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

[Avabelle]

23 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Brie Larson DID get a bump with her Oscar win but I don't know if she's really "liked" by the public at large. Captain Marvel was a success but she has had some considerable backlash. 

 

I like Brie Larson a lot in roles but I didn’t love Captain Marvel. Not specifically because of her, I just didn’t think it was great. I found it boring. 

I don’t follow Marvel enough to know about the backlash but in most of the interviews I’ve seen her in she never comes off as much fun. That’s just me though and I’ve only seen a few.

[methodwriter85]

7 hours ago, Avabelle said:

I don’t follow Marvel enough to know about the backlash but in most of the interviews I’ve seen her in she never comes off as much fun. That’s just me though and I’ve only seen a few.

She comes off as a reserved person. I generally like her performances but I don't think Brie is really the type that thrives in the stardom push to the top like Margot Robbie or Emma Stone. I lean towards her ultimately finding her happy place in a low-key career as a starrer in indie films and supporting roles in blockbusters to keep the bills paid. Similar to Michelle Williams.

Edited May 1, 2021 by methodwriter85

[Danny Franks]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

She comes off as a reserved person. I generally like her performances but I don't think Brie is really the type that thrives in the stardom push to the top like Margot Robbie or Emma Stone. I lean towards her ultimately finding her happy place in a low-key career as a starrer in indie films and supporting roles in blockbusters to keep the bills paid. Similar to Michelle Williams.

Some actors have personalities that naturally come off well in those big publicity pushes, others don't. Brie Larson seems to have quite a dry sense of humour, which people have misinterpreted as rude or bored in interviews. There's one video edit that does the rounds in those right wing spaces that supposedly shows that her Avengers co-stars all hate her but actually shows her being dry and various other actors playing off that.

Sebastian Stan is similar. He was accused of being boring, sullen and rude in some of the early publicity stuff for Marvel, but he's actually just an introvert who withers a bit under that sort of intense attention. He admitted it himself when he said that Marvel put him and Anthony Mackie together in junkets and interviews because Mackie is great at drawing other people out of themselves.

[Avabelle]

2 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

There's one video edit that does the rounds in those right wing spaces that supposedly shows that her Avengers co-stars all hate her but actually shows her being dry and various other actors playing off that

I actually saw that one and couldn’t believe the negative hype it got. There was absolutely no awkwardness between her and the rest of them. They all seemed to get along fine.

 

[kiddo82]

On 4/29/2021 at 1:18 PM, Ambrosefolly said:

If someone career is humming along without an Oscar win, like Glenn Close or Amy Adams, there is no real point. It is cool to get, don't get me wrong, but at this point does little for the career. 

I don't disagree about the career bump but I also don't think that means it matters to them any less.  Like you said, it's still a cool honor.  I think if you gave Glenn Close truth serum she'd admit that "Academy Award Winner Glenn Close" sounds better than "Academy Award Nominee Glenn Close."  I do think the bump, such as it is, comes more from the publicity of the nomination than the win, which will probably fall out of most people's heads in a few months.  Nominees usually do the circuit.  They walk the red carpets in the cool clothes.  You hear their names in the media over and over again.  Winning or not winning doesn't change the fact that we all watched them campaign for the better part of 3 months (Assuming they were nominated for other awards like the Globes as well) and they are now on the forefronts of our minds.  I've seen more publicity for the Amanda Seyfried Netflix movie that dropped this week than I swear I would have if Mank was ignored by the Academy.  I think a lot people will be interested in what Andra Day does next given that United States vs Billie Holiday was her first movie.  Etc. 

As for Brie Larson, I wouldn't put too much stock into whatever "bad press" swirls around her online.  She's barely in her 30s, has an Oscar in the bag, and is both an indie darling and has credits from two separate franchises.  I don't know if she'll ever be an America's Sweetheart level star, but you could do a hell of a lot worse than that.  You don't really need that level of fame right now to stay relevant anyway.  I  mean, it's really working for Frances Mcdormand these days who just resurfaces every few years, collects her trophies, and then peaces out again.

Edited May 2, 2021 by kiddo82

[kiddo82]

Sorry for the double post but I'm just piggy backing off myself from last night.  Who really is America's Sweetheart right now?  And does that moniker even mean anything any more?  There has been such a tonal shift away from frothy projects with mass appeal and it's now way more en vougue to be seen as an actress who challenges herself.  These roles are inherently going to be more polarizing.  Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon play characters who can be very unlikable on The Morning Show.  Jennifer Lawrence takes on offbeat roles that wont be everybody's cup of tea.  Zendaya seems to do a lot of niche projects that wont sell to everybody.  I kind of adore what Charlize Theron is doing these days by taking on whatever effing role she wants and creating that space for herself regardless of whether everyone likes everything or not.  No one needs mega hit after mega hit anymore and there seems to be a lot more freedom to take risks and change things up.  I think Brie Larson's trajectory, and her talents, fit right into that. 

