ACTORS mismatched to roles

[alchemist]

What about a plank of wood as Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith? Surely using an actor would have been better?

[Jeffbert]

BUT JUST HOW MUCH influence on the character does an actor really have? Of course, there is no single answer, but I cannot imagine the director being helpless to toss out any actor who just insists on his own vision for the character.

I thought that just about all the BOND flicks have something positive about them, though I may dislike certain aspects. I have never read any of Fleming's novels, so I cannot comment much further.

[Abernovo]

Originally Posted by Jeffbert

BUT JUST HOW MUCH influence on the character does an actor really have? Of course, there is no single answer, but I cannot imagine the director being helpless to toss out any actor who just insists on his own vision for the character.

I thought that just about all the BOND flicks have something positive about them, though I may dislike certain aspects. I have never read any of Fleming's novels, so I cannot comment much further.

Some film-makers would say that it is a collaboration between director and actor to bring out the character and, if it is from a book, then it is almost always open to some interpretation. As you read, you build up your own picture of characters and scenes.

As to the Bond films and books, I read the stories when I was a kid (perhaps explains some things, methinks) Never had a real problem with Moore as Bond, at least in the early movies, but I also never really thought of them, or him, as being much to do with Fleming's originals. Connery is always going to be associated with Bond and he did make it his own. But, as far as the spirit of the character in the novels (cold anger, ruthlessly violent when necessary (he starts off as a military intelligence courier in Casino Royale)), I think Daniel Craig actually get close to the mark. He's more the hard-nosed professional than the joking playboy.

Oh, and Springs, I could be wrong, but I thought Mr Connery was actually an Egyptian-born metallurgist to King Juan-Carlos of Spain (who spent his childhood years in Edinburgh, of course).

[springs]

Originally Posted by Abernovo

Oh, and Springs, I could be wrong, but I thought Mr Connery was actually an Egyptian-born metallurgist to King Juan-Carlos of Spain (who spent his childhood years in Edinburgh, of course).

So I was told last night; approx 5 secs after the edit window closed. TY

[Interference]

It's so obvious from the name

[JamestheLast]

Originally Posted by Moonbat

Johnny Depp playing Ichabod Crane in Sleepy hollow. I've not read the book but apparantly Crane was supposed to be ghastly in appearance, too such an extent that Depp wanted to don prosthetics to play the part, but they wouldn't let him.

It had so little to do with the source material that I didnt really care about that.Crane was a school teacher not a police detective. The Headless Horseman wasnt explicitly stated to be a real ghost in the book.

They had one really jarring blunder in the movie that distracted me from everything else--early on he says: we are almost at the turn of the millennium.

In 1799?

For bad casting I would say the guys who played Dracula
in Van Helsing and Blade 3.
There have been underwhelming Draculas before but without a doubt in my mind, those two are the worst ever.

The first comes across as a gay waiter and the Blade one was like a street pimp. Most undignified moment was him running from Blade along a fire escape.
The real Dracula would be spinning in his grave if he didnt have a stake through his heart.

[Jeffbert]

Abernovo Re: ACTORS mismatched to roles
Some film-makers would say that it is a collaboration between director and actor to bring out the character and, if it is from a book, then it is almost always open to some interpretation. As you read, you build up your own picture of characters and scenes.

Still, they have people credited with CASTING. I have seen roles that seemed made for certain actors. I was VERY surprised to learn that PETER SELLERS was originally intended to also play MAJOR KONG, a role that just seemed made for Slim Pickens.

There are certain actors whom I envision as characters; usually after having seen them in that role, or a similar one, but not always. But, for the life of me, I cannot at this time give any examples. Though if I were daydreaming about being a Wild West gunfighter, I would use Clint Eastwood as the model. I suppose this indicates a lack of imagination, but as far as I am concerned, Eastwood's characters redefined the gun fighter, taking it away from John Wayne & Gary Cooper.

When I was a kid, I could not come up with good names for my GI Joes (back then, they had no proper names). When I 1st made an email account, the only available names were names few would want, unless one added some numeric characters. So, I used a rather self-effacing-- no, that is not the word I want-- a self-insulting name; but as it was my email name, I was insulting nobody but myself.

Anyway, as I said earlier, some actors just exemplify certain roles. I remember my dad was a John Wayne fan, & was irritated at Eastwood's portrayals, probably because his character used pistols rather than talking, while the older Westerns were usually dialogue-driven. But since Sergio Leonne's westerns, action drove the plots. Anyway, eventually my dad became an Eastwood fan, & seemingly forgot about Wayne. There was an actor whose very name literally described his character. He was a balding little man who always portrayed the timid bank teller whose only concern was saving his own skin. I think his name was MEEK. Then there was RALPH MEEKER, despite his name, he was a tough guy. So, anyway, when they take a novel and make a screenplay from it, I suppose they visualize these character as certain actors, & try to get them for the roles. But though a certain actor meets the physical description, if he has too many of his own ideas for the character that conflict with the casting guys or the director, he has to go.

As I understand it, George Raft's dislike of having his characters killed, allowed H. Bogart to rise from obscurity to stardom. The director could not convince him that the Hayes Code simply necessitated the death of the gangsters.

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by JamestheLast

They had one really jarring blunder in the movie that distracted me from everything else--early on he says: we are almost at the turn of the millennium.

In 1799?

Closer than 1798

[Boneman]

Well, they haven't made it yet, but already this piece of miscasting is going to bite the makers of the film in the ass: the first of Lee Childs' films starrring his laconic anti-hero Jack Reacher - 6ft 5ins, 220-250lbs, 50ins chest, dirty blonde hair, icy blue eyes - will be made soon. And yup, you might have guessed it, the role has gone to Tom Cruise - 5ft 7ins(even imdb describe one of his trademarks as 'short stature') Chest 40, 147-167lbs, brown hair (I'm sure you remember what his hair looked like in 'Interview with the Vampire'), brown eyes (couldn't look threatening in a million years). I guess he's going to be standing on a lot of boxes during filming...

[Jeffbert]

I never heard of the character you mention, though it does make my point that using a prominent actor is FAR more important than using one who resembles the character.

[Boneman]

Absolutely... they just want to sell tickets. Mark my words - it will be a turkey!! Probably come out at Thanksgiving as well...

[paranoid marvin]

Nicholas Cage in any comedy role - the man just isn't funny (well not in the way he intends to be anyway).