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Why More 'Star Wars' Actors Don't Become Stars
HughPickens.com writes: When you become an actor, landing a role in a movie as big as Star Wars may seem like a dream come true. But Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit report at The Hollywood Reporter that six movies in, the Star Wars franchise has only spawned one megastar: Harrison Ford, unusual for a series of this magnitude. Neither Ewan McGregor nor Liam Neeson was helped by the franchise and the list of acting careers that never took off is even longer, from original stars Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher to Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker) and most notably Hayden Christensen, whose star was on the rise when he nabbed 2002's Attack of the Clones. Even Natalie Portman, who already had a hot career before Episodes I-III, admitted she struggled after the exposure. "Everyone thought I was a horrible actress," says Portman. "I was in the biggest-grossing movie of the decade, and no director wanted to work with me."
So what's the problem? "When you sign up for this, you're signing your life away, and you're keeping yourself from any other franchises out there," says an agent whose client is one of the stars of Episode VII. "They will not let you be in another franchise. They're going to be cranking out a new movie every year. These actors never get to read the script before signing on. They don't even know which [subsequent] one they are in. And then they become known for that role, and it's hard to see them in [another] kind of movie." Still, agents keep pursuing roles in the upcoming films even though newcomers can only command a meager $65,000 to $125,000 for Episode VII. "It secures all involved a place in film history," says agent Sarah Fargo, "and guarantees a huge global audience, enhancing an actor's marketability."
So what's the problem? "When you sign up for this, you're signing your life away, and you're keeping yourself from any other franchises out there," says an agent whose client is one of the stars of Episode VII. "They will not let you be in another franchise. They're going to be cranking out a new movie every year. These actors never get to read the script before signing on. They don't even know which [subsequent] one they are in. And then they become known for that role, and it's hard to see them in [another] kind of movie." Still, agents keep pursuing roles in the upcoming films even though newcomers can only command a meager $65,000 to $125,000 for Episode VII. "It secures all involved a place in film history," says agent Sarah Fargo, "and guarantees a huge global audience, enhancing an actor's marketability."
The first section of the summary states that actors have trouble finding other roles after staring in the Star Wars franchise but then concludes with an agent saying actors should accept the low-paying Star Wars roles because it "...guarantees a huge global audience, enhancing an actor's marketability."
Not sure abou the origional 3.
The second triogy was weak at best.
The material gave the actors little to work with. There performances like the movies are forgettable.
The animated series has more drama and passion.
Lucas isn't writing the screenplay anymore. You're all safe.
"Anakin, make love to me like you did by the lake on planet Wumpumpsefukit!" (or whatever the hell the actual line from Episode 2 was)
With lines like that, no wonder a world-class actress like Natalie Portman ended up looking like a wooden talentless hack. But actually the only talentless hack here was Lucas.
Well ok that's a bit harsh. Lucas has talent but not when it comes to writing dialogue that doesn't completely suck ass.
Lucas and Spielberg made the decision to use non-union actors in the first movie because the union demanded certain types of intro-credits which was believed would spoil the feel of the movie.
So the rest of the industry informally blacklisted the actors. The only actor to survive the blacklist was Harrison Ford because Spielberg also used him in Indiana Jones, and the industry wasn't going to balk at a guy that could bring in hundreds of millions for every movie he was involved in. Even Billy Dee Williams, who already had made a rather big name for himself, couldn't survive the blacklist.
"His name was James Damore."
On the other hand, this would be a perfect thread for somebody to tell us about the many and wondrous benefits of using hostfiles instead of some insane and newfangled name service thingie.
Now that I know the ins and outs of Hollywood, goodbye Slashdot!
See you suckers later
She had a quite remarkable, hot, career on this site, and inside certain pants, after the movie.
Caveat: I'm an old fart. Star Wars is awesome because, well, Star Wars. And because of a sequel with an awesome twist. The others are not worth speaking of. (Kids These Days who start out with Episode I might be enthusiastic for as long as kids can be enthusiastic about anything. But then they grow up and realize that Episode I etc. was childish.) Star Wars was a great _story_. It didn't require great actors any more than good 1950's SF required great characters. (Go on, test it: Of that genre, do you remember the stories or the characters?) Thank goodness for the great actors that did get on board (Cushing, Guinness), who made the movie good. But for the rest, they are throw-away. Anybody can act Anakin Skywalker (and look who did) because it's Anakin's story that is compelling. So it's no surprise that poor talent could be used (Portman, Christensen) -- and they didn't become "stars" precisely because they are poor actors.
