Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

[methodwriter85]

Ah, well nobody does subtle like the Brits. I don't think I paid much attention to him until his unsubtle responses at the end of the Twilight's run when he would be asked if he'd do more movies and he pretty much shouted no.

Some day, I want Robert to write a tell-all about his Twilight days. I bet it would be a scream. In any event I bet he's probably glad to relinquish his fangirls to Jamie Dornan.

 

I think Jesse McCartney is my male equivalent to Mandy Moore- pop singer who got into acting that deserved to be a movie star, but didn't quite make it. He's still pretty young though. For a man, anyway. Mandy at 31 pretty much has almost no chance at breaking into A-list movie status. I saw her on Red Band Society and I kept thinking about how much she really should have been a star. She was so damn good in Saved!

Edited May 8, 2015 by methodwriter85

[vb68]

On the last Meet The Movie Press  podcast, the female journalist who was subbing as an anchor pointedly said that Miles Teller is the next Alex Pettyfer.  She said he is so rude and nasty in real life that it's going to kill his career.  Those comments start around the 36 minute mark.

Edited May 16, 2015 by vb68

[blixie]

Miles Teller has talent, Alex Pettyfer did not. I'm not saying being a douche might not hurt him, but eh, lots and lots and lots of douches are rewarded in Hollywood, as long as they deliver on screen.

[Wiendish Fitch]

Alicia Vikander has projects left and right, and I'm glad. She was a revelation in Ex Machina, in both her portrayal and her physicality.

[SallyAlbright]

Alicia Vikander has projects left and right, and I'm glad. She was a revelation in Ex Machina, in both her portrayal and her physicality.

Yeah, I think she's great. I can't wait to see her with Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz in The Light Between Oceans. I loved that book, and that is a powerhouse cast. 

[methodwriter85]

Miles Teller has talent, Alex Pettyfer did not. I'm not saying being a douche might not hurt him, but eh, lots and lots and lots of douches are rewarded in Hollywood, as long as they deliver on screen.

 

I still can't believe that Alex Pettyfer pissed off Channing Tatum so much that he got written out of the Magic Mike sequel. Channing Tatum comes off as one of the nicest guys currently leading Hollywood.

 

As for Miles Teller- I agree. As long as you can deliver on-screen and you don't go TOO off the wall (see: Shia LaBeouf or Charlie Sheen), it's usually acceptable. Gywneth Paltrow has always come off as an uptight snobby sourpuss but she's still around because she can indeed act her skinny Macrobiotic butt off.

 

I mean, there's a reason why Robert Downey Jr. got so many chances until he finally straightened out. He may have had a lot of personal issues, but the dude can act.

[Craphole Island]

With Pitch Perfect 2 coming out, I have to say I've always really liked Brittany Snow. Loved her ever since American Dreams and I thought she'd go on to do bigger things. Don't get me wrong, she's working regularly and Pitch Perfect 2 will probably be one of the biggest movies of the year (it did huge numbers and I'm definitely going to see it), but aside from those films, she didn't make much of a splash (and she's not the star of these anyways). I'd like to see her do a new TV show or something. She seems cool/sweet in real life.

 

I also really like Anna Camp. I think she's hilarious. She was wasted on The Mindy Project.

[manbearpig]

I like Brittany Snow too. Particularly her insane performance on Nip/Tuck where she played a racist who wanted to bleach her skin when she found out she had black ancestry of some kind. Been a while since I have seen that show, but it was about as unhinged as anything else that happened there. Still bummed that the Lily in the eighties Gossip Girl spin-off never happened because I thought Snow was adorable there; 'you're totally falling in love with me!'

 

She's a lot of fun in Pitch Perfect too and I was particularly fond of the way she bounced off of Anna Kendrick! Haven't gotten around to seeing the sequel yet, though, but I'm glad it did well. I'll be interested to see what Elizabeth Banks does next, actually. Surely she'll have a bunch of directing opportunities now that Pitch Perfect 2 is a pretty sizable hit!

 

Always happy to see Anna Camp, too. Loved her character on The Good Wife.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Miles Teller has talent, Alex Pettyfer did not. I'm not saying being a douche might not hurt him, but eh, lots and lots and lots of douches are rewarded in Hollywood, as long as they deliver on screen.

 

While I thought Teller was good in Whiplash, it probably took less work to look intimidated by J.K. Simmons than it did for Pettyfer to pretend to be in love with Vanessa Hudgens. Just sayin'.

[JBC344]

Miles Teller has talent, Alex Pettyfer did not. I'm not saying being a douche might not hurt him, but eh, lots and lots and lots of douches are rewarded in Hollywood, as long as they deliver on screen.

