Tag: Actors

Actors I like

“The Year of Living Dangerously” (1982)

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This is another film I’ve wanted to see for a while!  You’ll see a natural/young Mel before he became a celeb w/ extreme opinions.  Guy Hamilton (Mel Gibson) is an Australian/American foreign correspondant  assigned to cover political unrest in Indonesia under Sukarno in the mid-60s.  (The film was shot in the Philipinnes.)  Guy meets a small group of reporters from Western nations (all w/ varying ideas about Indonesia), as well as a very intelligent Australian/Chinese photographer, Billy Kwan (Linda Hunt).  Billy, who is a little person, takes a keen interest in Guy.  He shows the newbie around Jakarta and helps him get interviews (including one w/ the leader of the Communists).  Billy also serves as narrator for most of the film, and is the most interesting character in the story.  He knows Indonesia (jungles, slums, embassies, etc.), cares deeply about its common people (who face terrible poverty), and has connexs all over.  Some wonder is he’s a spy.           

 

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Billy introduces Guy to one of his closest friends- a beautiful/tough-minded Englishwoman who works at the British Embassy, Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver).  Billy slyly finds a way to bring Jill and Guy together, thinking they’d be good for each other.  (Mel and Sigourney have GREAT chemistry onscreen.)  Just as their romance gets going, all hell breaks loose!  Will Guy keep chasing the story OR run away w/ the woman he loves?    

 

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The title The Year of Living Dangerously is a quote which refers to a famous Italian phrase used by Sukarno: vivere pericoloso, meaning “living dangerously.”  -Wikipedia

 

Mel described his character Guy, saying, “He’s not a silver-tongued devil. He’s kind of immature and he has some rough edges and I guess you could say the same for me.”  -Wikipedia

 

When I first started out there were very few tall actors… Mel  Gibson got on a box, never had a problem.  He was just as sweet as can be.  He was just so secure about my height.  He just thought it was a lark, he thought it was funny.  –Sigourney Weaver

“Mad Men” (Seasons 1 & 2)

Emma3 Comments
The cast of "Mad Men" (AMC)
The cast of ensemble drama “Mad Men” (AMC)

My little sister watches this show, so I decided to check it out.  (She’s usually in the know about what’s cool.)  Another reason to see Mad Men is Elisabeth Moss (known to many as President Bartlett’s youngest daughter, Zoe, on The West Wing).  Elisabeth’s character, Peggy Olson, starts out as a cheerful/eager/naive secretary at the start of Season 1.  Like the viewer, she doesn’t know what to expect from Sterling Cooper (the ad agency that is the main setting of the show).

Peggy Olson- always watching & learning
Peggy Olson- always watching & learning

Women esp. will empathize w/ Peggy, a young woman who experiences workplace harassment (it’s the early ’60s after all), romantic disappointment, and disillusionment on her way to becoming a copywriter (in Season 2).  She brings to mind the compromises, trials, and sacrifices faced by early feminists, though Peggy NEVER calls herself a feminist.  Peggy works hard and wins the trust/confidence/respect of boss, Don Draper (Jon Hamm).

The unflappable Roger Sterling
The unflappable Roger Sterling

After Peggy, my fave character is Roger Sterling (played by TV/theater veteran John Slattery).  Roger, a partner in the firm, is an “old-school” guy- charming, confident, and a heavy drinker (w/o any guilt, he comments).  He usually has a twinkle in his eye, enjoying work and life to the fullest.  I particularly enjoyed the few eps where Roger was worried about aging.

Don (Jon Hamm) & Betty (January Jones)
Don & Betty

Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) & Pete (Vincent Kartheiser)

Don Draper (Jon Hamm) w/ bohemian Midge (Rosemarie Dewitt)

Don w/ businesswoman Rachel

Though many people have commented on Don’s hot & heavy romance w/ Midge, I thought the storyline w/ him and Rachel was MORE interesting.  She is a successful/single/lonely businesswoman who is a client of Sterling Cooper (in Season 1).   Don doesn’t want to work w/ her at first, but soon becomes intrigued by her perserverence.  Though Rachel is wealthy, she is an “outsider” b/c of her Jewish heritage.   Don falls deeply in love w/ her, and tells her secrets about his life.  (Unfortunately, I didn’t see this ep!)   He’s (visibly) shocked when he sees Rachel w/ her new hubby (Season 2).

 

Jon Hamm in "People" mag (2007)
Jon Hamm in “People” mag (2007)

I watched a FEW interviews w/ Jon Hamm; he comes across as a VERY polite/sweet/unassuming actor.  He said he wears glasses and prefers his hair longer than Don’s in real life.  I watched Jon (a few yrs ago) as a sensitive detective on the Lifetime drama, The Division.  After a LONG struggle in Hollywood, this actor has made it BIG!