Honestly, America's Sweetheart is the Rock.  And that has been the case for quite some time.  Everyone loves him, his movies are about as deep as a paper cut but they are fun as hell, and they make bank.  Dwayne Johnson movies for about the last decade are what Julia Roberts movies were in the 90s.  You're paying for the charisma of the star and you're seldom disappointed.  

Edited May 2, 2021 by kiddo82

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, kiddo82 said:

Honestly, America's Sweetheart is the Rock.  And that has been the case for quite some time.  Everyone loves him, his movies are about as deep as a paper cut but they are fun as hell, and they make bank.  Dwayne Johnson movies for about the last decade are what Julia Roberts movies were in the 90s.  You're paying for the charisma of the star and you're seldom disappointed.  

I'd say his career is closer to Sylvester Stallone's 80's/early 90's career, but honestly the Rock has better charisma than Sylvester Stallone did.

I guess our last American Sweetheart was Jennifer Lawrence, but that was really more based on her off-screen persona compared to the kinds of movies she puts out.

The media landscape is so fractured now and streaming has enabled actors to be able to find plenty of work without having the pressure of needing to gross over a 100 million dollars.

[Scarlett45]

On 4/1/2021 at 3:36 PM, methodwriter85 said:

Orlando Bloom aged pretty damn well and it seems like he's moving more towards t.v. That might be better for him.

Orlando Bloom is quite facially blessed, and did just fine in Carnival Row. I think Orlando knew who he was and where his talent lay, and stuck with that. 

 

On 4/29/2021 at 12:18 PM, Ambrosefolly said:

If someone career is humming along without an Oscar win, like Glenn Close or Amy Adams, there is no real point. It is cool to get, don't get me wrong, but at this point does little for the career. 

I think for them, they are still working and A list, an award would just be icing on the cake. 

[Ambrosefolly]

Just now, Scarlett45 said:

I think for them, they are still working and A list, an award would just be icing on the cake. 

And I hope they get it and deserve it for that whatever particular performance (instead of the make-up Oscar).

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Ambrosefolly said:

And I hope they get it and deserve it for that whatever particular performance (instead of the make-up Oscar).

In all honesty, I thought Glenn Close deserved it for the Wife, but I get why Olivia Colman won for the Favourite- it's the showier role. The best way to describe the Wife was "understated" elegance.

I do think Glenn Close's near-Oscar win in 2019 helped to re-establish her as a movie star in the minds of the public...she had essentially been more of a t.v. star in more recent years. (Yes, she did have an Oscar nomination in 2011 but it didn't seem to generate nearly as much buzz as her The Wife nomination did.) 

In Amy Adams's case, I catched Junebug at an arthouse theater when she was still a nobody, and that first Oscar nom did a lot to establish her. It's been really thrilling to watch how well her career has gone even without an Oscar win. I do hope she gets it, and I think she will. As for Glenn Close the fact that the Wife wasn't her last Oscar nom does make me think she's still got a shot despite being 74.

Honestly though, Glenn Close is reminding me a bit of how much fun Bette Davis had with her Baby Jane career resurgence, and that makes me smile. She seems genuinely thrilled to still be in the game, and given that Hollywood often discards Actresses as soon as they're 40 I can't blame her. (In her case, Glenn Close wasn't even really a household name until she was 40 with Fatal Attraction.)

[katha]

Close absolutely should have won an Oscar by now. But I think her last two nominations show the drawbacks of this guilt/you are owed principle. In my opinion, The Wife was an incredibly weak movie that couldn't be lifted by Glenn's performance either. There are moments in it that basically scream "Look here, her big Oscar scene coming up" because the premise is so unbelievable and disjointed. I was incredibly disappointed by it all and am glad that she didn't win for it. It would have been like Winslet or Moore winning for inferior work.

Zendaya is incredibly promising, to stay on topic. Though how the campaign for Malcolm and Marie fizzled out was interesting, again material that showed itself too weak to sustain awards hype. Not her fault, but the director's, of course.

[ShadowHunter]

On 4/30/2021 at 2:29 PM, Avabelle said:

I like Brie Larson a lot in roles but I didn’t love Captain Marvel. Not specifically because of her, I just didn’t think it was great. I found it boring. 

I don’t follow Marvel enough to know about the backlash but in most of the interviews I’ve seen her in she never comes off as much fun. That’s just me though and I’ve only seen a few.