I think it will depend on how the movies where he is the leading man will do.  He isn't as big of a star yet to where he can't be switched out with another on the rise talent.  Also I think that there is a different climate in Hollywood now.  Less films are being made through the system and competition is heavy.  Too much of a bad reputation will definitely hurt his career if it keeps up.

[UYI]

 

 

I think Jesse McCartney is my male equivalent to Mandy Moore- pop singer who got into acting that deserved to be a movie star, but didn't quite make it. He's still pretty young though. For a man, anyway. Mandy at 31 pretty much has almost no chance at breaking into A-list movie status. I saw her on Red Band Society and I kept thinking about how much she really should have been a star. She was so damn good in Saved!

 

Well, actually Jesse kind of zig-zagged between the two--he was on All My Children as a pre-teen, then in the boy band Dream Street, then did some acting before he really broke out as a pop star. But I see what you mean. :)

Edited May 18, 2015 by UYI

[methodwriter85]

Right. I still think he (and Mandy) both deserve to be bigger stars.

 

Brittany Snow hasn't really had a lot of luck in being a leading lady in film, but she's still got a pretty cool career. I really hope she negotiated a percentage of the Pitch Perfect 2 box office.

 

Other than Glee, her former American Dreams co-star Vanessa Leniges hasn't really done much. Shame.

Edited May 18, 2015 by methodwriter85

[UYI]

It's interesting how Brittany Snow and Hayden Panettiere were on Guiding Light together in the late 90's before they were famous. They were stepsisters on that show.

[FozzyBear]

My view of Miles Teller is that he's likely arrogant and snarky, although I've seen much more. At this point his talent is such that I can forgive little minor jackasshattery, but that depends on whether or not he goes into Shia LeBeauf mode. (Talk about a guy who just threw away a potential A-List career for being an asshole.)

He's 27 though, so I can't really go with the "he's just really young" excuse like I did for Ian Somerhalder's really annoying commentary on the Rules of Attraction DVD. He was still in his early 20's there and he seems to have matured greatly since.

You know, actors generally have to be off the charts charming or awful for me to care about their personal life enough to influence my viewing habits. I just kind of don't care. Heck I'm still a fan of Shia LaBeauf because I think he honestly is one of the most talented actors of his generation. I'm hoping he pulls a RDJ and makes a come back because I really want to see what he can do. I feel the same way about Miles Teller. I think he's good so I want to see him in movies.

All that being said, I know I'm the odd man out. Public perception does matter in an actor's career. And with so much competition, someone who's a jackass on set will just stop getting calls after a while. I remember someone asked Keanu Reeve's agent (I think it was his agent) how he became a star. Because, seriously. The guy has questionable talent as an actor at best. The answer was that he was ridiculously easy to work with. If he booked a job he showed up on time, off book, ready to work. If a director told him to do his part standing on his head wearing drag, he did the part standing on his head wearing drag. People liked working with him so he kept getting booked and he happily worked wherever he could until Point Break and Speed came along.

[methodwriter85]

 

I remember someone asked Keanu Reeve's agent (I think it was his agent) how he became a star. Because, seriously. The guy has questionable talent as an actor at best. The answer was that he was ridiculously easy to work with. If he booked a job he showed up on time, off book, ready to work. If a director told him to do his part standing on his head wearing drag, he did the part standing on his head wearing drag. People liked working with him so he kept getting booked and he happily worked wherever he could until Point Break and Speed came along.

 

I kinda feel like Channing Tatum is the modern-day Keanu Reeves. People just liked working with him, so he kept getting cast in various things, until he had his big breakthrough with Dear John in 2010, which led to the Vow and 21 Jump Street in 2012 and cemented his A-List status.

 

I'm reading a biography about a former star named Warren Beatty, who's best known for producing the landmark movie Bonnie and Clyde, and dating a LOT of women through the 1960's to the early 90's when he met Annette Benning. He literally and figuratively screwed anybody over that got in his path. He tended to pull off pretty successful movies, which is why he lasted so long, but once the looks were gone and he was no longer a box office draw, it doesn't seem like anybody is all that keen to help him launch a comeback or a re-envisioning as an older director ala Clint Eastwood.

Edited May 21, 2015 by methodwriter85

[JBC344]

You know, actors generally have to be off the charts charming or awful for me to care about their personal life enough to influence my viewing habits. I just kind of don't care. Heck I'm still a fan of Shia LaBeauf because I think he honestly is one of the most talented actors of his generation. I'm hoping he pulls a RDJ and makes a come back because I really want to see what he can do. I feel the same way about Miles Teller. I think he's good so I want to see him in movies.

