I’m sure that I could be a movie star if I could get out of this place.
I know you’re speaking a little tongue in cheek, but I’d argue that the baseline for talent is generally slightly higher.
And, behind the visible skills, there are others like: “can memorize lines quickly and reliably” “can take notes” “doesn’t waste people’s time or impede production” that are skills applied to the process not the product, and we don’t see that skill set on stage or screen.
I think another unappreciated skill is “is able to not worry too much about how to use one’s hands or stand there looking human.”
I have done that exact thing - an executive roadshow in many cities & offices - but for me at least that feels a bit different from acting, because I liked being up there talking directly to an audience & pulling them along with me. I was still being me, even if a ton of work and guidance went into my word choices. others’ mileage may vary I guess.
In one of my college productions we had acting students from other schools participating, besides us amateurs from our school. My part had a LOT of long speeches supposedly being read off of papers. But I memorized them pretty quickly and it amazed a lot of these guys that I was reciting rather than simply reading them.
So…I can memorize lines quickly, at least.
I was pretty good in amateur shows when I was a teenager, and then in college I gave it a whirl. In the last few years, I had occasion to do a reading with professional actors, and I was surprised by how much better they were than I was. The chief difference was that I was reading my lines off the script, but they were doing that and also listening intently to me (and other actors) when we read our lines.
My stage experience was pretty much “Tabard?” “Check.” “Helmet?” “Check.” “Spear?” “Check.” Know your mark?" “Check.” Step, step, step. Stand. Exit behind the leads stage right. Then get back on the lights. I’m much more comfortable running tech, but the director/teacher always thought we needed experience on both sides of the production.
I’ve done tons of theatre. (and one crappy local slasher film…but my Degrees of Kevin Bacon is three thanks to that.) my reaction would be “Cool. Tell me where to be and when.”
As im sure you know being a stage manager is VERY important.
Yeah. I have acted- in small parts, and I was told the fans liked me. That is my limit, but at least I know I have that limit. I even have an IMDB credit or so. So, put in in for a line or two, and I will do a decent job.
I think better.
I was literally a spear carrier in Antony and Cleopatra on stage. One small line.
“These pretzels are making me thirsty!”
It didn’t hurt that he was drunk all the time
If Rio Bravo we’re done today……and we did that crazy casting it would be:
Kevin Costner
Harry Connick Jr
And Billie Eilish
I’d watch that
Well, slightly tongue-in-cheek, since Hollywood actors where literally I could do a better job are quite rare (though they exist). But I’ve also seen plenty of amateur, local actors who were better than plenty of Hollywood actors. Why weren’t those local actors in movies? Because they’d never been noticed.
Memorizing lines well is certainly a valuable skill on the stage (and in at least one case where I was cast, it was specifically that skill that got me the role), but I’m not sure how important it is for a movie, where you only need to memorize one clip’s worth of lines at a time. And “don’t be a jerk” is an important skill for any job, but one that most people have an adequate mastery of.
I can’t remember if it was Hitchcock or Noel Coward who said acting simply meant “Know your lines and don’t bump into the furniture”
I’m pretty good at memorizing, but that other part has become a challenge of late…
On one hand you have people who have went to school for this and trained for many years making me think it’s a mix of talent, training, and years of practice that I definitely don’t have.
On the other hand I see people making the transition to acting from stand-up comedians, singers, athletes, etc. practically overnight and winning awards doing so making me think I could jump in just as easily?
Comedians and singers still have a lot of skills/talents in common with actors, and all three amount to “be entertaining”. It’s not too surprising that someone who’s good at entertaining in one way would also be good in others.
Athletes mostly don’t have that same skillset, but I’m also having a hard time thinking of athletes who went on to become actually good actors. Usually athletes in movies are either playing themselves, or playing roles that mostly just involve standing there and being very large and physically imposing.
And no, I’m not counting pro wrestlers. They were actors right from the start, albeit a sort of actor who needs considerable athletic ability.
Maybe Randall “Tex” Cobb? He started as a professional boxer, and ended up as a pretty good character actor. If nothing else, his performance as Leonard Smalls in Raising Arizona is pretty great.
I have given up on Costner.
This was the philosophy of the head of the theater department at my college. Regardless of what a student’s plans were for their theatrical future, they were expected at some point during their studies to get involved in as many aspects of putting on a play as possible. Which was interesting for me, as I was trying to complete a four-year program in only two years. In addition to acting in several plays, I also stage-managed one play, ran sound for another, and assisted other students with various aspects of their projects. About the only thing I didn’t do was costuming. This was in addition to my class work, which included having to design sets and direct scenes.
Absolutely not. I’m a terrible public speaker, motormouth, anxiety-riddled squirrel of a person and acting in any way is way beyond anything I can manage. I have taught specialized training as an expert, but that’s with a lot of preparation, practice, applied knowledge and definitely no sleep the night before out of general concern for being visible and convinced I’ll humiliate myself. I’ve been told my training sessions are really good, but no part of my brain actually belies it.
I don’t think there’s any reasonable amount of money or convincing that could get me to even try to act in a TV show or movie (I say reasonable, because yeah, sure, I’ll do it for a billion dollars I guess).
Even if I did try, I don’t think I could bring myself to ever watch it!