PODCAST: Alec Baldwin Chats With Julie Taymor On Life Before and After THE LION KING

Actor Alec Baldwin, host of WNYC's HERE'S THE THING chats with Julie Taymor about her career before and after The Lion King.

An acclaimed director of theatre, opera and film, Julie Taymor doesn't like to be put in a box and always wants to be working on projects unlike anything she's done before. She credits the success of THE LION KING, and the financial stability that came with it, with giving her the artistic freedom to do whatever interests her.

Taymor tells of her early years in theatre, and how her lack of interest in traditional show business led her to travel the world and work with different types of storytelling and theatrical traditions from other cultures. Though she never had any interest in Broadway, her knowledge of puppetry and diverse theatrical forms played a major role in creating the musical.

"I went, 'Wow! How much fun to figure out how to do a stampede on stage.'"

Alec Baldwin's appears in the upcoming film RISE OF THE GUARDIANS.