All that being said, I know I'm the odd man out. Public perception does matter in an actor's career. And with so much competition, someone who's a jackass on set will just stop getting calls after a while. I remember someone asked Keanu Reeve's agent (I think it was his agent) how he became a star. Because, seriously. The guy has questionable talent as an actor at best. The answer was that he was ridiculously easy to work with. If he booked a job he showed up on time, off book, ready to work. If a director told him to do his part standing on his head wearing drag, he did the part standing on his head wearing drag. People liked working with him so he kept getting booked and he happily worked wherever he could until Point Break and Speed came along.

I've often used this example, as cynical and glamorous as Hollywood is, when you are actually working on a project, no one likes a bad work environment.  Being a really nice, accommodating person who everyone enjoys working with still really means a lot.  I've used this example when people talk about Katie Holmes.  I actually think that Katie is very talented, but she has a reputation of being very lovely to work with and a joy to be around.  She may not be the most dynamic actress, but a lot of times a Producer/Director will gladly take a "competent" actor who everyone loves working with over a "bigger name" who is difficult. 

[vb68]

 

He tended to pull off pretty successful movies, which is why he lasted so long, but once the looks were gone and he was no longer a box office draw, it doesn't seem like anybody is all that keen to help him launch a comeback or a re-envisioning as an older director ala Clint Eastwood.

 

He's currently directing and starring in a movie about Howard Hughes that from what I understand has been a passion project that he's flirted and fiddled around with for decades now.  I think that's one of the main things about him and his career.  He's always been so particular about when and what he worked on that there's huge chunks of years where he just seemed to disappear. Plus he seems like a perfectionist. I'm sure there are still people who would love to cast him if he was just more interested.  I remember that Tarantino desperately wanted him for Kill Bill.

 

 Maybe it's because I idolize the '70s era of movies so much but for me he's in the same league as Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson,and Dustin Hoffman, etc. in that he'll always be a movie star.  Yes, they are getting up there, but I just don't think they make them like those guys anymore. 

Edited May 22, 2015 by vb68

[dusang]

 Maybe it's because I idolize the '70s era of movies so much but for me he's in the same league as Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson,and Dustin Hoffman, etc. in that he'll always be a movie star.  Yes, they are getting up there, but I just don't think they make them like those guys anymore. 

 

Also, he's won every major lifetime achievement award in the business, he is an actor/writer/director/producer, and been Oscar-nominated in all categories multiple times.  He's Hollywood royalty and a legend in the industry, not "a former star."

[Craphole Island]

So I randomly stumbled upon She's All That the other day and it made me realize that there were so many "teen" actors from that era that you just really don't from much anymore. I used to love all those movies and actors back in the day (I was younger, like 3rd and 4th grade, when those movies were popular, but watched them pretty religiously), but I would literally watch anything with any of those people: Neve Campbell, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Julia Stiles, Josh Hartnett, Freddie Prinze Jr, Eliza Dushku, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rachel Leigh Cook, Jesse Bradford, the Dawson's Creek and American Pie casts, etc.

 

Anyways, obviously not ALL of them were going to go on to huge things (some were definitely better than others), and quite frankly they're all still working and some have found major success since, but in general that seems like a forgotten era of "up and coming stars". Was curious what all your thoughts on why that is? Do you think it was because teen movies were so IN at the time that they were almost a fad (like boy bands of the time) or they had trouble transitioning to adult roles etc? Or maybe some of them made conscious decisions not to pursue superstardom?

 

I'm genuinely curious to hear your opinions or maybe someone has inside knowledge!

Edited May 28, 2015 by Craphole Island

[methodwriter85]

This was linked awhile back, but it's worth mentioning again: this article talks about why it seems like British and foreign-born actors seem to be taking over the high-profile films while it seems like American talent isn't quite there. This one one of their theories:

 

 

In a Hollywood that feeds on young stars—many of which are groomed as kids on television—early success can stunt artistic growth. “The kids that start out as stars when they’re 19 or 20, they never had a chance to learn their craft, and because they become stars, there’s never a chance to catch up,” says Lipton. “They’re not going to knock off for a year and study. They’re going to keep on making movies, as many as they can, as fast as they can. Some learn on the job. Some are geniuses, so they figure it out.”

But for every Jennifer Lawrence or Leonardo DiCaprio—instinctual wunderkinds whose talent and work ethic keep them at the top—there is a huge middle class of popular American actors who reach the age of 30 and suddenly find themselves overmatched by more disciplined foreign-educated artists. Actors who spent three years in their early twenties, for example, just learning how to properly speak and move while their American counterparts were auditioning for a Coke commercial and the new fall pilot

 

I think a lot of them were great at playing the teenagers and doing teenaged angst, because everybody lived through that. But a lot of them weren't able to keep up with the older, disciplined actors that were coming in and had the impressive credentials, once they were too old to play the teen protagonists/antagonists.

