So I was talking to somebody who doesn’t really have great taste in on-screen men (which is good, because I’m married to him), and was horrified to learn he doesn’t really like Nathan Fillion.
Seriously?
(Maybe that’s because he knows that’s the one guy on the planet I’d leave him for.)
Anyway, he said you’d already have to be a Nathan Fillion fan to really love Castle because he’s one of those actors who’s always himself.
Like Tom Selleck. Whether you put him in a Civil War uniform, cowboy get-up, a Hawaiian shirt or a small town police chief gear, Tom Selleck is always Tom Selleck. If you like him, you’ll like pretty much everything he does (like my husband does).
He says it’s the same way with Nathan Fillion. Whether he’s decked out in space western gear or jeans and a t-shirt or bestselling author launch party duds, Nathan Fillion is always Nathan Fillion. I like him, so I like pretty much everything he does.
Agree? Don’t agree? Don’t really give a damn and you only kept reading because you don’t want to clean your bathroom yet?
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Have you SEEN my bathroom? The one shared by 2 small children and a cat? It’s either talk about Nathan Fillion or put on my Haz Mat suit. I think he pretty much is the same, whatever he’s in, although Dr. Horrible did showcase his singing voice.
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Wouldn’t that mean he had a very strong . . . voice? Not singing, but comparable to an author’s voice? Or no? I don’t think he was as much himself in Drive, and even the bits I’ve seen of him in DH, he’s more serious. I think Captain Mal and Rick Castle and Dr. Horrible are all very similar though.
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I have no life I had to google Nathan Fillion…
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Well, the same has been said about a number of actors (my father said that about Charlton Heston a few decades ago… yikes, I’m old) and yet, some of those same actors/actresses may yet surprise us if/when the right rôle comes along.
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We talked about this on IM this morning, but like I said…some actors/actresses are the same no matter what role they play. Some actors get lost in the characters and you don’t really know who they are. I think Nathan Fillion is always…Nathan Fillion. Fortunately I adore him so I’m fine with that. But as we discussed….Johnny Depp sinks into each of his role and becomes the character. Who knows what Johnny Depp is really like. Or Ben Kingsley, who also becomes each of the characters he portrays.
Interesting to study actors to see who never change much from role to role, and who completely immerse themselves in the characters.
See…I’ll do alot to avoid cleaning the bathroom…….
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Bathrooms are clean. Moi, I’m avoiding taxes. :gaah:
I’ve seen Nathan in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, WAITRESS and CASTLE. Thinking there was a shade, maybe two, of difference between his performances in DH and Castle. Also think he could probably stretch more if given stretchier roles. Unlike some actors, who, if they have to play a character even ten degrees outside their comfort zone (I’m looking at you, Kevin Costner, who does a damn good job playing Kevin Costner but not s’hot playing anybody else), just come across looking like, well, bad actors.
But typecasting happens. Hollywood loves a good thing, as we all know. Takes someone with chutzbah (and a great agent) to deliberately pick roles to make the actor stretch and grow. Which is risky, especially in an industry that doesn’t easily forgive, or forget, screw-ups.
‘Tis all about survival, I suspect.
And ITA with your hubby about Tom Selleck. But, um, who cares? :shrug:
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I see your husband’s point, and for other actors this kind of thing bugs me, but when it comes to Fillion I just don’t care. He is so darn charming. I fall for him every time. Have loved him since the sitcom Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place.
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Rhonda! OMG! You need to watch Firefly like…now!
I’ve never seen Desperate Housewives. Honestly, didn’t even know he was on it. :doh:
And I vaguely remember seeing a few episodes of Two Guys, A Girl and A Pizza Place, but not enough to remember the actors.
Nathan didn’t really register on my radar until Angie got me hooked on Firefly.
:angie:
Drive was dumb, and even he couldn’t save it.
And as for Castle, I love it. Lot of my friends loved it. But I’m not sure the premise has legs, honestly, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts. Bonus—it finally gave me the strength to quit Miami, at least for one week. We had paused…24? and ran over, so we could only DVR one of the 10:00 shows, and I strongarmed the husband into choosing Castle.
