Revisiting actors in old roles...

Cafe Society
1

I’ve been watching some old (10-20 years) movies and tv series due to my gross oversampling of my cable box. And recognizing a bunch of actors. It’s kind of strange - whereas when I see actors in new things, unless I’m especially familiar with them, I won’t always recognize them as having played some role from a previous gig. OTOH, when I’m watching some old movie or TV series, I DO tend to recognize them from their more recent roles. SO:

  1. Is it easier for you to recognize actors in new roles as having played much earlier roles, or easier for you to recognize actors in old roles as being the same as those from something more recent (assuming you saw both during their time and aren’t really following their career).

  2. Examples!

Mine (all from this week!):

I was watching Millennium. And I’m like, wait… that chain-smoking time-travelling soldier from the future with the crazy 80s punk meets Bride of Frankenstein blonde hairdo kind of reminds me of the current lady chief of CSI.

Then, Empire Records. And… crazy head shaving chick… isn’t she the head detective on The Mentalist? (I also recognize Liv Tyler and the girl from Chasing Amy, but they are obvious in whatever they do).

And don’t get me started on Freaks and Geeks. Had never seen it, but it was recently run on IFC. The cute little brother - psych guy from Bones! Seth Rogen and HIMYM guy and James Franco and Pacey’s girlfriend on Dawson’s creek and random guy from Judd Apatow movies! And wait, is the mascot guy Shia the Beef? And Linda F - I actually don’t recognize her, but her name sounds super familiar.

2

My biggest moment of this nature was when I looked at My Bodyguard again. I was aware of Matt Dillon, but the guy on the left . . .

Adam Baldwin, aka Jane from Firefly

3

I was once in the room when a TV was playing an Andy Grifith rerun. I heard a voice and said “That’s Jack Nicholson.” Didn’t even have to look at the set.

It was a very young Jack Nicholson.

4

I was just watching part of a movie on TCM last night, Cecil B. DeMille’s Samson and Delilah, from 1949, with Victor Mature and Hedy Lamarr in the starring roles.

Delilah had a sister in this flick, and when I saw her I thought “okay, who is that? She looks kinda familiar.” I didn’t want to cheat and look it up, and I hadn’t seen the opening credits.

All of a sudden I realized “OMG, that skinny blonde with the pouty mouth is Angela Lansbury!”

5

When a very young Barbara Eden is on Andy I (as the manicurist) virtually cannot take my eyes off the screen.