Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford: Thoughts?

It seems it will be a struggle for her, the voice and mannerisms are totally not there, the makeup is wrong, the hair is too black.

Mmmmm...her voice does sound "light". But she's a really great actress, so I tend to trust whatever direction she's going in.

I've always said that celebs are more than their specific looks, or whatever it is that makes them famous. When you step back, it's the patterns in their lives that make them interesting, dramatically. So I've never cared if an actor actually looks too much like the real-life figure they're playing. It's neat when they do, but that's not the point of the star's story.

Hopefully what Lange's going for is portraying bigger issues in Crawford's life, rather than a literal recreation of what she looked or sounded like.

We'll see!

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Longer promo!

http://youtu.be/fktRmhqP2gc

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Where are the characterizations? It seems that it will only be them in drag. Ryan Murphy is getting tiresome.

It seems more of a drag approach to expect them to wave their cigarettes around and do distinct impersonations of Davis + Crawford.

Looking beneath the mannerisms, for Crawford, if I were casting the role I would say something like, "An aging beauty who plays up her supposed 'vulnerability' to hide her ruthless, hard nosed self-absorption. Tirelessly and obsessively professional. From a poverty-strikes background, though she acts regal in public. Alcoholic. Less of a natural-born actress (though she works with what she has) and more of a movie star 'personality'. Not above using her sexuality to get what she wants."

THOSE are things an actor can do something with.

For Davis, I would say "Blunt and uncompromising, sees herself as down-to-earth though she's as much a product of the star-driven studio era as any of her contemporaries. Cannot abide being questioned or crossed. Feels insecure about her looks, as she was never seen as a Glamour Girl. Salty personality. She commits to a role fully when she takes it on, often with incendiary results."

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Well I want to see at least some effort, is Jessica Lange even able to speak in any other way??

is Jessica Lange even able to speak in any other way??
We will probably never know : )

Stars don't really like to give up a persona (and what they do well) once it's established.

Would Joan Crawford have taken on Eleanor Roosevelt's looks, manner and voice if she were playing her in a bio-pic? No.

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Sorry but Jessica Lange is not a star. Not on Crawford's level anyway.