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

[aradia22]

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Speaking of Jason Lee I always wished he had a bigger career. 

Yeah, I think the Scientology played a role.

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No, I don't mean in terms of looks. I mean the fact that his entire acting style just feels like youth personified, which is a great thing for young adult parts but it doesn't work as well when you age but the acting hasn't evolved as much. Winona Ryder had a big problem with this. I remember the old Fametracker discussions about her and how it wasn't really her shoplifting scandal that destroyed her career, but the fact that she had such adolescent mannerisms/acting style despite hitting her 30's. She couldn't convincing portray adults despite actually being one, but she was also too old to keep playing adolescents. It took until her late 30's when she appeared in Star Trek and Black Swan that she could do it. I mean, it's a hard thing to tell, but I can see Timothee having this same problem.

I've only seen Timothee in one play. I do think that your physical appearance makes a difference in what kind of roles you're going to get. Sure there's Gary Oldman in The Darkest Hours and Doug Jones in The Shape of Water but for the most part your face and your body are what they are and if you can't change them enough for the role, you don't get cast. Speaking of Winona, that reminds me of Johnny Depp. Young Johnny Depp was more attractive (in my opinion) than Timothee is now but I think his career shows how difficult it is to predict a career trajectory sometimes. Who would have guessed that Depp would have had this whole period in his career involving wigs and hats and all the makeup? Christian Bale is another guy from around that period who was able to defy his conventional leading man looks to take all kinds of roles. Not that anyone else should really do the Christian Bale thing though... that seems super unhealthy. I've never noticed Winona having particularly adolescent mannerisms but then I'm not so bothered by quirks or awkwardness if it fits the role. I think she just had a rocky transition from odd but fresh-faced ingenue to a brittle-looking adult. I feel like if she'd been born later, her best case scenario would be a Kristen Stewart kind of career but she's not the same kind of actress. And Christina Ricci has got that more conventional weirdness down. I just feel like she really needed someone to write a part for her. She doesn't have the warmth or the strength or the other qualities I associate with actresses who fit a similar type. She doesn't seem like a Laura Dern, Connie Britton, or Reese Witherspoon either. I think she needs to find a director or writer who "gets" her. 

[methodwriter85]

I will give Fred Savage this- he's always been pretty game to reference his past as a child star.

He was kind of screwed when transitioning out of childhood roles because he didn't develop leading man looks and he didn't have enough talent to make up for the lack of that, but he was smart to get into producing and directing.

Meanwhile Danica McKellar is appearing in a lot of Hallmark and Lifetime movies. She's also doing a lot of voice work, which is a good fit for her youngish voice.

Edited November 21, 2018 by methodwriter85

[Pink ranger]

Danica also got a degree in mathematics and wrote a series of books.

The titles of them are a little dodgy though. If I was a parent of a middle school girl looking for some extra reading, covers with “ girls get curves” or “ Hot X” might make me think that I was in a very wrong book section.

[methodwriter85]

Joey King, working child star turned teen ingenue who got a bunch of attention because of the "so bad it's good" The Kissing Booth, parleyed her notice and landed the part of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy became infamous for setting up her boyfriend to murder her mother after years of being a victim of Munchausen's-by-proxy. Joey shaved her heard as Gypsy's mother kept her hair shaved so that she'd look like a cancer patient.

She's set to play opposite Patricia Arquette in the series, which will air on Hulu. I gotta say, that seems like a great role to play. I've been rooting for her since the Conjuring and she seems to be making some pretty smart choices to help her transition from working child actor to a leading lady.

[CountryGirl]

On 7/25/2018 at 1:00 AM, UYI said:

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the tragic murder of 10 year old Judith Barsi, who was shot to death by her own father while she was sleeping, along with her mother, who was shot as she was running down the hallway towards Judith's room after the first gunshot (which killed Judith instantly). Her father killed himself shortly thereafter.

In an ironic and tragic twist, Judith's first role was on the TV adaptation of Joe McGinnis' Fatal Vision, where she played 3-year-old Kimberly MacDonald, who was murdered by her father, Jeffrey MacDonald, along with her pregnant mother and younger sister.

[Scarlett45]

On 11/20/2018 at 5:37 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I will give Fred Savage this- he's always been pretty game to reference his past as a child star.

He was kind of screwed when transitioning out of childhood roles because he didn't develop leading man looks and he didn't have enough talent to make up for the lack of that, but he was smart to get into producing and directing.

Meanwhile Danica McKellar is appearing in a lot of Hallmark and Lifetime movies. She's also doing a lot of voice work, which is a good fit for her youngish voice.

I think the Savage brothers had good parents that kept them grounded- to have two sons that were child stars and neither went off the rails means you did something right. I always wanted Fred to make it on another sitcom- he’s better looking than Ben (more classic facial features) and he would’ve been a tv star in an ensemble piece. 