You guys talking about Brie Larson made the movie Sleepover pop into my head.  Anyone remember that movie? She has a small role being one of the mean girls lol.  Evan Peters is in it as well playing the spazzy kid lol. All the young people in that movie and they were the ones who went on to more profile stuff.  It's always interesting when you see something as a Kid and who is still around when you get older lol.

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 5/2/2021 at 12:25 PM, kiddo82 said:

Honestly, America's Sweetheart is the Rock.  And that has been the case for quite some time.  Everyone loves him, his movies are about as deep as a paper cut but they are fun as hell, and they make bank.  Dwayne Johnson movies for about the last decade are what Julia Roberts movies were in the 90s.  You're paying for the charisma of the star and you're seldom disappointed.  

Keanu Reeves is beloved by almost everyone I'd say and he's still making bank with John Wick (this is an assumption of mine I wouldn't know.). Keanu is Twitter's sweetheart, I'd say, I've mostly only seen positive stuff about him.  

Drew Barrymore and Tom Hanks also I think.  Drew with her show and Tom's insistence on releasing a new movie about WW2 every year until we give him what he wants (and I don't even know what that is) but not sure if his movies are still making money.

On 5/2/2021 at 2:20 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I guess our last American Sweetheart was Jennifer Lawrence, but that was really more based on her off-screen persona compared to the kinds of movies she puts out.

This happened around Silver Linings Playbook and I always assumed that this was 100% a very intense, aggressive, you cannot escape even if you try media campaign by Harvey Weinstein.  Every single thing she did was reported on by the media and every story had the same slant:  YOU LOVE HER.  SHE'S YOUR BEST FRIEND.  SHE'S SO COOL AND DOWN TO EARTH.  Finally after she won her Oscar it died down a bit.  But those 2 years surrounding that media push was just hell.  Not everyone bought into it.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

On 5/15/2021 at 8:27 AM, katha said:

Zendaya is incredibly promising, to stay on topic. Though how the campaign for Malcolm and Marie fizzled out was interesting, again material that showed itself too weak to sustain awards hype. Not her fault, but the director's, of course.

Ugh, that movie.  But yeah, Z is beautiful and charismatic and great.

[methodwriter85]

9 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Ugh, that movie.  But yeah, Z is beautiful and charismatic and great.

I'm just so fucking tired of men nearing or over 40 almost universally having female screen romance partners who have yet to see a 30th birthday when you'll almost never see the reverse unless the character is specifically written as a Norma Desmond or a Mrs. Robinson. (Who, by the way, was played by a 36-year old pretending to be 45. Give it to Hollywood to decide that the best woman to play a sexy glamorous older woman was a 36-year old with some fake grey streaks in her hair instead of hiring an actual 45-year old.)

Edited May 19, 2021 by methodwriter85

[Ms Blue Jay]

They also aged Amanda Seyfried up and aged Gary Oldman 30 years down so that they could play a couple in "Mank".  Just gross.  

8 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I'm just so fucking tired of men nearing or over 40 almost universally having female screen romance partners who have yet to see a 30th birthday when you'll almost never see the reverse unless the character is specifically written as a Norma Desmond or a Mrs. Robinson. (Who, by the way, was played by a 36-year old pretending to be 45. Give it to Hollywood to decide that the best woman to play a sexy glamorous older woman was a 36-year old with some fake grey streaks in her hair instead of hiring an actual 45-year old.)

There are so many things that I could say about this movie.  The age difference was just one aspect of it.  Z sitting on a toilet and getting progressively more and more naked while JDW stays fully clothed IN A SHIRT AND PANTS THROUGHOUT AN ENTIRE OVERNIGHT IN HIS OWN HOUSE after a long party was another tiny aspect of it that I hated.  The movie was so male gaze that it was painful.  And JDW's diatribe about a movie critic was the real life director's diatribe about a real, actual female movie critic that exists.  She had criticized Sam Levinson and Sam portrayed himself as Black man in Malcolm and Marie so that he could accuse this actual critic of being a racist.  Oh my god.

Edited May 19, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Danny Franks]

14 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I'm just so fucking tired of men nearing or over 40 almost universally having female screen romance partners who have yet to see a 30th birthday when you'll almost never see the reverse unless the character is specifically written as a Norma Desmond or a Mrs. Robinson. (Who, by the way, was played by a 36-year old pretending to be 45. Give it to Hollywood to decide that the best woman to play a sexy glamorous older woman was a 36-year old with some fake grey streaks in her hair instead of hiring an actual 45-year old.)

You'll absolutely love Bruce Willis's latest piece of art, then

Willis and Travolta, two tired, bald men in their sixties and a lead actress who is less than half their age and looks a good bit younger than that.

