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The Best Episodes of Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

Every episode of Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter!

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Some of this year's most talked about talent open up about the challenges and triumphs of creating critically acclaimed series and performances.

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  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 2 Episode 3 - Comedy Actresses
    9.0/10(1 votes)

    #1 - Comedy Actresses

    S2:E3

    TV's leading funny ladies – Rachel Bloom, Gina Rodriguez, Allison Janney, Niecy Nash, Lily Tomlin, Ilana Glazer – disclose the best advice they ever got, the moment they knew they wanted to become actors and their funniest fan interactions.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 2 - Comedy Actresses
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #2 - Comedy Actresses

    S3:E2

    Pamela Adlon ('Better Things'), Minnie Driver ('Speechless'), America Ferrera ('Superstore'), Kathryn Hahn ('I Love Dick'), Issa Rae ('Insecure') and Emmy Rossum ('Shameless') talk about typecasting in Hollywood, male nudity vs. female nudity and their most embarrassing moments on set.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 3 - Drama Actors
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #3 - Drama Actors

    S3:E3

    Riz Ahmed ('The Night Of'), Sterling K. Brown ('This Is Us'), John Lithgow ('The Crown'), Ewan McGregor ('Fargo'), Billy Bob Thornton ('Goliath') and Jeffrey Wright ('Westworld') talk about what scenes they were nervous to approach and the process of letting a character go.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 6 - Drama Showrunners
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #4 - Drama Showrunners

    S3:E6

    This season's 2017 Drama Showrunner Roundtable features Ava DuVernay ('Queen Sugar'), Ryan Murphy ('Feud: Bette and Joan'/'American Horror Story: Roanoke'), Noah Hawley ('Fargo'/'Legion'), Lisa Joy ('Westworld'), Jenji Kohan ('Orange is the New Black') and David E. Kelly ('Big Little Lies').

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 8 - Directors
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #5 - Directors

    S3:E8

    Six top filmmakers — also including Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman), Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), Angelina Jolie (First They Killed My Father) and Joe Wright (Darkest Hour) — open up about choosing the right projects ("You don't want to end up in a bad marriage"), firing staff and what it feels like to direct a movie that bombs: "People think you move on, but you don't."

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 12 - Writers
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    #6 - Writers

    S3:E12

    Scribes behind six of the season's most unusual scripts — including Darren Aronofsky (mother!), Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hour), Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick) and Fatih Akin (In The Fade) — reveal the struggles and satisfactions of bringing their words to the screen ("Rule number one: Don't bore an audience") and say nothing is off limits (even porn).

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter

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  7. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 1 - Comedy Actors
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #7 - Comedy Actors

    S3:E1

    Anthony Anderson ('Black-ish'), Kevin Bacon ('I Love Dick'), Ted Danson ('The Good Place'), Brian Tyree Henry ('Atlanta'), William H. Macy ('Shameless') and Kumail Nanjiani ('Silicon Valley') talk about tackling unlikable characters, what it's like making comedy in the current political climate and their proudest moments from their shows.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 4 - Drama Actresses
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #8 - Drama Actresses

    S3:E4

    Nicole Kidman ('Big Little Lies'), Jessica Lange ('Feud: Bette and Joan'), Chrissy Metz ('This Is Us'), Elisabeth Moss ('The Handmaid's Tale'), Oprah Winfrey ('The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks') and Reese Witherspoon ('Big Little Lies') talk about how they prepare for intense scenes and gender equality in Hollywood.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 5 - Comedy Showrunners
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #9 - Comedy Showrunners

    S3:E5

    2017 Comedy Showrunner Roundtable features the talented Gloria Calderon Kellett ('One Dat at a Time'), Scott Silveri ('Speechless'), Judd Apatow ('Girls', 'Crashing', 'Love'), Phoebe Waller-Bridge ('Fleabag'), David Mandel ('Veep') and Kenya Barris ('Black-ish')

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 10 - Actresses
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #10 - Actresses

    S3:E10

    Six top actresses — Mary J. Blige (Mudbound), Jessica Chastain (Molly's Game), Allison Janney (I, Tonya), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), Emma Stone (Battle of the Sexes), and Jennifer Lawrence (mother!)— open up about risky roles and how the industry's culture of abuse might finally be on the verge of change

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 11 - Producers
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #11 - Producers

    S3:E11

    THR's Roundtable Series kicks off with superproducers including Jason Blum (Get Out), Eric Fellner (Darkest Hour, Baby Driver, Victoria & Abdul), Seth Rogen (The Disaster Artist) and Ridley Scott (All The Money in the World, Blade Runner 2049) debating tough decisions, surprise successes and sexual harassment in Hollywood.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 13 - Cinematographers
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    #12 - Cinematographers

    S3:E13

    The lensing experts behind 'Blade Runner 2049,' 'Dunkirk,' 'Mudbound,' 'The Post,' 'Roman J. Israel, Esq.,' 'The Shape of Water' and 'Suburbicon' open up about their craft and finding a balance with their directors.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 3 Episode 9 - Actors
    6.5/10(2 votes)