 

Yes I see Danica EVERWHERE on Hallmark Channel these days. Hallmark and Lifetime seem to be the stomping ground for 90s kid/teen stars who never made it big but have a good work ethic and still want to be working actors, more power to them. 

On 12/5/2018 at 2:33 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Joey King, working child star turned teen ingenue who got a bunch of attention because of the "so bad it's good" The Kissing Booth, parleyed her notice and landed the part of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy became infamous for setting up her boyfriend to murder her mother after years of being a victim of Munchausen's-by-proxy. Joey shaved her heard as Gypsy's mother kept her hair shaved so that she'd look like a cancer patient.

She's set to play opposite Patricia Arquette in the series, which will air on Hulu. I gotta say, that seems like a great role to play. I've been rooting for her since the Conjuring and she seems to be making some pretty smart choices to help her transition from working child actor to a leading lady.

Good for her. That story was so tragic though. Poor Gypsy- my concern is that after all the years of being abused by her mother she will NEVER be right (psychology) to live a productive life in society. 

[methodwriter85]

On 12/9/2018 at 12:10 AM, Scarlett45 said:

Good for her. That story was so tragic though. Poor Gypsy- my concern is that after all the years of being abused by her mother she will NEVER be right (psychology) to live a productive life in society. 

What's sad is that Gypsy sounds like she's absolutely loving prison. Her life is prison better than the one she had with her mother. Seriously ponder that.

Anyway, it's a hell of a part to play, and she'll be working with Patricia Arquette, who has managed to last over 30 years in the business after starting out as the pretty blond horror movie protagonist. Patricia probably can give her some great advice. I do think Joey King has some pretty good potential and this part could definitely take her next level past her current teen romcom/horror stuff.

So now that we're at the end of the decade, who would you say were the "definitive" movie stars of the 2010's, in this "post-box office star" decade? I'm leaning towards Emma Stone. She did a great mix of commercial and indie in a variety of genres, and she was great at both dramas and comedies. There wasn't really any point in this decade where I thought her career looked like it was in trouble, which I can't really say for Jennifer Lawrence, who's career was on fire from 2011 to 2016 but has really cooled off. I would still put JLaw as second.

As for the guys, Channing Tatum started off the decade pretty hot with Dear John in 2010, then his absolutely amazing 2012, but things have kind of felt up in the air since. I'm not really sure- maybe Bradley Cooper? I did think that Ben Affleck was on a pretty good hot streak during this decade from The Town through The Accountant, but then things started going south for him personally and professionally. He looked so uncomfortable in Justice League.

My favorite comeback of the decade is probably Laura Dern, who really just didn't seem relevant for a long time she really hit the ground running after being relaunched by the Fault in Our Stars and Wild. I also really liked Ben Affleck's comeback, but then things again went off the rail.

Edited January 7, 2019 by methodwriter85

[Scarlett45]

@methodwriter85 I would say for women Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence & Amy Adams. I put Amy in there because she’s worked consistently the entire decade in complex roles that weren’t a part of a franchise.

 

For men- Bradley Cooper and trailing behind him, Dwayne Johnson (the Rock).....Most of the other big name male stars I am thinking of are known mostly as characters in a franchise. I can name A-List actors but I wouldn’t consider them STARS in the manner to described above. 

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, I really feel like any big-name current male actor is pretty much known for their franchise and can't really open outside of it.

[absnow54]

I always wanted Fred to make it on another sitcom

I loved both of his failed sitcoms, Working and The Grinder. He plays the exasperated straight man so well!

[AshleyN]

13 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Yeah, I really feel like any big-name current male actor is pretty much known for their franchise and can't really open outside of it.

Leo is the big exception I think.

It's hard because he works so infrequently (I just checked and holy crap I did not realize that The Revenant, his last movie, came out three years ago), but he's just about the only actor in Hollywood who hasn't been part of any franchise. And while his movies aren't blockbusters on the scale of your Marvel's or Star Wars', I don't think something like The Revenant or The Wolf of Wall Street would have come close to their grosses (especially internationally) with any other actor in the lead.

Edited January 7, 2019 by AshleyN

[methodwriter85]

4 hours ago, absnow54 said:

I loved both of his failed sitcoms, Working and The Grinder. He plays the exasperated straight man so well!

He's got a t.v. show on Netflix called Friends From College.

Forgot about Leo. I think of him as pretty much the last box office movie star. He really can open a movie no matter what because he's pretty smart about what he picks. I'm assuming Leo got a really good back-end deal on Titanic that set him for life. The fact that The Great Gatsby still managed to hit 100 million is a pretty good testament to how strong his starpower still is. He did take a pretty long break this decade, though. I don't blame him- he finally got his Oscar after 20 years of trying.

Anyway, people I thought were going to become household names that didn't:

1.) Nicholas Hoult. I really thought Warm Bodies was going to be the thing that made him famous. Then I figured it was going to be Mad Max. Maybe The Favourite will finally do the trick? Luckily for him, a lot of guys tend to build their career in their 20's and then become famous in their 30's.