Who knows, they might surprise us and have her actually playing the daughter of one of their characters, but I doubt it.

 

 

[Razzberry]

 I have a few things to say about these age gaps but don't want to derail, so will make a new thread.  There's so much to talk about! ;)

[methodwriter85]

I don't disagree with Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit but I also think this will have major career ramifications for her, even if Disney does pony up the dough. Scarlett has had such a charmed career where everyone has wanted to cast her even as she's aged out of the ingenue part so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will she wind up black listed? Will Netflix scoop her up?

[Grimnar]

56 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

I don't disagree with Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit but I also think this will have major career ramifications for her, even if Disney does pony up the dough. Scarlett has had such a charmed career where everyone has wanted to cast her even as she's aged out of the ingenue part so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will she wind up black listed? Will Netflix scoop her up?

I think even if she would never again work for disney and probably she will never make same money as under disney, she would be ok career-wise.

Regarding lawsuit, I think both sides are coming across as petty and lawsuit is producing bad PR for both sides.

Edited August 1, 2021 by Grimnar

[Ms.Moon]

I think Zendaya is picking great roles to have a long career.  She’s got range, she’s beautiful, tall, and the roles she’s taken since her Disney heyday have been great.  She’s young so she is playing the girlfriend in some movies right now and it helps that she manages to have great chemistry with her co-stars and that can be difficult for some actors to pull off but she’s great at it.  I don’t think she is going to be in this first Dune movie much from what I’ve read about the structure of the book that the movie is based on but she is featured prominently in the trailers which is telling in itself.  

[methodwriter85]

15 hours ago, Ms.Moon said:

I think Zendaya is picking great roles to have a long career.  She’s got range, she’s beautiful, tall, and the roles she’s taken since her Disney heyday have been great.  She’s young so she is playing the girlfriend in some movies right now and it helps that she manages to have great chemistry with her co-stars and that can be difficult for some actors to pull off but she’s great at it.  I don’t think she is going to be in this first Dune movie much from what I’ve read about the structure of the book that the movie is based on but she is featured prominently in the trailers which is telling in itself.  

Amandla Stenberg is an interesting contrast case study. I REALLY thought that The Hate U Give was going to be a big hit and shoot her into the stratosphere, but I was wrong.

Amandla is really good and charming. Her being openly lesbian shouldn't be a big deal (KStew's career hasn't been hurt much by her coming out), but none of her movies seem to be hitting. The Hate U Give did do well with critics, but ultimately you have to be in movies that pull good profits for Hollywood to care about you.

She reminds me a bit of Ravyn-Simone, in that she's got a baby face that makes it harder for her to do adult roles. Ravyn kind of just rolled with it until it finally just got too much for her to keep playing teenagers.

 

[Ms.Moon]

6 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Amandla Stenberg is an interesting contrast case study. I REALLY thought that The Hate U Give was going to be a big hit and shoot her into the stratosphere, but I was wrong.

Amandla is really good and charming. Her being openly lesbian shouldn't be a big deal (KStew's career hasn't been hurt much by her coming out), but none of her movies seem to be hitting. The Hate U Give did do well with critics, but ultimately you have to be in movies that pull good profits for Hollywood to care about you.

She reminds me a bit of Ravyn-Simone, in that she's got a baby face that makes it harder for her to do adult roles. Ravyn kind of just rolled with it until it finally just got too much for her to keep playing teenagers.

 

I agree with you I think Amandla has that baby face issue.  Zendaya has a face that allows for more versatility, she can still play a teenager but she can play a young woman of her actual age.  Plus I think that she and her team are smart and she’s seen on the red carpet looking amazing a great deal.  She makes lots of best dressed lists and is seen a lot more than Stenberg.  

[methodwriter85]

1 hour ago, Ms.Moon said:

I agree with you I think Amandla has that baby face issue.  Zendaya has a face that allows for more versatility, she can still play a teenager but she can play a young woman of her actual age.  Plus I think that she and her team are smart and she’s seen on the red carpet looking amazing a great deal.  She makes lots of best dressed lists and is seen a lot more than Stenberg.  

Yeah, Zendaya just has more of a  tall model frame which means designers love to dress her. 

Amandla got her "push" with Everything Everything The Darkest Minds, and The Hate U Give. The first was supposed to be okay, the second was kind of a disaster dystopian movie after those had already played out, and then the third inexplicably didn't do as well as I thought it would. Again, I REALLY thought the Hate U Give was going to hit given how popular the book was, how good the reviews were, and how timely it was, but it just didn't.

And then she was in Where Hands Touch, which might have seemed like an awards-worthy movie idea but I think the subject was just a bit too much. 

