...and now for another episode of When Apples Met Oranges, starring Tom Hanks and Paul Gross.

[primroseburrows]

I'm ecstatic (and very unsurprised) that Slings & Arrows is getting yet another rave review.

But, um.

The main player in ``Slings'' is actor-turned-director Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross, a Canadian Tom Hanks best known in this country for the TV cult claassic ``Due South''), who became interim artistic director of the festival....I really like

Comments

[primroseburrows]

It is a tortuous comparison because I can seriously not think of anyone who is like Paul in the US and it doesn't help the reader at all to mention Tom Hanks when trying to understand who Paul is, as it completely disregards his other roles in the industry for which Paul is equally known.

Exactly. That's basically my point, except you say it better. *G*

Imagine if Canadians had never heard of Tom, and their intro was that he was "The American Paul Gross". That would sound even more ridiculous. It's the same thing turned around.

I took the Tom Hanks thing to refer simply to their respective status: Paul is (highly arguably) the most famous and successful actor north of the border at present, as well as being one of its most versatile; but there the comparison ends really - it certainly wasn't referring to a physical similarity at all.

I realize it's not about physical resemblance, but people who don't know Paul who read this are going to assume resemblance, I think. I mostly posted the pics because I like posting pics, but I still think people will think visually at first read.

Paul is far edgier as an actor, has way more gravitas and charisma and takes on more interesting projects in my view -and I like Tom Hanks, don't get me wrong, but he hardly dings my bell and I am rarely entranced by him although I appreciate his work.

As much as I like Tom (and I really do), he's always Tom Hanks, even in his deepest character roles. I never forget that I'm watching Tom Hanks. Paul takes a role and wraps it around him until I forget about anything but the character. Geoffrey Tennant, case in point. I do wish that he'd take darker roles; Murder Most Likely was a screaming departure for him, and gorgeously done, and I wish he'd do something that gritty again. Tom McLaughlin is pretty dark, though. Having said that, Paul brings edginess even to roles where it probably wasn't in the character description. Benton Fraser, case in point OMG. Fraser has this deep, intense current running just under the surface, and okay, that's another meta!post entirely.

And Paul as Forrest Gump? I can't believe for a minute that Paul would take on that pile of steaming sacchariny crap. Aside from a few mis-steps, he appears to have a very finely-tuned crapometer in terms of his career.
Of course the other big difference between the two actors is this: Paul has actually done really good work post-1995.

I liked Forrest Gump until my kids overplayed it and I got sick of it. Also Road to Perdition and The Green Mile. But yeah, there's only a couple of Paul's films I refuse to see, and I think those were made for exposure and quite possibly to pay the rent.

[bjohan57]

Paul's edginess: Another case in point is Brian in TOTC. In the books and in the subsequent installments where Brian was played by a different actor, the character is far nicer, more of a dopey loser who is running out of luck with women. Paul played him angry, pissed at the world and at women and someone who was actually a nice guy underneath the turmoil. It made the whole thing far more interesting and the Brian character far more realistic.
I just always get the impression that there is far more going on underneath the surface - and that works for Geoffrey, Fraser, Tom, Chris Cutter and any other character that you care to name. And yes, we have said this before a few times, but the minute one of Paul's characters walks onto the screen, he's that character to me, even in still promotional shots:



(I also like posting pictures!)

[primroseburrows]

I haven't seen TOTC yet. I have (I think) all of them, so I'll have to get to that. *g*

And yes, we have said this before a few times, but the minute one of Paul's characters walks onto the screen, he's that character to me, even in still promotional shots:

Y'know, I was just (like JUST) thinking about that. I wouldn't have to have seen either of these in video form to recognize that this is Geoffrey:



And this is not:


Yay, picspam (caps are stormymouse's and sam80853's, respectively), but really, it's kind of obvious, which is cool the facial expressions aren't very different.

This one (also from sam80853) isn't Geoffrey either, and I'm posting it because I can:


[/spam, spam, spam, spam]

[primroseburrows]

which is cool the facial expressions aren't very different.

Um. Add a "because" in there, and whee, an entire phrase!

Dear LJ,

Plz let people like me be able to edit comments.

kthxbai,

Me

[bjohan57]

The other thing I noticed about Paul in that interview - for someone who always seems so calm and together: he bites his fingernails.

TOTC - you will adore, and Paul is great in it despite playing a supporting role*. His character listens to a lot of James Brown, which suits him perfectly. And if you think that Paul writes wacky storylines, just wait until you get to Armistead Maupin. He makes singing Mounties heading towards nuclear disaster look completely plausible.

*As always with Paul, he particularly shines when he has a little monologue. There is this one scene when he reveals his 'secret' to Mary Ann while smoking a joint, which is just great. Ah crap, I want to watch it all again.

[primroseburrows]

Okay. *cues up TOTC as tonight's viewing*

Paul bites his fingernails? I didn't notice that. he does cover his mouth a lot, which I find very attractive, for some odd reason.

Nail-biting is worse to quit than hard drugs, I bet. I've been trying since I was ten.

[bjohan57]

I'm watching it right now! I talked myself into it. The other thing to watch out for: Look for the UST between Paul's character and the actor playing Mouse. I still have no idea whether this was deliberate, as I can't remember it from the book.