2.) Teresa Palmer. Really great in Warm Bodies and in another era, she probably could have launched really well in romantic comedies. I think she might be playing more the long star game, though. Both Hacksaw Ridge and Lights Out did do pretty well and her IMDB card looks full, so it looks like she's good.

3.) Logan Lerman. I really thought he was going to take off after the Perks of Being A Wallflower as at least an indie darling boy, but his career just seemed to stall.

I would have put Armie Hammer on this list, but he restored his buzz with Call Me By Your Name.

Edited January 7, 2019 by methodwriter85

[festivus]

12 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

1.) Nicholas Hoult. I really thought Warm Bodies was going to be the thing that made him famous. Then I figured it was going to be Mad Max. Maybe The Favourite will finally do the trick? Luckily for him, a lot of guys tend to build their career in their 20's and then become famous in their 30's.

First time I saw him in About A Boy I thought, that kid will be a big star someday. He seems to be steadily working in interesting films and I think you may be right, he'll end up being a Bradley Cooper when he hits his 30's.

 

I wonder if Glen Powell will end up blowing up at some point. I've enjoyed him in everything I've seen him in and I think he has tons of charisma but with those kind of regular guy good looks that work so well for a variety of parts.

 

Also, Sebastian Stan. I feel like he should be a bigger star. (I know he's got his Tumblr fangirls but in general he doesn't seem that well known if you're not a Marvel fan) He's a really good actor and g-damn he's good looking. Like Paul Newman level and I don't give that compliment out easily. Is that the problem I wonder? Too good looking, not relatable?

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, festivus said:

I wonder if Glen Powell will end up blowing up at some point. I've enjoyed him in everything I've seen him in and I think he has tons of charisma but with those kind of regular guy good looks that work so well for a variety of parts.

Yeah, I can definitely see that with him.

[absnow54]

Also, Sebastian Stan. I feel like he should be a bigger star. (I know he's got his Tumblr fangirls but in general he doesn't seem that well known if you're not a Marvel fan) He's a really good actor and g-damn he's good looking. Like Paul Newman level and I don't give that compliment out easily. Is that the problem I wonder? Too good looking, not relatable?

Has Sebastian Stan ever led a movie? I feel like he's always a supporting character, and like a second or third tier supporting character (with the exception of Captain America and I, Tonya) at that. I think this Marvel Winter Soldier/Falcon show they have lined up may give him a chance to actually shine, or if they give him a more leading role in the next phase of Avengers if the original guard passes on the baton.

[festivus]

8 hours ago, absnow54 said:

Has Sebastian Stan ever led a movie?

That's my point though. Why hasn't he? He just seems like one of those people that should be a bigger star than he is and I'm trying to figure out why he isn't. I wonder if it's because his acting style is kind of subtle. I didn't realize how good he was as Bucky/WS until I got a tablet and I could really see his expressions up close. (I have vision problems that keep me from seeing things properly on bigger screens*) I feel like these Marvel movies are giving the people in them a leg up for the most part. I'm expecting Danai Gurira to get bigger because of them. Well, she better anyway because I adore her. I want to see her in everything.

 

I looked up Glen Powell to see what he was up to and it looks like he'll be in that new Top Gun movie. Maybe that will be the thing that does it for him. You just know that movie is going to do well. Hell, I'll go see it and I rarely go to the theater.

 

*Main reason I don't go see many movies.

Edited January 8, 2019 by festivus
extra words that did not belong. oops

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

He's got a t.v. show on Netflix called Friends From College.

Forgot about Leo. I think of him as pretty much the last box office movie star. He really can open a movie no matter what because he's pretty smart about what he picks. I'm assuming Leo got a really good back-end deal on Titanic that set him for life. The fact that The Great Gatsby still managed to hit 100 million is a pretty good testament to how strong his starpower still is. He did take a pretty long break this decade, though. I don't blame him- he finally got his Oscar after 20 years of trying.

Anyway, people I thought were going to become household names that didn't:

1.) Nicholas Hoult. I really thought Warm Bodies was going to be the thing that made him famous. Then I figured it was going to be Mad Max. Maybe The Favourite will finally do the trick? Luckily for him, a lot of guys tend to build their career in their 20's and then become famous in their 30's.

2.) Teresa Palmer. Really great in Warm Bodies and in another era, she probably could have launched really well in romantic comedies. I think she might be playing more the long star game, though. Both Hacksaw Ridge and Lights Out did do pretty well and her IMDB card looks full, so it looks like she's good.

3.) Logan Lerman. I really thought he was going to take off after the Perks of Being A Wallflower as at least an indie darling boy, but his career just seemed to stall.

I would have put Armie Hammer on this list, but he restored his buzz with Call Me By Your Name.

I wonder if being a “movie star” these days require that you play the “social media” game which a lot of stars don’t want to play. TV stars (where you see them week after week) appear to more regularly use social media to keep fans engaged. Which makes sense on a marketing level. 

