Stockard Channing: When were you most embarrassed?

The question

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A verbatim recurring question in The Guardian's Q&A series.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Fifteen years ago, I totally forgot my lines on stage and was mortified. We skipped two pages of dialogue and took three minutes off the play – to the delight of the audience!

The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 August 2026 source ↗

Others on this question

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Lemn Sissay

Also my most triumphant: 2017 at the Royal Court. Julie Hesmondhalgh reads my psychologist’s report over two hours. Every excruciating intimate word of it. Extreme verbatim theatre. One night only.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 October 2023 source ↗

Sofia Coppola American filmmaker and actress

Being on the cover of a magazine at 18 with the slogan: “Did she ruin The Godfather?”

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 March 2023 source ↗

Corinne Bailey Rae

I remember being a teenager and writing this romantic short story in the style of the Brontës on a computer and I didn’t realise that the person whose computer it was could just print it out. A group of boys had a couple of pages and they were all reading it.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 September 2023 source ↗

Julian Lloyd Webber British cellist and conductor

I’m president of my neighbourhood association. At my first meeting there was a discussion about developments the association should oppose. I said: “Nothing could be as bad as that horrible new house next to the church.” “I designed that,” the chairman replied. I shut up.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 July 2023 source ↗