Seriously, hot grits aside, her body of work peaked when she was 13 in Leon. She and Scarlett Johannsen (and Mila Kunis, too, for that matter), are simply part of the long Hollywood tradition of elevating talent-deficient but attractive starlets to superstar status before unceremoniously dumping them in favor of the next generation of bimbos.
Now that this group is getting well into its thirties, I expect we will be seeing less and less of them, as the Megan Foxes and Jennifer Lawrences of the world take their turn in the spotlight. But hey, I guess not every female star can be a Meryl Streep or a Helen Mirren.
Perhaps it's because those last three films have been giant piles of shit? Bad dialog and bad delivery don't exactly make me yearn to see these actors again.
... with the originals. The prequels were shit which is why people had a hard time getting a job.
I've decided to stop wasting my time responding to AC trolls/sockpuppets... so if you want a response from me... login.
One could say that Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson have done ok since then. Whatever one might think of Natalie Portman's acting chops [1] she has a fairly impressive body of work. Mark Hamill has been extremely busy since Star Wars, albeit often voicework. Carrie pretty much destroyed her career with drugs and alcohol, but managed to come back. As far as Hayden and Jake, enh. I think they both struggled as actors, so no surprise there.
[1] I submit that a lot of the woodenness in the prequels was directly linked to Lucas as a director, and not necessarily reflective of the actors themselves. A good director can get amazing performances out of a poor actor (Stanley Kubrick directing Ryan O'Neal in Barry Lyndon) and a poor director can get a leaden performance out of any actor. (Lucas directing pretty much anyone in any star wars film.) Portman was terrible in all the Star Wars films, but so was pretty much everyone else.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Star Wars is his brainchild. A half-formed, empty, vegetative brainchild. He conceived it, wrote it, and insisted on directing (the one of the six he didn't direct was by far the the best film of the lot).
The prequels were complete and utter garbage in every way. If any actual director afterward didn't think Natalie Portman could act, then that speaks to the colossal failure of directing by Lucas.
The real test will be if the Disney+Abrams films live up to the originals, but the prequels have probably cast their immutable shadow over the entire franchise.
Oops, there went a promising young career.
"To those who are overly cautious, everything is impossible. "
The problem here is not the franchise, but the director. George Lucas has an uncanny ability to get the worst possible performances out of good actors. Look no further than Samuel L. Jackson, who's a talented individual, but came off as stiff and wooden in the Star Wars movies. It's well known that George Lucas doesn't direct actors at all, and often shoots just a single take of the performance. Then he invests massive time and energy into the visual effects, making the CG artists re-do their work multiple times for questionable reasons. He's more of a technology evangelist than a filmmaker.
Titanic and Saving Private Ryan are not "Franchise" Movies... kind of making the point.
This issue is a bit more complicated than you think.
Because the dialog is terrible and makes everyone look like an idiot.
http://thoughtcatalog.com/oliver-miller/2012/07/50-quotes-from-the-star-wars-prequels-ranked-in-order-of-terribleness/
http://whatculture.com/film/10-absurdly-bad-lines-of-movie-dialogue-clearly-written-by-crazy-people.php
One thing people seem to constantly forget is that most of the people in star wars films - especially ep1 - 3, are fucking terrible actors. The very few that weren't were already well known.
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
...full of Star Wars toys.
That guy he plays in that Amazing Stories episode - that's him in real life + acting career. 268 credits on imdb.
Anyway... It was mentioned in one of Kevin Smith's "Fatman on Batman" podcasts.
Hamill asked if he could have one of every toys they were going to make. He thought it would be kinda cool.
Imagine that, you know. You're in a movie, and they make a toy that's you in a movie... Crazy, I know!
Nobody gave it a second thought, so they included that bit in his contract.
One of every Star Wars toys. Ever.
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
R2-R5 has to vacuum houses to survive.
Table-ized A.I.
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in what fucking universe are Liam Neeson and Ewen McGregor not already stars before Star Wars. I dont think they needed to be in some shitty star wars movies to "become" anything
He really deserves a lot of credit - look at Jar Jar.
That could EASILY have been how C3P0 went if it were not for Daniels understanding how to play a comedic role properly.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
If we're going to start speculating on the reasons that Hayden Christensen's career has "stalled" I think we should wait until Slashdot updates their storage capacity because there's gonna be a LOT of words exchanged on that one.
