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Post by stephen on Jun 26, 2019 14:12:19 GMT
Longtime posters and Buzzers know my general obsession with the great Mia Kirshner. Kirshner's one of those actresses who I feel fell into the wrong era -- or, at least, in the cracks between eras she would've excelled in. Her evocative expressionism would've made her a favorite in the silent era for sure, she possesses an innate sensuality that would've served her well as a femme fatale in the Golden Age, or even in the neo-noir settings of the '60s and '70s. Had she come around a little later, she might've been snapped up by a budding auteur anxious to find his muse in the way Von Trier and Lynch have theirs. But Kirshner unfortunately came into prominence in the hinterlands era of the mid-'90s, which I find to be a general weak era overall in terms of up-and-coming talent. With that said, Kirshner gives one of the mightiest performances any actress could boast in The Black Dahlia, capturing the ghostly essence of a tragic life in a few short scenes. I've long said that Brian de Palma had both the biggest stroke of genius in his career by casting her on the spot (considering Elizabeth Short was not in the original script; those audition reels were a new facet added to the script when he decided to cast her) and the biggest missed opportunity of his career by not casting her in dual roles as Short and Madeleine Linscott, the Dahlia doppelgänger who was hideously miscast with Hilary Swank. Playing both roles would've shown the world Kirshner's dizzying, dazzling range of capabilities, and it would've spared us seeing Swank doing whatever the fuck she was doing in that and having to swallow the whale-sized notion that she and Mia looked anything alike. Moreover, Kirshner is exquisite in Exotica (Atom Egoyan saw her potential as that noir femme and played it to the hilt), an absolute riot in Not Another Teen Movie (in which she pulverizes McAdams's Regina George all over the shop), a consummate scene-stealer in The L Word and always is great fun in whatever she crops up in. Unfortunately, she seems forever consigned to being a working-jane character actress who likely will never get the respect or acclaim she deserves. But I'll be forever banging the drum of Kirshner's greatness. Here's to you, Mia.
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Post by Pavan on Jun 26, 2019 15:02:55 GMT
Longtime posters and Buzzers know my general obsession with the great Mia Kirshner. Kirshner's one of those actresses who I feel fell into the wrong era -- or, at least, in the cracks between eras she would've excelled in. Her evocative expressionism would've made her a favorite in the silent era for sure, she possesses an innate sensuality that would've served her well as a femme fatale in the Golden Age, or even in the neo-noir settings of the '60s and '70s. Had she come around a little later, she might've been snapped up by a budding auteur anxious to find his muse in the way Von Trier and Lynch have theirs. But Kirshner unfortunately came into prominence in the hinterlands era of the mid-'90s, which I find to be a general weak era overall in terms of up-and-coming talent. With that said, Kirshner gives one of the mightiest performances any actress could boast in The Black Dahlia, capturing the ghostly essence of a tragic life in a few short scenes. I've long said that Brian de Palma had both the biggest stroke of genius in his career by casting her on the spot (considering Elizabeth Short was not in the original script; those audition reels were a new facet added to the script when he decided to cast her) and the biggest missed opportunity of his career by not casting her in dual roles as Short and Madeleine Linscott, the Dahlia doppelgänger who was hideously miscast with Hilary Swank. Playing both roles would've shown the world Kirshner's dizzying, dazzling range of capabilities, and it would've spared us seeing Swank doing whatever the fuck she was doing in that and having to swallow the whale-sized notion that she and Mia looked anything alike. Moreover, Kirshner is exquisite in Exotica (Atom Egoyan saw her potential as that noir femme and played it to the hilt), an absolute riot in Not Another Teen Movie (in which she pulverizes McAdams's Regina George all over the shop), a consummate scene-stealer in The L Word and always is great fun in whatever she crops up in. Unfortunately, she seems forever consigned to being a working-jane character actress who likely will never get the respect or acclaim she deserves. But I'll be forever banging the drum of Kirshner's greatness. Here's to you, Mia. This picture sums up that better.