 

I do think Neve Campbell seemed REALLY uninterested in superstardom. I think Jennifer Love Hewitt had a problem with being believable as an adult, as well as not picking the best of projects, and I think she's not not versatile enough as an actress to have re-invented herself, movie-wise. Julia Stiles took time off for school, and I also think that she has this very cerebral way about her that made it hard for audiences to relate to her once she tried to go for the American Sweetheart crown. And Katie Holmes...well, I think the Scientology/Tom Cruise stuff did a LOT of damage, and I think she's someone that could have benefited from formal training.

 

None of the 90's teen queens really made it over to become legitimate A-list or B-list movie stars. It seems like the ones who were NOT the queen, but worked steadily and without major hype, seemed like they did better, like Michelle Williams or Jennifer Garner.

Edited May 29, 2015 by methodwriter85

[raezen]

I think one of the things that happened is that the industry went teen crazy and kind of made this bottle neck where there were tons of roles to play a highschooler but no increase on roles for the next stage. It must have been extremely competitive for those teen actors afterwards.

Edited May 29, 2015 by raezen

[methodwriter85]

I do think Reese Witherspoon is the only one I can think of from that era of the late 1990's/early 2000's who did teen movies who was able to make the jump into A-list leading lady. Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johannsson, and Keira Knightley were teenagers but they were never really Teen Queens, either. They tended to do more grown-up type movies, similar to what Jennifer Lawrence is doing right now- she still plays teenagers but she's also playing a lot of mature, grown-up themes rather than stuff like American Pie or She's All That.

 

Kirsten Dunst, oddly enough, did SO many teenaged movies but the only one that really hit was Bring It On, and she never really capitalized on the success of that and then being in the Spiderman franchise. Neither did Tobey Maguire, but Tobey really doesn't seem like a guy who ever really wanted to be Tom Hanks.

 

I honestly think Kirsten Dunst got burned out- she worked SO much as a child and a teenager, and you can see that she had a big slow down during the second half of the 2000's. I mean, the woman's only 33 and she has like 71 IMDB credits.

Edited May 29, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Princess Sparkle]

I do also think, of that era, there were a lot more "tv stars who also did huge movies simultaneously" that you just don't see as much anymore.  Of those listed above, Sarah Michelle Geller, Neve Campbell and Jennifer Love Hewitt were all on huge tv shows while making their hit movies (and for men, so did Joseph Gordon Levitt, James Van der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Seth Green), and I feel like now, you usually are doing either one or the other - a lot try and do movies and just don't have the same kind crossover success.  And I don't know that this has any kind of correlation (more of an observation), but it was also a time when r-rated comedies, and horror movies were hugely popular and gave a lot of opportunities for teenagers to star in them.    

 

Which, leads me to my next observation, which is that some of those actors and actresses are better suited for tv roles than feature film roles.  SMG is one of them,  Kristen Bell is another, same with JLH, and James Van der Beek.  And that's fine, but I think it took quite awhile for it to have tv be seen as something prestigious again.  Just look how long Claire Danes tried to do movie roles and failed until she found Homeland.  

[JBC344]

Speaking of

 

http://www.justjared.com/2015/05/29/sarah-michelle-gellar-selma-blair-reenact-cruel-intentions-kiss-alongside-reese-witherspoon/

[Danny Franks]

Well I'm glad to hear that Miles Teller is a big douche, because his face annoys me, and I honestly don't see what's special about him. So he can bash some drumsticks and sweat a lot? Big whoop.

 

I watched Fury recently, and was impressed with Logan Lerman. Convincingly grown up, while still being the naive youngster of the group, I reckon he could break out of the child/teen actor status quite successfully. As long as he picks the right projects, that is. I think Fury probably gave him some adult cred that a lot of romcom type stuff wouldn't.

[hardy har]

Alicia Vikander has projects left and right, and I'm glad. She was a revelation in Ex Machina, in both her portrayal and her physicality.

Check out A Royal Affair if you haven't seen it. I believe it on Netflix streaming at the moment. I initially saw it because Mads Mikkelsen is the male lead and I've been a fan of his forever, but she was so great and I've been a fan ever since. Actually, everyone in that movie is great.

 

Speaking of Vikander I finally checked out the trailer for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and that was legit the first time I "got" Henry Cavill. Plus, Elizabeth Debicki is in it and she deserves to be wildly successful if for no other reason than being the only good thing about The Great Gatsby.

Edited May 31, 2015 by hardy har

[methodwriter85]

I wonder if Armie Hammer is ever going to hit that role that turns him into a leading man. He LOOKS so much like one, but he really just hasn't had that much luck. Thank god I don't think the Lone Ranger is going to do much lasting damage.