From Parade mag
From “Parade” mag

Hamm “has this wonderful sadness and lost quality in his eyes,” said director Alan Taylor. “It’s a rare quality for a strapping leading man.”  Leave your political correctness at the door, and tune in for Season 3 of Mad Men on SUN night!

 

Related Links:

An extensive Vanity Fair article: http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2009/09/mad-men200909?printable=true&currentPage=all

Basket of Kisses: a Mad Men fan site

http://www.lippsisters.com/

A comprehensive Jon Hamm fan site:

http://www.jon-hamm.com/

“The French Lieutenant’s Woman” (1981)

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I bought this (hard to find) DVD via Amazon!
I bought this DVD recently.

I wanted to see this movie for a few wks!  Some parts were on You Tube, but NOT the entire film.  So I decided to buy it on Amazon (it was a low price).  It’s an unique and memorable picture w/ 2 VERY strong actors, though Meryl Streep later said he felt “in over her head” in playing Sarah.  There is some beautiful lighting and scenery, including a lush forest.  It’s also mysterious, making you think about the complexity of the human mind.    

The mysterious Sarah Woodruff (Meryl Streep)
Sarah (Meryl Streep)
This is a movie w/in a movie b/c Streep and Irons play two roles.  In the modern world, they are Anna (an American actress) and Mike (a British actor).  Anna (who plays mysterious outcast Sarah Woodrough) and Mike (who plays wealthy science enthusiast Charles Smithson) are filming The French Lieutenant’s Woman in Dorset and London.  We shift from the past (Victorian England) to the present (’80s) throughout the film, enabling us to compare and contrast the actors and their roles.   
Charles Smithson (Jeremy Irons)
Charles (Jeremy Irons)

Charles comes from London to engage the hand of Ernestina, the young daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder.  He’s known her for several weeks, and they seem very much in love.  Ernestina’s father approves of the match, though Charles is a follower of Darwin.  After their engagement, Charles and Ernestina take a walk near the seaside.  Charles sees the far-off figure of a woman (wearing a dark cloak) at the edge of the walkway.  It’s a very windy day and violent waves are coming up over the seawall.  Being a sensitive gentleman, he is alarmed about the stranger’s safety. 

When Charles asks about her, Ernestina remarks “oh, tragedy.”  Sarah is notorious in the community b/c of her (actual or alleged?) affair w/ a French officer years ago.  Though it is dangerous, the curious Charles runs out to warn the woman.  Sarah turns to face him, but says nothing.  We see that Charles has been deeply affected by seeing her- love at first sight!  He learns more about her (precarious) position in life, and wants to help her.          

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The actors, Mike and Anna, are romantically involved during shooting.  These modern people are NOT as interesting as the Victorians, but have their moments.  In one small (but eye-opening scene) Anna reads to Mike from a history book.  We learn that most of the girls working in London brothels were “nice girls who’d lost their jobs”; some had been governesses.  I don’t want to give TOO much away; you should watch this film ASAP!      

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082416/

Out of the Past (1947) starring Robert Mitchum & Kirk Douglas

Emma1 Comment

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This is a 4 star classic film noir that you MUST-SEE!  Out of the Past reminded me of A History of Violence.  It has snappy dialogue, interesting characters, twists and turns, and gorgeous lighting.  Because of censorship laws of the ’40s, some events are (cleverly) hinted at, instead of shown outright.  This adds to the originality of the film!

Small town USA

Jeff Bailey (Robert Mitchum) has lived for 2 yrs in a small California town running a gas station.  His assistant is a deaf/mute teen boy.  Jeff (a seemingly normal, quiet guy) often goes fishing w/ a pretty, sweet local lady- Ann Miller.  He plans to marry her in the near future.  One day, a big-city guy drives into this little community and starts asking questions about Jeff.  This stranger (from Jeff’s old life) is surprised to learn about his (now ordinary) life.

The femme fatale
Jane Greer: The femme fatale

Jeff confides in Ann after seeing the man from his past.  No so long ago, he was a sort of private detective in San Francisco.  Jeff and his partner, Brodie, got in over their head when they started working w/ crime boss Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas).  Whit paid them to look for his runaway girlfriend, Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer), even AFTER she tried to kill him!

Kirk Douglas: the former boss
Kirk Douglas & Robert Mitchum

Jeff traveled to Mexico, met the mysterious/beautiful Kathie, and quickly fell in love w/ her.  After 2 weeks, Whit showed up w/ a group of his men.  Jeff met w/ them, but then ran away w/ Kathie.  But that’s NOT the end of this story!

The lighting in this film noir is AWESOME!

