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

[aradia22]

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Leighton Meester hasn't had as much luck post Gossip Girl as Blake Lively. She was adorable in the episodes of last year's Making History I've seen, but it was cancelled after a couple of episodes.

It's so disappointing. She was absolutely my favorite part of that show. To be fair, she's made some terrible movies. I liked Making History but it wasn't a great show. I'm biased but I think Leighton is the rare example of someone who is legitimately talented but who keeps appearing in terrible projects. There's only so long you can get away with being the best part of a bad movie before people just associate you with bad movies. Speaking of music, I like her album. 

I don't know what it really means but when I open Netflix, Gossip Girl is constantly in the trending or most watched lists. It's a shame she's not being offered better parts. 

But for whatever reason, we don't seem to actually get rid of anyone any more. If Miley Cyrus and Cole Sprouse and Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez managed to hang on, I have faith that Leighton will eventually find her next successful project. 

[absnow54]

The chemistry between Hedlund and Meester is off the charts in that scene.

Country Strong is an awful movie, but I watch it every time it's on TV because I love the chemistry between Hedlund and Meester so much. I too wish that Leighton had the career she deserved, but I worry that since Blair Waldorf was so iconic as a queen bee, she may have "peaked" in high school.

[Athena]

I also adore Leighton Meester and find her very talented. She has a natural screen presence and charisma that means she generates chemistry with most of her co-stars.  It's a real shame that she hasn't found even a steady TV role; Making History was not good even though she was adorable in it. During GG times, she had her small music career and she can sing better than some actors. She has always seemed to be very low key in general and Black Lively was the opposite of that. Lively had a team that got her papped a lot of places, she was dating DiCaprio, she got that terrible Green Lantern role, and she even had a Goop like lifestyle brand at one point. Lively can't even act but I'm glad she seems to have realized that overexposure does not work and is picking smaller and interesting projects.

[topanga]

On 3/5/2018 at 12:15 PM, aradia22 said:

If you have Kristen Bell and you have Reese Witherspoon, why do you need SMG?

Speaking of which, I keep wondering why KB hasn’t had a bigger film career  I mean, she’s done movies, but IMO, they’ve largely been dumb rom-coms. And I like rom-coms, but not dumb ones.

Kristen Bell certainly has the acting chops to do both comedic and dramatic roles. And I find her very likable. 

 

On 3/6/2018 at 8:34 AM, Dejana said:

If Ben Affleck hadn't been Nick, I think Gwyneth Paltrow would have also been a good choice for Amy, if she was still interested in acting.

What’s funny is that when I first read Gone Girl (before there was talk about a movie), I imagined Gwyneth as Amy. 

 

On 2/27/2018 at 9:10 AM, absnow54 said:

I remember thinking he was not good on All My Children (but that could also be because All My Children's writing wasn't stellar), but he's obviously flourished into one of the best actors of his generation. I don't think he's quite as charismatic as a young Will Smith, and he hasn't had much comedic material (don't see That Awkward Moment) but his work with Ryan Coogler has been really great. I'm glad that Black Panther is giving both Michael B Jordan and Ryan Coogler the recognition they deserve, since Fruitvale Station was largely overlooked, and Sylvester Stalone got all the attention with Creed.

Yes, I’m glad MBJ’s talents are being seen around the world. 

[Black Knight]

On 3/1/2018 at 8:13 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Wasn't MBJ's character supposed to have a romance with Amanda Seyfried's character on All My Children and the racist Brian Frons nixed that? That's all I really remember about Reggie. It's pretty awesome that he's got a legitimate shot at a Denzel Washington level career.

Reggie and Joni did become a teen couple on AMC - official boyfriend/girlfriend and all that. I adored their pairing. However, there was a change of headwriters and the new one, Megan McTavish, didn't seem to care for Joni/Amanda Seyfried, although it might also be that Joni had no connections on the canvas and isolated characters like that are problematic in the soap opera genre. In any case, Seyfried was out, and McTavish eventually introduced a new girlfriend for Reggie who did have ties to a legacy family.

I've always thought the MBJ/Seyfried connection would make a great Trivia Pursuit question some day. I so wish an interviewer would know about their AMC connection and ask one of them about it in an interview - it would make my Reggie/Joni fan heart squee. But it's awesome to see how MBJ's career has taken off - is it fair to say that he's now second only to Julianne Moore in terms of success for former soap opera actors? - and Seyfried has had a good amount of success.

[aradia22]

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I too wish that Leighton had the career she deserved, but I worry that since Blair Waldorf was so iconic as a queen bee, she may have "peaked" in high school.