[JustaPerson]

Finally caught 12 Years a Slave and all I can say is wow...I had watch a lot of Michael Fassbender/James McAvoy clips before I could look at him again without feeling a bit sick. Of course Lupita Nyong'o and C. Ejiofor were amazing. I know Fassbender is doing Macbeth with Marion Cotillard (which he was filming instead of campaigning for his oscar) next, but what are the other two up to?

[Athena]

I wonder if Armie Hammer is ever going to hit that role that turns him into a leading man. He LOOKS so much like one, but he really just hasn't had that much luck. Thank god I don't think the Lone Ranger is going to do much lasting damage.

 

I think Hammer is almost too good looking in a way. It'll be interesting to see how he does from The Man in U.N.C.L.E. with the also ridiculously handsome Henry Cavil. I remember Jon Hamm not being able to be able to cast as a lead in anything for years (decades really). He mentioned that the trend for male leads also change and that his (and I think Hammer's) type of conventional Hollywood handsome is not always in vogue. It really takes the right role for that to happen. I think it is working for Cavil because he was a lead in a superhero film. That genre is keeping many Hollywood actors employed and relevant.

 

Finally caught 12 Years a Slave and all I can say is wow...I had watch a lot of Michael Fassbender/James McAvoy clips before I could look at him again without feeling a bit sick. Of course Lupita Nyong'o and C. Ejiofor were amazing. I know Fassbender is doing Macbeth with Marion Cotillard (which he was filming instead of campaigning for his oscar) next, but what are the other two up to?

 

Lupita will be in the new Star Wars film, but not in a live action character. She's also producing and starring in adaptation of a Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I think she's in talks for a Mira Nair film. When Lupita got her Lancome deal last year, a few articles said this would really help her be more selective as an actor. Most debut critically actors may get lots of offers in the first year, and many can't afford to say No. Lupita's fashion contracts will enable her to live and choose only the projects she really wants to do.

 

There are rumors Chiwetel will be in Doctor Strange. I've been following his career on and off for a decade, he's worked consistently in art house or independent films with the occasional break in theatre.

[JBC344]

I think Hammer is almost too good looking in a way. It'll be interesting to see how he does from The Man in U.N.C.L.E. with the also ridiculously handsome Henry Cavil. I remember Jon Hamm not being able to be able to cast as a lead in anything for years (decades really). He mentioned that the trend for male leads also change and that his (and I think Hammer's) type of conventional Hollywood handsome is not always in vogue. It really takes the right role for that to happen. I think it is working for Cavil because he was a lead in a superhero film. That genre is keeping many Hollywood actors employed and relevant.

 

 

Lupita will be in the new Star Wars film, but not in a live action character. She's also producing and starring in adaptation of a Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I think she's in talks for a Mira Nair film. When Lupita got her Lancome deal last year, a few articles said this would really help her be more selective as an actor. Most debut critically actors may get lots of offers in the first year, and many can't afford to say No. Lupita's fashion contracts will enable her to live and choose only the projects she really wants to do.

 

There are rumors Chiwetel will be in Doctor Strange. I've been following his career on and off for a decade, he's worked consistently in art house or independent films with the occasional break in theatre.

Lupita has also really benefitted from really endearing herself to the people she has worked for.  She seems to have really formed a great working relationship with Brad Pitt.  He is helping her produce Americanah, and working on a couple other projects together.

 

I think Armie just hasn't had that really great role that will make people stand up and take notice.  The Social Network was a good performance but the process on how he and Josh Pence portrayed twins was talked about more than the acting.  In Hoover, he got to shine more but was an underwhelming movie.  The Lone Ranger was supposed to be that performance but it just didn't really do it.  Hoping The Man from U.N.C.L.E gives him a boost.

[methodwriter85]

Maybe the problem with Armie isn't that he's too good-looking- the problem might be that he doesn't really work in "young guy" roles because he comes off as SO polished and mature for his age. You can easily picture him playing 40-year old, suave George Clooney type roles, but he's not old enough yet to do that. Most guys his age are still boyish (Zac Efron and Miles Teller are close to his age), and the roles for that age group usually reflect that. I think when he hits his mid-30's he might really hit his stride.

[Athena]

Maybe the problem with Armie isn't that he's too good-looking- the problem might be that he doesn't really work in "young guy" roles because he comes off as SO polished and mature for his age. You can easily picture him playing 40-year old, suave George Clooney type roles, but he's not old enough yet to do that. Most guys his age are still boyish (Zac Efron and Miles Teller are close to his age), and the roles for that age group usually reflect that. I think when he hits his mid-30's he might really hit his stride.

 

I do think this is part of it. I remember when he was on "Gossip Girl" and thinking he was much more older and blander than he really was. Part of it was GG's terrible writing, but his small role on Social Network wasn't bad and I look forward to TMUNCLE.

 

If we look at it, a lot A-list male actors in Hollywood make it big in their 30s or older (even Depp's career didn't take off til Pirates). It's another double standard between male and female actors.

