"He's very alive in a scene. He's a very good actor to act with. Even though through most of the picture he's blind, there are many places early in the picture I got to be with him before he was blind. Like convincing him in the office to do the picture"

This quote by Mark Rydell is referring to a star he dealt with on a movie. He is applauding the actor's efficiency, keeping in mind that although the character was blind for the majority of the movie, the actor was still able to bring the character to life. He also points out that he got to deal with the star before he was blind, which suggests that the star had the ability to portray the character's transition from spotted to blind convincingly. This quote is a testimony to the star's talent and ability, along with Rydell's gratitude for the star's work. It is clear that Rydell was impressed with the star's performance and delighted in working with him.