MUMBAI: Sony Entertainment Television's (SET) English channel Pix has acquired its first international programme - Inside the Actors Studio.

Pix has acquired 47 exciting and revealing episodes of this series. Some of the guests interviewed include: Will Smith, Antonio Banderas, Hugh Grant, Charlize Ttheron, Richard Gere, Renee Zellweger, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Al Pacino.

James Lipton, the executive producer and host of Inside the Actors Studio since its inception in 1994, has interviewed more than 200 artists - ranging from actors and directors to musicians and comedians. Lipton, in his numerous years of studious research has inspired his guests to open up and confess their deepest thoughts about their craft and careers.

From its origin, Inside the Actors Studio has followed an interesting and unique format in which the show is taped in front of an audience made up of students from the renowned Actors Studio's Master of Fine Arts program. The interviewees, all famous Hollywood celebrities, share intimate and personal experiences that influenced their choice of career and what it is that continues to fascinate them about showbiz. The interview then concludes with a standardised questionnaire of 10 questions that requires very candid answers, leading to hilarious and sometimes touching moments on the show.

Inside the Actors Studio also transcends all demographic boundaries. The program introduces viewers to icons of the entertainment industry in a very natural and personal way. The show is produced by Bravo in conjunction with Betelgeuse Productions.

This popular award winning Hollywood talk show has been on air in the US for more than 11 years and is now broadcast in over 125 countries.

The show has also bagged numerous awards including two 14 July, 2005 nominations, for Outstanding Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Nonfiction Series, 11 Emmy award nominations, the Cable Ace Award as Best Talk Show and The New York Festival Award for the World's Best Talk/Entertainment.