Two short essays about CKR
These are taken from a Latin American fanzine and a Spanish language blog, Callum Keith Rennie en español. I am posting for kristadarky who found and translated these for the CKR Files.
A STUDY OF CHARACTERS
Although he’s a very good actor, Callum Keith Rennie has played some roles repeatedly.
Perhaps some directors think he has the right type for the role or perhaps they have seen him in a similar role before and thought he did a good job or perhaps Rennie just feels comfortable doing that kind of roles; but the truth is there are few actors who have played the same kind of roles so many times.
Let’s see the first case: detectives. Rennie has played detectives six or more times. In different kind of movies (television or cinema) and series. He played the American detective “Stanley Raymond Kowalsky” for more than a year in the Canadian series “Due South”, he also played detectives in movies like, “Murder Seen” (Det. Keegan), “Butterfly On A Wheel” (Det. McGrath), “Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story” (Inspector Wood) and “The Invisible” (Det. Brian Larson). In the “Da Vinci’s Inquest” series he played “Detective Bob Marlowe”. In every role he played different personalities for the detectives, sometimes he portrayed them as serious, workaholic, strict guys, sometimes they were joyful, funny and witty. In this category we should also include cops, sheriffs and guards.
But Rennie has also played criminals or guys with some kind of psychopathic behavior, and that’s because this Canadian actor likes to go from one extreme to the other. He has played about eight criminals. In the “Dead Zone” series he played “Max”, a former boyfriend who was jealous, possessive and hit women; in “Trapped” (a television movie) he brought to life “Anthony Bellio”, he’s not a criminal or so, but he felt he was always right and is rude to everyone, even his wife; a bit like “Roy” the character Rennie played in “Supernatural”, an intransigent and close-minded hunter; in “Unnatural & Accidental” he played an aborigine women rapist and serial killer; in an episode of the “Smallville” series called “Fragile” he was “Tyler McKing” a father with supernatural power over glass and crystal who is out of jail trying to find his daughter; in the movie “Memento” he played a very small part as “Dodd”, a drug dealer who tries to kill Guy Pierce’s character; in “Tin Man” he was the evil “Zero” and in “Blade:Trinity” he played “Asher Talos” a smart and lethal vampire. In the pilot of “Tru Calling”, Rennie played “Elliot Winters” a married executive who has a blonde lover who tells him she’s pregnant, “Winters” then leaves her but she tells him she’s going to tell everything to his wife. In that situation “Winters” gets out of control and turns in to a violent man.
But let’s not forget his roles in “The Commish”, “Suspicious River” or “Falling Angels”.
Either on the side of the law or not, Callum Keith Rennie always bring passion to his performances, even when he plays a grandfather!
Author: Duffa
Callum Rennie fanzine, Latinamerica.
Date: December 2006
VALENTINO SYNDROME
It has happened to a lot of actors and actresses, not just Callum Keith Rennie.
Every time a journalist writes something about Rennie what is more remarked is his very good looks (tall, blond, blue eyes), sometimes he’s even called “the Canadian Brad Pitt” (which he hates). This happens in magazines, newspapers, television, internet… everywhere.
Yes, it’s true, some journalists are more objective and highlight his incredible talent for acting, but they’re just a few.
Rennie suffers the “Valentino syndrome” as many other actors, his good looks stand out his talent. It’s not he’s better looking than talented, but his attractiveness is a distraction for the critics of his work as a performer. It seems directors don’t get stuck in his good looks because Rennie has played different roles like criminals, detectives and marginal guys, but he’s never cast as a ladies’ man or so.
Other actors who have suffered the “Valentino syndrome” are: Brad Pitt, Jude Law, Jared Leto, Antonio Banderas, Tom Cruise, etc. Who cares if you are a good actor or not when you look that damn good?.
As time goes by, Callum Keith Rennie has been losing his sweet and childish features of the 90’s era and he has becoming a strong features man or “an interesting man” as I’ve heard people calling him.
Would he be taken seriously by the critics now he’s 48 years old?. Would he stop being a pretty face to become a serious and deep actor?.
We hope he gets the recognition he truly deserves at last, from now on, no matter how he looks.
Author: Alexa Toloza
Blog: Callum Keith Rennie en español
Date: January 2008.
