Lecture 10 Lecture 10: Actors and Stars Professor Aaron Baker

2 Previous Lecture Different media: capabilities, assumptions. Representation of place. King of the Hill

3 Today’s Lecture Movie and Stage Actors Stars and their Images George Clooney

4 Acting on stage Generally receives less recognition than movie acting. Emphasizes roles that aren’t confused with the actor’s real life. Can be evaluated by one’s ability to succeed in well known roles (e.g. Hamlet, Willy Lohman, Lady Macbeth).

5 One and Done Film roles are usually done just once. Movie actors perform a part and go on to others. There is no repertory in the movies as in theater to evaluate acting. Roles reprised in sequels, James Bond and Batman are minor exceptions.

6 Some stars are known for doing many different roles. Others for repeatedly playing similar characters—”playing themselves.” Acting Vs Performing

7 Stage Performance Is done in one space and time, before a live audience It requires sustained focus for the 2-3 hours of a play.

8 Movie Actors Generally perform for just a few minutes at a time, spread out over the weeks or months in which a film is shot.

9 Film Actors Often have less control over their performance. The director, editor, producer may decide how the actor will appear. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, director Steven Spielberg and actor Diego Luna on the set of The Terminal 2004.

10 Some Actors “… will learn more about other aspects of filmmaking to “increase their control over the construction of their performances.” (Lehman and Luhr, p. 149)

11 Marlene Dietrich Learned about lighting and cinematography to have more involvement in how she was shown.

12 Interview With Jeff Kurland, the costume designer from Ocean’s Eleven, he describes Brad Pitt’s interest in the costumes his character would wear. Click on picture to watch interview.

13 Stars Often earn the biggest salaries in a film’s budget. George Clooney’s Paydays: Intolerable CrueltyIntolerable Cruelty (2003)$15,000,000 Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001)$20,000,000 The Perfect StormThe Perfect Storm (2000)$8,000,000 O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)$1,000,000 Three KingsThree Kings (1999)$5,000,000 Out of SightOut of Sight (1998)$10,000,000 Batman & RobinBatman & Robin (1997)$10,000,000

14 Why? Why? Because of the film industry assumption that audiences will pay to see them. A star’s Q Score measures his/her familiarity and appeal with audiences.

15 What defines a movie star? A Featured performer in a film but also, an image that generates interest beyond individual films.

16 Star Image Personality Work Habits Style Private & Public Life Love Life Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at a Red Sox game

17 How’s a movie star image created? Film Roles ProfilesProfiles InterviewsInterviews Gossip ColumnsGossip Columns TV talk and Tabloid ShowsTV talk and Tabloid Shows

18 Typecast “Sometimes a star image becomes so fixed that even when he or she tries to break it by doing roles directly opposed to that image, the public ignores such deviations and continues to support the original image.” (Lehman and Luhr, p.150)

19 Sylvester Stallone Tried to move beyond his action hero image with comedies like Oscar (1991). The box office failure of these films forced him back into action roles.

20 The Contender In 2005 he returned indirectly to the role that defined his image more than any other, Rocky, by producing and starring in the TV show about boxing The Contender.

21 The Star System For the first 15 years of commerical cinema ( ) there were no stars. Early producers worried if actors were publicized, they would ask for big salaries. Other producers introduced the concept of movie stars because they believed audiences would pay to see them.

22 Classic Hollywood Saw the creation of stars by studios. Stars were under exclusive contract, Studios built their images by selecting film roles and publicity campaigns.

23 Independent Producers As the studio system declined in the 1950s and 60s, major stars became independent producers. This is still the a common practice today.

24 Stars and Race Before the 1960s very few Hollywood stars were African American. Sidney Pottier broke this barrier in the late 1950s and 1960s.

25 Linear Analysis As with directors and genres, star images can be analyzed in terms of how they develop and change.

26 George Clooney Got his first big role in a TV series, ER His character, Dr. Doug Ross was attractive, charming, talented—but a rebel.

27 Charming Outsider Clooney has maintained this attractive rebel image in numerous roles. He has played thieves in six films. Click on Image to Watch Clip

28 Expanded Range He has also modeled his leading man image with self-deprecating comic roles in O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000), Welcome to Collinwood (2002), Intolerable Cruelty (2003).

29 Example As you watch the following clip from Intolerable Cruelty, compare Clooney’s character with those in Oceans Eleven or Out of Sight. Click on Image to Watch Clip

30 Offscreen Clooney’s image has been that of a fun loving bachelor: “Sexist Man Alive” in People Magazine Bet Michele Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman $10,000 he wouldn’t be father before forty. Bought a villa on Italy’s Lake Como

31 Politics Produced the HBO series on Washington lobbyists, K Street. In 2004 Clooney supported his father’s, Nick, candidacy for a congressional seat in Kentucky.

32 Like many stars… Clooney downplays the idea of stardom as mainly a commercial phenomenon: “It’s not about the opening weekend, It’s about career, building a set of films you’re proud of. Period.”

33 eBoard Questions After you watch Three Kings, answer the following question: How does Clooney’s role in this film fit or vary from his star image?

34 End of Lecture 10 Next Lecture: Gender