ASJA Writers Conference: Secrets of Interviewing Famous People

ASJA PANEL • Saturday, May 2, 2015 • 2:00–3:30PM

Editors love to get exclusive interviews with top people in the field their publication covers. Writers who can deliver interesting Q&As or profiles continue to get assignments. The challenge is that the bigger the name, the harder it is to get to the celebrity/leader. The panel will explain how to get assignments to cover the famous, convince their gatekeepers to give you access, get fascinating answers, and write a sizzling profile.

SCOTT S. SMITH, ASJA
Scott S. Smith has had been published 1,300 times in 175 media, including interviews with high-achievers such as Bill Gates, Stan Lee, Meg Whitman, Quincy Jones, Kathy Ireland, Lee Iacocca, and Dean Koontz. His Extraordinary People: Real Life Lessons on What It Takes to Achieve Success was published in 2014.

DORRI OLDS, ASJA
Dorri OldsDorri Olds writes movie reviews and interviews celebrities for many outlets, including The Forward and TheBlot Magazine. Her Q&As have been with such notables as Steven Spielberg, Susan Sarandon, Julianne Moore, Angela Bassett, Daniel Radcliffe, Ryan Gosling, Patrick Stewart, James Franco, Evan Rachel Wood, and Kirsten Dunst. She has also been published in The New York Times.

BEVERLY GRAY, BOARD MEMBER, ASJA

Beverly Gray writes the popular showbiz blog “Beverly in Movieland” and has written extensively on theater for The Los Angeles Times and on movies for The Hollywood Reporter. Among her many interviewees have been Gwyneth Paltrow, George Cukor, Charlton Heston, and Beau Bridges. Her books include Roger Corman: Blood-Sucking Vampires, Flesh-Eating Cockroaches, and Driller Killers and Ron Howard: From Mayberry to the Moon…and Beyond.