The Anatomy of an Actor series is a collection of books which each examine ten different performances from a specific actor, analyzing key qualities about the work that make it exceptional. The most recent installment of these books is about Tom Cruise and, not surprisingly, there is a chapter devoted to Magnolia, and Cruise's process of building Frank TJ Mackey with Paul Thomas Anderson. There are some good quotes from both Cruise and PTA, and the piece is incredibly insightful and perceptive. If nothing else, it reinforces the simple fact that Mackey is one of the greatest friggin' movie characters ever created.
The book is [beautifully] written by Amy Nicholson and Grantland has an exclusive excerpt of the Magnolia chapter.
