Re: General Glee Discussion Thread--Part 5

[ColferInspired]

[ColferInspired]

 

[brisallie]

 

  So funny. Chris shouldn't have insulted his puppet.

[sheny]

The behind the scenes videos for this episode were better than the episode itself. I can happily watch this and the other video with drunk puppet Kurt for 45 minutes.

[ColferInspired]

[fantastica]

Don't care about glee, but please give me that food!!!!  I love food!

[ColferInspired]

 

I just love their friendship.

Grant is such a sweetheart.

[Lottie2303]

 

I just love their friendship.

Grant is such a sweetheart.

  

[tanita_mors]

    

[brisallie]

Everything looks so yummy. I just forgotten I'm in diet.

 

I just love their friendship.

Grant is such a sweetheart.

What? Did he actually say this? lol I have to see it!

[Buenos]

ONe of my fondest wishes is that if Grant does get an "Flash" TV series (looking more and more probable) that Chris will eventually make a guest appearance as an evil villain/nemesis to Flash.    

The chemistry would be off the roof, and maybe it could lead to....NAAAAhhh....

This when Grant first came on the show:

And though it sounds as if they will be arch enemies on the show, he also prasied Colfer as "really cool and talented and funny. He has all these funny little one-liners between takes that make everyone laugh."

[brisallie]

@Buenos, that would be fantastic. I won't mind to see Grant and Chris being enemies on screen, because I simply love how well they deliver those bitchy lines

[Lottie2303]

Darren Criss got a pretty cool voice act: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/movienewsandreviews/news/?a=91672

On a snarky note, his name is totally ignored while promoting this project, but the cast is impressive. It will help him for the long-run and a voice-over is actually a very smart idea during his current stage of career.

[Buenos]

Lea is promoting her single on some more shows.

Amber has a holiday concert at the Roxie in LA

[Ranwing]

Darren Criss got a pretty cool voice act: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/movienewsandreviews/news/?a=91672

On a snarky note, his name is totally ignored while promoting this project, but the cast is impressive. It will help him for the long-run and a voice-over is actually a very smart idea during his current stage of career.

Dubbing an anime isn't exactly a big deal. As a huge anime fan (and I love Miyazaki films), I only watch them in the orignal Japanese so they could have a cast of Oscar winners and it won't mean a whole lot to me. And it seems like a relatively small part.

I get why actors like to do these. It's generally easy money for a few days work, sitting in a studio and reading dialogue, but it's not exactly prestigious. Do agree that this will help his career, though to what degree remains to be seen.

[Lottie2303]

^ Yup, it is a small part and his name is neglected from most of the overall movie discussion, but still him being among such a great cast is actually very good for him. At least he will most likely make some good business connections. Just the fact that he got cast also proves he is on the radar of some HW executives. We may not like it, but for Darren it is a very smart career choice and may be an indicator that his career has more sustainability as I/we may like.   

[sheny]

Darren is doing pretty good lately. He also has a role in a new HBO documentary about Stephen Sondheim "Six by Sondheim".

[Lottie2303]

Darren is doing pretty good lately. He also has a role in a new HBO documentary about Stephen Sondheim "Six by Sondheim".

Woah, yeah I guess he is currently one of the most successful main actors with projects beyond Glee. He has a very commercial appearance, I believe he will at least been given more chances then other actors of the crew.

I may not like it, but I don't believe a non-career for Darren because of his mediocre acting, is necessary a given. I love Chris and believe he is doing some amazing projects and has major talent, but I also do believe he still will have it harder especially because HW loves to stereotype as he is gay and therefore "cannot play heterosexual characters".   

[Ranwing]

I may not like it, but I don't believe a non-career for Darren because of his mediocre acting, is necessary a given. I love Chris and believe he is doing some amazing projects and has major talent, but I also do believe he still will have it harder especially because HW loves to stereotype as he is gay and therefore "cannot play heterosexual characters".   

Darren is certainly getting a lot of opportunities because he is marketable and for no other reason. Talent wise, he's medicore at best but because he's good looking and has a certain charisma, he's relatively easy to sell. And while I don't like him, I have to respect that he's getting these chances.

