Can some actors really act?

[RAREFILMFINDER]

Happened to watch part of what must have been one of the worst comedies ever made today,Surgical Spirit.

My point is I dont know when it was made but on tonights Emmerdale there was the same actor I had seen earlier and the so called acting was identical.Dont know his name but plays the father of Ashley's wife in it.

I cant believe someone has made money for so long when clearly all they are doing is being normal.Because from what I watched the word acting was not present.



lenny

[cully]

Filmfinder, it rather sounds as though you're talking about Duncan Preston, an associate member of RADA, husband of Susan Penhaligon, a very familiar face from way back with a rather long and impressive looking filmography at IMDB!!



That said, while I can't recall him acting particularly badly in anything, I can't recall him giving any rivetting performances either!



My bugbear is Bob Hoskins. I honestly think he can't act. Makes a lot of noise, yes, shows emotion by shouting a lot but.....obviously it's just me as he's highly regarded.

[BristolUK]

name='cully']

My bugbear is Bob Hoskins. I honestly think he can't act. Makes a lot of noise, yes, shows emotion by shouting a lot but.....obviously it's just me as he's highly regarded.

People say much the same about Michael Caine and Sean Connery. Always good value though.

[Wicked Lady]

name='cully']

My bugbear is Bob Hoskins. I honestly think he can't act. Makes a lot of noise, yes, shows emotion by shouting a lot but.....obviously it's just me as he's highly regarded.

You're describing the acting 'style' of Nicholas Cage there. "If I'm shouting, I must be acting".



But back to the matter at hand, there are legions of actors who only seem to play one character - themselves. Hugh Grant leaps to mind. Even when playing Chopin in Impromputu, he was really just floppy haired Hugh Grant with an accent and a cough. But, to be fair, does he ever get offered parts that aren't variations of himself? I can't imagine he sees many scripts that were meant for Robert Carlyle.

[Dame Starry]

name='cully']Filmfinder, it rather sounds as though you're talking about Duncan Preston, an associate member of RADA, husband of Susan Penhaligon, a very familiar face from way back with a rather long and impressive looking filmography at IMDB!!

To the best of my knowledge, they were never married, although Imdb states that they are 'divorced'.

They were certainly together for a long time, then they split up and are, once again, 'partners' although they don't live together which, apparently, suits them both.



DS x.

[essaljay]

name='RAREFILMFINDER']Happened to watch part of what must have been one of the worst comedies ever made today,Surgical Spirit.

My point is I dont know when it was made but on tonights Emmerdale there was the same actor I had seen earlier and the so called acting was identical.Dont know his name but plays the father of Ashley's wife in it.

I cant believe someone has made money for so long when clearly all they are doing is being normal.Because from what I watched the word acting was not present.



lenny

Surely acting at being normal is the whole point is'nt it? To me if you're looking like you are acting then you're not doing a very good job. It's not easy being "normal" in front of a camera but if you can do it then you are a good actor.

[Steve Crook]

name='cully']Filmfinder, it rather sounds as though you're talking about Duncan Preston, an associate member of RADA, husband of Susan Penhaligon, a very familiar face from way back with a rather long and impressive looking filmography at IMDB!!



That said, while I can't recall him acting particularly badly in anything, I can't recall him giving any rivetting performances either!

Duncan's a member of Victoria Wood's Repertory Company and has appeared in many of her sketch shows and as Stan the maintenance man in Dinnerladies. But for his best performance, or one of them, check him out in Pat and Margaret. That was the TV movie that Victoria Wood wrote with Julie Walters as the Dallas style big star and Victoria as the dowdy sister she had left behind. They were brought (or forced) back together by a TV reunion show. Duncan Preston played Victoria's boyfriend, henpecked by his Mother (Thora Hird). A brilliant TV movie that should be shown more often. Superbly written and brilliant performances from all concerned.



As for RareFilmFinder's original point, I agree with essaljay's response, if you can see them acting then they aren't doing a good job.