[Chrissytd]

 

Lupita will be in the new Star Wars film, but not in a live action character. She's also producing and starring in adaptation of a Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I think she's in talks for a Mira Nair film. When Lupita got her Lancome deal last year, a few articles said this would really help her be more selective as an actor. Most debut critically actors may get lots of offers in the first year, and many can't afford to say No. Lupita's fashion contracts will enable her to live and choose only the projects she really wants to do.

She's also going to be in The Jungle Book.

[ribboninthesky1]

I think the elephant in the room that was avoided (and still is) with Lupita is that, despite her talent and winning an Oscar, she's not getting film roles like say, Margot Robbie, who hit the scene around the same time.  The Lancome deal hopefully enables her to produce her own projects, as I don't see her getting much lead (maybe even supporting) work in Hollywood. But overall, it seems like a consolation prize to me, especially when there are actresses who get beauty contracts AND film roles.  It's good that she has Pitt's support in producing, but it's a shame that, so early in her career, she has to produce her own work.  Maybe she's stated that she prefers producing to acting, though. 

[Athena]

The Lancome deal hopefully enables her to produce her own projects, as I don't see her getting much lead (maybe even supporting) work in Hollywood. But overall, it seems like a consolation prize to me, especially when there are actresses who get beauty contracts AND film roles.  It's good that she has Pitt's support in producing, but it's a shame that, so early in her career, she has to produce her own work.  Maybe she's stated that she prefers producing to acting, though. 

 

This leads into the debate about Race and Gender in Hollywood. Lupita is a WOC and there just aren't as many roles for her there (which sucks). Another thing to consider is that Lupita debuted when she was around 30. Most young actresses/ingenues get their break in their teens or early twenties as Margot Robbie did. It also means she's more self-aware about her career goals. I don't think she wants to be an A-list actor similar to how Rachel McAdams felt when she made it big around the same age. Lupita looks and played younger, but I think it also affects her choices and those who offer roles for her as well. She does like to produce though. She has directed and produced before starred in 12 Years. I think directing is another of her passions and I hope she gets to explore that in the future.

[ribboninthesky1]

I don't follow celebrity interviews much, so I assume she's addressed what she wants out of her career.  But she presumably got a Master's degree in acting from Yale because she wanted to act.  You don't have to attend drama school to be a producer. It's not about being A-list, IMO, it's about getting consistent work.  And when you're an Academy award-winning address, but not even cast as a live-action character in a major franchise like Star Wars, something in the milk ain't clean.  I give her kudos because she's leveraging the beauty game and her Pitt connection as well as she can. But it sucks because even with her strategy, the reality is that she might not have an Amy Adams or Jessica Chastain type of career.  Or even a Rachel McAdams type of career, where you have the chance to step back from the spotlight while choosing what jobs to take.  Makes me wonder if she'll eventually switch over into TV, where there are more opportunities, particularly for black actresses.       

[Athena]

Fair points. I don't disagree with you, and I find Lupita interesting and extremely talented. She did a film degree and worked as production assistant before making the switch acting and going to drama school. I think she'll be successful in the entertainment industry if she continues with her work ethic and reputation. She obviously does want to act, but I can also understand how she may want to find the right roles for her especially given how limited the landscape is already. She could take more mediocre supporting roles or focus on producing and starring in projects she enjoys. Many Oscar winning Supporting Actresses don't get consistent work after they win for a variety of reasons. She also does not have enough body of work for people to offer her more Lead roles. I could see her switching to TV or even doing more theatre as I think she's expressed an interest in that as well.

[ribboninthesky1]

Has she mentioned that she's not been offered the right roles? If not, I'm curious, where is that coming from? 

[Joe]

 

And when you're an Academy award-winning address, but not even cast as a live-action character in a major franchise like Star Wars, something in the milk ain't clean.

Approaching this from a Star Wars direction, maybe she auditioned for the part knowing she'd be all Andy Serkised up? I haven't read any interviews with her or anything, but maybe she was interested in doing that sort of thing. There are several other WOCs in the cast, though lower down. It's possible there was talk of her doing one of those roles, but she went for one higher-up the cast list.

[methodwriter85]

I do think this is part of it. I remember when he was on "Gossip Girl" and thinking he was much more older and blander than he really was. Part of it was GG's terrible writing, but his small role on Social Network wasn't bad and I look forward to TMUNCLE.

 

If we look at it, a lot A-list male actors in Hollywood make it big in their 30s or older (even Depp's career didn't take off til Pirates). It's another double standard between male and female actors.

 

I'd say Depp was one of the rare examples of a male teen idol who made the jump into leading man A-list status. I think it helped that Depp was actually older when his teen idol days hit (he was in his mid-20's when 21 Jump Street Hit), and then he made all these weird, quirky projects and generally spent his 20's and 30's in interesting, acclaimed roles instead of just trying to be in blockbusters.