Since that failed push she doesn't seem to be getting that many leading movie roles, although maybe Dear Evan Hansen will give her a push.

I don't think that Amandla ever could have been a Disney Kid like Zendaya was, though. She doesn't seem willing to play by those rules.

Edited August 7, 2021 by methodwriter85

[Ms.Moon]

13 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Yeah, Zendaya just has more of a  tall model frame which means designers love to dress her. 

Amandla got her "push" with Everything Everything The Darkest Minds, and The Hate U Give. The first was supposed to be okay, the second was kind of a disaster dystopian movie after those had already played out, and then the third inexplicably didn't do as well as I thought it would. Again, I REALLY thought the Hate U Give was going to hit given how popular the book was, how good the reviews were, and how timely it was, but it just didn't.

And then she was in Where Hands Touch, which might have seemed like an awards-worthy movie idea but I think the subject was just a bit too much. 

Since that failed push she doesn't seem to be getting that many leading movie roles, although maybe Dear Evan Hansen will give her a push.

I don't think that Amandla ever could have been a Disney Kid like Zendaya was, though. She doesn't seem willing to play by those rules.

I think Amandla missed the dystopian teen movie kick that made Jennifer Lawrence a star.  The Hate U Give was a bit too contemporaneous to be successful because many of the issues explored in the book are not easy to grapple with and is an ongoing issue that is far easier to grapple with on the page rather than watch on screen.  Amandla has done more dramatic acting than the light Disney fare that put Zendaya on the map.  They are something of contemporaries in the acting world but I do think Amandla can have a great career as well, she just needs the right projects.  Whether she gets them is a whole other issue.  I do think that Amandla could go the Regina King route and work behind the camera as well as in front of them.  Building a reputation and being a good worker in all aspects of Hollywood seems to be a great way to having longevity and success.  

[methodwriter85]

Regina King seems like a really good "long star not big star" career model for Amandla. Regina was always more of a background player but kept up a good rep. She was never going to get the A-list star push like Halle Berry, either. She also refused to demean herself in Tyler Perry movies, which she made pretty clear through Boondocks that she didn't like what those movies had to say about black people. Then there's the Oscar speech. Given that Amandla turned down a chance to audition for Black Panther because she didn't think it made any sense for someone who looks like her to play a girl with full African blood, I can see her following that kind of path. 

Edited August 7, 2021 by methodwriter85

[Ms.Moon]

59 minutes ago, methodwriter85 said:

Regina King seems like a really good "long star not big star" career model for Amandla. Regina was always more of a background player but kept up a good rep. She was never going to get the A-list star push like Halle Berry, either. She also refused to demean herself in Tyler Perry movies, which she made pretty clear through Boondocks that she didn't like what those movies had to say about black people. Then there's the Oscar speech. Given that Amandla turned down a chance to audition for Black Panther because she didn't think it made any sense for someone who looks like her to play a girl with full African blood, I can see her following that kind of path. 

I think taking advantage of the opportunities that can come her way if she wants to shift to working behind the camera is definitely a help Amandla if that’s the type of career that she decides that she wants to have.  I think it’s a very smart way to keep working and it’s also a great way to network.  Regina King spent many years directing.  There are only so many opportunities for women of color in Hollywood and as women age in Hollywood that gap gets even smaller as well.  I think Zoe Kravitz is going to be an Indie Queen, she’s good in the stuff I have seen her in and she’s good wherever she lands but she gives me that “interesting projects” vibe.  Zendaya is making the moves to be a STAR, she’s in the right projects that are making money at the right time, she’s a Name, is seen in the right places, isn’t a PR disaster in her personal life and she has the talent to back it up.  She is also still good with Disney and they are good to their people that stay on their “good” side.  Amandla can go either way.  She’s sensible about projects where she may fit, she’s recognizable, and young enough to still carve out an interesting career for herself.  I like her and wish her luck with the career and I look forward to seeing where she goes.

[methodwriter85]

Zendaya's career really reminds me of Zoe Saldana, except she's getting getting more prestigious parts than Zoe did. They both have/had that mainstream appeal. Which hey, brings us back to Amandla because she played Zoe's younger self in Columbiana. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by methodwriter85

[Ms.Moon]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Zendaya's career really reminds me of Zoe Saldana, except she's getting getting more prestigious parts than Zoe did. They both have/had that mainstream appeal. Which hey, brings us back to Amandla because she played Zoe's younger self in Columbiana. 

