MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Are actors overrated?

Are actors overrated?

posted 5 years ago by [deleted]
13 replies | jump to latest

In your opinion, who contributes most to the success of a movie? The actors, the director or the writer?

I think that every A-lister has a director and/or a writer to thank for their career. Whenever you think of an A-lister you immediately think of that one movie that lifted them to celebrity status. (It might be a succession of a few movies but most often it's just one.)

I'd be hard pressed to think of a director who become famous because he happened to snag a A-lister for the cast.

Similarly, some high-concept movies... the product of a writer... have elevated the main actor to the next level of recognition.

When I think of actors, I think of Seinfeld's bit where he dumps on them for their minimal talents.
https://youtu.be/4F3pJfmqnUM?t=151

[–] nyctc7 (44103) 5 years ago

"He pretended to be Bob Johnson!" LOL

When interviewed about a film or tv show, actors usually credit or blame the script.

It's interesting that actors being in an elevated position in society is quite recent. For most of human history actors were pretty low on the totem pole.

Actors are generally overrated in terms of their powers and abilities outside of their profession. But when it comes to acting itself, maybe they are not overrated. All you have to do is watch some horrible acting to realize how hard it is, and how much work and talent it takes.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

My question was prompted in part by the recent PSAs from actors -- Gal Gadot's Imagine, the "I Take Responsibility".

I like some of these actors quite a bit, but my reaction to these was: "Who gives a s**t what your thoughts are on this? A decade ago you were a parking valet, or a waitress, or doing TV commercial work... Why do you think your A-list or B-list status renders you a VIP on a par with politicians, or scientists, or educators? All you do is read lines."

[–] nyctc7 (44103) 5 years ago

That "I take responsibility" video is a bad joke. It might as well be a SNL parody.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78505) 5 years ago

Those videos you mentioned are the very definition of cringe worthy
Celebs locked in their mansions, thirsty for attention and hopping on a bandwagon for sincerity points

Say, if thousands of people are sick or dead who the hell needs sheltered rich people to tell us to 'imagine there's no heaven?!?'

Completely selfish, tone deaf morons...

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

that's a different argument.

[–] dmac8 (5050) 5 years ago

it has to be on the page first. no one takes a shitty script and transforms it thru direction and casting.

[–] nyctc7 (44103) 5 years ago

"Well, you know, as ever, it's script dependent" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yk0E_BdOpVE

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78505) 5 years ago

Sexy Beast reference A+++++++

[–] nyctc7 (44103) 5 years ago

You were great in The Haves and Have Nots

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78505) 5 years ago

😃

[–] 000 (474) 5 years ago

well nat portman won an oscar for acting, and also did some terrible acting in star wars. director matters.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I agree.

Certain actors only seem to be able to produce good performances when it's drawn out of them. Mark Wahlberg is my go-to example. His movies with Peter Berg tend to be good. But some his other ones such as Planet of the Apes were awful.

[–] Knish (1721) 5 years ago

Movie actors are, you can do a hundred takes ffs.