Anatomy of an Actor titles are comprehensive studies on the craft of the world's greatest actors, through the analysis of ten of their most iconic roles. The authors examine why and how these famous actors have become some of the most respected and influential in the film world. Each title is divided into 10 chapters, each one dedicated to a specific role and fully documented with film stills, on-set photography and film sequences.

One of the most talented actresses of her generation, Meryl Streep provides a high benchmark by which others are measured. In films as diverse as The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), Mamma Mia (2008) and her Oscar-winning turn as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady (2010), Streep has never failed to astound audiences with her ability to fully inhabit her characters. Streep has received 17 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 27 Golden Globe nominations, winning eight, more nominations than any other actor in the history of either award. Meryl Streep: Anatomy of an Actor is new title in the fascinating series from world-renowned cinema magazine Cahiers du cinema. The book focuses on ten key performances, combining both a narrative and analytical text with 300 images — from film stills to set photographs, film sequences, script notes and more — to explore the unparalleled career of Meryl Streep. This thoughtful and lively examination of Streep's craft will appeal to professional audiences and movie fans alike.

The Anatomy of an Actor series takes ten roles by a single actor, each studied in a dedicated chapter, and identifies the key elements that made the performances exceptional — carefully examining the actor's craft for both a professional audience and movie fans alike. This title looks at Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. First cast by Francis Ford Coppola in The Outsiders (1983), he gained international notoriety in the mid-1980s thanks to Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986). One of the most sought-after actors, Cruise has oriented his career to blockbusters, with a predilection for action and science fiction, starring in such movies as Michael Mann's Collateral (2004), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005), the Mission: Impossible series (1996, 2000, 2006, 2011) and Joseph Kosinski's Oblivion (2013).

Anatomy of an Actor titles are comprehensive studies on the craft of the world's greatest actors, through the analysis of ten of their most iconic roles. The authors examine why and how these famous actors have become some of the most respected and influential in the film world. Each title is divided into ten chapters, each one dedicated to a specific role, and is fully documented with film stills, set photographs, and film sequences. This innovative and beautiful series on actors is accessible to enthusiastic moviegoers as well as serious cinephiles, fans and those who want to become actors.

George Lucas (born 1944) is a producer, screenwriter and director, who played a major role in the anti-establishment New Hollywood movement of the 1970s and helped define the blockbuster era of the 1980s. He is best known as the creator of the Star Wars space opera and the producer of the iconic Indiana Jones adventure film series. Lucas had directed THX 1138 (1971) and American Graffiti (1973) before launching, in 1977, the first film in the Star Wars franchise. Rapidly a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, this was followed by two sequels: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Sixteen years later a new trilogy, The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005), was released. The Star Wars series has spawned a range of other media, including TV series, video games and comic books. With this simple yet powerful saga, Lucas has created a brand, a business empire and a technological revolution.