Day: September 10, 2019

Raul Julia’s life was a passionate party

Raul Julia reached New York in 1964, a time when people made easy assumptions.
He was an actor from Puerto Rico; surely, that meant lots of street-smart roles. One talk-show host said she’d heard he didn’t speak English when he got there.
“Of course he spoke English,” theater director Oskar Eustis said. “He spoke beautiful English.”
Julia (shown here) – the subject of a PBS profile Friday — grew up around English-speaking teachers. He was college-educated, Shakespeare-trained. “He was very well-educated …. Latinos don’t (only) come under stressful conditions,” actor Esai Morales said. “We are not always struggling to survive.” Read more…

Best-bets for Sept. 12: Fictional hit man, real politics

1) “Mr. Inbetween” season-opener, 10 p.m., FX, rerunning at 11. Ray is your average bloke — a caring father, a friend who will help you hide your porn or dispose of a body. He’s also a skilled hit man, which is important tonight (shown here), when he’s asked to check up on two less-skilled guys. There’s a droll feeling here that makes the show fun even when nothing happens; then … well, something happens. That’s followed by a rerun that reminds us to always check the trunk before stealing a car. Read more…