
Still Here Hollywood· Folge 158
Alfred Molina "Spiderman" / "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
Montag, 24. August 2026 · 1 h 05
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Shownotes
From Raiders of the Lost Ark to Spider-Man 2, Boogie Nights, Frida and Broadway, Alfred Molina has built one of Hollywood's most extraordinary and versatile careers.
In this revealing conversation with Steve Kmetko, Molina looks back at making his movie debut for Steven Spielberg, and admits he was so inexperienced he didn't even understand the marks on the floor. He shares the story behind becoming Doctor Octopus, explains how Doc Ock's famous mechanical arms really worked, and reveals the nickname he and the puppeteers gave themselves.
Molina also takes us behind the scenes of Boogie Nights, including the line he improvised that Paul Thomas Anderson kept in the film, and talks about Salma Hayek's extraordinary fight to get Frida made with the cast she wanted.
Then the conversation gets personal. Molina discusses the times he considered giving up acting, being told he wasn't leading-man material, therapy, his unusual theory about what drives actors, his feelings about awards and the role he'd still love to play.
After five decades on stage and screen, Alfred Molina is very much still here.
Alfred Molina: Still Here Hollywood
His First Movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark
Alfred Molina Was Completely New to Filmmaking
Why Spielberg Told Him to Stop Watching Dailies
Why Raiders Changed Adventure Movies
Auditioning for Steven Spielberg
Learning From Hollywood's Greatest Directors
The One Director He Couldn't Understand
Regretting Not Paying Attention in School
Classical Acting Training at Guildhall
Did Classical Training Help in Hollywood?
Becoming Doctor Octopus
The Secrets Behind Doc Ock's Tentacles
The Movies Alfred Molina Loves
Why Young Fans Know Him as Doc Ock
Does He Take His Characters Home?
Why He Keeps Returning to the Stage
The Incredible Boogie Nights Firecracker Story
Actors, Directors and Happy Accidents
Film vs. Television vs. Theater
The Roles He Still Wants to Play
Playing Tevye and Diego Rivera
Salma Hayek's Fight to Make Frida
Alfred Molina Gets Candid About Awards
Why He Doesn't Really Watch the Oscars
The Best Acting Advice He Ever Received
He Thought About Quitting Acting, A Lot
Alfred Molina on Therapy
His "Genetic Flaw" Theory About Actors
The Role He Still Dreams About
The Career Moment He'd Love to Relive
Inside Hollywood's "CADS" Group
Why Their Friendships Matter
Show Credits
Host/Producer: Steve Kmetko
All things technical: Justin Zangerle
Executive Producer: Jim Lichtenstein
Music by: Brian Sanyshyn
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