I think Nicholas Hoult will get bigger and bigger. He’s got talent, and will likely look more “handsome” as he ages (he still has a baby quirky look in the face). 

I saw Sebastian Stan in “Picnic” he is a great actor, but he’s not FLASHY, again I think he may be a huge name 10 or so years from now. 

Teresa Palmer is so adorable! She’s fresh faced, blonde, pretty- she would’ve been a romcom darling in the 1990s. If she keeps her baby face like Kristen Bell did she will have a long career. 

[festivus]

13 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Teresa Palmer is so adorable! She’s fresh faced, blonde, pretty- she would’ve been a romcom darling in the 1990s. If she keeps her baby face like Kristen Bell did she will have a long career. 

Maybe she still has a chance to get in on that action. Rom-coms seem to be coming back in style if going by the offerings on Netflix is any indication. I've been watching a few myself.

[aradia22]

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Yes I see Danica EVERWHERE on Hallmark Channel these days. Hallmark and Lifetime seem to be the stomping ground for 90s kid/teen stars who never made it big but have a good work ethic and still want to be working actors, more power to them. 

Don't forget the willingness, or even enthusiasm in many cases, for religious/conservative material. 

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So now that we're at the end of the decade, who would you say were the "definitive" movie stars of the 2010's, in this "post-box office star" decade?

I have weird picks based on quick wikipedia-ing of the top grossing movies.

1) Dwayne Johnson- I'm giving him my number one pick because he was in top earning movies and even though there was some over-exposure, he established himself as a box office draw. He's in the Fast and Furious franchise but outside of that he's had some solid earners in comedies and action movies (let's forget Baywatch). Jumanji was big and outside of superheroes, he doesn't have a lot of competition in generic action movies from the likes of Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Gerard Butler, etc. at the moment.

2) Emma Watson- I told you it'd be weird. I think with the end of the Harry Potter franchise at the beginning of the decade and then Beauty and the Beast, she counts as a movie star. I don't know if anyone watched the Bling Ring and god help you if you watched The Circle but I think she counts as much as other actresses do. She was in huge box office earners and people care about her life, her fashion, and her... attempts at activism. 

3) Chris Pratt- Less so than my #1 pick, he's a big box office earner and established himself outside of a franchise. He doesn't do as many movies but people like him and Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic Park are beloved franchises because of him. If I was going to argue anyone else from Marvel, I'd pick Robert Downey Jr. but I think for this decade it's really Chris Pratt. In a way, he's been smart to not branch out too much and have the flops that RDJ has on his record outside of Marvel. 

4) Kristen Stewart- You've got the end of the Twilight franchise. And then the whole scandal which really made her tabloid fodder. She's settled into things but people still care about her life without her fading into a who-y obscurity. And she's making the indie movies she wants to make without any sense of being downgraded from the big leagues. 

5) Steve Carrell- Do not discount the Despicable Me franchise. It's huge. In addition, like Stewart, he's been able to make a career for himself in respectable indie fare, though he gets closer to the awards show fare than she does. 

I agree on DiCaprio and JLaw.

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Also, Sebastian Stan. I feel like he should be a bigger star. (I know he's got his Tumblr fangirls but in general he doesn't seem that well known if you're not a Marvel fan) He's a really good actor and g-damn he's good looking. Like Paul Newman level and I don't give that compliment out easily. Is that the problem I wonder? Too good looking, not relatable?

He's not my type but it's funny you should bring up Paul Newman... They cast William Holden in the movie but it feels like a part Paul Newman could have played. William Inge has got a Tennessee Williams vibe. 

[Joe]

Nicholas Hoult is great. I actually saw him in X-Men, Warm Bodies, and Mad Max before I realised it was the same person. Maybe that's why he isn't bigger, he's too good. Too chameleonic, if that's a word.

[methodwriter85]

14 hours ago, aradia22 said:

He's not my type but it's funny you should bring up Paul Newman... They cast William Holden in the movie but it feels like a part Paul Newman could have played. William Inge has got a Tennessee Williams vibe. 

That's because he played the part on Broadway, but they went with William Holden for the film adaption because he was an established name. As much as I like William in the part, and his chemistry with Kim Novak was scorching, the guy was just too old to play someone who had been in college just a few years ago.

[aradia22]

@methodwriter85 Ah, yes, thank you! That must have been what I was thinking of. I was so confused when I tried looking it up and couldn't find it on Paul Newman's imdb.

[UYI]

On 1/7/2019 at 8:27 AM, absnow54 said:

I loved both of his failed sitcoms, Working and The Grinder. He plays the exasperated straight man so well!

Working actually lasted two seasons (1997-1999) so I don't generally think of it as a "failed" sitcom, like I do for those that are cancelled after 5 episodes/one season. "Overlooked", yes, "failed", not really.

Would Margot Robbie count among the movie stars of the decade? If not, I certainly think I, Tonya shows she could be in the next decade, especially since she's more known for "older" women roles anyway. 

