are in! These five films will be populated by companies of seven actors
from the 25 participants and the list is already getting quite
interesting:
A comedy. Beer Battered Bedmates
A horror flick. The Warehouse
An action flick. Forty Second Fuse
A science fiction flick. Beyond Pluto
This is the second round of choices, followed by the comments by the drafter:
#1 Naomi Watts
No Comment Yet. – Sacrelicious Supersucker
#2 Natalie Portman
Screw you, Hollywood. You have no concept of what you’ve had working in
your fair city for the last 15 years. I’m gonna guess some of you saw Leon
or else she wouldn’t have gotten this far, even. You know what kind of
power this girl had, even then, when she’s given the right material to
work from. You have this amazing, bursting talent in your midst for the
better part of 15 years, and you squander her on meandering, cloying,
disingenuous shit like Anywhere But Here or The Other Boleyn Girl.
She’s worth way more than that, and thankfully, every once in a while,
somebody like Anthony Minghella or Mike Nichols comes along, and uses
her properly. It’s still baffling and impressive how, even with all the
talent on display in Cold Mountain, she blows them right the fuck away in a segment with the barest minimum of dialogue.
Here’s the secret, kids: The genius is that Natalie comes off as
NORMAL. No matter the situation, she has the ability to immediately put
forth this air of “put a genuine 20-something in this situation, here’s
what she’d do”. And she never betrays that. Even in V For Vendetta,
after her great awakening, so to speak she manages to play Evie a
little guarded and weak, as someone who’s got new information, but is
still lost on how to utilize it. Most other actresses, Evie pre- and
post- the rooftop are two different characters, easily. With Natalie,
she’s just a girl on the brink. Which tends to be the leitmotif of the
vast majority of her GOOD roles to begin with. And it’s going to be
fascinating to see how this girl reacts when I put her through the
genre wringer for this company.
She’s mine now. Screw you Hollywood. Especially you, George Lucas. Oh, especially you, you son of a bearded bitch. – Justin Clark
#3 Sam Rockwell
Rockwell delivered an Oscar-worthy performance in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
and in that film he demonstrates all the qualities he has shown
repeatedly as an actor. While other films have focused on one part of
his wide-range, from his comedic brilliance in Galaxy Quest and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (“Hey man, nice jammies!”) to his frightening insanity in The Green Mile to his effortless charm in Charlie’s Angels to his beautifully meloncholy in The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,
Rockwell can lead a film, support it, but he’s always going to deliver.
When you see him in a flim you know that there will be at least one
memorable performance. I want you to remember all my films so I proudly
welcome Sam Rockwell to The Secret Weapons. – Matt Goldberg
#4 John C. Reilly
The strategic choice right now would have been a female. Not only is
there a rush on leading ladies, but there are way more character men to
pick from later. But I really wanted Reilly, and I didn’t see him
lasting till tomorrow. He is plays an important role in every film on
my slate. But more importantly, he’s not just good in movies. He
excells in them, every single time at bat. The attention getting roles
are in Chicago and Talladega Nights, and with reason. He
steals both movies from other talented people also at the top of their
game. But even when the movie is lacking, like The Perfect Storm, he’s above and beyond. he is able to project the blue collar everyman unlike anyone else in Hollywood.
Then there’s his PTA movies. Boogie Nights suggests the
success in comedy that he’s enjoying now, but it’s hardly too much. And
he’s probably the most sympathetic character in Magnolia. And though it got mixed notices, I think Walk Hard is the funniest movie since, well, Talladega Nights,
and Reilly is the entire show in that. That’s a very good Will Ferrell
performance he gives there, plus he’s believable as a singer.
Seriously, look at these other movies he was in: A Prairie
Home Companion, The Aviator, Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Thin Red
Line, Hard Eight, Criminal, Dolores Claiborne, and For Love of the Game.
