come nude. I think that's what I'd like them to do. Drop your clothes at the coat check. I think you should take everything off, come in here and then the nude scene wouldn't be such a big deal. Everyone would be terrified about their own little body situations.
    Did you go to the gym before you went to the play? MMMHHM? Go to the gym before, there should be a treadmill in the audience I think we'll sort of revamp this whole thing. It isn't something I'm dwelling on, yes I'm nervous and all those other things it's not something I'm looking forward to but we get beyond it somehow.' 'I think so that's the way I'm looking at it because I would never voluntarily say 'oh here, I want to do the nude scene' or do Playboy, it's never entered my mind, I've never done anything like that and my children were quite surprised it was like 'mother, you're going to take your clothes off?' it was like mother you're going to take your clothes off it was like that and I thought 'oh my gosh, I'd never thought about my children and what they would think' so I said 'yes'.
    So I think my children are kind of shocked and surprised and appalled and think I'm probably going through some kind of mid-age crisis or something. I don't know I just sort of left, 'goodbye' I'm going on the plane now so it's kind of one of those things, I'll deal with it as it comes,' Gray told Reuters.
    A comedy by Terry Johnson, 'The Graduate is an adaptation from the original novel by Charles Webb. The film version starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft received seven Oscar nominations when it was released.
    Since it opened in April 2000 starring Kathleen Turner, 'The Graduate' has broken all box office records at the celebrated Gielgud Theatre. It opened with the highest advance for a play in the history of the West End and has taken over
    5 million pounds sterling at the box office since.
    Productions of the 'The Graduate' are currently planned in 20 countries over the next two years.
    Linda Gray will be performing in 'The Graduate' until February 2 2002.
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