That's an interesting point. I have no idea how her face is going to age so I want her to get all the good parts now. Her face is so doll-like that it's really ideal for younger roles. People talk about Reese Witherspoon having a heart shaped face but really, most women in Hollywood are just thin. Unless you're full-figured, everyone really has a chiseled or thin look. I don't know what kinds of characters Leighton will play in her 40's and 50's if she doesn't find her next big role now (and build some kind of persona outside Gossip Girl). Maybe she'll age into a Tiffani Amber Theisen mom look? There are not a lot of round-faced, short women in Hollywood. Arguably Amy Adams. 

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Speaking of which, I keep wondering why KB hasn’t had a bigger film career  I mean, she’s done movies, but IMO, they’ve largely been dumb rom-coms. And I like rom-coms, but not dumb ones.

I don't know how much time she took to have a baby and be with it when it was young. I guess she went from Veronica Mars to Forgetting Sarah Marshall and only recently got Frozen and then Bad Moms. Her other projects haven't been very notable so it's not like she's been wasting her opportunities. I think the dumb movies sometimes involve her husband. I wonder how much that hampers her. Melissa McCarthy's husband is usually involved in her dumb comedies. 

[VCRTracking]

2 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I don't know how much time she took to have a baby and be with it when it was young. I guess she went from Veronica Mars to Forgetting Sarah Marshall and only recently got Frozen and then Bad Moms. Her other projects haven't been very notable so it's not like she's been wasting her opportunities. I think the dumb movies sometimes involve her husband. I wonder how much that hampers her. Melissa McCarthy's husband is usually involved in her dumb comedies. 

I wonder whose husband was responsible for The Boss?

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by VCRTracking

[topanga]

31 minutes ago, VCRTracking said:

I wonder whose husband was responsible for The Boss?

 

I forgot about Bad Moms. She was great in that. Haven’t seen 2 yet. 

But, yeah. The Boss was bad. 

[absnow54]

Kristen Bell has the talent for both comedy and drama, but she doesn't seem interested in pursuing the later. The Bad Moms movies are fun, but it doesn't seem like she's putting too much stock in her film career either (she's set for life with Frozen voice work anyway.) She's picked great television roles though, and has probably struck up a good work/life balance that film doesn't provide. 

[UYI]

22 hours ago, Black Knight said:

But it's awesome to see how MBJ's career has taken off - is it fair to say that he's now second only to Julianne Moore in terms of success for former soap opera actors? - and Seyfried has had a good amount of success.

Call me selfish, but my Meg Ryan loving heart still thinks she should be near the very top of that list, despite not being the draw she was in the 90's. ATWT has her, Julianne, AND Marisa Tomei to boast about! 

[absnow54]

Wasn't Tommy Lee Jones on One Life to Live in the 70's?

[NutMeg]

On 3/2/2018 at 7:27 PM, sweetcookieface said:

I ended up clicking on the first page of this thread (from 2014) and was tickled to see a lot of discussion about Amy Adams. I was just thinking about her because I just rewatched American Hustle and was reminded of how good she is. I think her performance was easily the best, most compelling one in the film (it's laughable that she was overshadowed by JLaw when it came to awards talk). Not only that, it's such a different role for her - I don't think I've ever seen her play a sexy, devious, morally questionable character. That made me realize how versatile an actress she is. If anything, I think she's known for playing sweet, ingenue characters, like in Catch Me If You Can, Enchanted, Junebug, and Doubt (I haven't seen some of these, so maybe I'm off). But she can also play chilly (e.g., Nocturnal Animals), a little tough (The Fighter), smart and down to earth (Arrival), and, as noted above, sexy (American Hustle).  I've never considered her one of my favorite actors, but when I stop and think about her career, I have to acknowledge how good she is. Her performances tend to be understated, so I don't think of her as having star power per se, but I think she's in it for the long haul.

Late to the party, but if you like Amy Adams, you should also watch Sunshine Cleaning, where she - again - plays a completely different character. It's more an indie movie than te ones you listed, but it's really good.

I think if I had to list my top 3 Amy Adams movies in terms of diversity of acting, I would go with Enchanted, Sunshine Cleaning and Nocturnal Animals. 

[Morrigan2575]

On 3/8/2018 at 11:54 AM, aradia22 said:

I guess she went from Veronica Mars to Forgetting Sarah Marshall and only recently got Frozen and then Bad Moms.

She did a year on Heroes (S2), maybe more than a year, I can't remember.

[Silver Raven]

I just saw an interview with Storm Reid, the star of A Wrinkle in Time, and this fourteen year old girl is self-possessed, politically aware, and on fire.  I see big things ahead for her, if she doesn't burn out.

[UYI]

2 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Wasn't Tommy Lee Jones on One Life to Live in the 70's?

Yes, as was Laurence Fishburne and Judith Light! 

[Silver Raven]

18 minutes ago, UYI said:

Yes, as was Laurence Fishburne and Judith Light! 

Judith Light was THE star.

[Ohwell]

5 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

I just saw an interview with Storm Reid, the star of A Wrinkle in Time, and this fourteen year old girl is self-possessed, politically aware, and on fire.  I see big things ahead for her, if she doesn't burn out.

