because it is very early and I'm very awake
The horrible danger of insomnia combined with friendsfriends--God. It's *crack*. I am totally understanding the draw. Currently working on avoiding ep reviews nad spoilers, since I haen't watched The Return yet
( Read more... )
I am continually baffled by the mocking of JF, too. Certainly he's made some... slightly odd acting choices sometimes, but he's made John Sheppard into a great, complex, intriguing character, at once charmingly goofy and borderline sociopathic - and has proved that he can act his pert little tushy off when he wants to (see Phantoms for a recent example).
I think the reason that flamboyant characters get so much attention is... well, there are two reasons. For one thing, they're flamboyant: if they're not getting your attention in some way, the actor's not doing his job. For another thing, it takes a hell of an actor to take a character who is so constantly 'on', who is meant to be in-your-face and slightly over the top. There is so much potential for a character like that to set the viewers' teeth on edge every time he comes onscreen, so you have to cast someone very good to make that character three-dimensional, to take a big queen and make them exciting and vulnerable and sexy.
The combined effect is a really great actor shouting "LOOK AT ME!" every he's on screen, and that tends to draw viewers' attention.
*cough* Anyway, that is my theory what is mine. Carry on. :D
Reply
It's easy to think that DH is amazing for a few reasons.
1) He is amazing. He's an incredibly versatile actor with a lot of experience, and it shows.
2) As Rodney McKay, he is flamboyant to an extent that I think there should be another word for it. Every time DH is onscreen on SGA, there is no way for him to sit quietly in the background; when Rodney is in a scene, there is always some peripheral part of the scene that is focused on him.
3) As Rodney McKay, he gets to save the day. A lot. In lots of cool ways.
4) Because he's not traditionally hot. In general, the perception of not-so-traditionally-hot people is that they must have some sort of mad ninja skills or something to go along with and augment whatever else they're doing (in DH's case, acting).
This does not, however, mean that JF is a bad actor.
As Sheppard, JF is playing a character who is much more subtle, complicated, and much more private. Sheppard, before crash-landing O'Neill, had never heard of gates, or the Stargate Program, or anything else--whereas Rodney had made it his life's work. He wasn't meant to be in command of the expedition, and sometimes he doesn't do a great job (see Hot Zone for example) because he doesn't have the command experience and general know-how that a more experienced officer would.
The thing is, JF is playing a character who is flawed. John--God knows I love him--is not perfect. He's not always the best, but he does his damnedest. And JF acts him that way, which in my opinion, makes him a great actor.
It takes a lot of skill to be an actor who is constantly ON in a role (DH as Rodney). It takes a lot of skill (albeit a different sort) to play a character who is as subtle as Sheppard. JF has that skill, and I like it.
And to DH fans who bash JF... DH is awesome enough without you bashing his coworkers. Saying that Joe Flanigan (or Torri Higginson, or Paul McGillion, or Rachel Luttrell, or Jason Momoa, or whoever) is a bad actor does not make DH more awesome. It just makes you look like an asshat idiot.
Reply
(The comment has been removed)
Reply
Reply
Reply
You win a prize, just for that. :D
Reply
Leave a comment