And he’s great in all of them. Even looking at it now, I’m surprised
how many great performances he’s turned in. I also had the opportunity
to see him in True West and A Streetcar Named Desire (in the Marlon
Brando role) on Broadway. Needless to say, great. In my season, he is
going to play an absolutely iconic supporting role in the Beer Battered
Bedmates, and likely a leading role in Aqueduct. But however big or
small the role, he’s gonna kick it’s fucking ass. That much at least is
clear. – Arjen Rudd
#5 Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt is a scene stealer in the best possible way. She’s someone
you notice. The Devil Wears Prada was made for a master like Meryl
Streep but Blunt rose to the challenge and equaled her greatness. In
Charlie Wilson’s War her 5 minutes of screentime is talked about just
as much as PSH phenomenal work as a bitter CIA agent. Her standing at
the top of the staircase in an opened men’s shirt, panties and bra drew
gasps from the theater I was in. It was a holy shit moment and the
sexiest entrance I think I’ve see. Then there is My Summer of Love. You
come for young lesbian love but end up captivated by the two leads in a
very moving love story.
At 24 she’s just starting out and already getting praise from a heavy hitter like Merly Streep. – Anyawatchin Angel
#6 Charlize Theron
Seriously, I had a tough time choosing between Mrs. Charlize Theron
and Mrs. Rachel Weisz. Both women, fantastic looks aside, are top-notch
actresses who proved themselves over again in different dramatic roles.
Christ, I remember the first time I saw Mrs. Theron in a movie. It was
The Devil’s Advocate. As soon as she exposed the freshly cut naked self
on screen for a fraction of a second, I asked ” WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?”.
Beautiful, showing some good skills in her small part, and willing to
go nude? Sign me up.
Seriously, what made me choose Charlize Theron is her the fact that she
not only had a bit more and diverse movies under her belt, ranging from
action (Aeon Flux) to comedy (Children of the Corn III) to drama (North
Country), but also her guest appearance in Arrested Development, where
she played a mentally retarded woman to results that were not over the
top AND hilarious.
Add to this her amazing performance and a well deserved Oscar for her
role as a hairless serial-killing Yeti in Monster, and you have one of
the premiere actress in the business, and a worthy addition to my
company. – Martin Savage
#7 Thomas Jane
Here’s the kind of guy it would be easy to underestimate, the actor you
get when McConaughey’s too expensive and Eckhart’s booked solid. But
look closer – there’s depth and mischief and wildness in Thomas Jane,
qualities that the right projects can tap into and make the most of.
There’s the grimness and sadness that underpinned the ass-kickings he
doled out as The Punisher (plus that wonderfully fruity Eurotrash
accent he employed while undercover in that movie’s opening scene).
There’s the recklessness that gradually revealed itself as a
self-destructive streak in the magnificent STANDER. There’s his
perfectly calibrated reactions as the world disintegrates beneath his
feet in THE MIST, as well as the way his David Drayton can step up to
leading-man duties one scene and graciously ease into a supporting role
the next. There’s the fact that he played the star of ‘Homeless Dad’
(“I just want my kids back”) on ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, something that’s
ineffably cool. He’s done solid work in shitty movies (likeably bemused
in THE SWEETEST THING, laudably sleazy in ORIGINAL SIN) and been an
underrated scene stealer in ace movies (his coked-up male stripper in
BOOGIE NIGHTS). And he’s a fanboy who’d really like to play Jonah Hex! To quote Bill Murray in STRIPES, I wanna party with you, cowboy. – Tommy Five Tone
#8 Rachel Weisz
No Comment Yet. – JonStrickland
#9 Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson – representing Professional Wrestling
Where does Dwayne Johnson fit in as a SCAB? You know the drill already.
If you want to get smartassey about it, Johnson has probably the
closest thing to an acting background as you can get without being
considered an ‘actor’ – WWE wrestling. Between choreographed matches
and made-up feuds with other beef sticks, he honed his immense natural
charisma into the wildly popular persona, The Rock. Sure, it was
machismo & shitty catchprases for kids and stunted manchildren (Oh,
I jest) but it won him legions of fans and helped him become one of the
largest celebrities in the business since Hulk Hogan. Of course, he
then left that all behind to pursue acting, where he has subsequently
been denied his right of passage into action movie mega-stardom. A lot
of this falls on the lack of solid hard-R action flicks like he would
have flourished on in the 80’s and early 90’s. Joining the SCABS is
going to be step one in digging himself out of the accursed Disney trap.