Yeah I saw that interview and I must admit that I kind of wanted her to shut up after about five minutes.  I know she's young and excited but I had to turn away from her.  I hope she does't burn her own self out.

[methodwriter85]

On 3/9/2018 at 4:01 PM, Silver Raven said:

Judith Light was THE star.

I've seen clips and wow, she was amazing. "How much more do you want, Mr. Callison? Haven't I said what everyone wants to hear? What you want everyone to hear? That I AM A COMMON HOOKER LIKE KATRINA CARR! THAT MARCO DANE WAS MY PIMP! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY?"

I would say that Meg Ryan (she was on As The World Turns) had a bigger career than Julianne Moore, even though Julianne Moore has been the "long star", so to speak. Julianne Moore was never really a box office name the way Meg was. Meg's fame petered out back in the mid-2000's so we kind of forget that there was a time when she was one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. The big 3 of the 90's seemed to be her, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Roberts. So basically the blonde American sweetheart, the brunette American sweetheart, and the redhead American sweetheart.

Finn Wittrock was on All My Children during it's dying throes and I can really see him going places. I pretty much thought he could only play variations of rich preppy assholes but he's actually a lot more versatile than that, per my viewings of his character in the Assassination of Gianna Versace and his role in an indie called The Submarine Kid. At any rate, Ryan Murphy should keep him well-employed for awhile.

Anyway, I just watched Thoroughbreds and it made me again think about what a shame it was that we lost Anton Yelchin. His boyish looks had faded by the end of his life and he really would have been a delightful character actor if he had been given more time. Such a shame though- I remember finding him so heartbreaking in Alpha Dogs and he definitely could have had a long career in quirky roles.

It also made me think about Anya Taylor Joy's relatively rapid rise to fame. (The Witch was literally her second film role.) I think she broke though so quickly because she has such a unique presence and look that can be molded to suit a character. She plays weird aliens. She can play young English girls in a creepy drama. She can play rich bitch posh characters. She can play damaged young women from abusive backgrounds. She can be the blonde or the brunette. It's a pretty wide array of characters for someone who literally started acting on t.v. and films in 2014. 

I can't think of anyone like her or who looks like her. Her face with those wide set eyes and apple cheeks is so different from anybody else. Sometimes unique can be a bad thing, but sometimes it really can be the thing that makes you break out.

Edited March 11, 2018 by methodwriter85

[Kel Varnsen]

On 3/8/2018 at 4:58 PM, topanga said:

I forgot about Bad Moms. She was great in that. Haven’t seen 2 yet. 

But, yeah. The Boss was bad. 

The Boss was pretty terrible. But CHIPS, written and directed by Dax Shepard was soooo much worse. 

 

Quote

 think the problem with SMG was that they wanted to put her in bubbly romantic comedies like every other 20-something actress during that time period, and those kind of roles weren't right for her. There's an iciness to SMG that she played to absolute perfection in Cruel Intentions and she wasn't able to find more roles like that. I do think if you had a 22-year old Sarah Michelle Gellar now she would probably have a better chance because the movie climate has changed and young women aren't really being pushed to the romantic comedy roles now. Kristen Bell had the same kind of problem- they tried pushing her in romantic comedies and they weren't really right for her, either. It didn't help that by that time (the late 2000's) the genre was declining pretty fast and hard.

I wonder if another part of the problem was Gellar seemed to really want to be a movie star after Buffy ended, but the opportunities weren't really there (other than Scooby Doo). She really didn't seem interested in going back to TV until that stupid looking show where she played twins many years later. I wonder if she had found another TV show shortly after Buffy ended she would have been more successful (especially with how many good tv options there are now). I mean compare her to David Boreanaz, who is hardly any great actor, but the guy has been working pretty much non-stop as a lead actor on television shows for the last 20 years. 

Edited March 11, 2018 by Kel Varnsen

[VCRTracking]

19 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I would say that Meg Ryan (she was on As The World Turns) had a bigger career than Julianne Moore, even though Julianne Moore has been the "long star", so to speak. Julianne Moore was never really a box office name the way Meg was. Meg's fame petered out back in the mid-2000's so we kind of forget that there was a time when she was one of the biggest actresses in Hollywood. The big 3 of the 90's seemed to be her, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Roberts. So basically the blonde American sweetheart, the brunette American sweetheart, and the redhead American sweetheart.

I never thought of that.  You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks was the last big hit Meg Ryan had and it came out 20 years ago.* Hanging Up her last movie with director Nora Ephron wasn't a hit and neither was Kate & Leopold, which Hugh Jackman was the younger rising star.(That movie btw was directed by James Mangold who Jackman would later work with years later on Logan to great acclaim) In 2000, while Julia did Erin Brockavich which got her the Oscar and Sandra Bullock made Miss Congeniality which was a huge hit, Meg's "good girl" reputation took a hit when tabloid rumors of a affair with co-star Russell Crowe while she was married to Dennis Quaid(even though Ryan said he had been unfaithful to her for years). I said earlier that actors become stars when there's a gap, and that "blonde American Sweetheart" gap was filled the next year by Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.