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sirchuck23
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Post by sirchuck23 on Jun 26, 2019 15:53:05 GMT
A very vital piece in the success of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air during its run in the 90s was the late James Avery as Uncle Phil. Even though his character on that show is iconic and is generally acknowledged as being an important piece of the cast, he was actually underrated on that show just by the fact that he was never nominated for an Emmy or Golden Globe for his performance on the sitcom. He was primarily a TV and voice actor, famously being the voice of Master Shredder on the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, and appearing on various TV shows during his career, but he's always going to be remembered as good ole' Uncle Phil. I have no doubts that he was also a great mentor to Will Smith as he was coming into his own as an actor on the show. Smith even mentioned in one of his interviews recently that Avery helped guide and kept him calm before performing one of the great pieces of acting Smith ever did on that show (or period) for that matter... A classically trained actor, scholar, and Vietnam veteran, Avery created one of the great TV dads and characters in TV history, which is saying something.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 26, 2019 16:31:06 GMT
Avery reminds me of one of my faves Glynn Turman. A lot of people will recognize him from a lot of things - A Different World, House of Lies, The Wire etc. I'm a huge fan of him in a Law & Order : Criminal Intent where he plays a writer whose son is a plagiarist - one of the very best episodes imo. He often plays military guys because he can be very controlled and precise in his acting - it translates like that. He's had a 50 year career - he's Preach in Cooley High for Godsakes AND he was married to Aretha Franklin too. A real pro as an actor:
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Post by pupdurcs on Jun 26, 2019 17:11:44 GMT
Longtime posters and Buzzers know my general obsession with the great Mia Kirshner. Kirshner's one of those actresses who I feel fell into the wrong era -- or, at least, in the cracks between eras she would've excelled in. Her evocative expressionism would've made her a favorite in the silent era for sure, she possesses an innate sensuality that would've served her well as a femme fatale in the Golden Age, or even in the neo-noir settings of the '60s and '70s. Had she come around a little later, she might've been snapped up by a budding auteur anxious to find his muse in the way Von Trier and Lynch have theirs. But Kirshner unfortunately came into prominence in the hinterlands era of the mid-'90s, which I find to be a general weak era overall in terms of up-and-coming talent. With that said, Kirshner gives one of the mightiest performances any actress could boast in The Black Dahlia, capturing the ghostly essence of a tragic life in a few short scenes. I've long said that Brian de Palma had both the biggest stroke of genius in his career by casting her on the spot (considering Elizabeth Short was not in the original script; those audition reels were a new facet added to the script when he decided to cast her) and the biggest missed opportunity of his career by not casting her in dual roles as Short and Madeleine Linscott, the Dahlia doppelgänger who was hideously miscast with Hilary Swank. Playing both roles would've shown the world Kirshner's dizzying, dazzling range of capabilities, and it would've spared us seeing Swank doing whatever the fuck she was doing in that and having to swallow the whale-sized notion that she and Mia looked anything alike. Moreover, Kirshner is exquisite in Exotica (Atom Egoyan saw her potential as that noir femme and played it to the hilt), an absolute riot in Not Another Teen Movie (in which she pulverizes McAdams's Regina George all over the shop), a consummate scene-stealer in The L Word and always is great fun in whatever she crops up in. Unfortunately, she seems forever consigned to being a working-jane character actress who likely will never get the respect or acclaim she deserves. But I'll be forever banging the drum of Kirshner's greatness. Here's to you, Mia. I knew you were going to do Kershner when I started this thread (before it got merged with an old one)
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Post by stephen on Jun 26, 2019 17:12:17 GMT
I knew you were going to do this when I started this thread (before it got merged with an old one) I am nothing if not predictable.
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Post by pupdurcs on Jun 26, 2019 17:14:18 GMT
I knew you were going to do this when I started this thread (before it got merged with an old one) I am nothing if not predictable. Ain't we all buddy. At first I was like "where the fck has my thread gone", but after a few minutes thinking about it I'm quite pleased that my starting this topic has resulted in a similar dead thread being resurrected, merged and permenantly stickied. All in the space of 6 hours. Who knew
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 26, 2019 17:25:58 GMT
I am nothing if not predictable. Ain't we all buddy. At first I was like "where the fck has my thread gone", but after a few minutes thinking about it I'm quite pleased that my starting this topic has resulted in a similar dead thread being resurrected, merged and permenantly stickied. All in the space of 6 hours. Who knew At first I was like "where the fck has my thread gone" -...........Who knew
Just read my posts - was happy to help you with that: From our previous thread "Underrated "great talents" who deserve more acclaim"And the only people who knew .................are people who remember everything/forget nothing
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Post by pupdurcs on Jun 26, 2019 17:30:36 GMT
Ain't we all buddy. At first I was like "where the fck has my thread gone", but after a few minutes thinking about it I'm quite pleased that my starting this topic has resulted in a similar dead thread being resurrected, merged and permenantly stickied. All in the space of 6 hours. Who knew At first I was like "where the fck has my thread gone" -...........Who knew
Just read my posts - was happy to help you with that: From our previous thread "Underrated "great talents" who deserve more acclaim"And the only people who knew .................are people who remember everything/forget nothing Oh I figured you had something to do with it, no question.
