Superb On Screen, Lacking Character In Life
September 9th 2007 20:31
You know the actors that play their parts, or just one part in particular, with absolute perfection? But then you see them in an interview… or a ridiculous video clip …or a mug shot, and you realise: what translates to the big screen is indecipherable in real life.
Sarah Jessica Parker
The only person who could have played Carrie Bradshaw. She had all the right energy, and she pulled it off with aplomb. So why is she so lacking in every other role, including her own public persona? Was it the Sex and the City scriptwriters and directors that made her so brilliant? If they controlled her all the time, would she forever shine? As it is, she comes across as bland, lacking in humour and rather finicky outside the SATC set.
Tom Cruise
Wonderful in several films (A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, Rain Man), but beyond that… what is his problem? Arrogant, condescending, controlling and absurd are a few words that form immediate associations with his name. He should stop training at Scientology Camp on how to receive the aliens – if they come to Earth they won’t be popping in for a coffee and a chat with him. They would surely have read the same USA Today poll I saw last year, where he was voted the celebrity people would least like to have as their best friend.
Toni Collette
Terribly fantastic as Muriel, but rather too glossed in other roles. In real life, she seems to have gotten above herself. She comes over all pretentious and ridiculously idealistic.
Harrison Ford
He was great in his quest to find the one-armed man in The Fugitive, but what’s with his surly, resentful moodiness in interviews?
Russell Crowe
Good in his big dramatic roles, but is a pompous, pretentious, narky prick. Why did we have to claim him? We should have let New Zealand keep him.
Renee Zellweger
I love her as an actress. She comes to life in Bridget Jones, Cold Mountain, Chicago, Miss Potter and Jerry Maguire. In every red-carpet photo, however, she is coldly posed, with pursed lips and squinty eyes; in her love-life she is erratic; and in interviews she rarely says anything worth listening to.
Mel Gibson
As William Wallace in Braveheart he was remarkable, but in life he is purportedly strange and unpredictable and has been accused at various times of anti-Semitism, homophobia and Anglophobia.
Tobey Maguire
Plays a thoughtful young man well in Pleasantville, Spiderman and Seabiscuit, but I suspect he suffers, or rather others suffer, from his small-man syndrome. Maguire is supposedly difficult to work with at times, and can be quite demanding.
Who else do you think fits this profile? Do you think the fact that these actors can generate such charisma from scratch is a testament to their talent? Or does their lack of real-life appeal detract from their on-screen finesse?
Michaelie Clark
Sarah Jessica Parker
The only person who could have played Carrie Bradshaw. She had all the right energy, and she pulled it off with aplomb. So why is she so lacking in every other role, including her own public persona? Was it the Sex and the City scriptwriters and directors that made her so brilliant? If they controlled her all the time, would she forever shine? As it is, she comes across as bland, lacking in humour and rather finicky outside the SATC set.
Tom Cruise
Wonderful in several films (A Few Good Men, Jerry Maguire, Rain Man), but beyond that… what is his problem? Arrogant, condescending, controlling and absurd are a few words that form immediate associations with his name. He should stop training at Scientology Camp on how to receive the aliens – if they come to Earth they won’t be popping in for a coffee and a chat with him. They would surely have read the same USA Today poll I saw last year, where he was voted the celebrity people would least like to have as their best friend.
Tom Cruise - in dire need of probing. Courtesy of nilacharal.com
Terribly fantastic as Muriel, but rather too glossed in other roles. In real life, she seems to have gotten above herself. She comes over all pretentious and ridiculously idealistic.
Harrison Ford
He was great in his quest to find the one-armed man in The Fugitive, but what’s with his surly, resentful moodiness in interviews?
Russell Crowe
Good in his big dramatic roles, but is a pompous, pretentious, narky prick. Why did we have to claim him? We should have let New Zealand keep him.
Renee Zellweger
I love her as an actress. She comes to life in Bridget Jones, Cold Mountain, Chicago, Miss Potter and Jerry Maguire. In every red-carpet photo, however, she is coldly posed, with pursed lips and squinty eyes; in her love-life she is erratic; and in interviews she rarely says anything worth listening to.
How Utterly Apt. Courtesy of typepad.com
Mel Gibson
As William Wallace in Braveheart he was remarkable, but in life he is purportedly strange and unpredictable and has been accused at various times of anti-Semitism, homophobia and Anglophobia.
Tobey Maguire
Plays a thoughtful young man well in Pleasantville, Spiderman and Seabiscuit, but I suspect he suffers, or rather others suffer, from his small-man syndrome. Maguire is supposedly difficult to work with at times, and can be quite demanding.
Who else do you think fits this profile? Do you think the fact that these actors can generate such charisma from scratch is a testament to their talent? Or does their lack of real-life appeal detract from their on-screen finesse?
Michaelie Clark
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Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
Comment by Damo
Except Tom Cruise - He's an alien.
Comment by ChrisB
Formula 1
The Social Centre
One more for the list: Jack Nicholson. One of the greats, but massively up himself.
Comment by Chic Critique
I adore SJP, and I think Carrie is who she wishes she could be in real life. Which is why she's so good at it. Some of the other roles she's had are pretty good though....like The Family Stone....she did OK there.