 

*I saw it in the theater and there was a trailer for Message in a Bottle, the first movie made from a Nicholas Sparks novel starring Kevin Costner and Robin Wright. I wouldn't have predicted how great her career became 2 decades after The Princess Bride and Forrest Gump and that Costner's more a reliable supporting actor nowadays. Also that he would play Pa Kent and she would play Wonder Woman's aunt!

[UYI]

10 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

 Hanging Up her last movie with director Nora Ephron wasn't a hit and neither was Kate & Leopold, which Hugh Jackman was the younger rising star.

Kate & Leopold may not have done as well as You've Got Mail did, but it's usually the last movie of Meg's that most people seem to think is at least somewhat watchable. (And I think it under-performed more than bombed.) 

Edited March 12, 2018 by UYI

[Athena]

11 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Meg's "good girl" reputation took a hit when tabloid rumors of a affair with co-star Russell Crowe while she was married to Dennis Quaid(even though Ryan said he had been unfaithful to her for years)

Ryan's career took a dive for a couple of reasons. The affair rumours didn't help. Most of the roles she was known for were not becoming popular anymore. Romcoms were going downward and she was aging out. She actively decided to take a 3 year hiatus in the aughts after Kate and Leopold which would have killed any momentum of trying to find some other niches or options. Her look was also very associated with the 90s and the 80s and most probably didn't think she had the range to do more grittier roles. I liked most of her romantic roles, but very few of them showed much range. In recent years, she's had a lot of work done on her face (fillers and botox mainly I think) and she does not look like her old self at all. 

[JBC344]

I miss Meg, it's unfortunate what has happened to her career.  I must say I really loved her dark performance in "In the Cut" with Mark Ruffalo.  Very different role and movie for her and I thought she knocked it out of the park.  She got some good reviews for it, but I don't remember it doing well at the box office.  Although not a crowd pleasing movie, but very enjoyable. 

I'm more surprised we don't see her on a cable show. 

[methodwriter85]

17 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

I said earlier that actors become stars when there's a gap, and that "blonde American Sweetheart" gap was filled the next year by Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.

Yeah. And the "redhead American sweetheart" gap after Julia Roberts aged out was temporarily filled by Lindsey Lohan before she went off the rails, and then conveniently Emma Stone saw her rise.

I'm still trying to figure out if I think that Anya Taylor-Joy is filling some kind of void and that is why she's become so hot at such a fast rate (literally her career started in 2014) or if she's just so unique and interesting that it's turbocharging her career. There is something really hypnotic about those very dark wide-set eyes of hers. I do think it's been awhile since we've had an ingenue scream queen in quality thrillers so I guess that's the gap she's filling?

She seems to come from an affluent background so that's probably allowed her to be pretty choosy.

I wonder if Sophia Coppola would be interested? She seems to like them blond and blue-eyed but I could see Anya soulfully gazing out of a window in a Sophia Coppola movie, especially if she goes back to blonde.

Edited March 12, 2018 by methodwriter85

[UYI]

Bad news for Cameron Diaz fans:

According to her friend, Sweetest Thing co-star Selma Blair, Cameron Diaz has officially retired from show business.

Hey, she's got money from a bunch of Shrek movies. Live your life, girl!

ETA: That's what I get for posting too fast. Selma Blair is now claiming she was joking. 

http://www.etonline.com/selma-blair-clarifies-comments-that-cameron-diaz-is-retiring-98198

Edited March 12, 2018 by UYI

[JBC344]

I was just remarking about how much I miss Cameron. I know she took some time to enjoy married life and being an author, but would love to see her back on screen in something interesting. 

Comedy or drama. I still say she was the best thing about the Vanilla Sky remake, and deserved an Oscar nomination. 

[pivot]

On 3/7/2018 at 12:28 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Honestly, Gwen got her Oscar and by the time her kids came around, she was pretty much checked out. I don't know if her career might have been different if she had taken longer but it is kind of a shame. She really can act and she definitely could've rocked Amazing Amy.

Eh, Gwen's career tanked. She was never a good actress and terribly unlikable. She focused on her family and GOOP because she couldn't get any decent roles. Seriously, her small part in Ironman is the best she's got in ages.

[aradia22]

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I mean compare her to David Boreanaz, who is hardly any great actor, but the guy has been working pretty much non-stop as a lead actor on television shows for the last 20 years. 

