It's a meta-joke. Sam Worthington is not a real person - he's a construct. Part animatronic, part CGI. He's symmetrical and looks white-boy heroic, so folks are happy to overlook the fact that with his total lack of charisma he wouldn't have gotten cast in a HIGH SCHOOL play, and buy the whole "oh he's from Australia" story.
Truer words, etc. He is the blandest squared-jawed white-boy in Blandonia. He's a negative space of charisma in the shape of a cardboard cut-off under "generic hero-ish dude". I don't understand what compelled all the big-budget action movie directors to decide he was the new Hollywood It Boy.
There is a piece in the latest EW on Colin Farrell and about his own particular catapult to fame in the early 2000's in a similar fashion, but skeevestastic as he could be, Farrell is usually compelling to watch even in so-so flicks and can actually, you know, act. Sam Worthington just mystifies me.
At the very least, I can look at a picture of Colin Farrell and get...a vibe off it. Okay, sometimes it's an unwashed vibe, but not always. He interviews really charmingly and is distinct.
I'm still not sure what Sam Worthington looks like.
Ryan Reynolds and Chris Evans look like muscles too, and *they* stick in my brain.
At the very least, I can look at a picture of Colin Farrell and get...a vibe off it.
I can look at a picture of Colin Farrell and get the feelings off it.
This week's EW had a story on Colin Farrell.
with pictures.
And feelings.
I'm still not sure what Sam Worthington looks like.
This.
Cameron's animators clearly spent WAY more time on Na'vi!Jake than they did designing Sam Worthington.
(And seriously, even his name is a perfect construct of non-thing)
Plus, that whole 'comes from Australia' thing is clearly suspect. Far away enough that no one will check up on the backstory, but sounds comfortable and nonthreatening to American audiences.
And it's almost as good as being American.
ducks
I think they expect most people to think Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Russell Crowe. Instead, Buffistas are probably wondering if he's venomous or can lay eggs.