What he brings to the table? The magic word here is charisma.
Seriously, I wish it were winter so I could freeze it into ice blocks
and skate on it and melt it in the spring time and drink it – it’s that
good. In addition, he has a pretty gifted talent for comedy; his best
stuff coming from playing off of the other actors around him (or
letting them play off his straight-man like in The Rundown and Walking
Tall), which is exactly what you want in an ensemble. He also isn’t too
full of himself to take on roles other ‘tough guys’ wouldn’t dare –
just look at his gay, afro’d and flamboyant bodyguard Elliot in Be Cool. The cowboy music video and his Bring It On audition
for Travolta are marks of a man who isn’t afraid to take risks to
really sell a comedic performance. He even spoofs on his old signature
raised eyebrow look. Yeah, the movie is a piece of shit, but to his
credit he’s one of the only redeeming things about it. Still, his
comedic supporting efforts should shine in comedies like Beer Battered
Bedmates.
Science fiction. Well, he has very loosely covered the genre with Doom and some elements of Southland Tales,
but I would hardly classify either movie as science fiction over
anything else. Between this and horror his lack of complete experience
might show through, but given the right role I believe his natural
talents and willingness to try new things will be strong assets in
these inexperienced areas. Semper Fi motherfucker?
Action – a string of bad luck. The Scorpion King did decent business but couldn’t quite capture the Mummy audience, the Walking Tall remake didn’t exactly take off, nor did The Rundown. Really unfortunate, because the Rundown had
all the elements of a great action flick: huge leading man, comedic
sidekick, big-name villain, memorable henchmen (the whip guys? come on,
fucking awesome), a flashy fight with former pizza-delivery man Keno,
and the big you pushed me too far moment where the setup of
Beck never using guns plays out and he blows the fuck out of everyone
in town with a shotgun in each hand. Suffice to say, the man can handle
all kinds of action.
Which leaves us drama. I’m having a hard time gauging his dramatic performance in Southland Tales –
some times it felt strong, other times, like when he was acting scared,
it felt corny/over the top. Of course, that movie is so
all-over-the-map that the cornyness might be completely intentional,
but considering it was only his second dramatic role I think he fared
pretty well in it. It’s another notch in the ensemble belt at any rate.
His other dive into the field, Gridiron Gang, may be the most stereotypical inspirational-sports-movie-with-a-ghetto-twist ever,
but Johnson got to show his acting chops without it being the ‘boring’
section between swordfights or gun battles, and he gives the poor
material a little something extra. I think if he continues to dedicate
himself to working on his Game Plan, he’ll be a really well rounded
actor in no time. Game Plan, see what I did there? I’ll be here all week folks, plenty of opportunity to blow me. Tip your waitress. – Trejo
#10 Ed Harris
Is it time yet, now that Redford’s all but retired and Newman is sadly
on his way out, to anoit Ed Harris as one of the great elder statesmen
of American acting?
2007 will go down as a legendary year for cinema. That’s established.
Yet for all the great moments — milkshakes, coffee shops, variations
on Bob Dylan, and Martin Starr beard jokes — it is in my humble
opinion that there was not a better scene than Ed Harris and Casey
Affleck outside a hospital in Gone Baby Gone.
“I had a priest tell me that guilt was God telling you what you did was wrong.”
“Fuck him.”
As that scene is written in the script, it’s unclear whether Remy,
Harris’ career Dorchester detective, is talking about the priest, or
about God. Harris makes it abundantly clear, though, and there aren’t
many actors who can get away with telling God to get fucked, and not in
the humorous, meant-to-be-controversial or shocking way. The power of
that moment comes not from what Harris is saying, but how he is saying
it, not as an actor, but as this character who has completely rejected
what society tells him is “right” to form his own sense of morality and
justice, which he then explains in a brutal monologue about what he’s
willing to do to protect a child. It’s the scene that sets up the
entire second half of the movie, both from a plot standpoint and a
thematic one; as Affleck’s Patrick Kenzie sees Remy’s confidence in his
beliefs and is able to form his own decisions, his own idea of
“justice” around it.