Maybe this is my gender bias seeing more variation in male faces than female faces but I feel like Hollywood tends to pick guys who are different enough that they don't cancel each other out. This is not a great sampling because I'm just pulling random names but even though they're all tall, buff (when the role calls for it) and strong jawed, David Boreanaz, Henry Cavill, Channing Tatum, and Chris Pine look different enough that there's space for all of them. Of course, there's also the issue of there being more roles (lead roles, substantial supporting roles, etc.) for men than women but even so I feel like Hollywood casting is so rigid in its types for women. The way people look at cartoons and see the same female faces and often bodies I feel like you generally see the same things in real life actresses. That pointed chin/heart shaped face. The full cheeks/high cheekbones. Small, thin noses. Usually the same body type with a few outliers like Christina Hendricks or Octavia Spencer. And it tends to be the same across racial lines. I think because Hollywood beauty standards seem so rigidly enforced for women, actresses end up being more replacable. 

Also, yes, I don't think he's really displayed the need to be a huge star or to take challenging roles. I know he's made a couple of movies but nothing notable and he was content to stay on Bones for years cashing those checks while the writing got worse and worse. 

[Scarlett45]

This is one of my favorite threads across the board and the favorite in the movie section. 

Move always been a Leighton Meiser fan- she’s got a versatility to her that doesn’t get shown, too often, have you guys seen her in Life Partners? Comparing her Blake Lively, although she’s a better actress, Blake is the ideal of classic good looks for Hollywood- she’s white, blond, tall, her facial features are perfectly symmetrical and her proportions are PERFECTION for wearing clothes (on film she doesn’t look too skinny but I know the camera adds weight). If her face doesn’t go to shit due to age or too much work done she can be a spokesperson for the next 2-3 decades. But as Leighton ages I think there is more work in her future. She’s got a baby face so she can play younger for a long time (kind of like what Kristen bell did). 

[dusang]

3 hours ago, aradia22 said:

Maybe this is my gender bias seeing more variation in male faces than female faces but I feel like Hollywood tends to pick guys who are different enough that they don't cancel each other out. This is not a great sampling because I'm just pulling random names but even though they're all tall, buff (when the role calls for it) and strong jawed, David Boreanaz, Henry Cavill, Channing Tatum, and Chris Pine look different enough that there's space for all of them. Of course, there's also the issue of there being more roles (lead roles, substantial supporting roles, etc.) for men than women but even so I feel like Hollywood casting is so rigid in its types for women. The way people look at cartoons and see the same female faces and often bodies I feel like you generally see the same things in real life actresses. That pointed chin/heart shaped face. The full cheeks/high cheekbones. Small, thin noses. Usually the same body type with a few outliers like Christina Hendricks or Octavia Spencer. And it tends to be the same across racial lines. I think because Hollywood beauty standards seem so rigidly enforced for women, actresses end up being more replacable. 

I'm definitely going to call you on that.  Honestly, I find Hollywood men so interchangeable that if there are too many men with the same colour hair I get them confused.  Also, David Boreanaz is 10 years older than Cavill, Tatum, or Pine -- definitely not going for the same roles.

I think Boreanaz just seriously lucked into Bones, which was one of those mediocre-to-terrible procedurals that defy all logic and reason by running for over a decade, at which point he's got the good reputation of being reliable on set (12 years and only one minor scandal) and has an undiscerning fanbase so why not plop him into another mediocre-to-terrible procedural that builds on his existing "army/sniper" character type? He also perfectly fits the "police procedural male lead" mold -- white male with dark hair.  Bones came out in 2005 around the same time as Kitchen Confidential with Nicholas Brendon.  I had the opportunity to see all the episodes of Kitchen Confidential that were made and it was HILARIOUS -- it was absolutely tragic that it was cancelled after only two or three episodes and Nicholas Brendon was (and probably still is) an infinitely better actor than David Boreanaz.   If anything, Boreanaz chose a mundane project with greater chance of longevity versus the more daring effort of KC, which was probably a bit ahead of its time.  

(Admittedly, coming off Kitchen Confidential Nicholas Brendon did not do as well as those costars -- Bradley Cooper, John Cho, John Francis Daley -- but I still think Boreanaz's continued employment has more to do with luck and the power of mediocrity than anything else.)

Full disclosure: I've watched a LOT of Bones on Netflix and with familiarity grew contempt -- I've come to hate it with a fiery passion.

Edited March 22, 2018 by dusang

[festivus]

As far as looks go, I think Boreanaz is an average good looking guy, nothing special. I think the reason he's stayed around is that for some reason he's able to generate chemistry with almost anyone which is a quality that few have. He probably could have made it in the movies playing the kinds of roles that Vin Diesel plays. He probably just stayed on TV because it's easier and people keep hiring him.

[Scarlett45]

3 minutes ago, festivus said:

As far as looks go, I think Boreanaz is an average good looking guy, nothing special. I think the reason he's stayed around is that for some reason he's able to generate chemistry with almost anyone which is a quality that few have. He probably could have made it in the movies playing the kinds of roles that Vin Diesel plays. He probably just stayed on TV because it's easier and people keep hiring him.

