Serious Actor or not? Sam Jackson

[Weevil]

This is a tough one. On the one hand he's been in some of the finer films of the decade. On the other hand he's been in so many "I'm getting paid for this, right?" roles that he seems more of a character actor, albeit one with name recognition.

I'll say no, only because XXX is fresher in my mind than Unbreakable.

 

[Private Vasquez]

I think he just likes actin' and doesn't mind doin' the brainless parts sometimes.

 

[medjay]

Sam Jackson has always been a character actor. I wouldn't want to see him as a leading man.

Everyone has to eat and keep the lights on so you can't fault him for phoning in a performance or two.

 

[Weevil]

Everyone has to eat and keep the lights on so you can't fault him for phoning in a performance or two.

Or seven dozen?

 

[Wrong Element]

Sure, Samuel L. has taken some paycheck parts, but not nearly as many as DeNiro, and nobody doubts his seriousness. Let's look at the facts: Jackson is black, he's in his fifties, and he isn't a romantic lead. If he sat around waiting for prestige film roles, he'd starve.

 

[Laurel]

When he's good, he's good.

Bad choice in projects doesn't negate his talent as an actor.

 

[Weevil]

Bad choice in projects doesn't negate his talent as an actor.

I guess I meant in the way I perceive him. For all of De Niro's crap fests I still think of him as an Actor(as opposed to a movie star)

In fairness to Bobby D this is mainly because of the heights he hit. When De Niro was good he was better than Jackson. Raging Bull, Godfather 2, Goodfellas outdistances Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable and the Caveman's Valentine by a comfortable margin.

Still, when I think of Sam, I think of A Movie Star.

Just sayin'

 

[HighSchoolJock]

with all the lit members with academy awards im glad they criticzed sam jackson. now i know he's a bad actor, sometimes.

 

[Weevil]

with all the lit members with academy awards im glad they criticzed sam jackson. now i know he's a bad actor, sometimes.

I have as many academy awards as he does.

 

[Laurel]

I guess I meant in the way I perceive him. For all of De Niro's crap fests I still think of him as an Actor(as opposed to a movie star)

In fairness to Bobby D this is mainly because of the heights he hit. When De Niro was good he was better than Jackson. Raging Bull, Godfather 2, Goodfellas outdistances Pulp Fiction, Unbreakable and the Caveman's Valentine by a comfortable margin.

Still, when I think of Sam, I think of A Movie Star.

Just sayin'

Well, De Niro is De Niro. Comparing anyone to De Niro is unfair.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks Jack Nicholson is hella overrated?

 

[Laurel]

I see what you're saying, though. Being "serious" is equal parts skill and casting. There are talented actors who will never be considered greats because they routinely take such shitty roles. Pacino's Tony Montana really affects how I see him overall as an actor.

 

[MechaBlade]

I see what you're saying, though. Being "serious" is equal parts skill and casting. There are talented actors who will never be considered greats because they routinely take such shitty roles. Pacino's Tony Montana really affects how I see him overall as an actor.

I don't think so. You are only as serious as your most serious role. Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Oscar for Jerry Maguire, did other good work) did Snow Dogs. Should actors turn down fun roles just because the movie might suck?

Yeah, Sam Jackson hasn't gotten an Oscar, but he damn sure deserves one or more.

 

[Weevil]

Well, De Niro is De Niro. Comparing anyone to De Niro is unfair.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks Jack Nicholson is hella overrated?

Well, that's why I didn't do it.

Am i the only one who thinks that because South Park was making fun of people who said "Hella ____" Two Years ago that it's like people saying Radical?

As to Jack, well, who knows. I thought he was terrible in As Good as it Gets but I loved him in Batman.

 

[Weevil]

I see what you're saying, though. Being "serious" is equal parts skill and casting. There are talented actors who will never be considered greats because they routinely take such shitty roles.

Sure. You can be A Movie Star if you like. There are very talented Movie Stars.

Ebert and Roeper compared Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks last night. I thought that was a perfect illustration of my point. Both men have done "Paycheck movies". Both are talented. Yet, I think Hanks has, overall, a better crap detector.