That scene is what I like to call a “rewind scene,” one so good that if
you’re watching it on DVD, you back it up and watch it again
immediately. Harris has a lot of moments like that in his 30 year
career in film. “I believe this will be our finest hour,” from Apollo 13. The creator pleading with his creation in Truman Show. Fucking with Tom Cruise in The Firm and fucking with Maria Bello in History of Violence. The drowning scene in The Abyss and the end of Walker.
And, of course, Dave Moss. No explanation necessary.
One of the reasons the “twist” in A Beautiful Mind works
so well is because of Harris — mostly because we, the audience, are
used to seeing him as government authority figures (and Ron Howard
knows it, just like he knows we’re used to seeing Paul Bettany as the
best friend) — but he doesn’t break or waver, not for a second, not
even after he’s been revealed as a figment of Russell Crowe’s
imagination. While I’m sure the “twist” that comes at the end of The Rock
was scripted, it seems like it was added in after Harris showed up on
set — because his Gen. Hummell is such a twistedly noble and decent
character that you find yourself rooting for him most of the time.
He’s a working actor, walking the line between “hey, it’s that guy!”
and four-time Academy Award nominee, between passion projects like Pollock and house payment paychecks like National Treasure: Book of Secrets. (We’ll forget about Radio and Milk Money
for now.) And like Mary-Louise Parker, the “thinking woman’s sex
symbol” is a veteran of the theater, most recently tearing it up in
Neil LaBute’s one man show Wrecks. And you know that LaBute doesn’t fuck around.
Not only is he never bad, he’s never okay, either. He’s always good,
and he is frequently great. Second Glance Rep is pleased to have him
join our company, and we hope that his supporting role Aqueduct of Tears,
as a slightly bigoted, more than a little sexist coach who forms a
sixty-year friendship with Mary Louise Parker’s idealistic teacher
(“Driving Miss Daisy” it ain’t) will bring him that Oscar he should
already have. We also look forward to his straight-man role in Beer Battered Bedmates, where he’ll skewer his own “government asshole” persona, and as the vicious serial killer at the heart of The Warehouse. His roles in Beyond Pluto and Forty Second Fuse are undecided at this time.
“I have a good time, I laugh and goof around and get silly, but I don’t
like bullshittin’. So, I guess that comes across as serious.”
–Ed Harris, New York Magazine – Rath Bandu
#11 Peter Sarsgaard
When God gave the gift of pregnancy via immaculate conception to Peter
Sarsgaard’s mother, he knew that he was creating his masterpiece. His
first big screen role came as one of the victims murdered by Sean Penn
in Dead Man Walking, and he garnered critical acclaim for his part on Boys Don’t Cry.
Although he was pegged for a time as a character actor who may only be
able to work in darker films and mindsets, he was able to erase those
doubts by being the heart of Garden State when it wasn’t
his film to be the anchor, and by clocking in a fantastic performance
on SNL. His most daring performance was delivered in the film Kinsey
where he played Alfred Kinsey’s love interest during a time in our
history where homosexuality is by leaps and bounds less understood and
tolerated than it is today, and it was done in such a natural way that
you believed there was love between them. He makes a perfect addition
to my reparatory company and his versatility and ability to lose
himself in a role is up there with some of the greats.
Don’t forget to buy your Sarsgaard SARS Guard. – Eric Cordo
#12 Shia LaBeouf
Shia is considered one of the hottest young actors working today, at
least according to Steven Spielberg. I would agree. He started off with
his Disney work, with Holes. He’s proven to be a capable supporting
actor in movies such as I, Robot and Constatine. He’s done great work
in horror with the wonderful Disturbia. He’s done action and Sci-Fi
with Transformers. He has really good comic timing and has proven that
he can be the best part of just about any movie.
