After this week’s ‘Community’ premiere made such hay of the acting style (for some values of either word) of Nicolas Cage, I got to thinking about his body of work, the oeuvre he represents, and how maybe Nic gets a little bit too much static for being ubiquitous. Of course, here’s also the fact that his eyebrows do more acting in ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’ than some actors have done in their entire careers. (I was going to go for a cheap Kristin Stewart barb there, but I figured why be mean?) For my part, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Cage’s work, especially the bits when he throws his whole body into it. Indeed, the majority of my favorite actors could be accused of chewing the scenery: The late Peter O’Toole, Colin Baker, BRIAN BLESSED, and even Charlotte Rae could take home prizes for over-enunciation, upstagery and plain ol’ hollerin’ in their work, and I love each of them. One of my favorite films, the criminally under-appreciated ‘Wild Things’, features unapologetically over-the-top performances from everyone from Charlie Sheen’s ex-wife all the way through Bill Murray, culminating in a movie-going experience that becomes the equivalent of a Gallagher performance. (Which is to say, at the end, you’re confused, overwhelmed, but still happy and covered in smashed fruit, for some reason.) This, in turn, begs a query..
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) still loves Neve Campbell, wherever she is, asking: Who is your personal favorite over-actor?
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How can it be anyone but William Shatner?
Yes. How, indeed?
Jacin beat me to it. Shatner of course.
Surely BRIAN BLESSED! Is worthy of the title if only for his outrageously over the top performance in Flash Gordan.
GORDON IS *ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE???*
I’d have to go with Jim Carrey. Pretty much all of his early work is that way.
Behold
Nic FOKN Cage
I have a soft spot for Charles Ingalls himself Michael Landon. He could drop the tears as well as any Mary with a skinned knee.
Robin Williams is also great at chewing scenery.