Edited January 14, 2019 by UYI

[methodwriter85]

She's definitely poised to start off the next decade in really good shape.

[methodwriter85]

I just realized that if Kyle Gallner had been born a decade later, he probably would've had a much more successful career than just being that guy from Veronica Mars and a general "Hey, it's that guy" working actor. I mean, it does seem like he gets plenty of work, but I do think that his general look in his 20's (pale, babyface, soulful puppy dog eyes, curly hair) seems more popular now than it was back then. The 2000's seemed more about the Abercrombie-looking guy.

It really is funny how timing seems to work. There are actors that I think would have worked in any decade (Margot Robbie probably would've had a Cameron Diaz type of career in the 90's) but there are also actors who might've been suited better to a different time. I always thought Julia Stiles would have been much better suited to the 1970's Annie Hall era.

Edited January 18, 2019 by methodwriter85

[VCRTracking]

On 1/18/2019 at 9:28 AM, methodwriter85 said:

I just realized that if Kyle Gallner had been born a decade later, he probably would've had a much more successful career than just being that guy from Veronica Mars and a general "Hey, it's that guy" working actor. I mean, it does seem like he gets plenty of work, but I do think that his general look in his 20's (pale, babyface, soulful puppy dog eyes, curly hair) seems more popular now than it was back then. The 2000's seemed more about the Abercrombie-looking guy.

It really is funny how timing seems to work. There are actors that I think would have worked in any decade (Margot Robbie probably would've had a Cameron Diaz type of career in the 90's) but there are also actors who might've been suited better to a different time. I always thought Julia Stiles would have been much better suited to the 1970's Annie Hall era.

 

I always thought Timothy Hutton would have been bigger if he started his career a decade earlier or a decade after his breakout in 1980s Ordinary People. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar and he did a few memorable movies afterward like Taps and Falcon and the Snowman but his movie career wasn't huge. His thoughtful, sensitive young man would have been better suited for the riskier, unconventional films of the "New Hollywood" 70s or the edgier Indie/Sundance movies of the 90s. The 1980s however was the era of blockbusters and the "Brat Pack". America preferred the brash, dynamic Tom Cruise, his Taps co-star, the bad boy attitude of his Falcon and the Snowman co-star Sean Penn and the comic charm of Matthew Broderick.

Edited January 19, 2019 by VCRTracking

[methodwriter85]

Timothy Hutton also wasn't right for the teen high school comedies that were a pretty big mainstay of 1980's cinema.

[aradia22]

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Would Margot Robbie count among the movie stars of the decade? If not, I certainly think I, Tonya shows she could be in the next decade, especially since she's more known for "older" women roles anyway. 

I mean, you could argue anything but I wouldn't count her. I do admire the way she's been able to roll a few big successes (Wolf of Wall St, Suicide Squad, Tarzan) into producing. I will still never forget Pan Am though. She was so bad. But that whole show was terrible. The only one who got out okay was Christina Ricci. I can't think of someone comparable. Maybe Emma Stone or Bryce Dallas Howard (though Emma is a better argument for movie star of the decade)? At least so far, Margot has been in big movies but she hasn't proven to be a draw. Unlike say Jessica Chastain or Keira Knightley, she hasn't taken too many chances in trying to open a movie on her own so you don't have a track record of flops or indie box office numbers. To me, star of the decade has big box office numbers and/or their movies help define the decade. If you cheat a little and start at the end of the 80s with Beetlejuice, Wynona Ryder is a huge 90's star. Same for Meg Ryan if you start a little early in the late 80s. For the first decade of the 2000's, I'd say Anne Hathaway. I don't know if being a star of the decade (or any period of about ten years even if it doesn't correspond to the start/end of the decade) is ideal anyway. It's a lot of pressure and outside of franchises (playing the same role) it implies to some degree a lack of flexibility because in a lot of cases you're in commercial fare and asked to be the same type over and over. That's why it's easy to map onto an actor or actress all the vibes, feelings, ideas, anxieties, etc. of the decade. But take Meryl Streep. There have been times she's had a good run or her movies have been more popular but I don't think she's tied to a particular decade. I think I'd say the same about Nicole Kidman.

I think Margot's test will be in the coming decades. With smart producing or better roles she very well could be a star of the next decade.

If I had to say who could be one of those old school stars of the decade ideologically. Part of the issue is that it kind of depends on getting a lot of roles and sometimes actors get locked into a TV show or something. Examples: Emilia Clarke (though she's had her struggles outside GOT) and Taraji P. Henson The next decade is also going to be interesting because it's a volatile time with a high potential for lots of rapid shifts so it's harder to be one thing and always be relevant. I could see a star of the next decade being someone like Zendaya who seems to want to play the game of shifting with dominant worldview/cultural norms, etc. But that's a dangerous game. Scarlett Johansson tries but she's messy. Then there are actresses like Natalie Portman but they're a little too untouchable and exceptional. Margot seems a little more mainstream. Someone who I don't think gets enough credit for ideologically embodying the time we're living in (even if she often does Oscar bait) is Amy Adams. If anyone successfully embodies how many different people women are expected to be while reckoning with the ills of society in her movies while remaining human and grounded instead of too exceptional, it's Amy Adams. 

