Daniel Rosa explores why respected actors sometimes star in mindless entertainment.
Imagine you’re at the cinema, sitting on one of those (somewhat unconformable) red theatre chairs, watching some mind-numbing movie, with plenty of explosions and cheap puns, laughing ironically, while munching on popcorn. Suddenly, in comes [insert beloved character actor's name]. You choke on the last piece of corn.
“What’s he doing there?” you mutter out loud. “He’s better than this!” The audience turn their heads reproachfully (no talking while things explode). But it’s too late. The damage has been done. This is no longer dumb entertainment. This is betrayal, and your mind keeps repeating the same question: “Why is he doing this?”
Just look at Nicolas Cage, acting to keep his six million dollar-debt at bay
Your first answer is: paycheck. “Papa needs a new pair of shoes”, you reason. There’s no money in independent movies and big drama doesn’t pay for expensive habits. Just look at Nicolas Cage, a modern day Hollywood whore, acting to keep his six million dollar-debt at bay.
But surely not all actors are gambling addicts, you naively think next. So maybe it’s about fame and recognition. Participation in a successful Hollywood blockbuster makes an actor a valuable commodity. By reaching such a vast audience, the actor virtually guarantees that his name will be a pop culture phenomenon. More importantly, the studios will take notice, which will allow a bit more leverage for future projects. James McAvoy once referred to the X-Men franchise, where he plays Professor Charles Xavier, as a safety net. As long as there is an X-Men project on the horizon, he is free to partake in those artsy fartsy period pieces that no-one watches, without losing much career momentum.
But what about those well-established actors with no apparent cocaine needs? Well, it may simply come down to a lack of options. Hollywood is a young man’s game. There aren’t many roles for older actors and those that do get work tend to be typecast (still better than early retirement). Susan Sarandon has repeatedly stated that there are no roles for women her age in Hollywood, besides the mother stereotype. The same applies to men, stuck in a perpetual midlife crisis or as comic relief for handsome young leads.
Paul Giamatti said his favourite role was Inspector Uhl in The Illusionist, because it was fun
But maybe it goes beyond petty needs and backstage policies. Maybe it’s just about fun. At a Q&A at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival, Paul Giamatti said his favourite role was Inspector Uhl in The Illusionist. This came as something of a surprise for the audience, considering that Paul Giamatti has given life to such iconic characters as Harvey Pekar in American Splendor and Miles in Sideways. But he silenced the shocked gasps simply by saying that it was fun. It was childhood escapism, allowing him to play cop and robbers and still get paid. This would explain Michael Sheen going completely overboard in the Twilight Saga and Raul Julia upping the campiness in (the already mega campy) Street Fighter. There’s dumb fun in overacting.
You’re now sitting quietly as the credits roll in. Maybe it’s not so bad, you think. Not every actor needs to approach each role like Daniel Day-Lewis or Christian Bale. That shit will kill you eventually. Sometimes it’s good to simply let go, maybe do something for the kids and just go overboard. So the next time you see Robert De Niro walking down the street, just give him a hug and whisper in his ear: “I know”. He will then punch you, because he is Robert De Niro.
Read next: Five recent Robert De Niro films that weren’t terrible
Featured image: Bob Yari Productions
Picture: Marvel Entertainment
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