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Post by stephen on Jun 26, 2019 17:48:04 GMT
I'm also gonna keep the Psifonian Award for Supporting Actress streak going: Lindsay Duncan. Probably best known for her portrayal as the acidic critic who's got her poison pen out for Michael Keaton in Birdman, Duncan is nevertheless an extraordinary talent who is always a welcome presence whenever she crops up. I first became aware of her from her work on Rome, and since then, I've had my eye on her. It's a wonder she never cropped up on Game of Thrones, as she would've been the perfect fit for it (although I guess Diana Rigg was so perfect as Olenna and there weren't really any strong roles for a woman of her age she could've taken; hopefully she'll appear in one of the spinoffs). Essential Duncan performances also include Le Week-End, the BBC TV movie about Thatcher where she makes Streep look like an abject amateur, her episodes of Doctor Who and Black Mirror, and she really was a delight when she cropped up in The Leftovers. I’ve not seen some of her more esoteric work on the BBC, but eventually I’ll seek it out. (Also, why hasn't anyone cast her as Julie Delpy's mother/older sister yet?)
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 26, 2019 17:55:11 GMT
Lindsay Duncan will totally be in our Stage/TV/Film thread at some point too - Tony winner, 2 time Olivier winner, she's awesomely gifted.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 26, 2019 18:07:40 GMT
He's no longer with us but William Hickey is a great one too - this is his one scene in Sea Of Love - starts 50 seconds in. Most people know him for his Academy award nominated turn in Prizzi's Honor but I really love the guy for all he did no matter how small - he was an acting teacher too (Sandy Dennis' teacher for one) and he's one of those guys who just suggests a life lived not just a life the movies suggest.
Sometimes I think of those acting teachers when they got parts to play - Strasberg a couple times, Sanford Meisner (Mikey & Nicky) - and Hickey although he wasn't as limited in what he did as them. The Michael Douglas/Alan Arkin Show "The Kominsky Method" gets into that a little since that is what the Douglas character does.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 29, 2019 14:55:54 GMT
Like Lindsay Duncan this person isn't just underappreciated - they are flat out scary talented - and he is still, at 48 capable of becoming a star even. On top of that, he's Cuban - when do we ever talk about any Asian or Latino actors great underrated or otherwise? Well we should: Raúl Esparza. Esparza is mostly a theater actor - I've seen him twice on stage - he's dynamite, and he's got a staggering feather in his cap also in staging and excelling in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui - an exceedingly difficult play that no theater actor even tries unless they're major or a major star to begin with. On TV you may recognize him from the "Lady's Man" episode of Criminal Intent (great, marvelously creepy), the District Attorney triumphing over sh itty scripts for years in Law & Order SVU..........and borderline brilliant in Hannibal as Dr. Frederick Chilton. He can go big or small, florid or realistic, walk right up to the line of OTT and pull it back in a split second.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jun 29, 2019 18:13:44 GMT
Obvious person for this list - really this list is made for her in a way - and arguably even a candidate across all mediums although she isn't distinguished quite enough for that one - Tony nominee, multiple Emmy winner and great in ensemble or niche film and I don't think there's anyone who would disagree with her mention here - Margo Martindale.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jun 29, 2019 18:23:11 GMT
has anyone mentioned Wilford Brimley yet? Such a wonderful character actor. Was there anyone better at playing salt of the earth cantankerous grumps? A shame he never got an Oscar nomination because he deserved ones for Absence of Malice and The Natural.
Absence of Malice was boring until he showed up.
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Post by fiosnasiob on Jun 29, 2019 19:09:20 GMT
Leland Orser, one of these characters actors you instantly recognize the face but being able to put a name on it is another story. Always a plus in any movies/TV shows, has specialized himself at playing nervous, weird and creepy characters. The picture is from the movie Faults, one of his rare leading roles, he's terrific in it and it has always made me believe that without touching Bryan Cranston's tremendous work, he could have been a great Walter White.
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Post by stephen on Jun 29, 2019 19:17:37 GMT
My #1 Supporting Actress of the decade, who positively demolished Glenn Close in her own passion project and took a bloodless and stuffy period-piece and galvanized it with gusto: Janet McTeer. Her stage cred is undeniable: a Tony winner who also scooped up the Olivier and the Drama Desk Award for her performance in Ibsen's A Doll's House in '97. She's also done Uncle Vanya, God of Carnage and Mary Stuart, all to great acclaim. Her film work, while not quite as flashy as some, still stands strong. Two Oscar nominations, one in lead and one in support. She took home the Golden Globe for Tumbleweeds, secured an Emmy nod for Into the Storm, and another Globe nom for The White Queen. She's appeared in shows like Damages, Jessica Jones and Ozark and has always been a welcome presence anytime she appears.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 4, 2019 15:49:28 GMT
Timothy Carey - A legendary cult figure and fascinating example of a personality above the work - well maybe.........and maybe the very first of many that followed. Marlon Brando told him "he needed to concentrate on his career" (!?!). He turned down Coppola twice for The Godfather and The Conversation (!?!) - Kubrick fired him from The Killing (!!!) - a notorious eccentric (and worse) character - though to call him eccentric seems like really understating it. Unforgettably eccentric in One Eyed Jacks and bit parts in Cassavetes films - he never really did what he supposedly was capable of doing - but whenever I would see him I immediately start paying attention and movies could use someone with his messy edginess now more than ever. From his bit part (naturally) in East of Eden:
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 8, 2019 22:55:54 GMT
If ever any actress came across as likable and sweet on-screen it was the sadly missed Teri Garr who is still alive but retired from acting due to health issues. She is in one heartbreaking scene in one of my favorite all-time films - The Conversation - as the girl who breaks Harry Caul's heart in a simple but definitively painful way (I don't think I'm going to wait for you anymore Harry).