Also, star of the decade that I totally missed? Melissa McCarthy.

[methodwriter85]

Oh yeah, Melissa McCarthy. Even her disappointments haven't been outright bombs. Still kind of bummed Spy wasn't considered successful enough to get a sequel.

[methodwriter85]

Gracie Dzienny played an 80's bully in Bumblebee. I really loved her turn as Greer, a bipolar teen lesbian, on the show Chasing Life and I hadn't really seen her in anything after. For the longest time I thought I was watching Halston Sage with bleached blonde hair, but then I saw the credits and realized it was Greer from Chasing Life. I always thought she looked like she should have played an 80's bitch in a teen movie and I'm glad I got to see her do that, at least for two scenes.

It looks like the only thing she did between this and Chasing Life was her turn on CBS's Zoo. Kind of a shame- I thought she was really good in Chasing Life. Bumblebee did well and hopefully this gets her noticed for some more gigs.

Edited January 21, 2019 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

For someone who's not considered a particularly good actor, it's kind of awesome that Keanu Reeves has never really slipped into has-been status or done desperate things to try to revive his career. I think he's probably had one of the most unique career trajectories I can think of.

I'm guessing he was pretty smart with managing his money so he's been able to avoid doing things like reality shows during his dry spots? It also seems like Keanu has a reputation as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood so that seems to help him a lot.

[Simon Boccanegra]

Reeves is one of those people who aren't really great actors, but found things they were so right for. It's hard to imagine anyone else in his role in My Own Private Idaho, for example. The great performance in that movie is River Phoenix's, but the two of them played off each other so beautifully.   

A thought: Lucas Hedges is Tobey Maguire 20 years ago. The pre-Spider-Man Tobey Maguire of The Ice Storm, Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules, and Wonder Boys. If any of those movies were being made today, can't you see it? Or, flipping it around, a young Maguire in Boy Erased, Lady Bird, or Three Billboards? (I just realized they both were in something with Frances McDormand. She was Michael Douglas's married lover in Wonder Boys.) I think Hedges is a better actor, though.  

I guess Chalamet would be the DiCaprio in this comparison.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Simon Boccanegra

[methodwriter85]

7 hours ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

I guess Chalamet would be the DiCaprio in this comparison.

I remember everybody wanted it to be Dane DeHaan because he has Leo's eyes, but he's pretty much fizzled out.

[methodwriter85]

Meg Ryan reflecting on her career

It's kind of funny to think about her, because the other two American Sweethearts of the 90's (Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock) are either making a lot of interesting choices/still pretty much on the A-list. I really think in her case, she lost the "cute" factor and people didn't take her "In The Cut" career re-imagining. So she retreated, basically.

[Simon Boccanegra]

Also, I don't think Ryan helped her case with the face work she had done in the aughts. See also Melanie Griffith. I'm sure Bullock and Roberts also have availed themselves of some of what modern science has to offer to still look good, but they look like plausible older versions of their young selves. Ryan and Griffith, not as much.

[Lugal]

On 2/17/2019 at 2:29 AM, methodwriter85 said:

For someone who's not considered a particularly good actor, it's kind of awesome that Keanu Reeves has never really slipped into has-been status or done desperate things to try to revive his career. I think he's probably had one of the most unique career trajectories I can think of.

I'm guessing he was pretty smart with managing his money so he's been able to avoid doing things like reality shows during his dry spots? It also seems like Keanu has a reputation as one of the nicest guys in Hollywood so that seems to help him a lot.

I'm guessing the Matrix movies have set him up pretty good, and given the tragedies he's been through in his life, I think Keanu has stayed very grounded and doesn't go in for the Hollywood bullshit.

On 12/8/2018 at 10:10 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Yes I see Danica EVERWHERE on Hallmark Channel these days. Hallmark and Lifetime seem to be the stomping ground for 90s kid/teen stars who never made it big but have a good work ethic and still want to be working actors, more power to them.

It's funny, I have a friend who looks like Danica and is probably as un-Hallmark as you'll find.

[methodwriter85]

14 hours ago, Simon Boccanegra said:

Also, I don't think Ryan helped her case with the face work she had done in the aughts. See also Melanie Griffith. I'm sure Bullock and Roberts also have availed themselves of some of what modern science has to offer to still look good, but they look like plausible older versions of their young selves. Ryan and Griffith, not as much.

I think Nicole Kidman's face work is pretty obvious, but it hasn't hurt her career much because that frozen, patrician society lady look is pretty much her hallmark. In Meg's case, her glowing and warm face was her hallmark and plastic surgery destroyed that.