 

He did such a good job with the build-up to his A-list status that I really just don't understand why he imploded in the last five years or so. Same goes with Ryan Reynolds, who also had such a steady, measured career.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Maybe the problem with Armie isn't that he's too good-looking- the problem might be that he doesn't really work in "young guy" roles because he comes off as SO polished and mature for his age.

 

To be fair, Christian Bale was unnaturally handsome in American Psycho, like so good-looking that he didn't even seem real. I haven't seen The Social Network, so I can't say objectively how talented Hammer is, but this makes me want to check it out.

[ToxicUnicorn]

Hi, all.  I read through this thread, hoping to get a sense of who is new, and had to google most of the names.  I gather I should give Shailene another chance.  I took  my kids to Divergent and thought the movie was pretty bad, same with the Hunger Games series, where no one impressed.  (Serves me right for only seeing big action movies with them in the theater!)

 

The actor I am most interested in seeing hit the big screen is Patrick J. Adams, who plays Mike Ross, in Suits.  I adore him, but don't see his name mentioned.  I thought maybe it was a super specific fit for me (that role, that show), but then I saw him again on Orphan Black (he gets a very brief turn in Season 3 with the character of Helena), and he and Tatiana Maslany were like a drop of cold water hitting a hot grill.  Sizzle!  More, please.

 

I think they're both very versatile and I love their tv shows because of them.

[JBC344]

 

To be fair, Christian Bale was unnaturally handsome in American Psycho, like so good-looking that he didn't even seem real. I haven't seen The Social Network, so I can't say objectively how talented Hammer is, but this makes me want to check it out.

I think Armie's looks are very "classicaly handsome", which while attractive can translate to boring.  In the vein of a Ken doll.  He also does come off very mature, polished, great guy, (considering his family history and upbringing you see why) which isn't a bad thing just that he would probably benefit from playing more characters with an edge like say what Brad Pitt did after Thelma and Louise.  I'm hoping TMUNCLE does that for him, he really is talented.

Edited June 2, 2015 by JBC344

[Princess Sparkle]

He did such a good job with the build-up to his A-list status that I really just don't understand why he imploded in the last five years or so. Same goes with Ryan Reynolds, who also had such a steady, measured career.

I've said this before with Ryan Reynolds (though, it might have been back on TWOP and not here), but Ryan Reynolds I think is a classic example of someone who has leading man looks, but not leading man charisma.  In supporting funnier roles, he's great, but as a leading man, he just doesn't quite have what it takes to carry a movie that isn't a romantic comedy, and even then, a lot of the time, it's very dependent on who his costar is.  If he were to refocus on romantic comedies, I actually think he'd do very well there, but that doesn't seem like the type of roles he wants to do.    

 

Armie Hammer, likewise, is someone who is so good looking, but I think is just charisma free.  Not as bad as Sam Worthington (I seriously do not understand why he was a thing for a little bit; a box of hair has more charisma), but I just don't get anything from him on screen.  And I fully recognize charisma is subjective, but honestly, every role I've seen Armie Hammer in, you could replace him with someone else and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.    

[JBC344]

I've said this before with Ryan Reynolds (though, it might have been back on TWOP and not here), but Ryan Reynolds I think is a classic example of someone who has leading man looks, but not leading man charisma.  In supporting funnier roles, he's great, but as a leading man, he just doesn't quite have what it takes to carry a movie that isn't a romantic comedy, and even then, a lot of the time, it's very dependent on who his costar is.  If he were to refocus on romantic comedies, I actually think he'd do very well there, but that doesn't seem like the type of roles he wants to do.    

 

Armie Hammer, likewise, is someone who is so good looking, but I think is just charisma free.  Not as bad as Sam Worthington (I seriously do not understand why he was a thing for a little bit; a box of hair has more charisma), but I just don't get anything from him on screen.  And I fully recognize charisma is subjective, but honestly, every role I've seen Armie Hammer in, you could replace him with someone else and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.    

I completely agree.  I have watched Ryan Reynolds since I was a pre-teen, back when he was on Fifteen, and have always liked him.  You nailed it with the charisma claim.  I think with him people confuse charisma with his humor.  His whole "overly sarcastic, exalt the man child persona" is incredibly old and tired, what is worse is that is his real personality.  So when he attempts to get away from that and do something different (horror, drama) it really doesn't work because no one buys it. 

 

I really like and appreciate that he keeps his personal life with Blake private, but I think with him getting older he is going to need to show us a different side of his personality if we are to believe anything different from him in the future.  He is currently shooting Deadpool, which I'm sure will be great but again Deadpool is a "silly, fun, overly sarcastic superhero" that I'm sure will do well at the box office but won't help change perception of his talent unfortunately.