Plans are for him to headline my horror movie with Tom Cruise
co-starring as the antagonist. The Warehouse is starting to come
together nicely. – Starving Dog
#13 William H. Macy
It was bit of a risk in taking WHM at this point. Along with TLJ I have
two lead actors that are similar. Macy is excellent as a lead or a
supporting actor, believable as either. His on screen charm is
undeniable . He plays both comedy and drama, sometimes at the same
time. He can be a little surprise in any film his in. I felt the
one/two punch was worth the risk. – jay f
#14 John Goodman
John Goodman is the kind of actor that everyone loves and is a joy
every time he appears. He’s worked in better movies rather than big
ones, and is more well-known than his filmography can really account
for. This has much to do with his inherent like-ability. He brings
heart to everything he does (Monster’s Inc.), though menace is not beyond his reach (Barton Fink, O Brother). I chose him for my ensemble because his best work comes when he is a part of a group, or a family (Speed Racer). I believe he’ll bring a lot to my company’s table. I can’t wait to cast him.
Note: It certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s a “Coen actor,” having not
only been in many of their films, but having played one of their most
memorable (The Big Lebowski). John Goodman is what happens when you find a stranger in the alps. – Renn Brown
#15 Maria Bello
Maria Bello was destined to escape the little prison we first met her
at, TV. That’s were she was born you see. As many other before her, she
roamed from shitty TV role to the other in order to pay rent.
Then a little thing called E.R.
offered her a way out. Just one season of that show was enough for her
to run into the arms of daddy Movies and never look back. Payback was
our first serious glimpse of her greatness. A simple role. A super high
class hooker for the mob, sorry, “the outfit”. Playing opposite Mel
Gibson, we were supposed to know that there was something more to her
character that Mel craved so much. You know how much it took? A fucking
picture. That was enough for her to display so much weight and layers
on her character. Just looking at the picture Mel had with him made us
root for them.
Then she took a similar role, instead of handling call girls, she was
the leader of some fucking ugly coyotes. There were so many beautiful
and gorgeous women dancing around that bar, but who did we all wanted
to get with? Who was not only pretty but tough? Lil, that’s who.
She realized that Coyote Ugly
was not a step in the right direction, so for the next 5 years she went
on a prestige streak. Starring in a bunch of smaller films with
interesting roles. Topping it off with one of the most sensual roles of
the last decade. The Cooler. Natalie was William H. Macy’s
leash. She was there to please him and make him want to stay. She was a
goddess violently fucking a wimpy old guy. And it’s a testament of her
acting chops that we believed that a woman like that would be aroused
by a man like Macy. I never hated Baldwin so much as when he dared hit
her.
I’ve been speaking about a lot of steamy and sexy roles, but we all
know were she peaked. Playing a suburban housewife with a suddenly
awoken libido for the discovery that her boring husband for so many
years was actually a killing machine for the Mafia in hiding. She was
scared, she wanted to run, she wanted a piece of Viggo. I doubt there
will ever be another seminal cheerleader-outfit-on-a-grown-woman scene
in years to come. And if that wasn’t enough, they went for the stairs.
In one of the hottest rough sex scenes in recent memory. A History of Violence
cemented her status as a Working Goddess. And we are very excited to
have her come on board to our fine group of actors that will join her
in her next 5 roles.
In Aqueduct of Tears she’ll play Michele Hudson. A young
and beautiful bride. She’s led a very conventional and happy life so
far and is getting married to his high school sweetheart on his
father’s house. But a sequence of events will shed some light on her
family’s past.
She’ll follow that role with a fun little supporting spot in Beer Battered Bedmates, where she’ll play the best friend of a the female lead. A role that will cement her comedy credentials received in Thank You For Smoking.
Close to Halloween she’ll slip back in some comfortable shoes by
playing a bartender one more time. This time of a small town biker
joint nearby a mysterious Warehouse, where urban legend says some crazy human experimentation has been going on.
