James Lipton is the popular host of “Inside the Actors Studio.” “He’s a figure both revered and mocked for his highly researched, forelock-tugging, truth-inducing encounters with some of the most famous members of the acting profession. In real life, Lipton is an intriguing contrast to his TV persona. To begin with, he’s shorter than his imposing air might lead you to believe. (He’s always sitting down on the program.) But he’s also surprisingly shy, self-effacing and the possessor of a little-boy-lost charm that’s at odds with his actual age of 77.”