I finished Lee Grant’s incredible autobiography I Said Yes To Everything right before sitting down with her and that was a huge mistake, only because it was frustrating to have such a limited time with the legendary actress after reading her extraordinary story. Consider this episode a tiny drop in the ocean of this astounding life. She was nominated for an Oscar for her first screen role in William Wyler’s Detective Story and then was blacklisted by HUAC for 12 long, painful years. She rebuilt her career with roles in Peyton Place, In The Heat Of The Night, and Shampoo (which earned her an Academy Award), then had a second career as a successful director (she was the first woman to win a DGA award). She talks about Lee Strasberg vs. Sanford Meisner, mentions an amazing bit of direction from Mike Nichols, and paints a vivid picture of the incident that ended her stage career. If this episode sends you running out to buy her book, I would be very happy.

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