Just noticed a Yahoo! News item that the James Dean museum will stay open a while longer, thanks to donations and letters of support.
Got me to thinking about how in the late 50’s and early 60’s so many young stars tried to copy James Dean’s mannerisms, slouch, way of speaking, even the way they tried to look. It may have just been how big a fan I myself was of Dean to notice the similarities, whether intended or not, in other actors. But over time it became obvious to me that there was some amount of emulating going on in:
Steve McQueen
Paul Newman
Tony Perkins
Martin Sheen
Robert Culp
Michael Parks
Tommy Sands
Robert Conrad
Elvis
most of the “heartthrobs” of the early years of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
There were even references to Dean going on into the 70’s, and posters of Dean and Marilyn Monroe still seem to be selling well.
Among the actors working today who are the ones being copied or emulated by others? Are there still some who’re copying Brando and Dean?
Christian Slater early in his career was accused of doing a Jack Nicholson impersonation. It got to the point that IIRC he went on SNL and did a sketch about it.
Jason Alexander did a straight ripoff of Woody Allen for a year or so before he figured out how to play George Costanza. Compare the first year of SEINFELD to any later year, and George is a completely different character–different mannerisms, different speech, different body language, and most of it was pure Woody Allen.
Don Stroud’s actual resemblance to Brando always gave me the impression he knew that and worked on it. And I think Mark Ruffalo looks a lot like Brando, too.
Michael Madsen was so much like Elvis in Thelma and Louise that it was hard for me to pay attention. And I thought Brad Pitt was ripping off the Dean from Giant.
Lately, with all his weight gain for the role, George Clooney has started looking like Orson Welles (the early version) to me.
Now, if I could just place who it is that Christian Slater reminds me of…
I just watched this movie called One Cuckoo Fell Out of the Nest, or something like that, and this guy starring in it was TOTALLY ripping off Christian Slater. It was so obvious.
Ryan Phillippe has the voice and mannerisms of John Malkovich. When I first noticed him in Cruel Intentions, I thought he was doing a direct impersonation of Malkovich in Dangerous Liasons (same character, different scripts). But further viewing of different movies reveals that he’s just an awful lot like Malkovich in his elocution, diction and acting choices. Whether this is a studied and intentional thing, I cannot say.
I suppose it could be instructive if we expand the concept to list those actors who are very difficult to emulate. Here’s a start of such a list:
Strother Martin
Jack Elam
Lee Van Cleef
Robert Ryan
Lee J. Cobb
Edward G. Robinson
Broderick Crawford
Christopher Lloyd
Burl Ives
James Gandolfini
Scott Glenn
Laurence Olivier
Anthony Hopkins
Have you ever seen any of these guys copied?
Nah, that’s not it. But every time I see this suggestion it reminds me of the character Brando played in One Eyed Jacks. That’s not your fault, but it happens.
I wasn’t aware that Ryan Phillippe has any diction. Seems like everything comes out in an affected mumble. I guess he’s considered a good actor but I put him right up there with Keanu Reeves; pretty boy with flat delivery.
John Malkovich on the other hand I think is a fine actor; perhaps I am assuming that because he isn’t pretty that he must be a good actor…?