But he's not exactly working with these actors for the anime dubbing. It's not like it was when Chris performed in 8 where he actually got to share a stage with so many great actors (and worked with a great director). Darren is going to be in a recording studio and reading lines by himself. He's not going to be sitting there with Stanley Tucci or Elija Woods. In fact, the odds are that they won't physically meet until the premiere. So how much he'll gain is questionable. It's not as if Emily Blunt is going to want to have him in her next picture because he was so much fun to work with.

This is not to crap on Darren - I'm just realistic about how animation recording works. And for a lot of anime fans like me who are really devoted to the genre, we don't bother with the dubbed versions because they end up screwing up the dialogue. Still, a job is a job and even if this isn't a big part, it's still work.

[Ranwing]

As far as Chris goes, he is going to have a somewhat harder time finding the right parts because he isn't quite as generic as Darren. Which can be a good or a bad thing. It might be harder for him to land roles because he is as unqiue as he his, but the parts that he can get can potentially be more impactful.

I've yet to see Darren get anything thus far that couldn't be done by any one of a dozen other actors. He's not getting parts because he'll be amazing in a particular role - he's getting them right now becauce he's Darren Criss from Glee and he'll appeal to a particular demographic. Doing a dub for an anime (or a voice acting job for an animated film like Lea did) works with their current schedules because it doesn't take a huge amount of time. I would rather see Chris wait for the right parts then get a whole lot of little things now that don't have any real impact beyond making him marketable.

[Buenos]

I also do believe he still will have it harder especially because HW loves to stereotype as he is gay and therefore "cannot play heterosexual characters".

Struck by Lightning, anyone?

That's  still somewhat of the big question mark with Chris Colfer and I think he's going to be the big litmus test for the younger generation of HW actors who are out.  He was the first teenage TV star who was openly gay from the beginning of his career and somebody in HW is going to push the envelope eventually and get an out actor a big straight leading role.  There were rumors that Matt Bomer was not considered for "Superman" because it was an open secret for so long that he was gay in HW (lived openly with partner and kids) but I think there is finally going to be some push and shove in HW on the issue, especially since the younger demographics don't seem to give a rat's ass. 

Because with Chris it's a non issue, (unlike, cough, cough..cough...closeted or mum actors in different movieTV  franchises, Twilight, Batman, Glee, MIssion IMpossible  cough, cough, cough..) and he's been out so long (5 years)  , and he gets PCA's wins (hopefully another one this year) I think he's established enough that in his case talent will out. 

It's uncharted waters with Chris,  and if he is as good an actor as I think he is, he is going to get some opportunities in some non "Kurt" ie non gay roles.  That is why I think people miss the point on how important it was for Chris to make "Struck by Lightning" and how it was a minor miracle it actually got made and gave him some  real HW cred as an actor/writer .   Carson was as different from Kurt as possible, and deliberately so from Chris.   He's said he is very ambitious for his acting career.  I think once Chris leaves Glee many will finally realize what a brilliantly conceived acting creation Kurt was, because Chris is different in real life from Kurt in so many ways.   Some big HW types have commented on how talented they think Chris is , ("8" acting with heavy weights like Clooney and Brad Pitt didn't hurt at all)  and if Ian McKellan can have a 50 year career in showbiz because of his talent, I think Chris will keep busy the next few years.      So  I think movies, stage and TV will be on his agenda for the next few decades, as well as writing.  AT the least he can join season 5 of Downton Abbey.    

As to the rest of the Glee people, who knows?  I wish them all well.

[Lottie2303]

Thanks for informing me about the animation background. That is good to know.

I guess Chris uniqueness will one day very much be his strive and success. He is clever and he knows he has a much harder battle to fight compared to other actors. But there isn't one actor in HW who could sincerely be compared to Chris, so with a bit of luck and the right choices he can built a very acclaimed post-Glee career in all different fields.

I guess with Darren, because he is so generically commercial, one very soon day someone else can easily replace him. It just bothers me a bit because HW seems very keen to give him chances from all the Glee cast (even Lea), especially as he really has lacking talent and "only" charisma/good looks. I am still convinced Darren will get the male version of "New Girl" on FOX one day.... But I also believe no talent will only bring you so very far, so especially when he isn't the main heartthrob anymore, all those current chances can be very soon be the past. I think Chris is clever and is planning a bit for the long haul.

