<P> In his review of the program, The Sunday Times critic A.A. Gill wrote: "The format is simple and idiotically inspired . The Actors Studio is the New York drama school made famous by Stanislavsky and his method (although the series is now filmed elsewhere). These shows are thinly set - up masterclasses for students . The cleverness is in the vanity it allows the guests, who are the very greatest and most self - regarding performers and creators of theatre and film . People who are too grand to talk to anyone will talk to Inside the Actors Studio . They believe they're giving something back, offering precious pearls of insight to a new generation . And who doesn't look good passing it on to adoring students? In truth, it's just a chat show on satellite, but the veil of education and posterity is held decorously high, so everybody turns up and talks with a smile ." </P> <P> While most of the show is a one - on - one interview conducted by Lipton, this is followed by the host submitting a questionnaire to the guest . The questionnaire concept was originated by French television personality Bernard Pivot on his show Apostrophes, after the Proust Questionnaire . The 10 questions Lipton asks are: </P> <Ol> <Li> What is your favorite word? </Li> <Li> What is your least favorite word? </Li> <Li> What turns you on? </Li> <Li> What turns you off? </Li> <Li> What sound or noise do you love? </Li> <Li> What sound or noise do you hate? </Li> <Li> What is your favorite curse word? </Li> <Li> What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? </Li> <Li> What profession would you not like to do? </Li> <Li> If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? </Li> </Ol> <Li> What is your favorite word? </Li>

Questions at the end of inside the actors studio