My original plan was to do a top five list of today’s actors under thirty-five with more personality than the ShamWow! guy, but you can only tap your chin so long.

To try and explain away the fact that the true movie star is fast becoming extinct, a few apologists over the years have tossed out the excuse that there’s no way today’s celebrities, er, uhm, actors can compete with their historical counterparts because color, unlike black and white, makes them too human and thus brings them down to earth. It would be foolish to completely dismiss that idea, but not as foolish as raising it before, oh, say, a lack of presence, talent, and most of all, class. Of course, if you’re determined to hold that position you must also believe that putting Ashton and the Jessica-of-the-day in a good noir film would change everything. (more…)

I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the best directors in Hollywood. On location and in the studio it’s always fascinating to collaborate with gifted directors and then sit back and watch as the actors breathe life into my pages.

Linda Darnell, studio portrait

I’ve worked with directors who act as Freudian psychologists to elicit the proper emotions from actors. I’ve also seen directors who are more results oriented. They tend to block the actors—deeply choreographing their movements—thus treating actors like expensive props. I’ve witnessed directors bully actors into submission in order to get what they want. And I’ve seen directors who will sit down with their actors and spend endless hours discussing, analyzing, and torturing character and back story in order to excavate the core of the character’s soul. (more…)