Hollywood's opinion of good acting

[tropicsgoddess]

"We get to live out our fantasy and kill her in the most gory way we can think of."

My best guess.

I think that was it. I dunno how anybody could stand that twit. Steven Segall sucks, IMHO.

[Stormraven]

Will Ferrel - if he's the headliner. He's not capable of carrying a movie by himself, and should never, ever, be the lead.

As a secondary character, he can be quite impressive.

Adam Sandler. I've seen one of his movies from start to finish, and bits of others. My viewpoint on him is that he needs to be directed. I can see potential, but like Ferrel, he needs to be restrained.

[lordlundar]

Hollywood has no opinion on good acting, because they don't hire actors. They hire movie stars, which most often are people who have mediocre acting skills at best and a VERY good publicist.

You want to see good actors, go to a play. Even low budget plays often have better REAL actors than a summer blockbuster.

[protege]

For somebody who can't act, can't sing, and has pretty much done nothing, she sure is famous.

She's famous...simply because she's rich, and because she parties with various celebrities--Lindsey Lohan for one As for me, I can't stand that idiot. She needs to get smacked around with a 2x4. Now *that* would be hot

Anyway, one actor I can't stand, is David Caruso from CSI:Miami. Something about him annoys me. Mainly, because he tries to "intimidate" people by acting tough. Yet, when he does that, I laugh at him. Maybe it's the sunglasses. Sorry, but I can't take the guy seriously.

I agree about Adam Sandler. He's getting better--his characters now vary from the loud, obnoxious assholes he's known for.

[Fryk]

Anyway, one actor I can't stand, is David Caruso from CSI:Miami. Something about him annoys me. Mainly, because he tries to "intimidate" people by acting tough. Yet, when he does that, I laugh at him. Maybe it's the sunglasses. Sorry, but I can't take the guy seriously.

For me, it's the cadence of the way he speaks lines. His voice is always rising and falling at weird times in the sentence.

"The GUY we are looking FOR faVORS his left leg." Stuff like that. I don't know if it's just him, or the director.

[AdminAssistant]

I love how Michael Weatherly ("Anthony DiNozzo", NCIS) makes little references to Caruso...sometimes he wears similar sunglasses and occasionally you can see a picture of Caruso behind his desk.

Ooh! Here's him doing an impression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP1XZcDJsC0

[Kalli]

I think Brad Pitt and Matt Damon are both total jokes.

I think Team America might have something to do with hating Matt Damon, though.

Ooohhhh... I'm going to have to get defensive here!

Mind if i ask which movies you have seen these two in?


edit: Before you even think it, I don't find either of them the least bit attractive.

[Boozy]

Matt Damon was ingenious in The Talented Mr Ripley and The Informant.

I'm a big fan of Matt Damon. And no, I don't find him particularly attractive either.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I like Nicholas Cage. I grew up watching his films with my dad.

Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, and Hilary Duff. Whenever someone watches a movie with any of those girls in it with me in the room, I feel like I'm watching some terrible homemade video for English class. It feels like they are just reading the script and their actions and movements are them trying to have emotion.

Couldn't agree more about those "actresses". Miley irritates me anyway, but seeing her trying to act is as relaxing as going to the dentist.

Nicolas Cage can act, but it has to be an action movie; he was very good in Face/Off, for example.

[Nyoibo]

of them the least bit attractive.

I've never seen why people think Brad Pitt is attractive, yeah he had a great body in Troy, but his face doesn't do it for me.

[kiwi]

Scarlett Johansen and Renee Zellwegar
Scar Jo is apprently a "subtle" actress, aka NO acting required just read your lines and appear bored out of your brain.
Zellwegar murdered the role of Roxie Hart, she is the eptiome of catt but face.

Thank god Anne Hathaway is improving, she has actually made me throw things at the screen in her earlier movies.... WAY to cutsey pie perky make me want to kill you acting.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Hollywood isn't about acting, it's about selling mass market entertainment and providing a never-ending stream of professional beauty for 'average' people to look up to. People like Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton and Hilary Duff don't act as their main profession. What they are is professionally beautiful. Their job is to look rich and beautiful in public. The entertainment they 'act' or 'sing' in is simply a vehicle for their main profession, which means it doesn't have to be all that good.

Miley and Hilary are both teen stars; their job is to be professionally beautiful for children and teenagers, to get them interested in Hollywood's beauty culture, so they will be lifelong spenders on beauty products, fashionable name brand clothing and later in life, on plastic surgery and anti-aging products.

As for specific actors, many of the not-so-talented ones became famous because of their personas, not their acting chops.

Julia Roberts became a star precisely because she acts the same in every movie. Hollywood is about personas, not characters. That's why so many of them are white-hot for a few years, then drop off the radar. We grow tired of their particular persona. It's also why a few certain ones become legendary. There are some specific personas that we love and never grow tired of, because they are almost archetypal:

The persona of the sweet, beautiful, warm-hearted woman is a very popular one and women who can convey this warmth to a screen tend to become very famous. Julia Roberts is a perfect example; she's never been a great actress but she fills the seats at theaters because people go to bask in the presence of her sweet, warming persona. That's why she always does best in romantic comedies. Another one who has become legendary in the television world is Florence Henderson, the Mother from the Brady Bunch. She had the ability to effortlessly communicate warmth and happiness to the screen. Mary Pickford, Maureen O'Hara, Carole Lombard, Sally Field, and Audrey Hepburn are all examples of this persona.

Angelina Jolie can act fantastically when she wants to, (see Girl, Interrupted) but she tends to put most of her will and creativity toward her children and her job as a UN ambassador, so most of her films are not great art, they are mass market entertainment that she doesn't have to put a lot of effort into. That's her choice. Luckily for her, her persona contains many elements of anther archetype that makes certain actresses legendary: the siren. She is very beautiful to a lot of people and she can be shockingly sexual, two requirements for a siren. Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Marilyn Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Jessica Alba and the up-and-coming Megan Fox are all sirens. They don't have to be talented---they just have to be brazenly sexual onscreen. People go to their films to experience all the raw sexuality they project.

[MergedLoki]

I find it's ALOT more common in 'actresses' (note the '' :P) than 'actors'

for this.. ala... yes angelina and her latest younger incarnation megan fox :P

both cannot ACT worth shit. but they are good looking so they get major blockbuster roles and are applauded for their 'acting' talent.

The only thing angelina has done that IMO is decent was girl interuppted (sp wrong i know but it's 6am and i'm tired) and that was a good... what? 10 - 12 years ago now?

actor-wise i can't think of any but that could be because any of the actors my female friends find 'so hot' lol are actually DECENT actors (johnny depp, christian bale, etc.).

If you want good acting watch low budget and/or indie films. those movies HAVE To have good plot/storyline/acting because they have a special effects budget of $1000 lol. (and i could reccomend a few of my personal favs)

[jackfaire]

If you want good acting watch low budget and/or indie films. those movies HAVE To have good plot/storyline/acting because they have a special effects budget of $1000 lol. (and i could reccomend a few of my personal favs)

Doesn't guarantee good acting.

[Boozy]

The only thing angelina has done that IMO is decent was girl interuppted (sp wrong i know but it's 6am and i'm tired) and that was a good... what? 10 - 12 years ago now?

Seriously, has no one seen Changeling?

She was also brilliant in A Mighty Heart, but I didn't particularly like the movie itself.