(Photo: Patrick McMullan. Illustration by Ollanski.)

Taran Killam
Adam Scott has an amazing head of hair, humility, sense of humor, charm—do I go on?

(Photo: Patrick McMullan. Illustration by Ollanski.)

Adam Scott
You know, I’m watching a lot of Friday Night Lights right now, and so I’m a big fan of Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler. I watch that show, and I want to be that dad, be that coach. It’s like watching Indiana Jones.

(Photo: Patrick McMullan. Illustration by Ollanski.)

Connie Britton
Robert Redford is a beautiful human being, and he’s made a wonderful life for himself as an actor and an activist. I’m in awe of him.

(Photo: Patrick McMullan. Illustration by Ollanski. )

Robert Redford
One is a woman. One’s a man. The woman is an actress that I used in a film, The Company You Keep; her name is Brit Marling, and I see her moving forward. I have a lot of faith in her. She has a deep-seated truth in her that comes through whatever she does. The other is a man in his 80s, James Salter. He’s someone I think is one of the most impressive and underappreciated authors there are. He’s written a book called All That Is, and it’s wonderful—because he understands sadness like nobody I’ve known. It was so good, I read it again.

(Photo: Getty Images (Louis C.K.); Patrick McMullan (Marling). Illustrations by Ollanski.)

Brit Marling on Louis C.K.
Louis C.K. makes you laugh, and hard, and then as you’re drying your laugh-tears you realize he’s smuggled in some profound idea that is unpacking in you. I now only check my smartphone three times a day because Louis C.K. was like, Put your phone down and get back to being human and feeling things while listening to Springsteen.

(Photo: Getty Images. Illustrations by Ollanski.)

James Salter on Anna Netrebko
Her looks, her accent, her smile. Netrebko. Just to see her name on the billboard is a thrill. She speaks American. “Pow!” she says. An interviewer admires the beautiful necklace she’s wearing. How much did it cost, he says, a million dollars? She smiles, a bit embarrassed, a bit proud. “Way more,” she says.

Related:

• Archive: “Features”
• Table of Contents: May 19, 2014 issue of New York | Subscribe!