Edited February 22, 2019 by methodwriter85

[kiddo82]

I was rewatching the Post last night and I had totally forgotten Sarah Paulson was in it.  I remaked "Wow, she really is in everything."  Within a little over a year's span she's appeared in The Post, Ocean's 8, Bird Box, and Glass plus American Horror Story.  Not to mention she already had a track record of smaller roles in prestige films like Carol and 12 Years a Salve while still being best known for her Ryan Murphy work.  So I ask, is there any other working actor/actress who seems to slip so seamlessly from television to film and back?  Yeah, her film roles aren't necessarily major ones but the sheer volume of them (in high profile movies, no less) all while starring on a television series is very impressive.  It's not that we haven't seen others do both but I can't recall any simultaneously at such a rate.  I'd also put Allison Janney in that category.

Edited February 23, 2019 by kiddo82

[Pink ranger]

Sterling K Brown who probably not so coincidentally is also in Ryan Murphys universe. I say that because Ryan’s short season anthology tv shows are an ideal time commitment for actors who want to mix TV and movie work. Sarah Paulson is able to do 13 episodes of American Horror Story, film a movie in the hiatus then go right back to her stable job on AHS on top of playing Marcia Clark ect.

[methodwriter85]

Judy Greer also goes back and forth, although I feel like she's better known for her second banana movie roles as opposed to the stuff she's done for tv.

[Dee]

13 hours ago, kiddo82 said:

It's not that we haven't seen others do both but I can't recall any simultaneously at such a rate.  I'd also put Allison Janney in that category.

Viola & Taraji are quite prolific in addition to both headlining network series.

Viola won her Oscar (in the Denzel Washington directed Fences) two years ago, while also starring in Suicide Squad & Custody, the year before that she co-starred in Lila & Eve with Jennifer Lopez & Blackhat with Chris Hemsworth, the year before that (the year HTGAWM debuted) she had a superb supporting role in the James Brown biopic Get On Up, and this year she starred in the Steve McQueen directed Widows.

Taraji filmed her mega hit Empire the same year her hit sequel Think Like A Man Too, her #1 box office hit film No Good Deed, and Chris Rock's hilarious Top Five (in which she had a great cameo) were all released. Two years ago (during her Empire hiatus) she headlined an all star cast in the critically acclaimed box office hit Hidden Figures (which should've netted her another Academy Award nomination) and had a supporting role in Vince Vaughan's underrated Term Life. Last year saw her headlining (again on her Empire hiatus) two films (the kick ass action film Proud Mary & the Tyler Perry directed thriller Acrimony) as well as appearing in a memorable supporting role in Wreck It Ralph 2: Ralph Destroys The Internet. And this year she's currently headlining the hit comedy What Men Want & the upcoming hotly anticipated civil rights biopic The Best Of Enemies (alongside recent Academy Award winner Sam Rockwell).

8 hours ago, Dee said:

Edited February 24, 2019 by Dee

[methodwriter85]

Is it too soon to nominate Cara Delevingne as one of the biggest movie star busts of this decade?

I would still say Alex Pettyfer is the biggest bust, though. He was hyped so hard in 2011-2012, and then crashed it. I'm shocked he's actually still working, although his career was at pretty much a standstill for a good year or two. I'd say his best hope is to get into some kind of superhero show on a streamer like his fellow 2010's "hot guy" ingenue Brenton Thwaites did.

[Wiendish Fitch]

1 minute ago, methodwriter85 said:

Is it too soon to nominate Cara Delevingne as one of the biggest movie star busts of this decade?

I wouldn't mind if that that little charisma vacuum with the perma-smirk just disappeared from the biz. 

[methodwriter85]

8 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I wouldn't mind if that that little charisma vacuum with the perma-smirk just disappeared from the biz. 

I mean, as much as I don't like Chole Grace Moretz and the millions of chances that Hollywood keeps giving her, I sorta get why she keeps getting pushed. She apparently has a very nice reputation and she's a dependable professional who can cry well on command and can play that 16-25 year old ingenue range. Cara Delevingne was just absolutely awful in Suicide Squad, and for a movie that was that bad, it's saying something to stand out as the weak link.

I did think Cara was fine in Paper Towns, but it kind of feels meta that in the end of the movie, Q realizes that there's no "there" there with her character.

Edited February 24, 2019 by methodwriter85

[Wiendish Fitch]

25 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Cara Delevingne was just absolutely awful in Suicide Squad, and for a movie that was that bad, it's saying something to stand out as the weak link.

And Valerian. Let's not forget Valerian... no, on second thought, let's all try to forget Valerian.

I admit Chloe Grace Moretz is rather over-employed (not gonna lie, I'm kind of sick of her), but at least she has genuine acting chops. Cara Delevigne has... what, exactly? Strong eyebrows and a British accent will only get you so far.

