# Why don't some actors even TRY to act? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2010, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054 "2010-08-03T20:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/21 "2010-08-04T03:55:30Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > (I also thought it would be about Nicholson.) > > Imho, it’s actually rare for movie actors to act, which is why being on Broadway is such a big deal. While any Broadway actor does well on screen, very few screen actors can make the opposite transition where they are required to fit into characters other people have made. > > Becoming the character is actually only taught at [one type of acting school.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Acting_techniques) Much more common is to adapt the character to the actor’s strengths. For example, no matter what role Jim Carey or WilL Ferrel take, everybody wants them to be themselves on the screen, and they are often encouraged to ad lib and add their own personality to the role. > > The last of the great method actors are Robert Deniro and Meryl Streep (although Bobby has dialed in all his roles for the past 20 years.) While Streep is undeniably one of the greatest actors of her generation, she has yet to have a truly breakout, iconic role. Deniro, as well, has had little box office success since the Godfather Part 2 (although tons of critical success.) > > Therefore, the lesson learned is that your movies make more money if the actor’s personality is unique, not on how well the actor can transform into the character. While Harrison Ford has the same mannerisms in every film he’s in, you can’t argue with ~$2 billion in box office receipts. > > The bottom line is quite simple: Actors that are loved do better with audiences than actors that can act. Man, you took up an awful lot of space to say what I said in six words. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/22 "2010-08-04T13:23:45Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Actors play roles. Stars play themselves. I’d make an exception for Tom Hanks. There are two types of actors–those who play a character and those who can act. Sometimes those who can really act end up playing a character, either through type casting or pure laziness. Then they somehow end up playing a dirfferent type of role that blows people away (House, anyone?). ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/23 "2010-08-04T13:32:54Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Rather than derail another discussion, I’m starting a new thread about Certain Actors Of A Certain Standing that feel like they can just “ **be themselves** ” (as opposed to, I don’t know, maybe “ **being THE CHARACTER** ”?). > > We were discussing Patrick Stewart’s roles and I noticed that we now have a Frenchman with a British accent (_Star Trek_)… Not to fan wank too much here, but I remember an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where the French Language was mentioned. Data stared off in the distance for a moment and said something disparaging along the lines of “French - is a language that died off in the early twenty-first century.” to which Jean-Luc Picard responded that ‘for centuries French was the language of culture and diplomacy.’ Data was fully prepared to go on, when Riker said “Mr. Data, I suggest you drop it.” with a nod to Captain Picard. (All lines freely paraphrased - it would have been 1993 or so when I saw this particular rerun…) I took from this that although Jean-Luc Picard had a French name and French ancestry, the language had been completely supplanted by English and was not spoken any more. Does anyone else remember the episode in which this scene occurs? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/24 "2010-08-04T13:45:39Z")
Because it sells. Person A: There’s a movie coming out called Snakes on a Plane. Person B: Sounds stupid. Person A: It stars Samuel L. Jackson. Person B: I’m totally going to see that!!! > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I’d make an exception for Tom Hanks. Another exception is Gene Hackman. I heard it said that “he’s one of the few stars who is really a character actor.” I think it’s true. He doesn’t melt into a role like Meryl Streep does, but he definitely brings something distinct to each role. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/25 "2010-08-04T14:32:13Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Imho, it’s actually rare for movie actors to act, which is why being on Broadway is such a big deal. While any Broadway actor does well on screen, very few screen actors can make the opposite transition where they are required to fit into characters other people have made. Theatre actors have a saying: Movies make you rich, TV makes you popular, stage work makes you good. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/26 "2010-08-04T14:40:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Here I was positive this thread was going to be about Jack. +1 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/27 "2010-08-04T14:44:08Z")
> [@digs](#): > > As much as I squirm when Keanu tries to emote, **his bewildered “Whoaaa” persona was perfect for “Mr. Anderson”**. I even liked Costner in a movie or two, and I love Patrick Stewart (even if it’d make more sense for him to be Captain John Luke instead). It was also perfect for “You’re going down Bodie…that’s the way its gotta be!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shadowfyre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfyre/32/9972_2.png) [@Shadowfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shadowfyre)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/28 "2010-08-04T15:43:52Z")
Here I thought this was going to be the George Clooney thread. Every character is just like his ER persona, Dr. Ross. Though From Dusk to Dawn was a slightly high strung Dr. Ross and Solaris was a slightly depressed Dr. Ross. Batman was just Dr. Ross in a costume. From what I’ve seen in interviews, Dr. Ross was just George Clooney taking care of kids in a hospital. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/29 "2010-08-04T15:51:47Z")
