When you see how buddy-buddy actors like Ben Affleck and George Clooney are (and we can’t forget an obligatory Affleck and Matt Damon friendship reference), it’s easy to get the impression that everyone in Hollywood hangs out with each other. You know, like they all have a big pool party at Dustin Hoffman’s, cooking $500 hamburgers on the barbeque and such, laughing it up at us little people.
While I respect wanting to challenge oneself as an actor, I often wonder why an A-list actor like Tom Hanks chooses to take a Broadway role, as he is with his Broadway debut Lucky Guy. After all, Hanks could command one of his usual hefty salaries for a movie role
We’ve all seen or heard “Not a Paid Spokesperson” during commercials, which indicates that the person in the commercial truly loves the product he or she is pitching — and is not just being paid to say that (of course, they are usually being compensated anyway). It’s often an effective way to sell products, but the rise of so-called “reality commercials” — that is, commercials that cast non-professionals as spokespeople for the product — is bad news for commercial actors (who are already seeing declining pay).
Shia LaBeouf, who has certainly made his mouth a familiar spot for his foot in the past, was set to make his Broadway debut opposite Alec Baldwin in Orphans, with previews set to begin March 17. However, yesterday it was announced that LaBeouf had left the play because of “creative differences.” Naturally, inquiring minds want to know what exactly those differences were/are.
Jessica Chastain is a perfect example of an actress who by hell or high water was going to break through.
Millions of wrestling fans recognize Dwayne Johnson as The Rock — a trash-talking heavyweight who started wrestling in the mid-1990s until leaving for his burgeoning career in Hollywood movies in 2004. However, not only has Johnson recently returned to wrestling, he is also curiously hitting the busiest and most impressive streak of his acting career.
Even up until a few years ago Jane Lynch was mainly known as one of the most talented improvises in Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries. More recently Lynch’s career has really taken off with her starring role on television’s Glee. Now Lynch finds herself in demand, especially as a voice actor in animated films.
Maggie Smith loves to talk about how proud she is about the success of Downton Abbey and how the period drama is shot. Just don’t ask her about the final product.
Few would think that Rooney Mara, whose acting career has launched into the stratosphere after appearing in The Social Network and starring as the titular character in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (which she received an Oscar nomination for), would still care about what reviewers thought of her performances.
Manhattan’s The New School has launched a new Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dramatic Arts program, which is an undergraduate version of its storied Masters of Fine Arts program.
Rhys explains that he had the benefit of being approached about the role, not the other way around.
Oklahoma City actor Frank Crim has appeared in 150 commercials over a thirty-year career but only earns about $60,000 per year. Despite appearing on televisions regularly, he points out, “I still don’t make enough money to buy a house.
Almost a year and a half ago actor Jesse Eisenberg made an unexpected move by becoming a playwright, debuting his play Asuncion at New York’s Cherry Lane Theatre.
Bruce Willis might have displayed more acting range than people would have expected throughout his many films, but he’ll always be best remembered by audiences as John McClane, the tough-as-nails cop who is the protagonist of the Die Hard series
While Matt Damon’s longtime friend Ben Affleck has moved into directing, Damon has remained focused on acting aside from a few screenplays he has co-written. Recently Damon co-wrote the screenplay for The Promised Land, which opened to lukewarm reviews and did not make much money at the U.S. box office.
Chinese actor Shi Zhongpeng gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Bring out your dead!” After all, that’s what directors probably yell when it’s time for him to come on set.
Even Oscar-nominated stars have audition mishaps. Before auditioning for the film adaptation of Les Miserables in New York City, Hugh Jackman ran into some trouble while visiting his singing teacher, Joan Lader.
The lengthy Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is generally thought to be one of the more challenging plays to perform, which is something actress Amy Morton — who is currently starring as Martha in the Broadway revival — agrees with wholeheartedly.
Back in October it was revealed that one-time Oscar winner Al Pacino was making a guaranteed $125,000 per week starring in Glengarry Glen Ross on Broadway. While two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks might not be making that much as a base salary for his Broadway debut in Lucky Guy, I think it’s fair to say the title of the play reflects his earning prospects quite well.
