Meet Patricia Bosworth

[close] "It's all about the layering of details, in both acting and in writing."

Bestselling journalist and biographer Patricia Bosworth began her career as an actor, appearing in films like The Nun's Story (1959) and Broadway shows such as Mary, Mary (1961). When she changed her career to writing, Bosworth harnessed her own onstage experiences to create intimate portraits of two iconic actors: Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando.

Here Bosworth talks about getting her start as an actor, her Mark Twain—inspired approach to writing biographies, and why she is so drawn to tormented people.