Actors not as bad as people say they are

[Doctor Cringelord]

-I don't Shatner is a bad actor, I think he just started out in theatre and so he has a very old school way of projecting all of his lines and overexaggerating his gestures and movements. In some cases, he's even turned in some nuanced performances, particularly when working with directors who can handle him. I thought he did a really good job under the direction of Nicholas Meyer in Star Trek II and VI. He did a good job portraying Kirk's feelings of anxiety when confronted with his own mortality. And look at the subtleties of his interactions with Christopher Plummer during the dinner scene in Star Trek VI. Note the way he flings his napkin open in Plummer's direction. It's those little subtleties people tend to overlook. He's got a pretty limited range as an actor, but when he knows his limits and tones down the melodrama, I think he's pretty good.

-Elvis Presley did some decent acting, especially in Kid Galahad. If he'd gotten more challenging roles and received the proper training, then who knows what he could've done? I think Cronkite said something to the effect that for an untrained actor, he was instinctively good. Imagine if that instinct had been honed and he'd done more than just a bunch of cut rate musicals.

-Schwarzenegger has a limited range, but he's good at what he does. He plays a lot of Mary Sue type characters, but I think he's underrated. Note Terminator I and II--it's harder than people realize to portray an emotionless machine. Also, he's got a natural skill for comedy and fish-out-of-water roles. He's good at conveying frustration and paranoia in his roles. Comedy is one of the most difficult genres to work in but he's got good timing. He knows his limits as an actor and has never tried to go beyond them.

-Keanu Reeves is also not bad, when he sticks to what he's good at.

-Bruce Campbell. Similar to Shatner and Arnold. He's a better character actor than people realize, even if he does tend to play a variation of himself a lot of the time.

-Will Smith gets a lot of hate, but I think he's good.

 

[The Cat]

Bruce Campbell is the greatest most underrated actor of our age.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Bruce Campbell is the greatest most underrated actor of our age.

Buy the Bubba Ho Tep DVD (or Blu Ray, if it has the same special features), then listen to the commentary by the "King". It's brilliant. I'd link a clip but couldn't find any on youtube. Maybe I'll put together my own edit featuring the best parts of that commentary track.

 

[Stigmata]

Ben Affleck. Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo!

 

[The Cat]

Liev Shrieber.

 

[ceecee]

Liev Shrieber.

If nothing else, he is a testament to the transformation that excellent tailoring can provide a person.

Kevin Bacon - I think he's a very versatile actor, that's been doing it and doing it well for a long time.

Adam Sandler - will likely get an Oscar nomination. Why he doesn't do more dramatic movies I have no idea.

I also think there are several actors that go from great projects to terrible ones, like Nicolas Cage or Sandra Bullock and it ends up pointing at their acting more than a crappy script or director.

 

[VILLANELLE]

A lot of people hate Nicolas Cage. I love his work, I think he's very interesting. Sure, he can over-act a bit in some films, but I see it as passion. He's incredibly gifted and talented and gives it his all. He does work that he wants and believes in, I find. And when the performances are good performances, they are fucking phenomenal performances.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Oh Bacon’s a good one. What’s that movie where he’s the inmate at Alcatraz?

Anna Faris is a good comedic actor. She could probably get more jobs with her talent

- - - Updated - - -

Cage is like Nicholson for me. They both have a certain limited niche but they do really well within that niche.

 

[Population: 1]

Bruce Campbell is the greatest most underrated actor of our age.

What would life be like without Bruce Campbell? I don’t want to know.

 

[Totenkindly]

-Schwarzenegger has a limited range, but he's good at what he does. He plays a lot of Mary Sue type characters, but I think he's underrated. Note Terminator I and II--it's harder than people realize to portray an emotionless machine. Also, he's got a natural skill for comedy and fish-out-of-water roles. He's good at conveying frustration and paranoia in his roles. Comedy is one of the most difficult genres to work in but he's got good timing. He knows his limits as an actor and has never tried to go beyond them.

He comes across as a guy who knows himself and doesn't try to be what he's not... and he's good at what he is.

On occasion, he's done some half-decent work dramatic work -- case in point, "Maggie." Yes, it's a zombie movie, and it's helped because Maggie is played by Abigail Broslin... but basically she gets bit and is going to turn, and he's the stoic dad who knows what will happen eventually (it's a slow turn, in this zombie mythos) but also loves his daughter deeply and is true to her. So they navigate this process together. He says a lot without saying much, it's one of his best dramatic performances.

-Keanu Reeves is also not bad, when he sticks to what he's good at.

Which pretty much entails physical acting and as little dramatic line reading as possible, lol.

-Bruce Campbell. Similar to Shatner and Arnold. He's a better character actor than people realize, even if he does tend to play a variation of himself a lot of the time.

-Will Smith gets a lot of hate, but I think he's good.

Agreed, I think both are good.

Honestly, I'm still wishing Smith had taken the Neo gig. I think he had better dramatic chops for it while being as likable as Reeves.

Oh Bacon’s a good one. What’s that movie where he’s the inmate at Alcatraz?