Probably better know for comedies she was a great joy to spend time with in many great films.
Below, from Martin Scorsese's After Hours :
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 10, 2019 18:03:57 GMT
Another one of those actors who make every project better - although he's a bit too famous for this thread, he doesn't fit anywhere else : Joe PantolianoUnforgettable in Bound, Memento, The Sopranos, Midnight Run - particularly great at playing the smartest guy in the room who then, often outsmarts himself. From The Sopranos as Ralph Cifaretto with James Gandolfini:
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Post by jimmalone on Jul 10, 2019 18:45:36 GMT
An actor who is unfairly even hardly known to the public: Elias Koteas
I know that I'm not the only one who loves his performance in The Thin Red Line, for which he is my Best Supporting Actor. But I also liked him in some smaller roles like Zodiac, Shutter Island or Some Kind of Wonderful. And he was nearly the only good thing in Cronenberg's Crash.
It's a shame he hardly gets any bigger parts in promising projects.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 12, 2019 19:58:34 GMT
I love Koteas - particularly in Exotica with stephen 's beloved Mia Kirshner - he has an uncanny resemblance to De Niro - even in Shutter Island you could hear people whispering that it was De Niro uncredited etc.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 13, 2019 13:31:46 GMT
Much like Joe Pantoliano (mentioned above), Hector Elizondo flirted with big time fame for a while - mostly on TV in Chicago Hope where he won an Emmy but he's a Latino actor who made everything a little bit more interesting when he was cast in anything. He's the Greek diner owner in Frankie & Johnny..........memorable in many comedies like Flamingo Kid and Pretty Woman and he'll always be Mr. Grey to me in this 70s classic (not the limp remake): The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three:
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Post by TerryMontana on Jul 13, 2019 14:03:29 GMT
I love Koteas - particularly in Exotica with stephen 's beloved Mia Kirshner - he has an uncanny resemblance to De Niro - even in Shutter Island you could hear people whispering that it was De Niro uncredited etc. That's exactly what happened in the theater I was watching the film. A guy a few rows above me said (quite loudly): Oh boy, it's De Niro!! Of course Koteas' disfigured face in that scene didn't help I like him, he's been a very good character actor, a compatriot of mine and has worked with many great directors in his career: Coppola, Scorsese, Cimino, Malick, Cronenberg, Radford, Egoyan, Niccol, Fuqua, Fincher, Winterbottom, Gray, Singer...
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Post by pacinoyes on Jul 14, 2019 13:36:55 GMT
sirchuck23 - Who I know is a fan of Spike Lee and may be interested in this if he has never seen it - it's worth seeking out. quetee - Who may be interested in this film the clip is from as well since it ties into modern things too (When They See Us etc.) **************************************************************************************************************** No actor mentioned yet has quite the same importance for an "under-appreciated" actor as Al Freeman Jr. If you think you know him for just his biggest roles - well, you really don't. Freeman never really got close to the break he needed to be a big time actor - he spent most of his time on US soap opera TV earning a paycheck but he had a whole other career too. He had some other visible roles and played Malcolm X - memorably in Roots 2 - and for Spike Lee played Elijah Mohammad in his film Malcolm X. Think of the diversity of those roles and his casting. But Al Freeman also did something else - he played a pivotal role in the less than an hour indie drama Dutchman - dated, broad and stagy now, yes - but also extraordinary in talking about race especially monologues opposite Shirley Knight - he in some ways helped set the stage for a serious Black Cinema coming in the 1970s from these speeches (which is from a famous play and was never acted better than here). This film has never afaik been even mentioned on these boards - not once - how are we going to talk about race if we ignore the cultural history of film entirely? This speech is tough to watch in language (extremely harsh to say the least) and in the physical abuse too but it's an important scene in America's history of cultural cinema too. Special actor.......worth seeking out for his more famous .........and his not so famous roles.
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