What actors do you think get by on playing themselves in almost every movie? There are lots of once respectable actors who have turned to this, and many who have been pigeonholed from the start of their careers. This can include negatives and positives, but let's stay away from say one-line action stars who are already limited by their genre. I'll refrain from adding my opinions off the top for the purpose of creating more discussion.

This topic reminds me of when Crispin Glover didn't want to reappear in the 'Back To The Future' sequels for fear of being remembered as George McFly for the rest of his life. Hey Crispin, guess what!

There are a few exceptions, but for the most part, Jack Nicholson always plays Jack Nicholson...in my opinion, even when he won an award for it.

I disagree. In my opinion Jack Nicholson is an excellent actor and plays many different roles because that what defines a great actor. Compare him in the shining to Anger Management to As Good As it Gets. I mean ofcourse sometimes he has some of the same attitude but you can say that about any actor. I believe Kianu Reeves always plays the same role for he's a bad actor and has no emotion so always has no emotion and always is the same.

I enjoy Jack's films. I think he is a good actor, and has had some great performances. What I am saying is that, in my opinion, he hasn't been able to re-invent himself time and again, as say Marlon Brando did, or even Al Pacino in our day.

I completely disagree with Jack Nicholson. Just watch "Easy Rider", "Five Easy Pieces", "Carnal Knowledge", "The Last Detail", "Chinatown" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and then tell me he played "himself." If you're talking about recently, you may be closer to some truth, but unfortunately that also goes for more recent performances by Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, etc. Check out the earlier work to see the ranges of those guys.

Now, the real reason I'm reopening this can of worms is because Rodney Dangerfield (RIP) always played himself, although I'm sure it was by choice. What do you think about him as Juliette Lewis's pop in "Natural Born Killers"? Believable?

Actors who play themselves and are good...

Dennis Farina
Robert De Niro (on the, line between good and bad)

Actors who play themselves and are bad...

Queen Latifah (recently)....

whoa actually I think I (as well as several others) are confusing "playing themselves" with playing a character. Keanu Reeves doesnt play himself (after all he has no one to play his persoanlity level is at 0) he plays the same bland character. This is the same with Dennis Farina and people like Phillip Seymour Hoffman. these guys are character actors. People like Rodney Dangerfield and Robert De Niro have been stereotyped as the guy who doesnt get no respect and the guy who isnt sure whether or not youre talking to him. This is a pity because De Niro is (was) such a good actor...oh well..

The people I immediately think of who always play the same kind of MOVIE roles are Kiefer Sutherland (someone evil) and Dennis Franz (a New York cop).

quote:

---

Originally posted by asc85:
The people I immediately think of who always play the same kind of MOVIE roles are Kiefer Sutherland (someone evil) and Dennis Franz (a New York cop).

---

Are you reffering to Dennis Farina who always plays a cop or a mobster

E, Dennis Franz has been on "NYPD Blue" forever. I remember him first from early DePalma thrillers, such as "Dressed to Kill" and "Blow Out."

Yes, thank you mark f, I WAS referring to Dennis Franz, not Dennis Farina, and thinking of his roles in "Dressed to Kill" and "Blow Out".

Mark, you are right about the older Jack. "Chinatown" was excellent as was Jack's performance, not to mention Cuckoo's Nest and others. It's really his later films that have bogged me down (Anger Mangement is a perfect example). I will admit I really enjoyed him in "Something's Gotta Give", but it's films like "As Good As It Gets" (granted, I also enjoyed that film) that I have a problem with. I just don't think he deserved the Oscar for that role. I'm just waiting for Jack to really break out again and just blow our socks off.

Ed Burns always plays himself.
On the other topic, Jack Nicholson is a GREAT actor.

Buff dudes like Shwargsaerasdnegger, the Rock, and Vin Gasoline, generally stay buff dudes in movies. Adam Sandler, if ever he wishes, will have a difficult time breaking out of his character as well.

I agree about Sandler as I have posted about in another discussion otherwise. I think he repeatedly plays the same role as himself throughout pretty much all his movies.

Antonio Banderas.

If you've seen one of his performances, you've seen them all.

Denzel Washington always seems the same to me in all of his movies.

Well all rappers play a cold hard thug in the movies. Or a gangster anyways (this has no relevance to the Denzel statement.) I agree and disagree with the Denzel one. Since hes so individual hes usually picked for those roles in movies that require a man such as him. He plays a variety of characters that are all differect, however he never changes his... well his voice is individual too.. lets just say when you hear Denzel, you know its Denzel. Agg God I just wanted to argue.

Argue with God, or argue with everything?

Hmm, your riddles, so clever, so incoherent, so extremely pathetic. You reside in the inner depths of your own anus my dear friend. You need to pull your head out and realise that it is immature to continue with these cherades and begin to talk about the movies. I appreciate the environment that is here, it is a warm friendly one. I don't constantly want to have to watch my back in the only pleasant place left in the world. SO SHUT THE HELL UP.