Still, he is currently getting some great projects. I have to remind myself Chris and Darren are not in a competition with one another and Chris most certainly doesn't have to hide with his success   

[Ranwing]

if Ian McKellan can have a 50 year career in showbiz because of his talent, I think Chris will keep busy the next few years.      So  I think movies, stage and TV will be on his agenda for the next few decades, as well as writing.

Thank you for saying that. There are a good number of out actors nowadays who work consistently and get major roles despite their sexuality, and there are plenty of heterosexual actors who starve because they can't find work. Chris has a lot of things going for him. His talent is respected by his peers and he was respected enough to be sought out for the production of "8". He has a number of prestigious acting award nominations and wins. And yes, the PCAs certainly indicate that he's popular with the fans (as did the TCAs). He has a lot more going for him than just being the latest marketable cute guy who'll be replaced in a few years by the next marketable cute guy.

I think that Chris is going to be very careful about picking his next role because he doesn't want to be typecasted and we're still waiting on word of the biopic that is still pending (which I think may be a huge one if it's taking this long to get any real news about it). I think that if his next part, whatever it might be, is sucessful then we can breathe easy about his potential.

[Buenos]

I guess Chris uniqueness will one day very much be his strive and success.

Precisely, it's his very distinctiveness that makes him stand out.   So many good  and memorable actors have that, that "it" quality, and  they make you stand on your feet and say " who is that?".  The camera loves his presence,  he cuts a striking image (and getting better looking by the day I might add) and even veteran actors on Glee like Mike O'Malley and Jane Lynch Chris holds his own with them acting wise.

ETA: Someone like Lee Pace is an actor that is very striking looking without conventional (Tom Cruise) looks who has carved a very nice career for himself.  Lee had a striking first role as a transexual in a TV movie, had the cult TV  hit "Raising Daisies" and has had large and small roles in different genres movies.  He just came out in "The Hobbit, the desolation of Smaug" last year was in "Lincoln" and will soon star in one of the Avenger movies.  Someone like him, and Joseph Gordon Levitt are the type of characters actors I hope Chris can emulate their career arc.  They get interesting roles in both big and small movies and that builds a momentum on it's own.

[Ranwing]

It just bothers me a bit because HW seems very keen to give him chances from all the Glee cast (even Lea), especially as he really has lacking talent and "only" charisma/good looks. I am still convinced Darren will get the male version of "New Girl" on FOX one day.... But I also believe no talent will only bring you so very far, so especially when he isn't the main heartthrob anymore, all those current chances can be very soon be the past. I think Chris is clever and is planning a bit for the long haul.

I have a cousin in the industry and she can tell a hundred stories about the number of "it" performers who seem like the hottest thing in the world and then vanish because they got replaced by the next hot performer. The ones who have lasting careers are the ones who can transend whatever they might have been sold as initially (and make no mistake that actors are a product to be sold to an audience). They have to have something that makes an audience want to continue seeing them instead of the next pretty face down the line.

For any actor, they have to balance taking parts that are offered with taking the ones that can help move their careers foward. Working for the sake of bringing home a paycheck can be imporant, but there is the danger of taking the wrong parts that can hurt your career over the long run. Some actors are too careful, staying with parts that don't push them because they have less chance of failing but then run the chance of being forgetable. My favorite actors have always been the ones who took some risks, either playing characters that were unpleasent or taking small roles because they were interesting even when they could command leads.

I agree that Chris is thinking in the long term, and he has been for a very long time. I remember an intereview when he expressed a fear that one day he would just be the kid who was on Glee. There is always a big risk of that, for any in the cast. For a good number of the cast, Glee might be the high point of their careers. They might never get roles as prestigious and lucrative as being on Glee. I think that Chris has a definate game plan and so far it seems to be working.

Still, he is currently getting some great projects. I have to remind myself Chris and Darren are not in a competition with one another and Chris most certainly doesn't have to hide with his success   

I'm looking foward to the day when they are no longer working together so I can ignore Darren altogether and not have to see him permanently attached to everything Chris does. He doesn't appeal to me as a performer and unless he's attached to a project that I'm already planning to see (like the Miyazaki film) I won't be seeking him out. Fortunately I don't dislike him enough to avoid seeing films that he is in if it's something that really interests me.

Chris, on the other hand, is someone that I will actively seek out. I will go out of my way to see him in his different projects and he'll join the select group of performers that I would pay to watch him read from a phone book.

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