half Zorro, half child stars
I've been watching a whole lot of Zorro lately, and I've found that I get a bit desentisized to the badness after a while - by now, I can almost hear phrases like "Indian burial ground" without wincing. And I do my best to ignore Sergeant Mendoza. (The badness of either Alcalde is more bearable - moustachio-twirling villains have their charms, after all.)
With the desensitization (why does this hard-to-spell word even exist?) I also become more enamoured by the good parts. Which primarily means Duncan Regehr. I claimed to jadelennox that he has a "Viggo Mortensen quality", by which I mean an air of calm intelligence. (And whaddyaknow, the actor's a painter on the side.) His Don Diego is very appealing, and manages to be 90% believable even when surrounded by caricatures. He doesn't even remotely manage to make Diego and Zorro separate enough that people wouldn't see the resemblance, but then, the only actor I've seen manage that in such a role is Christian Bale as Batman, so I'm not asking for it. (I will bring the icon in for comparison, though. Also, because Diego keeps saying things like "I have shared with him my most intimate secrets," and "I am not like other men. I have a secret life," and I'm pretty much twelve when it comes to lines like that.)
Victoria isn't exactly bad, but she's not particularly good either, and the girls fawning over superheroes have never been my thing. (Well, Teri Hatcher's Lois Lane, but she came to her senses eventually.) Henry Darrow is pleasant enough as Alejandro - he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.
Juan Diego Botto remains someone I can't be objective about, seeing a) how I was in love with him when I was twelve, b) that I know he'll grow into this, and c) that you gotta love a guy who'll snog men with such fervour and say lines like "I hate it when my Baretta shows while I try to do a pirhouette" in his English-speaking movies. Reasons for my love which has nothing to do with Zorro. Oh well. :-) I still find him pleasant, and I've found that Juan Diego is very good at playing mute - he's expressive and easy to understand - while Felipe is absolutely horrible at playing deaf. But hey, these guys can't tell that Diego and Zorro are the same person, so why bother? *g*
Returning to the badness, several of the guest stars are crap, and worst of the lot is without a doubt the infamous John Christian Graas. Through imdb, I found to my shock that he'd been nominated to a Young Actors Award for his role on this show. I have no idea what the jury had been smoking, but thank God they came to their senses before declaring the winner! I have rarely seen such a talentless child actor - even such horrors as Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven), Karle Warren (Judging Amy), and the Olsen twins pale in comparison. *shudder* Some children should not be allowed anywhere near a screen.
***
And this seems as good a reason as any for me to post the list I've been composing in my head for a while, of kids that should be allowed near a screen, namely my ten favourite child stars. I've decided not to include obviously known ones like Jodie Foster, because, y'know, I shouldn't have to tell you that Jodie Foster is good. :-)
List:
Yasmin Paige: Maria (Sarah Jane Adventures), Petrova (The Ballet Shoes)
Yasmin is one of those people on this list for whom my appreciation reaches a level that makes me feel like a dirty old woman. The kids of SJA would easily kick the asses of the adults of Torchwood if they were so required, and Maria is the best of the bunch. Smart, resourceful, brave - if the Doctor ever meets her, he'd better ask her on board the TARDIS, or I will lose all respect for him. Add to this that Yasmin was thoroughly delightful bringing one of my childhood's favourite baby dykes to life, and there's no wonder I love the girl.
Max Pirkis: Blakeney (Master & Commander), Octavian (Rome)
He was the only thing in Master & Commander that didn't make me giggle - the manly stoicism that's hilarious in grown men is heartbreaking in cherubic little boys. That part alone would have merited his place on his list. Octavian was many times better; a future emperor in the shape of a humourless teenager. He really made me believe that he was smarter and colder than everyone else in the room. That the same actor managed both these parts is astounding. Again, I am made a dirty, dirty old oman.
Amanda Devin: Julia/Martin (Tur & Retur/Immediate Boarding)
Director Ella Lemhagen asked quite a bit of her young leading lady. That she'd be able to play both tough chick Julia and sensitive boy Martin. That she'd be able to let the two trade places and still remain distinguishable characters, while still making it credible that the families didn't see the difference. And finally, that she'd be able to be convincingly male even as a sweet sensitive boy in a dress. Fortunately, Amanda Devin succeeded with flying colours on all accounts. (Since this is a Swedish film you probably haven't heard of, have some YouTube clips, mostly Martin-as-Julia, but a little bit of Julia-as-Martin.)