Some people have griped about Delevigne coming off as unpleasant in interviews, and while I can't disagree, it's not fair to expect all actresses to be "nice" all the damn time. There have been plenty of actresses through the ages who didn't necessarily have to be sugar and sunshine all the time: Bette Davis was a force of personality, Patricia Neal was direct and forthright, Katharine Hepburn was fiercely independent and confident, Helen Mirren is delightfully sharp-tongued, Natasha Lyonne has an abrasive yet infectious charm, but Delevigne is just a boring sourpuss. Normally I wouldn't think that would (or even should) be enough to sink her career, but considering what an utterly blah actress she is, it'll be a wonder if she ever stays in demand.

Back to Natasha Lyonne, I'm happy to see she's enjoying a comeback of sorts thanks to Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll (thanks, Netflix!). I always thought she was a fine actress, and I'm glad she's gained momentum again (overcoming some personal problems helps, too).

Edited February 24, 2019 by Wiendish Fitch

[kiddo82]

16 hours ago, Dee said:

Viola & Taraji are quite prolific in addition to both headlining network series.

I did think of Viola initially but I didn't realize exactly how prolific she has been even since HTGAWM.  As far as Taraji goes, I primarily think of her as a movie star.  I completely forgot she's even in Empire.  

And I agree with @Pink ranger that, at least in Paulson's case, her AHS shooting schedule probably leaves much more wiggle room than a standard, 22 episode/9 month long season on a network.  And some google research also shows that Murder averages 15 episodes/season, Empire approx 16, and This is Us 18 which again, leaves more flexibility than used to be standard for the stars of said shows.   Plus, a lot of shows now end sooner/start later than the previously standard September to May timeline. I wonder if we'll see more and more actors/actresses migrate back and forth routinely now that this trend of shorter episode orders/shooting schedules is becoming more commonplace.  Per IMDB, Brian Tyree Henry has 10(!) credits from 2018 alone aside from Atlanta.  Not all of them are feature films but still.  That alone is a career for some actors.

Edited February 24, 2019 by kiddo82

[Dee]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

 Per IMDB, Brian Tyree Henry has 10(!) credits from 2018 alone aside from Atlanta.  Not all of them are feature films but still.  That alone is a career for some actors.

And that's not counting his wonderful work in Lobby Hero on Broadway opposite Chris Evans & Michael Cera.

He was seriously EVERYWHERE last year.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Dee

[Simon Boccanegra]

The mention of Lobby Hero reminds me that I wish some of those great Lonergan plays would get turned into films. But he seems to separate the two things, and to craft screenplays expressly for the purpose of films, of which he's only directed three. A cinematic version of The Waverly Gallery with the same cast that just performed it on Broadway (Elaine May, Joan Allen, Michael Cera, and Lucas Hedges) would be wonderful. It's such a film-ready cast.

[methodwriter85]

On 2/23/2019 at 8:58 PM, Wiendish Fitch said:

Cara Delevigne has... what, exactly? Strong eyebrows and a British accent will only get you so far.

I mean, yeah. I think any real excitement around her is long gone.

Anyway, call me Pollyanna or no, but I'm hoping that Glenn Close's Academy Award loss means that people are going to work on getting her that right Oscar vehicle.

Or hell, she'll probably get the Honorary Oscar when she's 80 anyway.

[IWantCandy71]

On ‎2‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 9:20 AM, kiddo82 said:

I was rewatching the Post last night and I had totally forgotten Sarah Paulson was in it.  

Sarah Paulson was also in Glass. It's the only thing I've seen her in. I tried watching Bird Box for five minutes, then turned it off when she got killed because I realized the movie was...what's a nice way to say this..it just wasn't my thing. 🙂 I can't say it was trash, since I didn't finish it.

But, based on Glass, I don't see what all the fuss is about her. Hollywood is strange, though. They will continue to give work to someone if they have fans and bring in money at the box office, even if that actor is mediocre. So I can't say if she'll have a long career or not. 

Look at Jennifer Lawrence. She's worth millions of dollars at such a young age, and she's really a mediocre actress at best. And I do think in her case, people are realizing that, which is why she doesn't have a lot of great projects lined up.

But then you have actors like Toby Kebbel, Toby Stephens, Rafe Spaul, Sam Rockwell(okay he gets more recognition but still), and yes I'm even adding James McAvoy to this list...actors who are for the most part are overlooked for major roles in high profile movies, and definitely overlooked at awards time (again, except for Sam). So, I don't know if I could accurately predict who will have a career in Hollywood, because the ones I *think* should, are generally the ones who end up as supporting actors or even worse, as "character" actors. Which probably doesn't matter to a lot of them, but it means the roles are minor and few/far between.

Seriously, Toby Kebbel may be mostly known for motion capture roles, but he and Andy Serkis deserved recognition for their Planet of the Apes roles. They were robbed. And if you've never seen  his (or Rafe Spaul's) roles in Black Mirror.....blown away. That is all. And Toby Stephens was  the best Edward Rochester ever, IMO.