[cynic]

I feel like I'm getting some Hollywood fatigue lately. I just have less and less desire to see some actors the more they get cast. Maybe it's always been like this and I'm just now noticing it/getting annoyed by it more lately for some reason, but I'm at least temporarily done with:

Bradley Cooper

Jennifer Lawrence*

Shailene Woodley

Miles Teller

Emma Stone**

*I'm extra especially done with seeing her in roles written for older women.

**She's so everywhere lately that she's playing hapa Asian/Pacific Islander in Aloha....with freaking Bradley Cooper. Just had to cast both of them, huh?

I'd just like to see some different people get hyped for a while.

As for Lupita, I feel like if she looked like Blake Lively and won and Oscar and became a fashion icon and had the good graces of people like Pitt, then she would have been hyped enough and cast enough to make it on my list of people I'm tired of.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

As for Lupita, I feel like if she looked like Blake Lively and won and Oscar and became a fashion icon and had the good graces of people like Pitt, then she would have been hyped enough and cast enough to make it on my list of people I'm tired of.

 

Re this - Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for her performance in Monster, does ads for Dior. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call her a fashion icon, but I would imagine that they pay her a fair chunk of change to shill their perfume. Granted, Theron won her golden statue in 2004 and didn't really do anything impressive again (IMO until she was in Young Adult in 2011, but Nyong'o followed up 12 Years A Slave with Non-Stop. Regardless of hype, not every role is going to be an award-winner, and while she may have been cast in the next Star Wars, the prequels didn't exactly boost Hayden Christensen's career into the stratosphere. At least Lupita can act.

 

Second re - as the backlash against Jennifer Lawrence continues, I would imagine that Anne Hathaway is breathing quite the sigh of relief. I'm mainly commenting on it because its such an interesting dichotomy. People didn't (don't?) like Hathaway because she was too "snooty", and now they don't like Lawrence because she's too "loud", I guess in addition to being too hyped. Makes me wonder why anyone would even want a career in the acting business. :-P

[methodwriter85]

Is there really that much of a backlash against Jennifer Lawrence? I got the impression that she realized she was oversaturated and she's not really making the rounds  of press unless it's for a movie she's promoting.

[JBC344]

 

Re this - Charlize Theron, who won an Oscar for her performance in Monster, does ads for Dior. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call her a fashion icon, but I would imagine that they pay her a fair chunk of change to shill their perfume. Granted, Theron won her golden statue in 2004 and didn't really do anything impressive again (IMO until she was in Young Adult in 2011, but Nyong'o followed up 12 Years A Slave with Non-Stop. Regardless of hype, not every role is going to be an award-winner, and while she may have been cast in the next Star Wars, the prequels didn't exactly boost Hayden Christensen's career into the stratosphere. At least Lupita can act.

 

Second re - as the backlash against Jennifer Lawrence continues, I would imagine that Anne Hathaway is breathing quite the sigh of relief. I'm mainly commenting on it because its such an interesting dichotomy. People didn't (don't?) like Hathaway because she was too "snooty", and now they don't like Lawrence because she's too "loud", I guess in addition to being too hyped. Makes me wonder why anyone would even want a career in the acting business. :-P

Well Charlize was nominated a year or two later for North Country, and has done some real impressive work in her follow up movies.  This to me was when people's opinion of her started to change.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Is there really that much of a backlash against Jennifer Lawrence? I got the impression that she realized she was oversaturated and she's not really making the rounds  of press unless it's for a movie she's promoting.

 

It's possible that "backlash" is the wrong word to use. But the over-saturation happened because firs she was cast in The Hunger Games, and then David O. Russell cast her in Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle, and she won an Oscar for Playbook that not everyone thought she deserved. Depending on what you believe, she was too young to play Bradley Cooper's girlfriend, the worst casting choice this side of Madonna for Serena, and too white to play Katniss Everdeen and I'm not even gonna touch that one because this is the wrong thread for it. She hit it really big really quickly, and she doesn't even turn twenty-five until the middle of August. Given that some actresses can toil in the proverbial trenches for ages, I think there's a portion of the movie-going public is reacting to the over-saturation by creating a backlash, if that makes sense.

 

The point I'm trying to make is, the acting business seems like a double-edged sword. If you have no talent (Hayden Christensen, Kristen Stewart more often than not) you become the punchline in a Jay Leno routine. If you're moderately talented like Jennifer Lawrence but luck into a huge franchise (two huge franchises if you count her turn as Mystique in X Men) and then win a major acting award for what's pretty much your first big-budget film, there's going to be a level of over-saturation there that people will come to dislike/resent/whatever. Thus my use of the word backlash.