Guest Blog: Actor or Movie Star?

The Oscar Nominations are in… and as it all begins to sink in (the snubs and surprises), WAMG brings you  this insightful  article from someone who’s actually worked in the industry (Paramount, Warner Bros., various indies and TV shows), Panda Hugger.

Actor or Movie Star?

by Panda Hugger

Once again, we are smack in the middle of one of Hollywood’s most exciting seasons – Oscar season – and judging by the buzz around certain movies, and certain actors, it should turn out to be a pretty good one. But it also looks to be one that will nicely, but begrudgingly, conform to a little theory of mine which is, “there are actors and then there are movie stars, and there is a difference.”

Let’s start with the actors. Obviously there are too many great actors to list, but for this purpose, we are talking about A-List actors: those who maintain an extremely high profile, who are able to carry a movie on their name alone, are in high-demand and that have true box-office power. But more importantly, they have been able to break out of the pretty-boy, commercial, “movie-star” persona and become real actors – possessing the ability to “become” the character they are playing, making you forget the celebrity on the screen.

Exhibit A: Brad Pitt – Yes, Brad Pitt has had his share of “fluff” movies. Thelma and Louise, Cool World, Johhny Suede. But these were early in his career and they were short-lived. Soon after, he proved his acting mettle with A River Runs Through It, Kalifornia, Interview With The Vampire, and Legends of The Fall. These were the roles that got him noticed. Roles that made directors want to cast him because, not only could he fill seats with his matinee-idol good looks, but because he was quietly becoming a damn good actor. In Se7en, and 12 Monkeys, he made you believe he was Detective David Mills and mental patient Jeffrey Goines and he was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for the latter.

To his credit and Hollywood’s delight, Brad Pitt has since managed to float effortlessly between light, big budget, Hollywood, mass-appeal movies (Troy, the Oceans trilogy, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and more serious and interesting roles (Seven Years in Tibet, Fight Club, Babel). Pitt earned his second Oscar nomination today for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. This time it’s a long overdue Lead Actor nomination. There isn’t much doubt that an Oscar is in the very near future for Brad Pitt.

Other examples of this type of A-list actors are Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Johnny Depp and Tom Hanks. At first glance you see movie stars, but upon closer inspection, you find really good actors with a combined 16 Oscar nominations and wins. They have managed to escape the “movie-star” pigeon hole, something that unfortunately, some other pretty good actors have not, and maybe never will.

Exhibit B: Will Smith. Like most movie stars, Will Smith has had his fair share of luck. He started out as a hip-hop artist, and had moderate success. He was able to parlay the appeal of his rapper persona “The Fresh Prince” into his own network sitcom that far eclipsed the success he had as a rapper. Building on that commercial, household name appeal, he fearlessly attempted the move to feature films. His first few movie roles were while he still had the safety net of his show, which was at the half-way point of 6 seasons. He had the security to attempt serious roles in Where the Day Takes You and Six Degrees of Separation. After both somewhat forgettable releases, Smith returned to the comfort and huge paycheck of network television. It wasn’t until the end of the 6th and final season that Smith realized how he would make the successful transition to film – the action comedy and the summer blockbuster. Both Bad Boys, (with Martin Lawrence) and Independence Day were hugely successful and the mega-movie star Will Smith was born. Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Smith continued on his successful streak with Men in Black, Enemy of the State, and Wild Wild West. The next few years were a mish mash of big budget sequels (Men in Black 2 and Bad Boys 2), a return to serious roles (The Legend of Bagger Vance), and the much hyped Ali, for which he received his first Oscar nomination. A second nomination followed in 2006 with The Pursuit of Happyness. But here’s the problem. Will Smith was so successful in establishing himself as a bona fide movie star, that his utter star power, likability, and box-office record (almost 2.5 BILLION to date) have overshadowed his acting ability. While I think Will Smith is a good actor, when watching his films I never totally forget that I am watching Will Smith. He never quite makes the audience believe that he is the character. The physical transformation he made to become Muhammad Ali was amazing, but in the end, it was Will Smith doing an impression of Muhammad Ali, and the Oscar slipped away.

Other examples of this kind of movie star are Leonardo DiCaprio, Jim Carrey, John Travolta, and Tom Cruise. These are mega-stars that, with only 8 Oscar nominations between them, have never received the recognition for acting that they probably deserve – and not for lack of trying. There have been the obvious snubs, but mostly, as with Will Smith, the curse of being “too big” of a movie star to be taken seriously as an actor is all too real. But kudos to all them for continuing to put out quality work. It could pay off eventually, miracles do happen. Just ask Robin Williams.