# "Wow! They really can act!" moments
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [December 17, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346 "2007-12-17T16:39:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/1 "2007-12-17T16:39:56Z")
There are lots of actors out there who you just look at and think, “Meh, they’re OK but not great.” Then you see one performance and say, “Holy crap! They really are an actor!” It might be the only worthwhile performance of their whole career or it might be a turning point where they grew.
The one that always stands out for me was Farrah Fawcett in [_Extremities_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091024/). I did like her in _The Burning Bed_ but I thought her work in _Extremities_ was incredible. She wasn’t the bubble headed blonde bombshell. She was vicious, tough, strong and definitely not someone to screw around with. You also saw her fighting her emotions and desire for vengeance. When she is talking to her assailant, and the camera is close on her face with tears and snot running down her nose, it really made me appreciate her talent.
What are some other examples of actors exceeding your expectations?
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### Author:  [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/2 "2007-12-17T16:48:46Z")
Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. He went from over-the-top comedian to serious actor.
Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, to me, proved he wasn’t a face.
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### Author:  [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/3 "2007-12-17T16:52:54Z")
Steve Martin in _All of Me_
Leonardo DiCaprio in _Gilbert Grape_
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### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/4 "2007-12-17T16:55:38Z")
There is an episode in “Buffy the vampire slayer” where Buffy and Faith swap bodies. I found it uncanny how they mimicked the other characters’s gait, body language, mannerisms, and just general “feel”.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/5 "2007-12-17T17:20:34Z")
**Sylvester Stallone** in _Copland_.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/6 "2007-12-17T17:28:06Z")
Brent Spiner. He seemed flat in ST:TNG because that was the character, but he’s capable of a lot more as seen in _Threshold_. From [Wil Wheaton’s review of Datalore](http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/12/03/star-trek-the-next-generation-datalore/):
> [@](#):
>
> This episode was a ton of work for Brent. Whenever he switched roles, he also had to switch costumes, which I recall being time consuming and tedious. However, that was nothing compared to dealing with the guy they got to double Brent when both characters needed to be on screen at the same time.
>
> I don’t remember the guy’s name […] but he was someone’s friend, or a relative, or maybe even worked in production in some capacity. He seemed nice enough to me, but he drove Brent crazy. Whenever he was playing Data or Lore, he moved like a break dancer doing the robot […] and what started out as comical quickly became annoying. I think the guy was really into playing an android, and his enthusiasm got cranked up to eleven, but by the end of the week, pretty much everyone wanted to deactivate him and sell him to the nearest Jawa.
>
> This reminds me of something Jonathan told me about casting for Lal when he directed ‘The Offspring’: “You don’t realize how brilliant and subtle Brent’s performance is until you watch a bunch of other actors try to pull it off . . . badly.”
**Flander** , regarding Jim Carrey, Joss Whedon has said that he actually prefers hiring comedic actors to do drama, because drama’s the easy one. Comedy actors bring a _lot_ to the drama table because they’ve mastered the harder style of acting, and I think that does hold true often.
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### Author:  [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/7 "2007-12-17T17:31:19Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone]
Comedy actors bring a _lot_ to the drama table because they’ve mastered the harder style of acting, and I think that does hold true often.
[/QUOTE]
OK, that reminds me of another one: **Kevin Pollak** in _The Usual Suspects_. As a guy whom I knew only from his standup and his hilarious turn as a brownie in _Willow_, he surprised me.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/8 "2007-12-17T17:32:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bosstone]
b]Flander\*\*, regarding Jim Carrey, Joss Whedon has said that he actually prefers hiring comedic actors to do drama, because drama’s the easy one. Comedy actors bring a _lot_ to the drama table because they’ve mastered the harder style of acting, and I think that does hold true often.
[/QUOTE]
Shawn Ryan, creator of \*The Shield, \* has said the same thing about his choice of Michael Chiklis and Anthony Anderson (playing a corrupt cop and gang-lord, respectively) - two actors who were previously known chiefly as comics.
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### Author:  [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/9 "2007-12-17T17:32:38Z")
Billie Piper in the _Doctor Who_ episode where Cassandra hops into her body. Finding she had acting ability was… unexpected.
Donnie Wahlberg in _Band of Brothers_. Particularly “The Breaking Point”, which focuses quite a bit on his character, and which he narrates. It was a very nuanced, understated performance – that matched up to what we got to see of the _actual_ person he was portraying, in the interviews. That was the point where I forgave him for New Kids On The Block.
His brother, Marky Mark, is also a surprisingly enjoyable actor, but I’ve yet to be “wowed” by one of his performances.
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### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/10 "2007-12-17T17:44:30Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp]
**Sylvester Stallone** in _Copland_.
[/QUOTE]
Hey, I was gonna mention that one. I thought Stallone was pretty good in _Rocky_, but his role in _Copland_ was a pleasant surprise.
I’ll add Charlize Theron, who I thought was an attractive but otherwise forgettable actress in _The Italian Job_. I’d heard she was good in _Monster_, but holy cow, was she good.
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### Author:  [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/11 "2007-12-17T17:46:59Z")
[QUOTE=Flander]
Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind. He went from over-the-top comedian to serious actor.
Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys, to me, proved he wasn’t a face.
