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In Reply to: You mean he flew bombers during the WWII, reached the rank of an Air Force general... posted by Victor Khomenko on January 23, 2003 at 11:50:49:
Victor,I like to understand actors somewhat through their personal lives- it puts their performances in perspective- how much of the character is the actor behaving as usual but for substituted words and how much is given to a new, individual personality.
With Hugh Grant, I began to believe that his personality in his private life and the personality given to film characters is very similar, i.e, not much energy is given to creating the sensation of new charcters. He can afford to do this as he rapidly set into repeating his one successful character. His formula sold so many tickets he need only maintian that charming, seemingly vulnerable fellow set upon by such painful tasks of having Julia Roberts throw herself on "only" a bookseller.
Grant's aw-shucks personality in his works and style of adolescent self-indulgence in personal life are both so like a little boy's.*** Stewart too cultivated the aw-shucks little boy to help increase the contrast for the point at which he takes matters into hand. "The Man Who shot Liberty Valance" uses that technique.
****[There was a recent American President with these same features.]
I admire Stewart greatly for signing up that very quickly at the very outset of WWII. At his age, I don't think anyone would have criticized him for not signing up and he did this without seeking any publicity for it. He flew numerous bombing missions- the real thing- which I can hardly bear to watch in "Memphis Bell".
There were many well-known actors that jumped in right away- Victor Mature, Tyrone Powers were absolute AAA stars at the time. And director George Stevens took scrapnel in his cameras right at the front.
One might contrast this with the actions of John Wayne who, younger than many who went, chose to stay in Hollywood and build up his movie career by acting a hero and shooting quitters- always others. Ronald Reagan too lived at home in Beverly Hills for the duration while doing token propaganda movie work.
Let's see if Arnold Schawzanegger signs up for duty in Iraq? He drives that Humvee that gets 6 miles per gallon...
Cheers,
Follow Ups:
In the mean time, I am quite certain that the role actors plays, are not...roles.
Hitch, was a genius for putting them in his films, the way he saw them in reality....
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