A Renaissance Man Among Gossip Girls

Chances are you know who Wallace Shawn is. The question is how. He's an acclaimed playwright, beloved character actor ("Manhattan," "The Princess Bride"), art-house icon ("My Dinner With Andre") and literary scion, the son of an iconic New Yorker editor. Now he's that nebbishy guy on "Gossip Girl." NEWSWEEK's Jesse Ellison spoke with Shawn about his unlikely new role.

Were you a fan of " Gossip Girl " already?
Tragically, I don't have a television, so I had never seen that show or any others. But when this came up, I bought the DVD of the first season. I loved it. I was hooked very, very quickly.

Are you having fun?
Oh, very much. It's very congenial. I've actually told my friends that I'm on it, and secretly hope that they watch me, rather than, as sometimes happens, praying that they never find out.

What ' s it like to join such a tall, beautiful cast?
Well, they get to wear those high heels. Those are not part of my costume so far.

In your first scene, when you walk in, Blair frowns and says she was expecting Cary Grant.
Cary Grant was not much like Cary Grant, so why should I be? Cary Grant is a made-up concept.

Are you going to be on the show for a while?
They haven't asked me. But I'm available! Serena and Blair will be friends when they're old ladies. We could do this for life!

Do you think there ' s any overlap between " Gossip Girl " viewers and fans of " My Dinner With Andre " ?
I think there could be. The only obstacle is that the capitalist system divides us into groups and markets different products to different groups.

Do people often see you and quote your line from " The Princess Bride " — " Inconceivable! " ?
It happens. There are certain people who enjoy summarizing other people in a very compact way. Maybe, as you hinted, it's because of my tiny stature.

I never said that! So what ' s next for you?
The Royal Court is doing a number of my plays in the spring, a kind of retrospective.

That and " Gossip Girl " is quite a combination.
It is unusual.

Some might say inconceivable.
Some might say that.