I just saw a clip of *Milk *with Victor Fucking Garber. Now, “Victor Garber” will always mean “Hippie Jesus” to me, so every time I see him in his current guise it freaks me a little out.
Who else has undergone a HUGE change during their career?
Mark Wahlberg. He was just “Marky Marky” from the Funky Bunch until I saw him in this little movie called Traveller. I thought it was a great movie and thought he did a great job. He’s had a lot of good roles since then (Boogie Nights, not Planet of the Apes!) but I’ll always remember the first movie that made me reconsider him.
I was always sneeringly dismissive of DiCaprio until I saw The Aviator.
Blood Diamond was the film that did it for me. Prior to that, he was that not particularly noteworthy (IMHO) heart-throb bloke squealy teenage girls obsessed over; After Blood Diamond I now take him seriously as an Actor.
For me, DiCraprio became a valid actor in “Catch me If you Can” before that he had ruined himself by his Titanic-ness.
Though he hasn’t changed my esteem of him, Hugh Laurie BLOWS my mind when I see him on A Bit of Fry and Laurie vs. knowing him for years as House.
Josh Brolin is the current example that immediately sprang to mind.
Jean Harlow was always lightweight to me until I saw Suzy.
George Clooney. Mind, I never watched ER, and for years the only thing I’d ever seen him in was Batman & Robin. I thought he was a highly overrated actor.
Then I saw the Ocean’s Eleven movies and saw the Coen Brothers movies with him. I freaking love the guy now.
Tom Hanks. He wasn’t the best actor and for a while he couldn’t pick a decent movie to save his soul.
Then he did Nothing in Common.
Another Hippie Jesus – Jeff Fenholt, who played the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway (I saw him perform, and even have an autograph).
He was apparently doing heavy drugs at the time, and wasn’t at al Christian. About ten years ago a very evangelical co-worker loaned me a tape of Fenholt preaching – he’s apparently Seen the Light and joined the Assembly of God, and gives lengthy sermons on his evil days doin’ drugs while playing Jesus.
According to the Wikipedia article, he’s essentially disappeared from that, too. God knows what he’s doing now.
Ross Kemp. The linked article says it all.
A strong second for Mark Wahlberg.
Jack Black.
Thanks to a couple friends I was into Tenacious D very early, and loved Jack Black. When I heard he was going to start being a star in movies, I thought it was the best thing ever, and that he would be the funniest guy in movies.
I can’t stand the smarmy ass now. He got old fast and I want to knock that stupid grin off his face.
I thought that Brad Pitt was just a pretty face in films that didn’t require much.
Then I saw **Snatch **- Brad Pitt was amazing.
I’ve watched his other movies since then with a different eye and he is IMHO a great actor.
**Anne Hathaway **was just a teen girl actress in the mold of Hillary Duff and Lindsay Lohan in my eyes until I saw her in Brokeback Mountain.
The 180 wasn’t complete though until I saw her in Rachel Getting Married the other night. She’s an incredibly gifted actress.
Burt Lancaster. I found him too stiff and overbearing, but then caught him in Atlantic City.
Steve Martin. He really was a terrible comedian – not even good doing some of the roles he created (Dan Ackroyd was a better “wild and crazy guy” when they did the sketches together). Then I started seeing him in things like All of Me and Roxanne. He often lapses into “wild and crazy,” but he also does things like Shopgirl.
Never seen What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? A juvenile performance, but astonishingly good.
Leonardo DiCaprio (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape aside)
George Clooney
Jim Carrey, when he started showing he had dynamic range.
Ditto. He was amazing in that movie.
Philip Seymour Hoffman.
He’s had a wide range of roles, but I remember a few years back watching him in a supporting role in Along Came Polly, then the next thing I know, he’s winning the Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Truman Capote.
And while I’m mentioning biopics, how about Jamie Foxx? From the sketch comedy show In Living Color to *Booty Call *to winning an Academy Award for Ray? That’s a 180.