[/QUOTE]
Agree on both of these, though I wanted add that I was even more impressed by Mr. Pitt in _Se7en_, and thought that Jim Carrey had already showed a convincing non-slapstick side to him in _The Truman Show_.
I’ll add to this list Bill Murray’s performance in _Groundhog Day_. Before that I thought of him as “the crazy guy from Saturday Night Live, Caddyshack and Ghostbusters”. But his nuanced performance in that movie really makes it something special.
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### Author:  [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/12 "2007-12-17T18:04:35Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
Shawn Ryan, creator of \*The Shield, \* has said the same thing about his choice of Michael Chiklis and Anthony Anderson (playing a corrupt cop and gang-lord, respectively) - two actors who were previously known chiefly as comics.
[/QUOTE]
It works. The Shield is my favorite show.
As far as comedians playing drama roles, it works for some. Jim Carrey and Kevin Pollack are good examples; though I’m sure I’ll never see Chris Rock or Bernie Mac pulling of a great dramatic performance.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/13 "2007-12-17T18:08:41Z")
A twofer: Mark Wahlberg and George Clooney both surprised me with their performances in _Three Kings_.
> [@Flander](#):
>
> As far as comedians playing drama roles, it works for some. Jim Carrey and Kevin Pollack are good examples; though I’m sure I’ll never see Chris Rock or Bernie Mac pulling of a great dramatic performance.
Check out Chris Rock in _Nurse Betty_ sometime. He’s got one scene in there at the very end that’s haunted me for years now.
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### Author:  [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/14 "2007-12-17T18:11:14Z")
Steve Zahn in Rescue Dawn, a poor and pointless movie IMHO (are we really still doing Vietnam POW movies that don’t add anything new to the genre?). I guess he is a really good actor but I didn’t notice it until Rescue Dawn.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/15 "2007-12-17T18:14:36Z")
[QUOTE=Flander]
though I’m sure I’ll never see Chris Rock or **Bernie Mac** pulling of a great dramatic performance.
[/QUOTE]
Well, it wasn’t high drama, but his scene with Matt Damon in _Ocean’s Eleven_ about the gambling license was pretty good. 😃
I could see Chris Rock doing something non-comedic, though. He’s got a good voice and delivery that could make for an intense scene.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/16 "2007-12-17T18:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray]
\
Donnie Wahlberg in _Band of Brothers_. Particularly “The Breaking Point”, which focuses quite a bit on his character, and which he narrates. It was a very nuanced, understated performance – that matched up to what we got to see of the _actual_ person he was portraying, in the interviews. That was the point where I forgave him for New Kids On The Block.
\
[/QUOTE]
For me, the moment for Wahlberg was in the series “The Kill Point.” As the hostage negotiator, he definitely held his own with John Leguizamo.
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### Author:  [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/17 "2007-12-17T18:37:57Z")
Adam Sandler in **Punch-Drunk Love**.
[QUOTE=askeptic]
Steve Zahn in Rescue Dawn, a poor and pointless movie IMHO (are we really still doing Vietnam POW movies that don’t add anything new to the genre?). I guess he is a really good actor but I didn’t notice it until Rescue Dawn.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for reminding me to put **Rescue Dawn** on my Favorite Films of 2007 list. I thought it was an amazing movie, with great performances from both Zahn and Christian Bale. Werner Herzog, one of my favorite directors, just keeps getting better and better. It certainly added something new for me, since I had missed Herzog’s earlier **Little Dieter Needs To Fly** and I didn’t know about this true story of Dieter Dengler.
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### Author:  [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/18 "2007-12-17T18:43:13Z")
**Ashton Kutcher** in **"The Butterfly Effect"**
While is was not an over the top performance, I was stunned at the contrast from his standard X Rated Goofy on steroids characters. Good movie and not bad acting.
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### Author:  [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/19 "2007-12-17T18:43:37Z")
[QUOTE=Lightray]
Billie Piper in the _Doctor Who_ episode where Cassandra hops into her body. Finding she had acting ability was… unexpected.
Donnie Wahlberg in _Band of Brothers_. Particularly “The Breaking Point”, which focuses quite a bit on his character, and which he narrates. It was a very nuanced, understated performance – that matched up to what we got to see of the _actual_ person he was portraying, in the interviews. That was the point where I forgave him for New Kids On The Block.
His brother, Marky Mark, is also a surprisingly enjoyable actor, but I’ve yet to be “wowed” by one of his performances.
[/QUOTE]
Ah, Donnie. My favourite New Kid back in the day. I had heard that he was in _The Sixth Sense_, watched it and couldn’t spot him…later heard specifically what part he played, thought “No, that’s not right, guy didn’t look anything like him” and went and watched it again. Wow. Not only did he do a respectable job acting - he _drastically_ altered his appearance for that role and looked like hell. I’d never have recognized him otherwise, and this is a dude whose image graced every wall of my bedroom once upon a time.
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### Author:  [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2007, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-they-really-can-act-moments/430346/20 "2007-12-17T18:48:16Z")
Keanu Reeves in… nah, I’m just kidding.
I guess my “wow” moment would be Jamie Fox in _Any Given Sunday_. Remember _The Jamie Fox show_? That show was awful, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him hold his own with Pacino.
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