Steve

[faginsgirl]

I think the man in question is ok but his personality hardly dominates the screen.



I think thats just the way he is, I enjoyed him in dinner ladies, I think he just gets the parts of characters who are meant to be drab and a bit boring. Some people in real life are like that so he is still playing a part of a normal person.



xx

[CaptainWaggett]

Someone is dissing Mr Cllifford? I didn't think such things were possible

[narabdela]

I think the other side of the coin here is represented by Olivier. To me, he always seemed to be 'acting'. It was the style then, and to a certain extent was necessary for onstage projection in the theatre.

[batman]

The best actors are the ones whose perfromances reach their eyes ..... they don't have to do anything spectacular, just convince you that they are that character. If film acting, it's mostly in the eyes. I think Duncan Preston is a good, solid professional actor .... he may never be a huge star, but he is very good at what he does.

[essaljay]

name='narabdela']I think the other side of the coin here is represented by Olivier. To me, he always seemed to be 'acting'. It was the style then, and to a certain extent was necessary for onstage projection in the theatre.

I agree. It is necessary on stage. Michael Caine in an acting masterclass said that acting on stage was like performing an operation using a saw, acting on television was like using a scalpel and acting in films was like operating with the precision of a laser. I've never heard it put better.

[EHV_Emmetts]

John Gielgud may have been the greatest Shakespearean stage actor - but this did not transfer to his film and television performances, which were stilted, stiff and awkward.

[jaycad]

But back to the matter at hand, there are legions of actors who only seem to play one character - themselves. Hugh Grant leaps to mind. Even when playing Chopin in Impromputu, he was really just floppy haired Hugh Grant with an accent and a cough. But, to be fair, does he ever get offered parts that aren't variations of himself?



i'd agree with that,i'm not a fan of hugh grant and the only film that i didn't mind him in was 'bridget jones diary' in which for once he was a caddish villian! he's obviously more comfortable playing quirky,lovable english fops though!



i'd just like to state that watching 'bridget jones diary' wasn't my idea and i didn't like it!

[EHV_Emmetts]

I remember Harry Enfield doing a spoof of all those bad actors in this show.



Norbert Smith, a Life (1989) (TV)

[CaptainWaggett]

Hugh Grant is the first to admit that he's a little lazy about his parts but I thought he gave an excellent performance in An Awfully Big Adventure in the role you might have expected Alan Rickman to have taken. He's no more limited an actor than many from the 1930s or 1940s who tended to play the same sort of role all the time - it will be interesting to see what he does when he starts accepting character parts (unless he's too rich to intend working past 50!)

[jaycad]

he's so rich that he can afford to take a role completely different to his usual parts and risk disasterous reviews so why doesn't he test himself and his abilities just for the sake of his chosen art? not just hugh, but others as well!

[batman]

There are only 2 A list stars who IMHO take risks with the roles they tackle .... Clooney and Depp. Grant showed what he can do if he tries in AABA and it is a shame he doesn't do more atypical roles, I reckon he would surprise most of the nay-sayers. I'd like to see him do a really meaty 'bastard' role in a serious film.

[Mark O]

name='jaycad']But back to the matter at hand, there are legions of actors who only seem to play one character - themselves. Hugh Grant leaps to mind. Even when playing Chopin in Impromputu, he was really just floppy haired Hugh Grant with an accent and a cough. But, to be fair, does he ever get offered parts that aren't variations of himself?



i'd agree with that,i'm not a fan of hugh grant and the only film that i didn't mind him in was 'bridget jones diary' in which for once he was a caddish villian! he's obviously more comfortable playing quirky,lovable english fops though!

In total agreement........please Mr Hugh, don't accept any more parts, you don't need too, and you'll do your non-fans a huge favour!



Let your mate Colin Firth have them instead!

[jaycad]

ha ha! i agree with batmans point though-imagine hugh grant as a serial killer.......''bagger,i've just killed some chap again...bagger,bagger fack,bagger!'

i think daniel day lewis tests himself with most of his roles