Clint Eastwood is another who plays pretty much the same character in every movie. He did use that to great effect, though, in _Unforgiven._ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/30 "2010-08-04T17:09:58Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > > > I’d make an exception for Tom Hanks. > > Another exception is Gene Hackman. I heard it said that “he’s one of the few stars who is really a character actor.” I think it’s true. He doesn’t melt into a role like Meryl Streep does, but he definitely brings something distinct to each role. Anthony Hopkins is another one I thought of who **does** “try to act” in the OP’s sense. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/31 "2010-08-04T17:14:14Z")
> [@Shadowfyre](#): > > Here I thought this was going to be the George Clooney thread. Every character is just like his ER persona, Dr. Ross. > > Though From Dusk to Dawn was a slightly high strung Dr. Ross and Solaris was a slightly depressed Dr. Ross. Batman was just Dr. Ross in a costume. > > From what I’ve seen in interviews, Dr. Ross was just George Clooney taking care of kids in a hospital. I find Clooney is Clooney in the most distracting kind of ways. Like we thought _Up in the Air_ would have worked better with a lesser known everyman kind of guy than George SUperstar Clooney. However, his performance in _Burn After Reading_ was hilarious. It’s gotta be the only Clooney movie I’ve yet seen that de-Cloonified him. Anyway, Michael Cera is the guy I’d vote as “most likely to retire rich without doing anything other than being the same dweeb.” ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/32 "2010-08-04T17:59:03Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Anyway, Michael Cera is the guy I’d vote as “most likely to retire rich without doing anything other than being the same dweeb.” …To be known as the Woody Allen Acting Award. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/33 "2010-08-04T18:19:16Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > > [@Shadowfyre](#): > > > > Here I thought this was going to be the George Clooney thread. Every character is just like his ER persona, Dr. Ross. > > > > Though From Dusk to Dawn was a slightly high strung Dr. Ross and Solaris was a slightly depressed Dr. Ross. Batman was just Dr. Ross in a costume. > > > > From what I’ve seen in interviews, Dr. Ross was just George Clooney taking care of kids in a hospital. > > I find Clooney is Clooney in the most distracting kind of ways. Like we thought _Up in the Air_ would have worked better with a lesser known everyman kind of guy than George SUperstar Clooney. > > However, his performance in _Burn After Reading_ was hilarious. It’s gotta be the only Clooney movie I’ve yet seen that de-Cloonified him. > > Anyway, Michael Cera is the guy I’d vote as “most likely to retire rich without doing anything other than being the same dweeb.” Brilliant points all. I wonder if there’s a bit of jealousy in my reaction to these actors “most likely to retire rich without doing anything other than being the same [character]”… sounds like a hell of a business plan. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/34 "2010-08-04T18:20:15Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > > [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > > > Anyway, Michael Cera is the guy I’d vote as “most likely to retire rich without doing anything other than being the same dweeb.” > > …To be known as the Woody Allen Acting Award. Previouly kown as the Charlie Chaplin Award (of course, you also have to have married the much younger daughter of a famous person). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/35 "2010-08-04T19:14:17Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > > > Actors play roles. Stars play themselves. > > Precisely. Jack Nicholson thinks he’s an actor. 🙂 He _used_ to be an actor, and for quite a few years he was one of the greatest, but we haven’t seen much evidence of that for a very long time now. I think he’s essentially a lazy person who’s content to be JACK NICHOLSON. . ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/36 "2010-08-04T22:16:55Z")
> [@digs](#): > > As much as I squirm when Keanu tries to emote, his bewildered “Whoaaa” persona was perfect for “Mr. Anderson”. I even liked Costner in a movie or two, and I love Patrick Stewart (even if it’d make more sense for him to be Captain John Luke instead). I’m not a huge fan of Keanu, but I though he actually managed to act in Somthing’s Gotta Give. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen Orlando “the second coming of Keanu Reeves” Bloom act though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/37 "2010-08-04T22:47:03Z")
I nominate Tom Cruise, who never seems to do anything but smirk and try to be a pint-sized badass. Ditto for Bruce Willis. Not that I haven’t enjoyed some of their movies. It probably goes for nearly all action film stars like Schwartzenegger, Diesel, Seagal, etc. They’re nearly always one dimensional, and happy with being typecast. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/38 "2010-08-04T22:53:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I nominate Tom Cruise, who never seems to do anything but smirk and try to be a pint-sized badass. Ditto for Bruce Willis. Not that I haven’t enjoyed some of their movies. It probably goes for nearly all action film stars like Schwartzenegger, Diesel, Seagal, etc. They’re nearly always one dimensional, and happy with being typecast. I’m no Bruce Willis fan, and haven’t seen many of his films, but I thought he was a great actor in _Twelve Monkeys_. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/39 "2010-08-04T22:57:50Z")
I was hoping to see some good stuff from Jason Lee in **Memphis Beat** after liking him in **My Name is Earl** , but his acting in this has to be one of the most one-dimensional performances I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054/40 "2010-08-04T23:03:27Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > I nominate Tom Cruise, who never seems to do anything but smirk and try to be a pint-sized badass. Ditto for Bruce Willis. Not that I haven’t enjoyed some of their movies. It probably goes for nearly all action film stars like Schwartzenegger, Diesel, Seagal, etc. They’re nearly always one dimensional, and happy with being typecast. > > I’m no Bruce Willis fan, and haven’t seen many of his films, but I thought he was a great actor in _Twelve Monkeys_. Also **The Sixth Sense** , \*\*Mortal Thoughts, and \*\ ***Death Becomes Her**. I don’t think there’s really much demand for him to play anyone other than his regular smartass character. If you’re looking for a good character actor, he’s not the first person you’d think to call. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-some-actors-even-try-to-act/549054.md?page=3)