Britt McKillip: Reggie (Dead Like Me)
DLM is one of those shows that's delightfully acted from beginning to end, but I think one of my absolute favourites may be George's deadpan, weird sister Reggie. From the toilet seat tree and dead crow in season one to the tentative relationship she builds with her mother in season two, Reggie was always believable and wonderfully understated.
Liam James: little Shawn (Psych)
The show tried out a few different Shawns for flashbacks, but once they found Liam they stuck with him, and I can certainly understand why. He captures the essence of Shawn-ness perfectly: playful attitude, smart-assedness, and a talent for bullshitting.
Georges Du Fresne: Ludo (Ma Vie En Rose)
I know plenty of adult actors who couldn't play transgendered with half the skill as Georges has as Ludo. This is a performance I'm gonna remember with a smile for the rest of my life.
Ellen Page: Lilith (ReGenesis), Kitty Pryde (X3)
X3 was a movie best forgotten, except for the Kitty Pryde scenes and a couple of others. And as for ReGenesis, Lilith was my favourite character on that show, to the point where I haven't even watched season 2, because it makes me so sad that she won't be in it. I'm counting the days until Ellen's recent film Juno premieres in Sweden.
Anna Paquin: Flora (The Piano)
While we're on the topic of X-men... This is the most high-profile of my choices, but what can I say, the girl was definitely worth that Oscar. She was so touching and wicked and perfect in every way.
Jesse James: Spencer (As Good as It Gets), Ryan (Angel), Tommy at 13 (The Butterfly Effect)
OK, I'd never have put him on the list for As Good as It Gets alone, because while he's good in the part, it's still your basic ”cute kid” character. But to pull off something like that and then be the soulless Ryan in the Angel ep ”I've Got You Under My Skin” three years later... yeah. Add his surly teen in The Butterfly Effect, and we have a guy who was a well-rounded actor at the age of 15.
Noah Gray-Cabey: Micah (Heroes)
I had a hard time choosing between Noah and Adair for this list, but Noah has seniority, having been in more eps. :-) He's a darling as Micah, managing to me just the right level of sweet to make his character a ”light” one while still making me look forward to every scene he's in.
Almost on the list: Jordan Routledge (East is East), Adair Tishler (Heroes), John Cassisi (Bugsy Malone), Conchita Campbell (The 4400), Daniel Newman (Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves), Anastasios Soulis & Rebecca Scheja (Den bästa sommaren)
...and probably a bunch of people I've forgotten.
ETA: Mark Indelicato! Justin! How could I have forgotten? *Hugs Justin.*
With the desensitization (why does this hard-to-spell word even exist?) I also become more enamoured by the good parts. Which primarily means Duncan Regehr. I claimed to jadelennox that he has a "Viggo Mortensen quality", by which I mean an air of calm intelligence. (And whaddyaknow, the actor's a painter on the side.) His Don Diego is very appealing, and manages to be 90% believable even when surrounded by caricatures. He doesn't even remotely manage to make Diego and Zorro separate enough that people wouldn't see the resemblance, but then, the only actor I've seen manage that in such a role is Christian Bale as Batman, so I'm not asking for it. (I will bring the icon in for comparison, though. Also, because Diego keeps saying things like "I have shared with him my most intimate secrets," and "I am not like other men. I have a secret life," and I'm pretty much twelve when it comes to lines like that.)
Victoria isn't exactly bad, but she's not particularly good either, and the girls fawning over superheroes have never been my thing. (Well, Teri Hatcher's Lois Lane, but she came to her senses eventually.) Henry Darrow is pleasant enough as Alejandro - he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.
Juan Diego Botto remains someone I can't be objective about, seeing a) how I was in love with him when I was twelve, b) that I know he'll grow into this, and c) that you gotta love a guy who'll snog men with such fervour and say lines like "I hate it when my Baretta shows while I try to do a pirhouette" in his English-speaking movies. Reasons for my love which has nothing to do with Zorro. Oh well. :-) I still find him pleasant, and I've found that Juan Diego is very good at playing mute - he's expressive and easy to understand - while Felipe is absolutely horrible at playing deaf. But hey, these guys can't tell that Diego and Zorro are the same person, so why bother? *g*
Returning to the badness, several of the guest stars are crap, and worst of the lot is without a doubt the infamous John Christian Graas. Through imdb, I found to my shock that he'd been nominated to a Young Actors Award for his role on this show. I have no idea what the jury had been smoking, but thank God they came to their senses before declaring the winner! I have rarely seen such a talentless child actor - even such horrors as Beverley Mitchell (7th Heaven), Karle Warren (Judging Amy), and the Olsen twins pale in comparison. *shudder* Some children should not be allowed anywhere near a screen.