Zoe Saldana got to the A list later in her career.  She was in her 30’s when she became a “name.”  Zendaya got an early start at Disney and that gave her more opportunities.  She kept working as well.  I remember she had a good run on the Disney Channel between Shake it Up and K.C Undercover.  In between her shows she was on Dancing With the Stars and she had an album and tour with Disney.  I think that The Greatest Showman was a really good choice of movies for her when she was launching into a movie career because she was able to show her versatility as an actor plus use lots of the skills she built in her time at Disney.  Plus Showman had “prestige” and was nominated for an Oscar.  Stuff like that matters in Hollywood.

[Scarlett45]

@methodwriter85 I agree with so much of what you say about the careers of Zendaya and Amandla. 
 

Raven had a lot of experience as an actual child star, and Raven was “thicker” (she’s lost weight now) for many years than what was acceptable for mainstream Hollywood . She was content to do TV and make a living as long as she could. 
 

Amandla has a baby face but she will grow more beautiful as the years progress and her features get finer (like Sophia Bush). Zendaya is tall and model slim making her easier to dress with an interesting face. Zoë Saldana was working for a long time before she got to be a household name (remember her in Center Stage?), Zendaya is already ahead of the curve on that front. 

5 hours ago, Ms.Moon said:

Zendaya is making the moves to be a STAR, she’s in the right projects that are making money at the right time, she’s a Name, is seen in the right places, isn’t a PR disaster in her personal life and she has the talent to back it up.  She is also still good with Disney and they are good to their people that stay on their “good” side.

I agree with you too. I think Zendaya wants to be a STAR, Amandla wants to be an actress. 

[Ms.Moon]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

@methodwriter85 I agree with so much of what you say about the careers of Zendaya and Amandla. 
 

Raven had a lot of experience as an actual child star, and Raven was “thicker” (she’s lost weight now) for many years than what was acceptable for mainstream Hollywood . She was content to do TV and make a living as long as she could. 
 

Amandla has a baby face but she will grow more beautiful as the years progress and her features get finer (like Sophia Bush). Zendaya is tall and model slim making her easier to dress with an interesting face. Zoë Saldana was working for a long time before she got to be a household name (remember her in Center Stage?), Zendaya is already ahead of the curve on that front. 

I agree with you too. I think Zendaya wants to be a STAR, Amandla wants to be an actress. 

I think there is more room in Hollywood for a working black actress as well as black STAR actresses.  I do think both of them have the talent to have long careers in Hollywood.  Amandla has to get the right project to launch her into adult roles.  

[Mabinogia]

16 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I agree with you too. I think Zendaya wants to be a STAR, Amandla wants to be an actress. 

I think this is the bottom line. While they both want to be actresses, their "end goal" is different. Zendaya is all about the glamour side of things, the awards, the fashion, the big roles, while Amandla seems to be more interested in taking specific roles that speak to her rather than going for something she thinks is going to be a blockbuster. 

I think they are both talented enough to be successful in their chosen path but a comparison of them isn't really apples to apples since they seem to be after different goals. 

[methodwriter85]

11 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I think this is the bottom line. While they both want to be actresses, their "end goal" is different. Zendaya is all about the glamour side of things, the awards, the fashion, the big roles, while Amandla seems to be more interested in taking specific roles that speak to her rather than going for something she thinks is going to be a blockbuster. 

I think they are both talented enough to be successful in their chosen path but a comparison of them isn't really apples to apples since they seem to be after different goals. 

Amandla is going for "long star not big star" route which is why Regina King seems like a really good career role model for her. 

[methodwriter85]

Seeing Channing Tatum in Free Guy made me wonder what happened to the guy. His career really slowed down for a bit.

[Ms.Moon]

On 8/14/2021 at 2:18 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Seeing Channing Tatum in Free Guy made me wonder what happened to the guy. His career really slowed down for a bit.

He is quite handsome but I don’t think that he’s a versatile actor, he doesn’t have a great deal of range.  He also I think he didn’t have the star turn that was expected.  That first G.I. Joe movie and Jupiter Ascending I think we’re supposed to put him on the map but didn’t have the numbers that the studios were expecting and Logan Lucky was an ensemble cast even though it was well reviewed and Adam Driver acted circles around Tatum.  

[methodwriter85]

1 minute ago, Ms.Moon said:

He is quite handsome but I don’t think that he’s a versatile actor, he doesn’t have a great deal of range.  He also I think he didn’t have the star turn that was expected.  That first G.I. Joe movie and Jupiter Ascending I think we’re supposed to put him on the map but didn’t have the numbers that the studios were expecting and Logan Lucky was an ensemble cast even though it was well reviewed and Adam Driver acted circles around Tatum.  

