I don't think dimness comes across in written celebrity pieces as well as it does simply seeing or hearing someone speak, unedited.
But I don't think he appears dim on all topics. Just when people ask him about himself. Most of the articles I'd read on him were very "Orlando likes carrots!" "He's so pretty!" so I figured there weren't any quotes of his worth using. The GQ article was the first time I'd read him saying anything about himself that looked interesting.
Exemplary work on GQ's part? Perhaps.
Out of print, he sounds eloquent fielding questions on LotR -- could mean he's well rehearsed, or less reluctant, or millions of things.
So I was wondering what the, uhh, understanding was of him closer to home.
At least in the stuff I've seen her in, Beckinsale seems to be cast as a Look, more than as an actress. I don't feel like I can say anything one way or the other about her ability.
Kate Beckinsale is fairly highly regarded, I think. That may be because her father was a very popular British tv actor in the 60's and 70's, and died quite young. Any article I've ever read about her tends to mention it.
Well, I liked Beckinsale's A&E version of Emma better than Gwenyth Paltrow's. I don't think one can be dumb and still do decent Austen (ditto Shakespeare), although the reverse is certainly not the case, e.g. Jack Lemmon in Branagh's Hamlet.
This makes me wonder, have there been any actors/actresses who are not known to be the brightest bulbs on the shelf yet can consistently do "intelligent" convincingly on screen? I can't think of any, off the top of my head.
I don't think one can be dumb and still do decent Austen (ditto Shakespeare), although the reverse is certainly not the case, e.g. Jack Lemmon in Branagh's Hamlet.
Can you parse that for me?
This makes me wonder, have there been any actors/actresses who are not known to be the brightest bulbs on the shelf yet can consistently do "intelligent" convincingly on screen?
The only time I ever saw her try it, Heather Graham sold me on brainy.
It could have been a one-time thing, natch.
Cereal:
Oooh, A Hundred Days is on! I lurve this episode. It's got Jack-angst extraordinaire, one of my biggest weaknesses. I love the episodes in which one of the team members gets left behind/captured/kidnapped and the rest work their asses off to bring him/her home.
I've always liked Laira. Apparently the writers tinkered with the idea of having a wee O'Neill in Edora. In a way, I'm glad they abandoned the idea because babies in genre show give me hives in general, but it might have been worth it, if only to see how Jack would have reacted to the news.
Can you parse that for me?
Hmm. What I meant to say was, 1) if you as an actor are truly stupid (let's say you have been catapulted onto screen solely based on your physical assets), it would be pretty difficult if not impossible for you to pull off an Austen or a Shakespeare role convincingly, but 2) the mere fact that you are intelligent doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'll be good in such a role, either.
Ehh, I think. Logic, she defeats me.
Right, good, I get it. I didn't know how good or bad Lemmon was at Shakespeare, nor how bright or dumb. No referents.
