Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 20, 2022 8:53:57 GMT
I thought of this following on from John Wayne, mentioned in the Brannigan thread, who I thought was a rubbish actor.
One of two others I can think of
James Nesbitt, although I quite like him, he's just James Nesbitt in everything Hugh Grant, same comments Ardal O Hanlon, can't think of him as anything other than Dougal in Father Ted Michael Crawford, again, he's just Frank Spencer Same with Stephen Lewis, Blakey.
Probably others
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Post by Sam Tyler on Jun 20, 2022 9:31:03 GMT
Interesting topic Carty. My first thought when I saw the thread title was Hugh Grant but I see you've already listed him - what does that tell you?? I'd also add Jason Statham to the mix. Not bad in The Bank Job but aside from that whatever I've seen him in he plays the same character all the way through - just like Hugh Grant does. The other I'd add is Liam Neeson. It hasn't always been the case but this is since seeing him in the 'Taken' trilogy. The first film was okay, second film a bit far-fetched but by Taken 3 he'd turned into a totally unbelievable superhero sexagenarian. I'm sure I'll be able to add others along the way... Sam.
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Nightfly
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Post by Nightfly on Jun 20, 2022 18:48:28 GMT
Have to agree with the above choices, particularly Hugh Grant and his mate Colin Firth.
If I can stray from actors for a second, Alistair McGowan is a decent impressionist as far as his voice his concerned, but his looks are too unique to enable him to look anything like the person he's taking off.
Also Charles Lawson (Jim from Coronation Street) as Trigg in the original 1989 version of The Firm. The London accent doesn't cut it and I keep expecting him to end every speech with So it is, Bexy.
At the opposite end of the scale, there are those actors who can slip into a part/character so well that you might not always recognise them at first - Stephen Graham (The Skinhead in This Is England, through to Billy Bremner in The Damned Utd) Ralph Brown (DCI Frank Morgan in LOM to the hippy DJ in The Boat That Rocked) and Sean Harris (Ian Curtis to Ian Brady).
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 20, 2022 19:08:26 GMT
Charles Lawson is just Jim McDonald in Coronation street...so he is! A brilliant character wasted in that programme.
Thought of another, although classifying him as an actor at all is debatable, Vinny Jones. He is as good an actor as he was a footballer, and he had no footballing ability whatsoever, he was just a thug.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jun 21, 2022 18:33:58 GMT
It would be interesting where Charles Lawson's career had have gone without the Corrie/Jim McDonald typecasting. Haven't watched Corrie for almost 20 years (I just switched off around 2003 and have never been interested since then!) so don't know how good/bad he is in it these days but was fairly half decent in the late '80's/early '90's period for me. I agree he was miss-cast in Alan Clarke's The Firm although that was no fault on him, he was good in Harry's Game as Seamus Duffryn the knockabout trying to ingratiate himself into the IRA in the area of Belfast Harry (Ray Lonnen) was infiltrating and was sceptical of Harry in that mini-series. I suppose Lawson's native Ulster accent etc. gave in a bit more natural feel in the role he was playing too. Agreed with the actors listed so far just flipping it a bit a couple of Aussie examples where you don't see the actor but the actual character in the role are Eric Bana in Chopper and Richard Roxburgh in Blue Murder and the later Killer Cop spin off. Both are so alike to the original Mark "Chopper" Read and Roger Rogerson I see them more so on the screen than the actors who play them and think they both put a lot of effort into both roles considering neither actor naturally looked like these characters they were portraying. Sure there is plenty more examples to put in this thread.
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Villain
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Post by Villain on Jun 22, 2022 18:30:55 GMT
I'll give Hugh Grant a slight 'pass' for his excellent portrayal of Jeremey Thorpe in the recent drama about the Liberal MPs little faux pas. Some actors have the natural ability to slip completely into another character and inhabit their roles, prime examples being Peter Sellers and Alec Guinness, to a certain extent I'd add John Mills to this list as he was brilliant opposite Guinness in 'Tunes Of Glory'. Some actors, particularly these days, just seem to turn up and go through the motions barely even playing themselves, let alone a character, I find a lot of modern dramas are guilty of this but there are some who manage to shine occasionally. For me, almost everything David Tennant has done has left me cold but his portrayal of serial killer Dennis Neilson was creepily accurate and spot on. Villain
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 23, 2022 7:35:47 GMT
Some actors have the natural ability to slip completely into another character and inhabit their roles, prime examples being Peter Sellers and Alec Guinness, to a certain extent I'd add John Mills to this list as he was brilliant opposite Guinness in 'Tunes Of Glory'. Villain Bang on there!
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Bojan Scores
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Post by Bojan Scores on Jun 24, 2022 12:06:44 GMT
Shane Ritchie by a country mile. A poor actor, and to revive Minder was either colossally stupid, to do with vanity, or probably both.
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Batgirl
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Post by Batgirl on Jul 15, 2022 9:18:55 GMT
I think any comedian who takes a serious dramatic role is difficult to believe. James Corden, Russell Brand, Ricky Gervais... It isn't a dramatic role, but James Corden voicing 'Peter Rabbit' in the film ruined it.
I'll add Gerard Butler, as his films are rubbish. Shame, as I'd like to watch him in something worthwhile.
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Palmer
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Post by Palmer on Jul 15, 2022 12:28:12 GMT
I think any comedian who takes a serious dramatic role is difficult to believe. James Corden, Russell Brand, Ricky Gervais... It isn't a dramatic role, but James Corden voicing 'Peter Rabbit' in the film ruined it.
I'll add Gerard Butler, as his films are rubbish. Shame, as I'd like to watch him in something worthwhile.
I know what you mean but they are just actors and a good actor should be able to portray comedy and/or drama with equal skill (many don't though of course!!!)... This is not the finest example (sorry, I am always at a loss for references when trying to make a point!) but look at David Jason as Del Boy then look at him as Jack Frost. Not too bad, he seems to play both parts convincingly... Or how about the most slapstick of them all, Norman Wisdom in 1981's 'Going Gently'... Most of the time, comedic actors cannot make the transition to more serious roles but it has happened (and Vice Versa also). The other comedian that I have to mention is Freddie Starr... We all know him (and whether we love him or hate him is neither here nor there) as a zany comic performer but he was wonderful in 1977's 'The Squeeze'. Although a small role he excelled in my view. The problem is is that comedy actors and performers often make such an indelible mark on our minds in a very specific way that we will never see them as anything different which is a shame for them and for us also.
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