As for typecasting, I’ll confess I’m selfish—I don’t want Nathan Fillion to challenge himself with a new kind of role. I like Nathan Fillion as Nathan Fillion. The facial expressions are…
*sighs like a fourteen-year-old girl with a fresh copy of Teen Beat*
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Er, I better go google, eh?
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Rhonda! OMG! You need to watch Firefly like…now!
And Dr. Horrible!
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With regard to Dr. Horrible, I hope I’m not the only person in the room who has the iTunes download AND the soundtrack AND the DVD with commentary.
:popcorn:
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I don’t have the DVD with commentary but I would REALLY like to.
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I’ve watched bits and pieces of Dr. Horrible, but still didn’t know who Fillion was & um… this is where I have to admit I just Googled Firefly, but all it okay because I also just IM’d my brother who owns it (no huge surprise to me, I will borrow this weekend)…
Of course if I really wanted y’all to know how in the dark I am… this is where I admit I am currently having a Buffyfest @ my house, with and Angelfest to follow, cause um, yeah I don’t what I was doing from ’97-02 but it wasn’t watching TV apparently. :hide:
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No thank you on the bathroom cleaning though I will someday. Right now the 3 y/o is interested in playing in the sink in there. Who am I to disturb him.
Now I haven’t watched Castle yet but it is on the DVR. I’m sure that I’ll be a fan though. I’ve only watched a few Firefly episodes but I think I’m going to see if Blockbuster has it.
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AH HA!!!!!!!!
You just brought to my attention my own quirk about movies. Hubby is the type who has favorite actors and will watch anything they do. Doesn’t matter if it’s the same plot revisited over and over, nor if the actor basically never changes. That’s what he WANTS to see.
But I’m with Jaci. I like watching people like Depp and Kingsley. They morph with the role, and I often don’t care if I hate the movie itself. I like to watch the actor’s portrayal of the character, and what little nuances they add to really “Own” that character. I think Will Smith has grown to a point where he can often pull it off, too. And there are many more.
Sure, I still like actors who basically remain themselves, but I don’t watch everything they put out because it often feels same old-same old.
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Let me just say…so what?
First, being easily identifiable doesn’t equate to bad acting, IMO. Just like there’s no one right way to write a book, there’s no one right way to give a performance.
I believe there are a few different types of actors:
1. Actors who disappear into a character so much that you might know you’ve seen them before, but can’t say wher (unless something really makes you pay attention). Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson are examples. These are really, really rare.
2. Actors who become the character from within. Johnny Depp fits here for me, because come on, you can’t ever forget he’s Johnny Depp, even in eyeliner and dredlocks.
There are degrees of this, and he’s top-notch, of course.
2a. Actors who might not completely become the character, but still bring the emotion and interaction from inside them. I’d put Nathan Fillion here. The scene where he talked about how the cop came to be a cop was a cliché, but both actors portrayed some subtle emotional changes there. I think they’re good actors. Renee Zellwegger probably fits here, too, and for me she also fits what your husband said. I don’t like her, so I don’t like anything she does.
3. Actors who put on their characters like a mask. Scarlett Johannsen is the one that comes most quickly to mind, because I don’t think she does it particularly well. I always have the sense of a desperately dull center. I think some actors start out this way and slowly learn how to internalize their roles.
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You can watch Outing Riley on HULU.com online for free. :cheer:
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I agree about Renee Zel…whatever, too. She’s always her, and I’m not a big fan.
And how come I haven’t seen any of these other things Nathan was in? Clearly I need to head to imdb.com, make a list and commandeer the television!
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So I picked up the boxed set of Firefly episodes this weekend and the first thing out of my mouth to my brother – “Jason Bateman’s in this?” :tomato:
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He is?
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Umm.. no that was my EPIC FAIL to recognize Nathan Fillion. Shrug, he sort of resembles Jason Bateman to my 80s era brain :hide:
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Oooooh.
:lmao:
I’m not laughing at you. Honest. I’m laughing with you.
The thing with Nathan Fillion is that it’s not his look. You can’t just look at a picture or see him for a minute on the screen and “get” it. It’s his personality and charm and humor and…the whole package.
Dammit. Now I’m ruined for the day. Will be watching Firefly if you need me. :ignore:
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Somehow I just knew that would make you smile or laugh or fall off a chair :neener: