Jason Schwartman is one of I Love Libraries’ favorite actors, and a recent interview with the “Rushmore,” “The Darjeeling Limited,” and “Oh. What. Fun.” star in the New York Times has further cemented our admiration.
For the Times’ “My 10” column, where celebrities share 10 things they can’t live without, writer Elisabeth Vincentelli spoke with Schwartzman about his 10 essentials. Included along with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Reverb online music instrument marketplace, comedian Steven Wright, and helping his daughter with her homework is his library card.
Schwartzman told Vincentelli that libraries are where he finds peace.
“I feel calm in libraries,” he said. “I think it’s because everyone else is so calm, and everyone’s working or researching or something. It’s almost like a movie set, and I have to pretend I’m working, too.”
Schwartzman said that love of the library runs in his family, thanks to a groundbreaking acting teacher.
“My mom [Talia Shire] studied with Stella Adler, who told her that as an actor you need a library card and a bus pass,” he said. Adler’s words highlight the rich tapestry of thought that can be found at the library, as well as the diversity of library patrons—all of which can provide rich fodder for actors looking to widen their breadth of experiences, knowledge, and characters.
The actor concluded his praise by touting the benefits of having a library card, something that the American Library Association celebrates every September during Library Card Sign-up Month.
“Everyone should have a library card,” he said. “It’s like a bicycle but for your brain.”
Schwartzman isn’t the only actor to recently share their love for their library card.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who stars as Richie on “The Bear,” said that his Brooklyn Public Library card is one of the 10 things that he can’t live without in a 2024 video interview with GQ.
“I love the Brooklyn Public Library,” Moss-Bachrach said, before praising the library’s digital offerings that he said he enjoys often while away from home.
Moss-Bachrach concluded with a shout-out to the people who make Brooklyn Public Library—and all libraries—thrive.
“Thank you, librarians,” he said. “Thank you for all your hard work.”
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Image: Jason Schwartzman at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in 2024, by Harald Krichel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