Up next she’ll play Sgt. Dillon’s wife in the Action Blockbuster 40 Second Fuse. She’ll be the recipient of serious threats from a former Bomb Squad member played by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Finally we’ll be seeing her in the science fiction flick Beyond Pluto. She did extensive research for her role as Lt. Connor, the head science officer in the first manned expedition to Mars.
Stay Tuned! – Tati
#16 Ellen Page
I went back to visit my parents in Michigan for a couple weeks this
past April. Having always been a night owl my entire life, I’m always
flipping around their myriad of movie channels whenever I’m back in
town and reveling in the sheer volume of choices. This particular
evening, I noticed Hard Candy on the channel guide and decided to finally give it a look. I really liked Ellen Page in Juno and The Tracey Fragments
(her performance in the latter wasn’t enough to save the film as a
whole, though), plus this has the future Dan Dreiberg as her co-star.
Wow. Holy fucking shit, wow. THAT was the role where I decided to see
every single thing she does for the rest of her career.
Arguably one of the most talented young actresses in the industry, this
5’1″ Canuck already had numerous accolades and a big box office hit
under her belt before she could legally drink in the States. Her career
is starting to take off in a major way and it’s an honor for her to
join the Triumph Repertory Company. She brings a boatload of charisma
and dedication to whatever role she inhabits (even shaving her head for
a role in the little-known Mouth to Mouth).
She’s the Juggernaut, bitch. – Will Kane
#17 Eric Bana
Everything you need to know about Eric Bana you can learn by watching
Munich. That film falls apart without a strong center as Avner, and
Bana provides just that. He’s likeable yet dangerous, controlled yet
unbridled, assertive yet vulnerable. If he comes on as Rambo, then the
film becomes a simple revenge tale. If he plays it too remorseful,
there’s no conflict of emotion over what we’re seeing. Bana walks a
very fine line and does so powerfully. Although his attempt at comedy
stumbled, I still think he has an untapped range that makes him a
welcome addition to the Bar None Repertory Company’s slate of projects:
Aqueduct of Tears: Bana portrays Celsus Militis, commander of
the Roman legion charged with protecting the aqueduct being built by
Hoffman’s Gravis Edificius, and who finds himself at odds with the
rebellious Queen Boudica.
[/b]Beer-Battered Bedmates[/b]: Going back to his comedic roots, Bana
then plays Tony Romero, proprietor of a shooting gallery who runs afoul
of his comrades when he falls for a beauty who serves corn dogs at the
Oklahoma State Fair.
The Warehouse: Next, Bana takes on the role of Steven Bannister,
who, along with four others, arrives at a mysterious warehouse to pick
up a package.
Forty-Second Fuse: Bana then lets loose as Fulsom “Fearsome”
McAllister, leader of a gang of outlaws robbing banks in the Old West
with an explosive twist.
Beyond Pluto: Finally, Bana plays Dr. David Fuller, leader of
the scientific team investigating the mysterious re-appearance of the
long-thought-lost Pioneer 10 in 2053 and its affect on Hoffman’s Virgil
Davis.
We’re thrilled to add Bana to the Bar None stable! – Richard Dickson
#18 Jeff Bridges
Always working, always great [OK, The Vanishing performance wasn’t the best], always balancing art and commerce, and always relevant from the early daysof his star in the late 70’s until today. Able to headline, able to support, able to be a quirky oddity or a strong hero. Do you honestly think The Big Lebowski would be The Big Lebowski without Mr. Bridges? Not on your life. – Nick Nunziata
#19 Angelina Jolie
I found myself struggling over this pick. Angelina is an Oscar-Winning
supporting actress for ‘Girl, Interrupted’, but she rarely plays second
fiddle to anyone these days. Can she handle ensemble work?
I finally decided her upside of a proven record of high quality
performances across the vast dramatic spectrum and her undisputed crown
as the number one female action hero on the planet outweighed her
negatives.
Angelina is fearless regarding her performances, walking the acting
equivalent of the high wire. She can do anything from over-the-top
action sequences to playing true-life characters with seeming ease. She
relishes challenges of all sizes, and a slate of five films in one year
seems right up her alley.
