Pity for artiste actors

[John Barrymore]

Young directors:

Hollywood has never been faulted for being too poetic or too profound.

Its actor are notorious chatterbox lightweights.

But some of us have to keep to ourselves in order to get into good form.

Ensuing enraged blitzkriegs can be unbearable, and not just from fellow actors.

Some directors will only work with grounded, GuyNextDoor types, but as
Siskel and Ebert pointed out, because grounded, DownToEarth creatures cannot fly, films in the AntiStar era cannot have SOARING romance, FLIGHTS of fancy, or heightened style. Liberate artiste actors; elevate your art!

 

[Billy1970]

umm...what?

 

[John Barrymore]

Pity for Artiste Actors

Pity for Artiste Actors

I always say, "Meh," but it just doesn't do any good.

 

[humptydude04]

I disagree. While many fantastic actors are divas (whether male of female), that's not what makes them good and being good does not make you a diva. The two aren't mutually exclusive. Cast whoever is best for the role not whoever strikes you as being more artistic. That's just being pompous

 

[element80]

But remeber, an actor is useless if they dirve you so insane that you end up killing them...unless you want to use them as an extra in a mourge or something...

 

[John Barrymore]

Pity for artiste actors

Another thing to be factored in is that artistic collaborations, whether or not actor/director, can be among the subtlest of human relationships. As an example: as an "impersonator" type actor, rather than the type that is always "himself," I find that merely being in the PRESENCE of director A mystically allows me to do characters 1, 2, and 3, whereas I may not be capable of doing those same characters in the presence of director B.

But this "chemistry" of collaboration may not be personal. It may work even if I don't like the director.

"Divaism" I personally think of as sometimes being a different thing than being private. Doing something to get in good artistic form can be a different thing than wanting to lord yourself over others.

All I was saying initially was that Hollywood acting, unlike London live theatre acting, is for, and about, and by, Guy Next Door Extroverts. Long stretches of time are taken setting lights so sociable facial expressions can be read well by sociables in the audience. Hollywood IS known for superficiality . . . on and off camera.

The directors in the eye of this storm, the auteur ones, are both people who can play the game AND have a vision. I've seen both directors and very, very great actors have their integrity dissolve when external forces are not held in check. I've personally experienced young directors who have not learned to protect actors from pushy or vicious behavior have their final product suffer.