    #13 - Actors

    S3:E9

    Tom Hanks (The Post), James Franco (The Disaster Artist), John Boyega (Detroit), Gary Oldman (Darkest Hour), Sam Rockwell (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) and Willem Dafoe (The Florida Project) open up about their latest films.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 1 - Drama Actresses
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #14 - Drama Actresses

    S1:E1

    Emmy nominees Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder), Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Freak Show), and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honorable Woman) join Ruth Wilson (The Affair) and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex) for The Hollywood Reporter's drama actress Emmy roundtable where the women discuss character development and their artistic work, as well sexism and sexuality in television.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 2 - Drama Actors
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #15 - Drama Actors

    S1:E2

    Emmy nominees Bob Odenkirk ('Better Call Saul'), David Oyelowo ('Nightingale') and Timothy Hutton ('American Crime'), join Justin Theroux ('The Leftovers'), Jon Voight ('Ray Donovan'), and Clive Owen ('The Knick') for The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Actor Emmy Roundtable where the actors discuss their characters and their work.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 3 - Comedy Actresses
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #16 - Comedy Actresses

    S1:E3

    Emmy nominees Amy Schumer ('Inside Amy Schumer') and Kate McKinnon ('Saturday Night Live') join Tracee Ellis Ross ('black-ish'), Lena Dunham ('Girls'), Gina Rodriguez ('Jane the Virgin'), and Ellie Kemper ('The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt') for The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Actress Emmy Roundtable where the actress discuss their characters and their work while hilarity ensues.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 4 - Comedy Actors
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #17 - Comedy Actors

    S1:E4

    Comedy acting Emmy nominees Ricky Gervais (‘Derek’), Don Cheadle (‘House of Lies’) and Will Forte (‘The Last Man on Earth’) join Fred Armisen (‘Portlandia’) and Jordan Peele (‘Key & Peele’), who write and produce their Emmy nominated shows, and actor Thomas Middleditch who stars in the Emmy nominated ‘Silicon Valley’ for The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Actor Emmy Roundtable where the actors share how and when they learned they were funny.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  18. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 5 - Drama Showrunners
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #18 - Drama Showrunners

    S1:E5

    Showrunners Lee Daniels ('Empire'), Damon Lindelof ('The Leftovers'), Alex Gansa ('Homeland'), Sarah Treem ('The Affair'), Michelle King ('The Good Wife'), and Beau Willimon ('House of Cards') for The Hollywood Reporter's Drama Showrunner Emmy Roundtable where the writers discuss their characters and their work.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  19. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 6 - Comedy Showrunners
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #19 - Comedy Showrunners

    S1:E6

    Jill Soloway ('Transparent'), Jay Duplass ('Togetherness'), Steve Levitan ('Modern Family'), Robert Carlock ('Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'), Kenya Barris ('Black-ish'), and Alec Berg ('Silicon Valley') join for THR's Comedy Showrunner Roundtable.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  20. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 7 - Reality
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #20 - Reality

    S1:E7

    Mark Burnett ('The Voice', 'Survivor', 'Shark Tank'), Julie Chen ('Big Brother'), Cat Deeley ('So You Think You Can Dance'), Nigel Lythgoe ('So You Think You Can Dance'), Bertram van Munster ('The Amazing Race'), and Craig Piligian ('The Ultimate Fighter') join up for The Hollywood Reporter's reality roundtable.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  21. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 8 - Producers
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #21 - Producers

    S1:E8

    Stacey Sher joins Ice Cube ('Straight Outta Compton'), Steve Golin ('The Revenant', 'Spotlight'), Simon Kinberg ('The Martian'), Christine Vachon ('Carol') and Scott Cooper ('Black Mass') for The Hollywood Reporter's Producer Oscar Roundtable.

    Director:Unknown
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  22. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 9 - Writers
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #22 - Writers

    S1:E9

    Some of the past's years most notable screenwriters join for The Hollywood Reporter's Writer Oscar Roundtable. The writers include comedian and actress Amy Schumer ('Trainwreck'), former playwright Aaron Sorkin ('Steve Jobs'), novelist Emma Donoghue ('Room'), present-day actor-director Tom McCarthy ('Spotlight'), onetime executive Meg LeFauve ('Inside Out'), and former teacher Nick Hornby ('Brooklyn').

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  23. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 10 - Directors
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #23 - Directors

    S1:E10

    The year's most notable directors join for The Hollywood Reporter's Writer Director Roundtable. The directors include Quentin Tarantino ('The Hateful Eight'), Tom Hooper ('The Danish Girl'), Alejandro G. Inarritu ('The Revenant'), Ridley Scott ('The Martian'), Danny Boyle ('Steve Jobs') and David O. Russell ('Joy').

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  24. Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter Season 1 Episode 11 - Actresses
    0.0/10(0 votes)

    #24 - Actresses

    S1:E11

    The year's most notable actresses join together for The Hollywood Reporter's Actress Oscar Roundtable - Brie Larson (Room), as well as 2016 best actress nominees Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Cate Blanchett (Carol, Truth), and Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), 2016 supporting actress nominee Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs), and actresses Jane Fonda (Youth), Helen Mirren (Trumbo, Woman in Gold), and Carey Mulligan (Suffragette).

    Director:Unknown
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