Still…one question remains unanswered.
Can she be funny? Her roles in the few lighter roles she has played
puts that into some doubt. However, if she could send up her own image
as uber-goth vamp genespliced with the heir to Mia Farrow’s title of
Mother to the World, she could be an unexpected laugh riot.
So far, so good. -Dr. Vivisector
#20 Rosario Dawson
There’s been a trend over the past few years in which good looking to
downright hot women are into very nerdy or geeky things. Now whether or
not that’s just one of many fads of the double-oh decade or perhaps
something here to stay. One women that certainly fit the bill at least
in my mind has to be Rosario Dawson.
Not only does she give off the street sophisticaton of someone whose grown up in New York (As depicted in Kids and The 25th Hour). But also as someone who apparently loves comics and trashy cinema as viewed as her work as Gail in Sin City (S&M fetishism aside, she looked damn good in black and white), the most palatable thing about Clerks II , certainly one the better things about Death Proof and probably the best thing about Alexander (“Naw it’s probably the titties”). Not to mention one crazy as hell deleted scene in The Devil’s Rejects in which from what I can tell. She lost about 98 million gallons of blood
In terms of these latter projects, these could just be the work of
someone wanting a few bucks to do some kitchen remodeling (aka the Bob
Hoskins approach) but something tells me that Dawson really enjoys this
type of material. (I know she’s co-written a comic book. Which I admit
to not having scene and IMDB says she loves Star Trek. So make of that
what you will.) Not only did I pick her just because of all this but
she is someone who fits in well within a cast and as a lead. As seen in
Sin City and a blink if ya miss it role as a reporter assisting Steve Zahn in Shattered Glass.
Much like Gary Cole, I always enjoy seeing her on screen and I know I’m
going to get at least some very solid work from her. Not to mention I
certainly believe she’s got the ability to carry projects on her own. – EdHocken
#21 Daniel Day-Lewis
Daniel-Day Lewis was the aforementioned “actor I thought I was taking
all along at number one.” To say I’m shocked he was available at my
spot in Round 2 is an understatement. Some of my fantasy repertory
company colleagues think he has too much of a dominating presence for a
company. TO that I say: Maybe. But this is a fantasy draft, and to pass
over one of the best living actors — perhaps *the* best living actor
— because Daniel might overshadow his company mates is absurd. OK,
maybe not absurd, but in a fantasy draft where we’re pretending that
Day-Lewis and Johnny Depp, for example, are in the same repertory
company … well, I think I’ll take my chances stacking my fantastical
deck. – flyarz
#22 Gillian Anderson
So I’m sitting there staring at a list of names. Actors. All of whom
are responsible for work I love and admire, and any of whom would make
fantastic additions to my little reparatory company. I’m looking at
Oscar winners, Oscar nominees, established, Hollywood-approved leading
talent, and yet my eye keeps coming back to one name. The clock in the
corner of my screen reads 5:13, and I’ve got two minutes to make up my
mind. I almost push the button on one, change my mind in favor of
another, slam backspace and key in yet another, but still I keep
staring at that one name—something about it just feels right. 5:15. I
go with my gut, clear the line, type in a new name, hit submit, and
draft the second actor into my company: Gillian Anderson.
Though it wasn’t intentional, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that
both of my choices so far have come from the trenches of episodic
television. True, Anderson cut her teeth on the stage, but she made her
name week-to-week on the TV. There’s something about the nature of
television work that I feel makes actors well-suited to this sort of
project. In a television series you do have certain continuity, but
each week still brings a new set of challenges—new writers, new
directors, new stories—and any actor that can tough that out is
certainly capable of dealing with the rigors of a reparatory film
company.