Unlike the song, Kathie was not “easy to love,” but Jeff went out of his way to protect her from Whit.  We find out in the last 1/3 of the story that Kathie is NOT as defenseless as she seems.  Even after 2 yrs, she’s NOT completely out of Jeff’s system!   Can Jeff have a normal life w/ Ann, or will Kathie cause the undoing of him?  This was (no doubt) a juicy role for Mitchum, who we know has the tough guy exterior, but also a sly humor and normal guy demeanor.  Just a magnetic actor!  

Entertainment Trivia

Emma1 Comment

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  • Gene Hackman rehearsed for The Graduate before best pal Dustin Hoffman.
  • Hackman paints on a regular basis.
  • Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman were the two actors considered “the least likely to succeed” at the Pasadena Playhouse.
  • Gene Hackman loved Montgomery Cliff’s work “because of his sensitivity.”

 

 

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  • Both Marlon Brando and Paul Newman observed Rocky Marciano during the boxer’s practice time at his gym.

 

 

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  • Paul Newman said “people kept mistaking me for Brando” when he first became widely known.

 

 

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  • Spike Lee’s grandmother (an Atlanta art teacher) financed all his student films at NYU.
  • Denzel Washington started preparing for Malcolm X one year before filming began.

 

 

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  • Richard Dreyfuss began acting professionally at age 13.
  • Spielberg refers to Dreyfuss as his “alter ego.”
  • Richard Dreyfuss was the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner (age 29); regarding his character Elliot in The Goodbye Girl: “I wanted to be like him.  I really admired and liked him.”

 

 

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  • Jeremy Irons worked small gigs as a musician (he sings and plays guitar) before going into acting.
  • Irons worked as a housekeeper (“I enjoyed it very much”) while auditioning for roles in his early 20s.

 

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  • Jeremy Irons first (onscreen) love scene was with Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant’s Woman.

 

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  • Irons and long-time wife (actress Sinead Cusack) live in a castle in County Cork, Ireland. 

 

 

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  • Kevin Spacey acted in high school productions with Val Kilmer and Mare Winningham in the LA suburbs; he transferred to their school after he saw them perform.
  • After high school and before getting into Julliard (“Kilmer encouraged me to apply”), Spacey did stand-up comedy for 1.5 years.
  • Kevin Spacey corresponded with Katherine Hepburn for many years, and thought of Jack Lemmon as a “Pop” (father figure/role model in the field of acting).

 

 

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  • Helen Mirren grew up w/o TV and rarely went to the movies/theater (b/c her family couldn’t afford it). 
  • Mirren trained as a teacher after high school.  She worked for a time in inner-city London (Bethnal Green) teaching elective courses.

 

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  • Helen Mirren prefers movies to acting b/c theater “is such hard work.”

 

 

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  • Meryl Streep studied w/ the same voice teacher as (opera star) Beverly Sills as a teenager.  Before getting a full scholarship to Julliard for her master’s, she applied to law schools.
  • Streep wrote her own lines for the courtroom scene in Kramer vs. Kramer.  

 

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  • Meryl Streep studied Polish for 4 months before Sophie’s Choice.
  • Streep heard that director Sidney Pollack didn’t think she was “sexy” enough for Out of Africa, so she wore padding (“We didn’t have the Wonderbra back then”) and a low-cut dress to meet him.

 

 

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  • William H. Macy’s first acting teacher in college was David Mamet.  Eventually, their group of actors formed the Atlantic Theater Company.
  • Macy and long-time wife (actress Felicity Huffman) have been together since her early 20s; they met doing theater.

 

 

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  • Michelle Pfeiffer worked as a bagger, checker, and won the Miss Orange County beauty pageant.  She also went to court reporting school for one year, but found it very boring.

 

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  • In The Fabulous Baker Boys, Michelle did her own singing.

 

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  •  Pfeiffer threw some dishes during her Scarface screen test and accidentally cut Al Pacino’s hand.

 

 

 

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  • Al Pacino’s maternal grandfather was born in Corleone, Sicily (this is where the family in The Godfather films comes from).
  • Pacino left high school (after 2 yrs) b/c he had to work to support the family; he also acted with a group of pals.
  • Pacino was homeless for a time; he slept in the little theater where he was performing.

 

 

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  • Barbra Streisand collects dolls b/c she didn’t have one as a little girl.
  • Streisand took take-out orders at a Chinese restaurant during high school.  The lady who owned the restaurant was “like a second mother” to her.

 

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  • The Way We Were was written specifically for Streisand; she feels the film worked b/c she and Robert Redford were so different from each other (just like their characters).  Redford “kept asking me about Brooklyn.”

 

 

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  • Natalie Portman studied dance since age 4.

 

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  • George Lucas scheduled Star Wars: Episode 2 to shoot in the summer (to work around Portman’s Harvard schedule).
  • Natalie Portman speaks several languages, including Hebrew (she was born in Israel) and Japanese.