It is thought the Proust Questionnaire originated with French novelist Marcel Proust, although, he did not actually create the list of questions but he did famously answer two versions – first at the age of 13 and then again at the age of 20 – which led to its notoriety. The questionnaire started as a parlor game and the original author is unknown.
Since then variations of the list have been used, probably most famously by Inside the Actors Studio’s host James Lipton. Lipton poses 10 questions to each of his guests at the end of an interview to reveal deep inner truths about one’s self. How deep the answers get depends entirely on the person answering them. Lipton gives credit for the list to French talk show host Bernard Pivot yet Lipton’s list differs slightly from Pivot’s, and neither Lipton’s list nor Pivot’s has a single question in common with either of Proust’s!
A similar questionnaire is regularly answered by various celebrities on the back page of Vanity Fair magazine, including our very own favorite ginger. In the March, 2017 issue Damian answered a Proust Questionnaire so we thought it would be fun to answer the same questions he did so you readers could get to know us a little better!
As an added bonus, I have peppered in a few extra questions from Lipton’s original list as a nod to his retirement. I had hoped to see Damian on Inside the Actor’s Studio with James Lipton one day, but this shall serve as the next best thing.
Here are my answers to the Proust Questionnaire. Let’s get started!
