I thought he did an amazing job. Sure he was playing himself, but he pulled it off with flying colors. Could he play other roles?
"My grandmother died last night. I spent all night with her in the hospital ... By the way the time is 5:35, and it's 62 degress out. Anyway, "
He would love to do other films, but isn't sure if people could accept him in different roles.
shareHE IS GOOD AT PLAYING HIMSELF...AND NOTHING ELSE.
shareLook, when someone with zero training gives a good film performance, sometimes they're a natural talent, and sometimes it's because the director and editor are doing all the work! The classic example is the Beatles in "A Hard Day's Night" (1964), where the stars were not only complete amateurs but stoned off their heads. So the director would get a few seconds of okay footage here and there, and pieced everything together with fast cutting, a lively score, and the result was a lively and enjoyable film, starring people who weren't natural acting talents (three out of four weren't, anyway).
So since Stern didn't go on to an acting career, I'm inclined to think that the director and the editor were largely responsible for his good performance.