I find Channing Tatum reminiscent of Kevin Costner- both are somewhat limited actors who had a roughly five year period of hitting on some really big films that were tailored for what they were good at which shot them into the A-list, but neither really had staying power at that top level. Kevin's 1987-1992 A-list run was way more acclaimed compared to Channing's 2010-2015 run, though.

 

[Ms.Moon]

2 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

I find Channing Tatum reminiscent of Kevin Costner- both are somewhat limited actors who had a roughly five year period of hitting on some really big films that were tailored for what they were good at which shot them into the A-list, but neither really had staying power at that top level. Kevin's 1987-1992 A-list run was way more acclaimed compared to Channing's 2010-2015 run, though.

 

Kevin Costner had more Oscar contender type movies and way more hit movies.  I saw a documentary about the making of Silence of the Lambs, the studio that made Silence also made Costner’s Dances With Wolves.  The studio delayed the release of Silence for a year to allow for the Oscar campaign for Dances because the studio believed that they had a definite contender with Dances.  Plus they also believed that they possibly had another Oscar contender in Silence and didn’t want to split the vote.  Costner was on the ascendence and Dances had more “star” power so Dances was released the year before Silence was left on the shelf for a year to allow all out pitch for Dances With Wolves.

[Ms.Moon]

I think Florence Pugh is going to have a great career.  Scarlett Johansson was not the actress that people were talking about in Black Widow.  Because of the pandemic there may be more room for actors to do television since people are not rushing out to theaters to see movies and there may be more eyes on shows like Hawkeye where Pugh’s character may be a major player.  It may be awhile before things get back to “normal” and people internationally feel comfortable going to the movies streaming may make the star turn for some actors.  I think she’s doing interesting work and is a good actress but only time will tell.

[Scarlett45]

On 8/16/2021 at 8:52 PM, methodwriter85 said:

I find Channing Tatum reminiscent of Kevin Costner- both are somewhat limited actors who had a roughly five year period of hitting on some really big films that were tailored for what they were good at which shot them into the A-list, but neither really had staying power at that top level. Kevin's 1987-1992 A-list run was way more acclaimed compared to Channing's 2010-2015 run, though.

 

Yes. I think Channing Tatum is a handsome man with charm, but not the broadest. He is limited and he knows that and is fine with it. I could see him doing more dance movies and aging into the “dad of the protagonist” roles as he got older. Id love to see him and Harry Shum in something where they danced together. 

On 8/17/2021 at 4:52 PM, Ms.Moon said:

I think Florence Pugh is going to have a great career.  Scarlett Johansson was not the actress that people were talking about in Black Widow.  Because of the pandemic there may be more room for actors to do television since people are not rushing out to theaters to see movies and there may be more eyes on shows like Hawkeye where Pugh’s character may be a major player.  It may be awhile before things get back to “normal” and people internationally feel comfortable going to the movies streaming may make the star turn for some actors.  I think she’s doing interesting work and is a good actress but only time will tell.

I had to look up who Florence was- but I loved her Lady Macbeth and she was good in Little Women (although the movie was awful). She has a more baby face but it’s “interesting” which means she can play the ingenue for a while longer. 

[Danny Franks]

On 8/17/2021 at 2:52 AM, methodwriter85 said:

I find Channing Tatum reminiscent of Kevin Costner- both are somewhat limited actors who had a roughly five year period of hitting on some really big films that were tailored for what they were good at which shot them into the A-list, but neither really had staying power at that top level. Kevin's 1987-1992 A-list run was way more acclaimed compared to Channing's 2010-2015 run, though.

 

I think Costner has a lot more emotional range than Tatum. And a lot more gravitas and presence on the screen.

There's no way Tatum could ever hold the attention the way Costner does in all those solo scenes in Dances With Wolves, or convey the internal panic and rising tension of No Way Out.

Costner's downfall was his excessive ambition and hubris with his own blockbuster projects, but I think Tatum's is that he just isn't very good at acting and, as he starts to age out of those matinee-star-with-muscles looks, people are realising there's not much there.

[katha]

On 8/27/2021 at 9:42 PM, Danny Franks said:

I think Costner has a lot more emotional range than Tatum. And a lot more gravitas and presence on the screen.

There's no way Tatum could ever hold the attention the way Costner does in all those solo scenes in Dances With Wolves, or convey the internal panic and rising tension of No Way Out.

Costner's downfall was his excessive ambition and hubris with his own blockbuster projects, but I think Tatum's is that he just isn't very good at acting and, as he starts to age out of those matinee-star-with-muscles looks, people are realising there's not much there.

Yeah, Costner is charismatic in the right kind of role, just not in everything (coughRobinHoodcough). But sometime at the start of the 90ies he thought he could do about anything and really crashed and burned a few times with projects. He's doing decently for himself now. 

