The actors on our television screens are very good at what they do, but many also have other talents that viewers never see as the characters they play often don't have a lot in common with them as people.In the shows I watch or have watched in the past, numerous examples come to mind where a talent a cast member has off camera is used with great effect to enhance a character. Perhaps my favorite is Hugh Laurie's Gregory House from House M.D., in which House is occasionally seen playing the piano. Laurie is an accomplished pianist who now tours the world with his Copper Bottom Band, but on the face of it, you wouldn't think Gregory House would be the musical type, but the character really grew in my eyes when House played the piano for the first time.
On Castle, Tamala Jones displayed her beautiful voice in a season 4 episode titled The Blue Butterfly. This example is different because Jones wasn't playing her day-to-day character, rather a singer from the period themed episode. Nathan Fillion has an innate ability to shift the position of the hair on his head - something he's displayed in character, in addition to his remarkable similarity, when in costume, to the late Elvis Presley.
Musical talents are common among many cast members, and it's not too long ago that every big name show had a go at a musical episode. Grey's Anatomy, Buffy, Scrubs, Community and How I Met Your Mother come to mind, while The Simpsons and South Park have apparently been there as well. It's worth remembering Glee is a full time musical, with most of the cast gravitating in that direction talent-wise.
Of course, talent isn't limited to music and dance. Criminal Minds' Matthew Gray Gubler, while no van Gogh, is rather more skilled with an easel than me. Many cast members are fluent in another language, though Castle's Stana Katic pretty much wins out, with a reported fluency in about six languages. The Blacklist's James Spader is an excellent orator, which is evident in public events such as Comic Con, and in his role as Red Reddington, and former role as Alan Shore on Boston Legal. Kevin Spacey is a master of the Bill Clinton accent, something he recently exploited in this video among others. I hear Australian-born The Mentalist star Simon Baker is handy on the surf board too.
At the end of the day, it goes without saying that not every character suits a talent that an actor has, but I for one am always entertained when an actor brings a bit of themselves into the role. It adds another layer to their character, and gives the viewer something to appreciate. I tend to find those moments to be rather memorable too.
Of course, I've missed hundreds, maybe thousands of examples that I'm sure are out there somewhere, so please share your memorable actor talent moments in the comments below. I'm also keen to hear your thoughts on whether more of these talents should make their way onto the small screen. There's a poll for that directly below.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Jimmy
I guess it really depends on whether the actors real life talent would make sense for the character they are playing to also have.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned Hugh Laurie and House and the piano playing didn't seem completely out of the realm for him for but another character it might seem odd for them to suddenly start playing.
I'm sure actors love it when they get a chance to display their passion and talent on screen and as long as it makes sense in the story I don't see a problem with it.
Definitely yes... as long as it doesn’t clash with the
ReplyDeletecharacter they’re playing :-) But, as you’ve said while pointing to House,
sometimes it can enrich the character despite the fact that normally we wouldn’t
consider it something that “fits” within the character’s interests. Also, characters
are at times given hobbies without much consideration going into whether or not
a particular actor/actress can pull them off without being obvious (at least
without additional training); for example, it’s practically a given that if a
character is going to pretend to play an instrument, it’s going to be painfully
obvious that we’re witnessing the first contact situation between the actor/actress
and said instrument. I understand that it takes years to become a musician, but
– having a background in music myself – I don’t understand why they won’t
simply hire a professional to give actors some pointers and to make sure that
the final effect isn’t utterly ridiculous. And back to the topic of actors’ talents:
why not, if playing an instrument isn’t essential for the character, change it
into something that the actor/actress CAN do. I’m sure that it would be far
more satisfying for everyone involved.
House is interesting because quite a few hobbies were shown, such as his love of that hospital soap on TV, monster trucks, etc. You look at that and you think "Why make him a piano player" but that really brought him down to earth in a way
ReplyDeleteAgreed, if the actor has a passion for magic tricks then by all means do a magic trick! Music is just one avenue of many
ReplyDeleteI think it's somewhat showoff and distracts from the character, while focusing on the people playing them. For example, Henry Winkler's waterskiing skills had him "jumping the shark," and we all know how that turned out.
ReplyDeleteIt always depend what you consider as a talent, but if it suits the character I'm in for it. I mean it worked great for Haley in OTH. Her singing career was a vital part of her character and evolution, and she has a tremendous voice.
ReplyDeleteYes, how else would I know about Sarah Michelle Gellar's ability to draw a perfect circle freehand if it hadn't been showcased on The Crazy Ones.
ReplyDeleteI'm with @Lou, I think it just depends if that's something that would thematically serve the series well.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly last night, I was reading up on Liev Schreiber's biography, because I wanted to see if there were any interesting-sounding films he was in that I missed. There are certain aspects of Ray Donovan that seem like would relate to his own life and I had wondered if Ray Donovan's writers or Liev Schreiber himself had uses/provided material for some of the plots and/or why he was cast in this role to begin with. Obviously that's a little different then someone say like Viggo Mortensen having his own art work displayed (actually I think he specifically made it for the film) in one of his films, like A Perfect Murder. I think there is nothing wrong with it, as long as it add something to the film and isn't just a random advertisement.
I mean I think if you have an actor who has a passion and that passion happens to be the subject of some film/tv series, why not use all of one's talent for the role?
I can see good and bad for featuring actors' talents...
ReplyDeleteIf the role is cast looking for actors with specific talents that relate to the story and character I am all for it. Films/ shows about sports often need the actors to play the given sport.... Music biopics are perfect examples of this since they could highlight the actor actually playing the instrument or singing etc...
I can even see a director using an actor's talent to fill out a character on a TV show. Sometimes they need a scene to fill time or they can shape a short scene around a talent without changing the narrative. I'm okay with that.
However, I would not be a fan of a writer/ director changing plot elements to fit an actor's talent, or finding a talent fun and creating scenes that do not fit the story just to show off the talent.
About to say the same as you and Darque.
ReplyDeleteAs long it doesn't detract from the character or turn them OOC. And also unless its really something needed for the plot. Like Stana Katic's laungage skills, sounds like something that could really come in handy for their show.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, Russian, the language she used last season in "Belly of the Beast" was not one of the six in which she is fluent...
ReplyDeleteI dont even watch Castle lol, so I have no idea what goes on in it. I just thought the example given by the OP was good. Thanks for informing me Cris
ReplyDeleteExactly. I'm surprised they still haven't utilized her multilingual skills given that Castle is a police procedural based in New York, probably the most multi-national city in the US.
ReplyDelete