Short version: he's just a horrible actor who even dragged Natalie Portman down to his level.
Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
He had a lot of people he was answerable to. Sure he wrote the script for the first one (other screenwriters did the second and third) but it wasn't the Lucas show. The producers worked for the studio, not him, he had others who would question his decisions, make changes, etc. He was in charge only in so far as being the director, who does have a good deal of control, but still plenty of limits.
Not the case for the new three. It was an all-Lucas team. He was in charge, surrounded by yes men and did whatever the fuck he wanted. The result was really bad.
The actors had nothing to react to and nowhere to go. Basically the whole damn thing was shot on green screen, with a two camera setup. Lucas could just park his ass in his chair, look at the monitors, and do nothing. Makes it hard when you are not only having to imagine the entire set and everything you are supposed to be seeing and reacting to, but also are on a small stage and can't even more around much.
Somehow Lucas took good actors and made them wooden and caricatured, and THAT is why Natalie et al were worse off after it. Bugger all to do with the contract, or the original trilogy (Mark didn't want to do more Luke, Carrie went into directing), everything to do with Lucas being shite at directing. But he's powerful therefore he can't be dissed, so they make up some nonsensical bollocks to "explain" the problem.
The problem is Lucas shouldn't be anywhere near film.
I'm out of my element here, but isn't this true for other smash mega movie series? How many megastars have the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series produced? The only superstar the HP series produced is JK Rowling and even she is having traveling following that one up. A megaseries is a good paycheck for a "name" actor who does mostly outstanding but law paying work. For newcomers it's a chance to be known so you can later do low paying movies and hopefully better quality (beyond the special FX budget) movies.
Starring in crappy films with shitty stories and idiotic directors harms actors careers?
Who'd a thunk it.
Watch this Heartland Institute video
"Neither Ewan McGregor nor Liam Neeson was helped by the franchise"... probably because they are both talentless tossers with the charisma of a peanut.
These actors did for themselves...
Mark Hammil - wasn't that great of an actor, got lucky
Carrie Fisher - drug addict - destroyed her own career - now writes garbage fiction
Natalie Portman - chainsmoker who ruined her own appeal
These guys aren't good examples, since they ruined their own careers.
Anyone appearing in the prequels basically did for themselves by being in such horrible movies. Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christiansen, and the others pretty much destroyed their own careers. Hayden in particular should have known from the first prequel not to get involved.
Liam Neeson and Ewan Mc gregor are not huge stars ? wtf ?
Define huge star please, and while you're at it, stop talking out of your ass.
Why, because Lucas stinks as a director. The acting on episodes 1-3 and 6 is HORRIBLE. They all sound like they are reading cue cards. It's downright unwatchable for any objective, non-fanboi viewer.
People like Portman should have nothing to worry about, if those directors poked their noses up to the world outside of movies business for a while. I had already forgotten there ever was any new Star Wars movies, until you reminded me, you insensitive April Fools clod! Besides, Lucas already created the formula during the first movies: instead of using or focusing on A-list stars, turn the impression on the screen to eleven.
"Neither Ewan McGregor nor Liam Neeson was..."
But Liam Neeson has a set of special skills
The timing was perfect for Mark Hamills performance on The Flash (season 1 episode 17, "Tricksters") the night this was posted on /. It was a redeeming performance that deserves some recognition. Goes to show that while they do get pigeon holed for having a part in some pretty unique acting, and everyone acknowledges Star Wars acting is not similar to just about any other style, they are probably just following the directors instructions. Almost makes the argument that they are better actors for being able to perform in that style, in addition to non-SW acting.
The first set dealt with unknowns in lead roles. The fact that one of them became a megastar is pretty good.
The last three where horrible directed.
Yeah, a 'eager' 125,000 for an entry level position.
Actors are paid too damn much.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
He gave the principal actors 1% of the first movies or a very profitable continuing income source. Takes away some of the motivation to work. https://uk.yahoo.com/movies/ho...
Seriously, it's amazing how much the actor was able to communicate without speaking while wearing a ton of makeup. His smug satisfaction after C3PO says "Let the wookie win" in ANH is just brilliant. Anthony Daniels gets all the love, but Peter Mayhew's performance is in the same league, in my opinion.
Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
Anakin went from wanting to protect his family to slaughtering children and killing his wife in a few scenes. He should have drifted to the dark side over the three movies not went from squeaky clean good guy to super villain in the last 30 minutes of the 3rd film. The character development was a joke no actor could have shined that turd enough to make it passable.