Channing can have a certain appeal, but I don't know how much it is tied/not tied to his looks. Agree that he doesn't have much range, though he does have decent comic timing. Things like "Magic Mike" or "Logan Lucky", IMO people like McConnaughey or Daniel Craig, Adam Driver created more memorable characters. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Magic Mike was dull but I thought that Magic Mike XXL was absolutely amazing.  Matthew Mc. wasn't even in that one.  It made $122 million on a $14 million budget, so that's pretty good.

I should have seen that in the theatre twice.  They should make another one of those.  Seeing that in the theatres was an amazing night with women throwing money at the screen. 

[absnow54]

On 8/29/2021 at 7:51 AM, katha said:

Channing can have a certain appeal, but I don't know how much it is tied/not tied to his looks. Agree that he doesn't have much range, though he does have decent comic timing. Things like "Magic Mike" or "Logan Lucky", IMO people like McConnaughey or Daniel Craig, Adam Driver created more memorable characters. 

I think 21 Jump Street is a testament to Channing Tatum's comedic ability. He really held his own opposite a lot of talented improvisers. I'm still in shock by how much I loved that movie, because I went in expecting to hate it.

[AimingforYoko]

My favorite acting of Tatum's:

 

[methodwriter85]

On 8/29/2021 at 7:51 AM, katha said:

Yeah, Costner is charismatic in the right kind of role, just not in everything (coughRobinHoodcough). But sometime at the start of the 90ies he thought he could do about anything and really crashed and burned a few times with projects. He's doing decently for himself now. 

Costner's "comeback" seemed to be with the Hatfields vs. the McCoy's mini-series that ran on the History Channel back in like 2012. If you check his IMDB in the years before and the years after, you can see that he started working a lot more after that mini-series came out. Not everything since has been a hit, but he's been in some really decent movies like Hidden Figures.

His Yellowstone tv series is pretty well-liked and good for him that he's sticking with his western Frontier themes. LOL.

Edited September 2, 2021 by methodwriter85

[absnow54]

7 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

His Yellowstone tv series is pretty well-liked and good for him that he's sticking with his western Frontier themes. LOL.

Costner is to Western Frontier as Tom Hanks is to WW2.

[krankydoodle]

I watched Schmigadoon! recently and in a cast of very talented people, Ariana DeBose stood out. I love her voice and found her so charismatic and impressive that I'm planning to watch West Side Story just to see her as Anita. She has a few other upcoming movies listed on IMDB including a Matthew Vaughn-directed action movie that also stars Henry Cavill, Catherine O'Hara, and other big names, so she's well on her way.

[Fool to cry]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:05 AM, methodwriter85 said:

Costner's "comeback" seemed to be with the Hatfields vs. the McCoy's mini-series that ran on the History Channel back in like 2012. If you check his IMDB in the years before and the years after, you can see that he started working a lot more after that mini-series came out. Not everything since has been a hit, but he's been in some really decent movies like Hidden Figures.

His Yellowstone tv series is pretty well-liked and good for him that he's sticking with his western Frontier themes. LOL.

I remember reading a pre-scandal Louis CK interview in Rolling Stone magazine where he talked about how he was sitting next to Costner at a table at the Golden Globes when he was nominated for The Hatfields and the McCoys and Costner just said quietly "I hope I win." At the time I thought this guy already won an Oscar for directing Dances With Wolves(beating out Martin Scorsese) and is a famous movie star and it's still not enough. Knowing now his career at that time was at a low point that sentiment makes sense.

[memememe76]

If Gucci is a solid hit (especially compared to non franchise adult fare these days) where does Lady Gaga land among established movie stars with a bankable reputation? Their weekend will probably make more money than The Last Duel overall.

I would love to see a resurgence for Nina Dobrev after the success of Love Hard. A Netflix romcom Queen. 
 

And with Tick Tick Boom’s critical success and the Princess’ financial success, can Vanessa Hudgeons emerge as the HSM star with the most respectable career? 

Edited November 28, 2021 by memememe76

[Ms.Moon]

Spider-Man: No Way Home is doing well in the pre-orders of tickets and Zendaya is featured prominently on the movie posters.  She’s having a stellar year despite the pandemic.  She’s in Dune (she was featured prominently in the advertising despite being in the latter half for a very limited time) and is also featured prominently in the ads for Spider-Man.  I do hope that she is not the character that gets killed off in the movie but since they are showing her falling prominently in the trailers I am guessing it’s going to be someone else.  Dune is due for a sequel where her character will have a larger role, Sony has confirmed that there will be three new Tom Holland Spider-Man movies so if her character doesn’t die in this one she has two great franchise movies to keep her booked and busy.