One thing that I find strange is that the public knows exactly what the subject of the biography looks like, and yet they always seem to cast actors who are much better looking than the original.
Sarah was never as pretty as Natalie; Margo Robbie was much, much better looking than Tonya Harding.
Go look at any year book of a large Theatre Conservatory for any year in the last couple of decades and literally only a handful of people there are not significantly above average in terms of looks.
The major Theatre conservatories know very well that in this day an age Looks are at least as important as acting ability, even in Stage Theatre, so they already take it into account when selecting whom they taken in as pupils.
This reminded me of a show I went to once, where they screwed up and the singer said, “ah, fuck. Well, if you want to listen to us play perfectly, buy our fucking record” 😂
I actually saw some paranormal show with reenactments. And the real one was way prettier than the actor. This anecdotal evidence happened precisely one time in my life lol
Big names draw money and big names in Hollywood are often (but not always) conventionally attractive. I think part of the appeal of historical/biographical productions is that we get to see a more exciting and stylised representation of a “true story”, and that often means the characters are more conventionally attractive than they otherwise would be. It is quite amusing though, similar to how teenagers are often played by actors well into their 20s (sometimes even older in the case of extras and minor roles).
That is what happens to me just about any time someone mentions an American celebrity who was relevant before 2013. I just think, “Oh, that person that they mentioned on 30 Rock that one time!”
A small part of it must be that most people would look better than themselves if they were carefully prepared for a scene, and they had the right lighting and framing, and the focal length was flattering, and the perspective and cinematography was flattering, etc.
They asked Stormy Daniels* what the difference was between her porn sex and her personal sex life.
She said that she’d done a lot of wild and weird things in her personal life, but never once had she had a makeup artist and a hairstylist clean her look up in the middle of the act.
*You may have forgotten her, that Trump scandal was so long ago and there have been so many since then.
[off topic?]
One thing that I find strange is that the public knows exactly what the subject of the biography looks like, and yet they always seem to cast actors who are much better looking than the original.
Sarah was never as pretty as Natalie; Margo Robbie was much, much better looking than Tonya Harding.
Here’s my all time favorite example.
The actress who played Leona Helmsley
https://www.picclickimg.com/S2cAAOSwj7lmRWV8/Suzanne-Pleshette-in-Leona-Helmsley-The-Queen-of.webp
The real Leona Helmsley [nsfl]
https://alchetron.com/cdn/leona-helmsley-5cce11df-bf07-4316-a026-5afb19de3ea-resize-750.jpeg
Go look at any year book of a large Theatre Conservatory for any year in the last couple of decades and literally only a handful of people there are not significantly above average in terms of looks.
The major Theatre conservatories know very well that in this day an age Looks are at least as important as acting ability, even in Stage Theatre, so they already take it into account when selecting whom they taken in as pupils.
We live in an age of superficialism.
Movies are made to make money. People won’t pay to go look at ugly people. Simple as that.
Monster (2003)
There are exceptions to every rule. And their entire marketing was based on being the exception.
And most of that marketing was “look at how ugly Charlize is”
Oh absolutely. I’m not saying you’re wrong, just an interesting exception
The marketing for that movie heavily emphasised how brave beautiful actress Charlize Theron was for daring to have herself uglified for the role.
I have also noticed that studio albums seem to have much cleaner sound and better recording quality and timing than live shows.
This reminded me of a show I went to once, where they screwed up and the singer said, “ah, fuck. Well, if you want to listen to us play perfectly, buy our fucking record” 😂
It was a great opera though.
What in the heteronormative hell…
It dates waaaaaaay back. Do you really think court painters did accurate paintings of the result of generations of inbreeding?
I actually saw some paranormal show with reenactments. And the real one was way prettier than the actor. This anecdotal evidence happened precisely one time in my life lol
Cherish this moment. Memorialize it.
Big names draw money and big names in Hollywood are often (but not always) conventionally attractive. I think part of the appeal of historical/biographical productions is that we get to see a more exciting and stylised representation of a “true story”, and that often means the characters are more conventionally attractive than they otherwise would be. It is quite amusing though, similar to how teenagers are often played by actors well into their 20s (sometimes even older in the case of extras and minor roles).
They should have gone with someone with the spark and charm of a young Leona Helmsley
That line is exactly what I always think of when someone mentions Leona Helmsley.
That is what happens to me just about any time someone mentions an American celebrity who was relevant before 2013. I just think, “Oh, that person that they mentioned on 30 Rock that one time!”
A small part of it must be that most people would look better than themselves if they were carefully prepared for a scene, and they had the right lighting and framing, and the focal length was flattering, and the perspective and cinematography was flattering, etc.
True story.
They asked Stormy Daniels* what the difference was between her porn sex and her personal sex life.
She said that she’d done a lot of wild and weird things in her personal life, but never once had she had a makeup artist and a hairstylist clean her look up in the middle of the act.
*You may have forgotten her, that Trump scandal was so long ago and there have been so many since then.
People are naturally more inclined to prefer attractive people.