VIN DIESEL.... THE WORST ACTOR IN FILM

First of all, the interviews I cited are not all that I'm going on. These are true events that did occur and have been discussed by many in the industry. Diesel is absolutely abhored by many of his peers and I have heard some of those stories recounted by many that worked on the set of "Pitch Black" and another that worked on "Boiler Room." The man is a disgrace as a person and an actor. Second, the main problem (among soooo many... only one facial expression, one tone of voice, etc.) with his acting is that with every line Diesel utters, with every move he makes... you can FEEL him acting. In other words, everything he does is forced and therefore artificial. When someone has such an unabashedly huge ego, as Diesel does, they are never able to hide it on screen. The very nature of a huge ego is to be self-conscious, constantly aware of yourself and everything you do. Acting is the antithesis of this... it is the disappearance of self, the opposite of self-awareness. On one level, yes, an awareness should exist, but this should only be in the initial stages of creating a character. After that, the self is gone, it no longer exists.

Now, I'm speaking in terms of Method acting. Something Diesel is so far away from, but something he all the same considers as if he were capable of understanding it. He hilariously referred to it once in an interview when he talked about the great Method actors as if he were discussing a Raiders game. It's like... um... dude... you know you're just a guy with muscles who plays in friggin'... action movies, right? Vin Diesel is to Method acting what Larry Bird is to African-American Studies. Sometimes you just trip and fall (as Diesel did, please do not try and give him credit for "making it this far") and end up in a career that least suits you. Vin Diesel just SHOULDN'T be acting. Maybe a bouncer, an automechanic, maybe something like that would fit him better (he actually was a bouncer for years in NYC... big surprise).

The other thing is his voice. In all seriousness, I am convinced that he suffers from something more than just a speech impediment. It appears to be more delusions of gandeur coupled with one of the most annoying, grunting drawls I have ever had the displeasure of hearing, Now, don't give me that "it worked for Brando" jazz. Marlon Brando is the greatest actor in the history of cinema. His voice may have been strange, but he was able to disguise it when needed. He had, still has, what "actors" like Diesel do not... talent. Look at him in "Julius Ceasar" and " A Dry White Season..." not a trace of that nasal drawl, completely disguised. Brando could play any role, no matter how extreme. Watch him in "The Tea House of August Moon" where he plays a Chinese man. Not a trace of Marlon Brando, not a trace of self-consciousness.

The greatest actors are the ones who have no idea who they are. The great Peter Sellers once said, "I have never met Peter Sellers." And he's probably telling the truth. Vin Diesel knows all too much about who he is. And he always has. So in love with himself he is, that any possibility of him growing as an actor has been destroyed. In his mind, luck had nothing to do with his success. In his mind, this was supposed to have happen (again, he said this countless times in interviews). Well, if he's that good at reading the future, then he'll know that it will soon be coming to an end.

P.S. -- Diesel demanding $30 million to star in the sequel to "The Fast and the Furious" was the first time a supporting actor had ever done that. Ever. Diesel, at that point, had never been given the true lead in a film before other than "Pitch Black," where he still wasn't even the lead, really. But what's incredible is that "Pitch Black" made minimal returns at the box-office AND Diesel WAS NOT EVEN THE STAR of "The Fast and the Furious" AND "XXX" had not yet been released!!!! Schwartzenegger asked for that amount long after Diesel had, and you know why? Because he can. He is Arnold Schwartzenegger. Outside of lately, his films have made more money than Diesel will ever see. And the "Terminator" franchise is just that... a franchise. Gauranteed to make money. No questions asked. If I was Arnold, and I had heard that Diesel had demanded $30 million (oh, and that's the other thing... Diesel had DEMANDED that amount for "F&F2," which will explain why he won't be appearing in it), then I would have asked for $40 million at least. Just to put someone like Diesel in his place.

Nicholas Cage is a fantastic actor. Anyone who is unable to see the greatness of his performance in "Adaptation" just doesn't understand the craft. Admittedly, he has done a terrible job in other films, but he is quite far from the worst actor of all time. "Inconsistant," is probably the best word to describe him. But look at his performances in "The Cotten Club," "Moonstruck," "Raising Arizona," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Bringing Out the Dead," and again, "Adaptation." These are all very effective performances, some even great, but if only he'd stop with all the garbage films he's been involved with. He's so much better than that. Oh, and so much better, infinitely better, than Vin Diesel.