***
And this seems as good a reason as any for me to post the list I've been composing in my head for a while, of kids that should be allowed near a screen, namely my ten favourite child stars. I've decided not to include obviously known ones like Jodie Foster, because, y'know, I shouldn't have to tell you that Jodie Foster is good. :-)
List:
Yasmin Paige: Maria (Sarah Jane Adventures), Petrova (The Ballet Shoes)
Yasmin is one of those people on this list for whom my appreciation reaches a level that makes me feel like a dirty old woman. The kids of SJA would easily kick the asses of the adults of Torchwood if they were so required, and Maria is the best of the bunch. Smart, resourceful, brave - if the Doctor ever meets her, he'd better ask her on board the TARDIS, or I will lose all respect for him. Add to this that Yasmin was thoroughly delightful bringing one of my childhood's favourite baby dykes to life, and there's no wonder I love the girl.
Max Pirkis: Blakeney (Master & Commander), Octavian (Rome)
He was the only thing in Master & Commander that didn't make me giggle - the manly stoicism that's hilarious in grown men is heartbreaking in cherubic little boys. That part alone would have merited his place on his list. Octavian was many times better; a future emperor in the shape of a humourless teenager. He really made me believe that he was smarter and colder than everyone else in the room. That the same actor managed both these parts is astounding. Again, I am made a dirty, dirty old oman.
Amanda Devin: Julia/Martin (Tur & Retur/Immediate Boarding)
Director Ella Lemhagen asked quite a bit of her young leading lady. That she'd be able to play both tough chick Julia and sensitive boy Martin. That she'd be able to let the two trade places and still remain distinguishable characters, while still making it credible that the families didn't see the difference. And finally, that she'd be able to be convincingly male even as a sweet sensitive boy in a dress. Fortunately, Amanda Devin succeeded with flying colours on all accounts. (Since this is a Swedish film you probably haven't heard of, have some YouTube clips, mostly Martin-as-Julia, but a little bit of Julia-as-Martin.)
Britt McKillip: Reggie (Dead Like Me)
DLM is one of those shows that's delightfully acted from beginning to end, but I think one of my absolute favourites may be George's deadpan, weird sister Reggie. From the toilet seat tree and dead crow in season one to the tentative relationship she builds with her mother in season two, Reggie was always believable and wonderfully understated.
Liam James: little Shawn (Psych)
The show tried out a few different Shawns for flashbacks, but once they found Liam they stuck with him, and I can certainly understand why. He captures the essence of Shawn-ness perfectly: playful attitude, smart-assedness, and a talent for bullshitting.
Georges Du Fresne: Ludo (Ma Vie En Rose)
I know plenty of adult actors who couldn't play transgendered with half the skill as Georges has as Ludo. This is a performance I'm gonna remember with a smile for the rest of my life.
Ellen Page: Lilith (ReGenesis), Kitty Pryde (X3)
X3 was a movie best forgotten, except for the Kitty Pryde scenes and a couple of others. And as for ReGenesis, Lilith was my favourite character on that show, to the point where I haven't even watched season 2, because it makes me so sad that she won't be in it. I'm counting the days until Ellen's recent film Juno premieres in Sweden.
Anna Paquin: Flora (The Piano)
While we're on the topic of X-men... This is the most high-profile of my choices, but what can I say, the girl was definitely worth that Oscar. She was so touching and wicked and perfect in every way.
Jesse James: Spencer (As Good as It Gets), Ryan (Angel), Tommy at 13 (The Butterfly Effect)
OK, I'd never have put him on the list for As Good as It Gets alone, because while he's good in the part, it's still your basic ”cute kid” character. But to pull off something like that and then be the soulless Ryan in the Angel ep ”I've Got You Under My Skin” three years later... yeah. Add his surly teen in The Butterfly Effect, and we have a guy who was a well-rounded actor at the age of 15.
Noah Gray-Cabey: Micah (Heroes)
I had a hard time choosing between Noah and Adair for this list, but Noah has seniority, having been in more eps. :-) He's a darling as Micah, managing to me just the right level of sweet to make his character a ”light” one while still making me look forward to every scene he's in.
Almost on the list: Jordan Routledge (East is East), Adair Tishler (Heroes), John Cassisi (Bugsy Malone), Conchita Campbell (The 4400), Daniel Newman (Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves), Anastasios Soulis & Rebecca Scheja (Den bästa sommaren)
...and probably a bunch of people I've forgotten.
ETA: Mark Indelicato! Justin! How could I have forgotten? *Hugs Justin.*