Exactly. Being able to make your living as a working actor is a luxury and everyone in the industry knows you can be super talented and end up puttering out even after a hit show. 

Think of Jessie L Martin and how many years he was on Law & Order NOT doing broadway, not singing, no movie musicals etc- it was a steady paycheck! Even after Rent was made into a film he went back to Law & Order. 

[festivus]

7 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Exactly. Being able to make your living as a working actor is a luxury and everyone in the industry knows you can be super talented and end up puttering out even after a hit show. 

True. I think being a person with a lot of charisma is a more important quality than looks or even talent a lot of the time. Channing Tatum fits this bill for me. He is not my type at all (neither is Boreanaz) but he just has all the charisma that is needed to be a star. I just love him and I watch movies I wouldn't ordinarily watch just because he's in them.

A person that's on my radar now is Jason Ralph. He kind of looks like Boreanaz but imo is much cuter. I watch him on a show, The Magicians, and he's another of those people that's able to generate chemistry with everyone whether it's romantic or friendship. I know I'm talking about TV people more but we don't really have a topic like this in the TV forums. I did just watch him in a movie called Those People and he was magnetic and tragic and the chemistry just poured out of him. He's also got the most expressive face. I think he could be our new Hugh Grant, taking those kind of roles in romantic comedies where you need more than just a funny person, you need someone like Hugh who was funny but capable of showing deep sadness at the same time and always had chemistry with everyone.

I will say I miss the kinds of romantic comedies that Hugh made, they were the only kind I watch as I'm not really a romantic movie type of person.

[aradia22]

Quote

I'm definitely going to call you on that.  Honestly, I find Hollywood men so interchangeable that if there are too many men with the same colour hair I get them confused.  Also, David Boreanaz is 10 years older than Cavill, Tatum, or Pine -- definitely not going for the same roles.

I mean, I said I was picking random actors. I agree that there are also a lot of interchangeable male actors but I think there is a broader range physically when it comes to leading men. Even character actresses like Frances McDormand, Sarah Paulson, Sally Hawkins, Mindy Kaling, etc. don't vary that much from the female ideal and the outliers often don't get commercially successful leading roles the way male "character actors" can still get lead roles. I just played a game with google image search picking random actresses and most of them had the same basic features. The best I could come up with for outliers was Monique, Oprah, and Famke Janssen. Looking at the faces of Hollywood women you forget that there is more variation among humanity. 

Quote

Think of Jessie L Martin and how many years he was on Law & Order NOT doing broadway, not singing, no movie musicals etc- it was a steady paycheck! Even after Rent was made into a film he went back to Law & Order. 

I refuse to do that because it makes me sad. Even though I love Law & Order. ;)

[Cobalt Stargazer]

9 hours ago, aradia22 said:

I mean, I said I was picking random actors. I agree that there are also a lot of interchangeable male actors but I think there is a broader range physically when it comes to leading men. Even character actresses like Frances McDormand, Sarah Paulson, Sally Hawkins, Mindy Kaling, etc. don't vary that much from the female ideal and the outliers often don't get commercially successful leading roles the way male "character actors" can still get lead roles. I just played a game with google image search picking random actresses and most of them had the same basic features. The best I could come up with for outliers was Monique, Oprah, and Famke Janssen. Looking at the faces of Hollywood women you forget that there is more variation among humanity.

On McDormand's behalf, are you still a character actress once you've won two Oscars? Maybe her career isn't on the level of someone like Meryl Streep, but McDormand only has one less little gold statue, so maybe it balances out.

Also, I checked her IMDB page just for the hell of it, and it contains this quote in regards to plastic surgery that made me snort-laugh:

[on plastic surgery] I have not mutated myself in any way. Joel (Coen, her director husband) and I have this conversation a lot. He literally has to stop me physically from saying something to people - to friends who've had work. I'm so full of fear and rage about what they've done.

[UYI]

19 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

On McDormand's behalf, are you still a character actress once you've won two Oscars? Maybe her career isn't on the level of someone like Meryl Streep, but McDormand only has one less little gold statue, so maybe it balances out.

 

I think you can be, in the sense that I wouldn't expect for her to take, for the lack of a better word, more "conventional" romantic comedy parts the way actresses like Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts did in the 90's, or how Reese Witherspoon and Kate Hudson were in the early 2000s (given the fact that romantic comedies aren't as big as they used to be, I realize this might not have been the best example to go with here).

And forgive me for bringing up Jennifer Lawrence here, because I'm kind of tired of talking about her:

Given the...lackluster response (on various levels) that her last few films have received, does anyone else here think that the one thing that might restore some of her momentum would be to do a comedy/romantic comedy of some sort? I can see her avoiding them because they might seem too obvious, given her real life personality, which could be why she's picked so many "darker" roles recently, but playing something lighter might actually be the best thing that ever happened to her (as long as we don't hear her talk about farting or her Kardashian obsession in a film, because then, she's just playing herself, lol). 