 

[Laurel]

You're hella cool, Weev. heh.

Mecha, I think he's great too. What roles should he have been Oscared for, in your opinion?

 

[teddybear4play]

I think he'll wind up being respected as an actor, but not thrown in with the DeNiro's of the world.

Between the new Star Wars trilogy, the third Die Hard installment, Patriot Games, Jurassic Park, and the series that's sure to come out of XXX, that's five high-powered movie empires he's been involved in. I can't think of anyone else offhand who can claim that.

And Pulp Fiction and Goodfellas are considered modern masterpieces.

Besides, after struggling with shit roles (and drugs) for a long time (Goodfellas included), I don't think he gives two shits what you say about the fact that he was in The Long Kiss Goodnight.

He was nominated for an Oscar for Pulp Fiction, and the Cannes Film Festival created a Supporting Actor award to credit his work in Jungle Fever.

And he is a badass motherfucker.

TB4p

 

[MechaBlade]

Well, De Niro is De Niro. Comparing anyone to De Niro is unfair.

BTW, am I the only one who thinks Jack Nicholson is hella overrated?

I think Jack Nicholson is fucking great in everything he has done. I have a tendency to give actors a lot of credit. But I really haven't seen him do bad in anything.

"Here's Johnny!"

 

[Weevil]

I just can't give him as much credit as you can for being in The Phantom Menace or Die Hard 3.

Does he care what I think of him? I guess not, although I am a member of the movie going public.

 

[Laurel]

I think Jack Nicholson is fucking great in everything he has done. I have a tendency to give actors a lot of credit. But I really haven't seen him do bad in anything.

"Here's Johnny!"

Yeah, but he's always the same guy. He plays Jack in everything. He does a great Jack, but his range kinda sucks. IMHO.

 

[MechaBlade]

You're hella cool, Weev. heh.

Mecha, I think he's great too. What roles should he have been Oscared for, in your opinion?

Oscarworthy:
The Negotiator
Jackie Brown
Eve's Bayou
The Red Violin (maybe)
187
A Time to Kill (maybe)
Losing Isaiah (I think)
Pulp Fiction

Notable:
Unbreakable
Shaft

 

[MechaBlade]

Yeah, but he's always the same guy. He plays Jack in everything. He does a great Jack, but his range kinda sucks. IMHO.

His range is less than that of the greats, but he still has range.

Seen "The Pledge?"

Really, his range would be broader if he could learn to speak like normal people.

 

[medjay]

Jackson is good at what he does and is always good no matter how bad the picture might suck. I'd rather see him give a good performance in a bad movie than see him give a bad perfomance at any time.

I like it when actors realize what their strengths are and play to them. I'm glad Brad Pitt is figuring out that he is a character actor and not a leading man. Maybe now we won't see any more train wrecks like Meet Joe Black. I waiting for a few more of these big marquee names to realize the leading man role isn't for them.

 

[Weevil]

Oscarworthy:
The Negotiator
Jackie Brown
Eve's Bayou
The Red Violin (maybe)
187

187???? The Negotiator????????? What are you smoking and where can I buy some?

 

[MechaBlade]

187???? The Negotiator????????? What are you smoking and where can I buy some?

I think he was good in the Negotiator because the movie was good. I might be wrong about his acting though.

187, no matter if you disliked it or not, had some A+ acting by Sam. I would watch it again if I had it here to make sure. But he was dynamite.


Trevor Garfield: Your whole way of life is bullshit! Macho is bullshit!
Cesar: But it's all I got!

Magnifico.

 

[HighSchoolJock]

Yeah, but he's always the same guy. He plays Jack in everything. He does a great Jack, but his range kinda sucks. IMHO.

range?? range? whats that? being jack is what he's supposed to do. are you telling me deniro isnt deniro in every role he does? or that robin williams isn't robin williams in every role he does. when youre in a visual medium 90% of it is how you look. theatre actors may have range, but not film actors. if you can name some let me know.