'There are so many subtle variables involved in good acting' Yep. The main one being unpredictablity. You can give the same lines to 10 actors and they'll all do them differently, and there will be variations according to their mood when they say the lines. It's called 'the human factor' and it's the one thing computers don't have. As for why you'd want to replace humans, here's a brief scene (from memory) from The Producers by Mel Brooks. ------------------------------- Zero Mostel : 'What else can we do? Blow up the theater? Shoot the actors?' Gene Wilder : 'Shoot the actors?? You can't shoot the actors! Actors are human beings too, you know' Zero Mostel : 'Oh yeah? Have you ever had lunch with one?' ------------------------------- mac