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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
David Smith in Washington

David Strathairn: ‘Authoritarianism is a very frightening concept when it comes to the arts’

David Strathairn in A Little Prayer
David Strathairn in A Little Prayer. Photograph: Music Box Films

When George Clooney brought Good Night, and Good Luck to the stage earlier this year, it set a record for the highest-grossing play in Broadway history. Clooney, making his Broadway debut, was nominated for a Tony award for his portrayal of Edward R Murrow, a giant of broadcast journalism.

But for diehard fans of the original 2005 film of the same name, which was made in response to US involvement in the Iraq war, something was missing. In that version, Murrow was played by David Strathairn, one of the US’s most perceptive, subtle and compelling character actors. Why did he not reprise the role on stage?

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