[VCRTracking]

28 minutes ago, UYI said:

Given the...lackluster response (on various levels) that her last few films have received, does anyone else here think that the one thing that might restore some of her momentum would be to do a comedy/romantic comedy of some sort? I can see her avoiding them because they might seem too obvious, given her real life personality, which could be why she's picked so many "darker" roles recently, but playing something lighter might actually be the best thing that ever happened to her (as long as we don't hear her talk about farting or her Kardashian obsession in a film, because then, she's just playing herself, lol). 

The dichotomy between her onscreen persona and offscreen one is probably the greatest of any living star.

Toni Collette is like a less intimidating version of Frances McDormand.

[absnow54]

Jennifer Lawrence was attached the The Rosie Project, which would have been a commercial rom com, but dropped out. She's also got that film she wrote with Amy Schumer, but both women are so polarizing, I don't think a super self indulgent, raunchy project would help with their "like ability" problem. 

[VCRTracking]

On 3/12/2018 at 3:04 PM, UYI said:

Bad news for Cameron Diaz fans:

According to her friend, Sweetest Thing co-star Selma Blair, Cameron Diaz has officially retired from show business.

Hey, she's got money from a bunch of Shrek movies. Live your life, girl!

ETA: That's what I get for posting too fast. Selma Blair is now claiming she was joking. 

http://www.etonline.com/selma-blair-clarifies-comments-that-cameron-diaz-is-retiring-98198

 

Actually she's not. I guess Selma kind of let the cat of the bag early. CNN:
Cameron Diaz says she's 'actually retired'

Zoe Kazan tweeted this sweet story. "Paul" is her partner, actor Paul Dano:

Edited March 31, 2018 by VCRTracking

[methodwriter85]

Cameron Diaz probably realized that her career has gotten to the point where pretty much all she's going to get are feisty cougar roles, like her part in Bad Teacher or the Other Women. I do think she's always struck me as someone who was in acting because it was fun and she wasn't hurting for work. She's now aged out of the kind of roles that made her famous, and Cameron probably realizes she's going to have to really fight to stay in the game. She decided not to.

Christina Applegate makes me sad. I always wished she could have had more luck with her acting career, but she just never really did. I did love her part in Bad Moms, though. Maybe when her daughter gets a bit older she'll try to act more.

It's still funny to me that Selma Blair was playing the youngest character in Cruel Intentions, but she was the oldest of the "teens." Someone needed to tell her that she was really, really overdoing it in trying to act like a 15-year old.

Edited March 31, 2018 by methodwriter85

[UYI]

8 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

Actually she's not. I guess Selma kind of let the cat of the bag early. CNN:
Cameron Diaz says she's 'actually retired'

Zoe Kazan tweeted this sweet story. "Paul" is her partner, actor Paul Dano:

 

Yeah, I forgot to update that. She made about a billion Shrek movies; she's set for life on that alone. 

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

 

It's still funny to me that Selma Blair was playing the youngest character in Cruel Intentions, but she was the oldest of the "teens." 

 

And she spoke like a mentally-disabled five year old in that movie. Bizarre.

And honestly, some of those weird speech patterns showed up in Legally Blonde, too. Vivian (Selma's character) had a weird way of speaking at times and it bugged me. 

Christina Applegate tried like hell to avoid being typecast as dumb blondes once Married...with Children was over (and I don't blame her; it's clear in real life she's NOTHING like Kelly Bundy), but she was GREAT as Amy Green on Friends. She absolutely deserved the guest star Emmy she won for that. And it took me WAY too long to remember that she and Matt LeBlanc (Joey) had played boyfriend and girlfriend on MWC, lol.

Edited March 31, 2018 by UYI

[VCRTracking]

51 minutes ago, UYI said:

And it took me WAY too long to remember that she and Matt LeBlanc (Joey) had played boyfriend and girlfriend on MWC, lol.

Oh I remembered that immediately! I actually watched that god awful show that was the spinoff starring LeBlanc and Joe Bologna as his dad AND I watched the retooled version of that where it was just LeBlanc and his roommate and which also starred Joey Lauren Adams!

57 minutes ago, UYI said:

Yeah, I forgot to update that. She made about a billion Shrek movies; she's set for life on that alone.

Googled her net worth: 140 million dollars!  Good for her. She also was able to have at least one hit movie where she was the star and not just the love interest or second billed or be part of an ensemble: Bad Teacher.

[Pink ranger]

9 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Cameron Diaz probably realized that her career has gotten to the point where pretty much all she's going to get are feisty cougar roles, like her part in Bad Teacher or the Other Women. I do think she's always struck me as someone who was in acting because it was fun and she wasn't hurting for work. She's now aged out of the kind of roles that made her famous, and Cameron probably realizes she's going to have to really fight to stay in the game. She decided not to.