I met Toni Collette (a few years back now) and she was already disappearing up her own....never mind. Arrogance seemed to be her decided state of mind for anyone who wasn't in the club. Why do Sydney people DO that (before anyone gets agro, I've lived here my whole life so I can say things like that!).
I'm so with you on Harrison. I love him in movies, every time. I marvel at his comic timing, and his ability to take me on the journey through the story. In real life he seems really stupid and a little chauvenistic.
Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe are typical of what happens to an Aussie male boofhead who believes his own press.
That Renee Zellweger picture could not be more appropriate. Is she so scared of us seeing her teeth?
I like Tobey, however alongside Elijah Wood and Leonardo Di Caprio, I'll never believe he's over 24.
Great post!!!
Cheers
CC
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Thank you for the comment,
Michaelie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I think it's a mix of ego and insecurity. SJP knows she's got nothing on Carrie, Mel is worried someone will realise he's not a genius but a lunatic, and Tobey is desperately trying to make up for his lack of size. (By that I mean height, surely.)
Maybe you're onto something with Tom Cruise - if you were an alien on Earth, what would you do to best camouflage your strange prediliections, odd behaviour and desire to probe and be probed? Become a Scientologist of course! Lol.
Thanks for visiting!
Michaelie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
That's what I meant with most of them: a couple seem devoid of personality, but with most their personality just isn't appealing or relatable - they are lacking an agreeable character.
Jack Nicholson is a great addition! Definitely an amazing actor but a bit of a pig otherwise. Still engaging though.
Thanks Chris,
Michaelie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
I wish SJP was Carrie in real life too! She would be so much more interesting. She was OK in The Family Stone, but I don't think she's ever done anything so well as SATC. Just think of Hocus Pocus, Dudley Do-Right, Girls Just Want To Have Fun and the worst - Failure To Launch. (Cringe!)
It's ironic that Toni Collette has become such a haughty actor, considering her best performance was given when she was practically still a nobody! It annoys me that she's always taking a stand or making statements about things without ensuring she's not uninformed. Where did you meet her? What did she say?
Renee Zellweger - WHY does she pull that face? Whenever the cameras catch her in an unguarded moment she looks so much more natural and attractive.
You're right about Tobey, Elijah and Leo. Tobey will probably still be able to play a school boy, like in Pleasantville and Spiderman, in ten years time! And Elijah will always be a wide-eyed, bow-lipped young Hobbit.
Thanks again for the comment, CC!
Michaelie
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Thanks for stopping by, Cibbuano.
Michaelie
Comment by Aimzster
Reality TV
The Jeepney Stop
First Time Mum
PS. I am still sticking to my guns and the idea that behind all that anger and roughness, Russell Crowe is a softie. Yes, I know, sad. But I really like him!
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
It is a poor defence I know. Lucky I'm not her publicist.
Thanks a million for visiting! I won't hold your affection for that absolute tosser against you too much. Lol.
Michaelie
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
For me the first ones that spring to mind are the great performers who left themselves as empty vessels eg Robert De Niro, laurence Olivier, peter Sellers etc
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Michaelie
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Thats not to say I don't read biographies on performers that leave me in awe, but most of the time its once they are past there prime and their is a canvas to work within the telling. (Newman, Beatty, Mitchum, Marvin, Brando, Clift etc)
I'm not a perfect human being so i sometimes sneak a peek at current personal news on actors I admire. (Sean penn, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jnr, Aaron Eckhart, Timothy Olyphant etc)
Fun discussion as always Michaelie
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
You're right, what these people project when they are promoting something and just generally in the public eye is probably a bit skewed.
Hmm, maybe I should break into their houses...
Michaelie
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
I have always felt that to be a good actor...you can't have much of a personality in the first place.
I mean...in order to become someone else...completely and absolutely...you must be able to shed yourself, all mannerisms, way of speech, etc...the proverbial empty canvas.
Too often we think that the actor is this clever, witty, strong, fantastic person...when really, it's the writer's alter ego speaking!
Having said that...there are many actors who are able to 'separate'...which means they have an element of multiple personalities!
It's best, I think, to not forget that actors are the total of their...parts!
...and having said all that...Sean Connery rocks! I think Brad Pitt would be fun to hang with. I like Catherine Zeta-Jones' attitude. Sharon Stone is a riot! Jennifer Garner would be totally down to earth. Kate Winslett seems so so lovely and warm and witty. Will Smith...although cocky, would be cool. Then there's people like Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, Jodie Foster who all seem so...humble and as you say, not above themselves.
You're excellent to read Michaelie. I'm a fan!
Dusk
Comment by Michaelie
Flick Wit
And I think you are right about the 'blank canvas' thing. I see that a lot with SJP - she really absorbs the character so much that she IS the character (ie, Carrie), but once it's wrenched from her there's just nothing left!
Good thing I'm not an actor. It seems to do it well I'd have to either a) have no personality, or b) have several. Actually, maybe I should look into this, I AM a gemini after all... Lol.
Yes, I adore Sean Connery, the ultimate Bond... Catherine Zeta seems very upfront in any interview she does, she makes no excuses, is very open, plus I love her Welsh accent...Kate Winslet I think is very real, and very down to earth... Matt Damon is so genuine, but then I think, why is he best friends with Ben Affleck?
Thanks so much for that lovely comment Dusk!
Michaelie