Knowledge = Power
P= W/t
t=Money
Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make
Hugo Weaving does a fabulous job as the titular character, and you never get to see his face. It's nothing but manner, voice, and movement, but you forget for long periods of the film that it's NOT his face.
Hmmm. Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
in fact... he became a sought after voice and character actor as a result. you almost have to wonder if it's because no one saw his face to associate him so heavily with the franchise.
One line comes out of this..
"Harrison Ford somehow had the balls to rewrite his lines and got away with it, both in Star Wars and in Raiders of the Lost Ark."
There. That's the only reason he made it big. It was a brilliant attitude against someone like Lucas.
Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
If you're a bad actor or you are made to look like a bad actor by a bad script or director, your career will be hurt. The Star Wars franchise has had some good scripts and directors and some disasters.
Harrison Ford was a good actor - he got work. James Earl Jones got half the bad magic guy roles for the next 15 years. Billy Dee Williams did fine after being Lando Calrissian. Those were well written roles and the actors played them well. Luke, "But I want to go to Tashi station to get more power converters" Skywalker? You've got to be a STELLAR actor to make anything out of that role and Corvette Summer is all I have to say about Mark Hamill's acting chops. Admittedly Carrie Fisher is a bit of a mystery.
Episodes I-III were terribly written and directed as if the principal actors were on methadone. It didn't hurt Liam Neeson or Ewan Mcgregor because they were famously great actors with an established brand in England. Natalie Portman was a well loved indy actress. Only indy film people really knew she was a great actress. Natalie Portman should have walked off the set the first time George Lucas told her to act like a piece of wood. He wasted her talent.
Every rule has more than one consequence.
he came up with a great idea but he can't write worth a shit and definitely can't direct. The only film of any quality in the entire mess that is star bores was the second (no, not the fucking fifth) film: empire strikes back.
People are horribly stupid when it comes to casting. Even former actors who should know better can't stop putting good actors in boxes. My wife, also an excellent actor, has moved into casting and is rapidly building a reputation at being great at it. The people she finds regularly bring more to their roles than even the role's authors knew was there. But she has to fight people all the time on whether actors fit an overly specific look or preconceptions they have about what their ethnicity or race will "bring" to a role to the point of trading off spectacular amounts of talent for mediocrity. This is in spite of what anybody who watches theater regularly should know. Actor talent or lack thereof can make or break just about anything. Actor stereo-typing is very simple-minded but also very common and everybody knows Star Wars. Directors and casting directors should know better but being in any popular sci-fi/fantasy film can be a tough box to climb out of.
That said, Portman hasn't been more than good enough for a role since she was a kid and I haven't seen Christensen in anything else, but the dialog in SW has always been a challenge and I don't 100% blame directing for them looking as bad as they do up there. Those actors in the original trilogy are working VERY hard in almost every scene. Neeson and McGregor rarely looked bad but you better believe some of that dialog reads something awful on the page. Only the empire deals in absolutes? He made it one more sentence beyond that before it occurred to me what a stupid line that was. That takes talent. Not to mention his gradual morphing into somebody who might actually be Alec Guinness in 20 years. Impressive work.
But let's completely black out Ep 2's romantical dung-heap. It's what I do most of the time. Even if we ignore that dialog/directing horror, Christensen pretty much manages to hit two notes through the entirety of the last two prequels, surly and remorseful. I'm sure directing didn't help him there and the role wasn't written with much opportunity to play for charisma but that's something the right actors can excrete through their pores if they have to. Ford's done it his entire career. He could have played being mad about his lack of rapid-Jedi-career advancement like it was a legitimate gripe. I mean really, this is a dude that's done some pretty amazing things for the Jedi and in return he gets way too much free time to hang out with evil senators and dead mom. But instead he comes off as a self-entitled brat. The right actor could have made me like him at least a little bit more but in the end the balance was tipped in favor of rooting for the lava.
Portman, even when given interesting things to do like be an action heroine, the ruler of an entire planet, or its representative in the senate is 99% flat-lining throughout the whole thing until the very end when she's heart-broken at which point she demonstrates her vulnerable pretty girl thing that she's mostly been hired for. Unfortunately it's far too late for anybody to care that her character is heart-broken. She's just not that good. She can do drama on the extremes and her narrow shtick but she's not up to being a mover and shaker in a galactic space opera that makes no sense whatsoever if you think too hard about it.