 

If typecasting is really an issue for her then TV might be a good option. 

I am sure that someone from a good cable or streaming channel could have role for her that renegotiates her image.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Pink ranger

[methodwriter85]

11 hours ago, Pink ranger said:

If typecasting is really an issue for her then TV might be a good option. 

I am sure that someone from a good cable or streaming channel could have role for her that renegotiates her image.

 

Yeah, the thing is, I don't think she cares enough to pull a Reese Witherspoon or Charlize Theron and fight for/create roles for herself that get her beyond her Cool Girl movie image. I think she got just bored with it, and is just going to take her money and go out and live her life.

Anyway, on the flipside...

Quote

If Miley Cyrus and Cole Sprouse and Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez managed to hang on, I have faith that Leighton will eventually find her next successful project. 

Cole Sprouse is the rare example of someone who gets to be a teen idol twice- once as a Disney star getting pictured on TigerBeat, and now as a 25-year old teen hearthrob on Riverdale with his very own pillowcase. I think that's kind of funny. Most former child stars that launch a successful comeback usually do it by landing on a great adult role. He's still technically playing a kid. (Although the Riverdale kids are really only kids because they're under 18. They sure as hell don't act like kids.)

I kind of got the vibe that Cole just decided to act again as a lark because someone recruited him for the part and he's now got a series that's going to run at least three years and is getting a lot of media attention. His real passion seems to be photography, and I'm guessing that's what he'll go back to when Riverdale has run its course.

Edited April 1, 2018 by methodwriter85

[SallyAlbright]

Re: the earlier Leighton Meester discussion, I always liked her best from the Gossip Girl cast and think she is really talented and versatile. I agree that she has a bit of a baby face, which should start helping now that she's in her 30s but was maybe difficult post-GG. I think her versatility also hurt her, as she did a lot of very random projects (including Broadway and releasing an album) instead of all the red carpet appearances and high-profile tabloid stuff Blake Lively did. I am really rooting for her new show with Brad Garrett and Taran Killam (by the creators of New Girl) to do well, as I always thought she had perfect comic timing as Blair Waldorf and I love that she is married to Adam Brody. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by SallyAlbright

[vb68]

I always thought Cameron Diaz kinda peaked with "There's Something About Mary." That role suited her like a glove, and she was perfection in it. But it was also a curse.  She never came close to topping it.

16 hours ago, SallyAlbright said:

 I am really rooting for her new show with Brad Garrett and Taran Killam (by the creators of New Girl) to do well, as I always thought she had perfect comic timing as Blair Waldorf and I love that she is married to Adam Brody. 

Well I hope that works for Taran Killam's sake. Everything I've heard on and off the record is that he was completely blindsided by his dismissal from SNL and it stung. Yes, he was directing that nothing movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but he could have easily worked out the schedule. He was no where near as busy as Kate McKinnon always is with her schedule. In short, I've always liked him and think he's super talented. I hope he gets that vehicle where he can finally move on from it.

Finally watching "Three Billboards over Ebbing, Missouri", I had to appreciate Woody Harrelson. What actor wouldn't love to have that career, especially in his age group? Dude works ALL the freaking time, blending major Franchises (Hunger Games, The Apes movie, Han Solo) with the more Indie acting cred movies (Three Billboards, The Glass Castle--where he was the best thing about that one). He should teach a class for actors on how to balance roles. Who cares if he's ever really the lead anymore? He kinda has the perfect career.    

[Ohwell]

I agree about Woody Harrelson.  Who knew he would grow up from being dense but lovable Woody Boyd on Cheers, to Three Billboards? 

[VCRTracking]

58 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I agree about Woody Harrelson.  Who knew he would grow up from being dense but lovable Woody Boyd on Cheers, to Three Billboards? 

During his Cheers run he starred in Wildcats, Doc Hollywood and White Men Can't Jump, usually playing an egotistical jerk, very similar to how Chris Pratt was dense and lovable Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation but also played kind of jerks in movies.  The year Cheers ended Harrelson was in first big dramatic movie Indecent Proposal starring with Demi Moore and Robert Redford as Moore's husband who willingly cuckolded by Redford's billionaire character for a million dollars.  Then came Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers, then Money Train with frequent co-star Wesley Snipes. 1996 was a big year for him, starring in both Milos Foreman's The People Vs Larry Flynt(where he got his first and only Best Actor Oscar nomination, the Farelly Brothers' Kingpin(where Woody has one of the funniest moments I've ever seen). He's had a few other movies where he's the lead but he's been mostly in ensemble and character roles since.

Edited April 2, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Ohwell]

Wasn't he also in Zombieland?  

[VCRTracking]

4 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Wasn't he also in Zombieland?  

Yes, and he was great in it. Tallahassee and his Twinkie obsession!