In conclusion, there are CKR fanzines in Latin America! \c/
A STUDY OF CHARACTERS
Although he’s a very good actor, Callum Keith Rennie has played some roles repeatedly.
Perhaps some directors think he has the right type for the role or perhaps they have seen him in a similar role before and thought he did a good job or perhaps Rennie just feels comfortable doing that kind of roles; but the truth is there are few actors who have played the same kind of roles so many times.
Let’s see the first case: detectives. Rennie has played detectives six or more times. In different kind of movies (television or cinema) and series. He played the American detective “Stanley Raymond Kowalsky” for more than a year in the Canadian series “Due South”, he also played detectives in movies like, “Murder Seen” (Det. Keegan), “Butterfly On A Wheel” (Det. McGrath), “Torso: The Evelyn Dick Story” (Inspector Wood) and “The Invisible” (Det. Brian Larson). In the “Da Vinci’s Inquest” series he played “Detective Bob Marlowe”. In every role he played different personalities for the detectives, sometimes he portrayed them as serious, workaholic, strict guys, sometimes they were joyful, funny and witty. In this category we should also include cops, sheriffs and guards.
But Rennie has also played criminals or guys with some kind of psychopathic behavior, and that’s because this Canadian actor likes to go from one extreme to the other. He has played about eight criminals. In the “Dead Zone” series he played “Max”, a former boyfriend who was jealous, possessive and hit women; in “Trapped” (a television movie) he brought to life “Anthony Bellio”, he’s not a criminal or so, but he felt he was always right and is rude to everyone, even his wife; a bit like “Roy” the character Rennie played in “Supernatural”, an intransigent and close-minded hunter; in “Unnatural & Accidental” he played an aborigine women rapist and serial killer; in an episode of the “Smallville” series called “Fragile” he was “Tyler McKing” a father with supernatural power over glass and crystal who is out of jail trying to find his daughter; in the movie “Memento” he played a very small part as “Dodd”, a drug dealer who tries to kill Guy Pierce’s character; in “Tin Man” he was the evil “Zero” and in “Blade:Trinity” he played “Asher Talos” a smart and lethal vampire. In the pilot of “Tru Calling”, Rennie played “Elliot Winters” a married executive who has a blonde lover who tells him she’s pregnant, “Winters” then leaves her but she tells him she’s going to tell everything to his wife. In that situation “Winters” gets out of control and turns in to a violent man.
But let’s not forget his roles in “The Commish”, “Suspicious River” or “Falling Angels”.
Either on the side of the law or not, Callum Keith Rennie always bring passion to his performances, even when he plays a grandfather!
Author: Duffa
Callum Rennie fanzine, Latinamerica.
Date: December 2006
VALENTINO SYNDROME
It has happened to a lot of actors and actresses, not just Callum Keith Rennie.
Every time a journalist writes something about Rennie what is more remarked is his very good looks (tall, blond, blue eyes), sometimes he’s even called “the Canadian Brad Pitt” (which he hates). This happens in magazines, newspapers, television, internet… everywhere.
Yes, it’s true, some journalists are more objective and highlight his incredible talent for acting, but they’re just a few.
Rennie suffers the “Valentino syndrome” as many other actors, his good looks stand out his talent. It’s not he’s better looking than talented, but his attractiveness is a distraction for the critics of his work as a performer. It seems directors don’t get stuck in his good looks because Rennie has played different roles like criminals, detectives and marginal guys, but he’s never cast as a ladies’ man or so.
Other actors who have suffered the “Valentino syndrome” are: Brad Pitt, Jude Law, Jared Leto, Antonio Banderas, Tom Cruise, etc. Who cares if you are a good actor or not when you look that damn good?.
As time goes by, Callum Keith Rennie has been losing his sweet and childish features of the 90’s era and he has becoming a strong features man or “an interesting man” as I’ve heard people calling him.
Would he be taken seriously by the critics now he’s 48 years old?. Would he stop being a pretty face to become a serious and deep actor?.
We hope he gets the recognition he truly deserves at last, from now on, no matter how he looks.
Author: Alexa Toloza
Blog: Callum Keith Rennie en español
Date: January 2008.
In conclusion, there are CKR fanzines in Latin America! \c/