Plus, Gillian Anderson is no slouch when it comes to her acting. I
happen to think she’s an immensely talented actor who’s rarely been
given a chance to stretch her muscles, so to speak. She did great work
every week as Dana Scully, but I think in a lot of ways she was
restricted by having to play the skeptical straight woman to David
Duchovny’s “Spooky Mulder.” She brought one of Edith Wharton’s great
characters memorably to life, turned in an award-winning performance as
Dickens’ Lady Dedlock, and did fine supporting work in The Last King of Scotland,
yet she still flies under the Hollywood radar (maybe by choice and
maybe not). I also think she’s damn funny. Her roles rarely give her
the chance for comedy (A Cock and Bull Story was a tease) but I’ve seen
interviews that hint at a great comedic spirit.
I didn’t draft Clooney in the first round for his star wattage; I
picked him because I see something in his work and personality that
lends itself to this sort of project, and I see the same something in
Gillian Anderson. She’s talented, she’s funny, she works well with
others, she can point a flashlight with the best of ‘em, and I think
she’s got the experience and the ability to handle whatever gets thrown
her way.
Plus I’ve totally had a crush on her, like, forever. – Mr. Mushnik
#23 Terrence Howard
Here at Bricks & Mortar we strive to amass a diverse pool of
talented actors and actresses who are as comfortable sharing the screen
as they are dominating it. Terrence Howard is just such an actor.
Whether it’s an Oscar caliber turn as a Tennessee pimp come rapper (Hustle&Flow), or being the best thing in an award winning ensemble cast (Crash), or merely sharing a few minutes of screentime and making the best of it as he did in Iron Man, Terrence has the goods.
Speaking of Iron Man, it’s a testament to Howard’s ability
that the most natural feeling relationship in that film was between his
Jason Rhodes and Tony Stark. Without him the role reads as a token
buddy character, but with him, you believe the man can go toe-to-toe
with Robert Downey’s Iron Man. And as a slight aside, I remember
thinking it was a great idea when someone (Devin?) suggested Howard for
a slightly unconventional take on the main character. He’s got the
charisma to pull it off, and yet he’s capable of filling in lesser
roles with panache.
Terrence embodies everything we’re looking for here at B&M, and we’re proud to have him aboard.. – JuddL
#24 John Cusack
Peep this list of iconic characters The Cus has played: Lane Meyer. Lloyd Dobler. Martin Blank. Deputy Mayor Kevin Calhoun. It goes on. Like a light switch. Cusack has spent half his career playing the dude to the gal in great (Say Anything) and some not so great (Must Love Dogs, Fat Man and Little Boy) romantic comedies. Threaded in with the RomComs, are some really, really interesting movies. Like? Well, The Journey of Natty Gann, of course. Plus, I love the unloved The Ice Harvest something fierce, and his turn in 1408
helped prove the 40+ Cusack is just as worthwhile as the 20 something
version. Plus, there is an added value of adding Cusack to my acting
company: When you press a button on his elbow, Joan Cusack pops
out of a hidden compartment. A two for one! How did I convice the
elusive, somewhat grumpy Cusack to join my troupe? I covered a
Cusack-sized pit with some leaves and branches, and placed a Naomi
Klein book on top. – Justin Waddell
#25 Catherine Keener
Catherine Keener is without a doubt one of the most adept and talented
actresses working today. She can go from comedy to drama to sci-fi at
the drop of a hat (and she pretty much did all of those in one movie,
Spike Jonez and Charlie Kaufman’s sublime masterpiece Being John Malkovich).
It’s not much of a stretch to think that she could handle being a
tormented woman in a horror film, or the love interest or assistant of
the hero in a balls-out action film. These are roles she could no doubt
handle with ease, and be completely believable in both. Best of all,
she would fit in well with just about any ensemble, and could play off
of her other veteran co-stars, while serving as someone the young
up-and-comers could look to for inspiration and advice. Of course, it
doesn’t hurt that she’s stunningly beautiful, and has legs that go all
the way up. But those are just perks, the icing on the cake, which in
this case is the immense talent she possesses. She may not be as young
as the starlets Hollywood seems to revere, but any ensemble cast should
count its blessings to have a woman like Catherine Keener serving as
one of its cornerstones. – Chris Olson
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