Murder in the First?

Yeah, I'm a Bacon fan. He's just more of a work horse -- he doesn't do high dramatic pictures, but he's good enough to basically work as an actor in many films/shows + do his music gig. He's living his dream, and I like watching him on screen. Funniest thing... I still have never seen "Footloose" (ROFL! Can you believe that?), although I still picture him as Dave from "Flatliners," an okay movie that still felt pretty resonant to me.

I like Cage a lot too. Sometimes he goes off the rails, but the guy is always swinging at the fences. Sometimes it pays off. Typically I am not gonna see a half-assed performance from him, he's going all-in.

From a rational POV, "Face/Off" has a lot of flaws; but I still love that film... and I love that Travolta is channeling "Crazy Nick Cage" for half of it, while at the same time Cage is playing a decent dramatic role without much craziness. Can you believe it?

 

[Polaris]

I thought Will Smith was fantastic as the genie in the Aladdin remake. I wasn't aware that he was widely considered a bad actor. But then, that's the only movie I've seen him in.

 

[Totenkindly]

I thought Will Smith was fantastic as the genie in the Aladdin remake. I wasn't aware that he was widely considered a bad actor. But then, that's the only movie I've seen him in.

I think he does popularized movies fairly often so he might not get as much credence as an actor doing more "serious dramatic roles" per se. Most people my age knew him from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV sitcom.

 

[Polaris]

I think he does popularized movies fairly often so he might not get as much credence as an actor doing more "serious dramatic roles" per se. Most people my age knew him from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air TV sitcom.

Ah yes, I remember that show. My sister used to watch old reruns of it whatever that channel was called. So I guess I do have a little more experience with his acting. From what I recall, his personality on that show is fairly similar to the one he gave the genie. So maybe he doesn't have much range? I don't know.

 

[Obfuscate]

Buy the Bubba Ho Tep DVD (or Blu Ray, if it has the same special features), then listen to the commentary by the "King". It's brilliant. I'd link a clip but couldn't find any on youtube. Maybe I'll put together my own edit featuring the best parts of that commentary track.

agreed... fuck yeah bubba ho tep...

 

[Totenkindly]

Some others:

Kristen Stewart -- She got a bad rap for her most popularized films -- basically the Twilight crap, and that Snow White film she did (totally miscast in that one) -- but if you ever see her in any dramatic arthouse films, she is totally top notch and has actually been winning awards overseas (like a Cesar -- equivalent to the US Oscar). Think "Clouds of Sils Maria" or "Personal Shopper." They are just films not a lot of people know about or take time to see. I think she even got kudos for Adventureland some years back. Basically, she's just not cut out for blockbuster / conventional roles, she just is now working films suited for her acting approach.

Robert Pattinson -- Same deal, and he's been making a comeback in the last few years with films like "High Life" and "Good Time." his first role was splashy -- Cedric in "Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire" -- but again got dragged through the muck by Twilight. He's in Eggers' second moody horror film "The Lighthouse" coming out at the end of October.

Jack Black -- Again, he just needs the right roles. He can be really lovable and accessible. Think more "School of Rock" here.

Ah yes, I remember that show. My sister used to watch old reruns of it whatever that channel was called. So I guess I do have a little more experience with his acting. From what I recall, his personality on that show is fairly similar to the one he gave the genie. So maybe he doesn't have much range? I don't know.

Yeah, I'm having trouble remembering how much I've seen him outside of movies that utilize his familiar personality. (I know he was in that film a year or two back, playing a doc who was studying concussions in pro football, but I didn't see it.) He's essentially super-likable and feels grounded.

---

I was gonna mention Bill Hader, because for a long time he was kind of written off as a comedian; but lately he seems to be getting the praise he deserves. Kristen Wiig also seems to be considered a successful actress now too.

 

[The Cat]

Jeffrey Combs

Patrick Warburton

Seth MacFarlane.

Will Farrell.

 

[Totenkindly]

Aw come on -- whoever thought Will Farrell was actually bad??

Warburton had a cushy lovely role as narrator for the "Unfortunate Events" series on Netflix and of course everyone knows him as Kronk in TENG and then Puddy on Seinfeld. Didn't he do The Tick too?

 

[Luminous]

Jeffrey Combs

Patrick Warburton

Seth MacFarlane.

Will Farrell.

I love Patrick Warburton. I think he could say just about anything in a way that would make me laugh.

 

[The Cat]

Aw come on -- whoever thought Will Farrell was actually bad??

Warburton had a cushy lovely role as narrator for the "Unfortunate Events" series on Netflix and of course everyone knows him as Kronk in TENG and then Puddy on Seinfeld. Didn't he do The Tick too?

I meant as a more serious actor as opposed to comedy.

 

[Totenkindly]

I meant as a more serious actor as opposed to comedy.

I think good comedy actors (due to their timing and ability to make things funny) can actually be really effective dramatic actors if they learn how to channel the energy a bit -- they usually can give lifelike performances that merge humor and tragedy, etc.

Robin Williams is the most obvious example of this, I guess.