Actors and Actresses

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

I have always wondered why we (including me) make such a big deal of actors and actresses and give them so much importance. After all they are just entertainers. The celebrity and glamour culture can be quite nauseating sometimes.

But it could be because of the fact that actors and actresses teach us to empathize with others and put ourselves in other peoples shoes.  These people  are capable of 'being' different people....which appeals to us and offers us a wider perception of life. They give us experiences that we may never have otherwise. They help us grow.

We could also ask...why do we like being entertained? What happens in our mind when we are entertained? Why do we like listening or watching stories unfold? Is it about relieving stress or about learning or about reinforcing our own values and ideals?  Or all of these?

Any views?

Sriram

[ippy]

Hi everyone,

I have always wondered why we (including me) make such a big deal of actors and actresses and give them so much importance. After all they are just entertainers. The celebrity and glamour culture can be quite nauseating sometimes.

But it could be because of the fact that actors and actresses teach us to empathize with others and put ourselves in other peoples shoes.  These people  are capable of 'being' different people....which appeals to us and offers us a wider perception of life. They give us experiences that we may never have otherwise. They help us grow.

We could also ask...why do we like being entertained? What happens in our mind when we are entertained? Why do we like listening or watching stories unfold? Is it about relieving stress or about learning or about reinforcing our own pvalues and ideals?  Or all of these?

Any views?

Sriram

Like most people love seeing good performers acting out stories, some actors, the word 'actors' by usage now applies to both genders, well here in the U K, in my own experience good actors convince me they are the actual characters they are portraying, we have a fair share here that don't convince me, on speaking to others we all seem to have the some do and some don't experience in this area, but are not all in agreement about who the good ones or bad ones are.

I have a great love of really bad films including painfully bad acting, try the origional Flash Gordon films, (YouTube), from back into thirties and fourties of the last century, they are so bad they're good to watch, well that's how my twisted mind works and they're all a part of acting in general.

ippy

[Jack Knave]

Hi everyone,

I have always wondered why we (including me) make such a big deal of actors and actresses and give them so much importance. After all they are just entertainers. The celebrity and glamour culture can be quite nauseating sometimes.

But it could be because of the fact that actors and actresses teach us to empathize with others and put ourselves in other peoples shoes.  These people  are capable of 'being' different people....which appeals to us and offers us a wider perception of life. They give us experiences that we may never have otherwise. They help us grow.

We could also ask...why do we like being entertained? What happens in our mind when we are entertained? Why do we like listening or watching stories unfold? Is it about relieving stress or about learning or about reinforcing our own values and ideals?  Or all of these?

Any views?

Sriram

It may be that films are our myths and stories of heroes etc. and so those that play the hero get projected on to them that numinous quality.

[Rhiannon]

Anyone who thinks that Hollywood is a glamorous world should read Unbearable Lightness, the autobiography of Portia di Rossi, wife of Ellen DeGeneres. Brilliantly written, it's an account of how the 'glamour' fed her eating disorder to the point where she was in danger of dying.

Acting in this country seems slightly grittier and perhaps more grounded, but maybe I'm wrong. I have never hero-worshipped actors but I admire good acting, whether its in comedy, fantasy or drama. The narrative has to be interesting enough to hold my attention though.

[Shaker]

I'm conflicted, because on the one hand truly great acting is a thing of beauty and wonder - when you see a truly magnificent performance (too many to list here) it stays with you for ever. Acting at this level (with the writing to back it up, of course) really does open the window onto the human condition in ways that other things do not.

On the other, more prosaic hand, let's face it, it's only pretending 

[Rhiannon]

I wanted to act but wasn't allowed the opportunity to give it a go.

[Shaker]

I wanted to act but wasn't allowed the opportunity to give it a go.

What stops you now?

[Rhiannon]

What stops you now?

It'd be am dram now. Nothing wrong with it, but not something I want to become involved in - too much opportunity for conflict for one thing.

[floo]

I don't understand why people make a big deal of celebs they are just human like the rest of us. I have never, even as a kid, hero worshipped any celeb.

[Harrowby Hall]

I think, Floo, that there is a difference between an actor and a celebrity - although it cannot be denied that some people may be both!

As for great actors, there seem to be too types, those whose presence dominates everything else and those who are contained in their character that you do not notice them. I can think of two - seriously great - English actors for whom this is the case.

In the charismatic category is Laurence Olivier - always convincing in his character but nonetheless the centre of attention whenever on the stage or on the screen. In the other category is Alec Guinness - who could disappear into the character he was playing to the extent that you did not even see the actor. To this day, I have an acquaintance who insists that Alistair Sim plays Professor Marcus in The Ladykillers.

I suppose John Wayne may be considered a great actor. He was certainly a film star - but in all his films he only played one role - that of John Wayne.

[Shaker]

I suppose John Wayne may be considered a great actor. He was certainly a film star - but in all his films he only played one role - that of John Wayne.

Sean Connery likewise. Made some great films, don't get me wrong ... but Sean Connery in every one of them.

[Sriram]

More than the actors and actresses (who normally do the least work)....I am amazed at the film makers..the directors, editors, screen play writers, technicians etc.

The vision to begin  with.... then the ability to plan out how to translate the vision into reality...and then to actually organize all the people, their talents, equipment, music  etc. and make a movie that appeals to millions of people.... is simply amazing!  Especially movies like Ben Hur, Ten Commandments, Titanic etc.

[Rhiannon]

The Millennium Falcon and the Death Star are characters in their own right. Their creators are 'actors' in that sense.