Top 5 Actors and Actresses Working Today, and Why

I've always wanted to make a list of my favorite actors; it's something that's always been problematic for me, because (1) I like a lot of actors and (2) I have a new favorite movie every month. A friend posted his favorites list, and it motivated me to get out my pen and make a list of my own. Here are the people in Hollywood that I think are most talented. I'm sure you have several to add, and I hope you disagree with me on at least one. Enjoy.

ACTORS:
1. Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing, Sweeney Todd) I sometimes sidestep Depp in discussions about great actors, simply because he was something of a fad at USC when I was there. He attained a certain critic-proofness, and even particularly cliche, mediocre films like "Secret Window" were lauded because he was in them. I don't think all his performances are great. But I do think he's the most versatile, talented actor in Hollywood today. His best film is Edward Scissorhands, and he continues to create characters that are unique, strange, and compelling.
2. Ralph Fiennes (In Bruges, The Reader) Fiennes can play any and every emotion with power and facility. He played a romantic lead in "The English Patient," and a hard-cussing crime lord in "In Bruges."
3. Bill Nighy (Pirates Trilogy, Underworld, Valkyrie) You'll recognize Bill Nighy as the many-tentacled Davy Jones from the Pirates films. He is one of the most successful theater actors ever to cross over into film, and the theater has only done wonders for his performance. His characters are altogether violently appealing and quietly sympathetic.
4. Robert Downey Jr (Good Night and Good Luck, Tropic Thunder) "Iron Man" made him a superstar, but Downey has been giving great performances for years. Watch "Good Night and Good Luck," and you'll see a very different side of him, and in a smaller role. He's versatile, witty, and has terrific comic timing.
5. Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) We are coming into an age when an actor's performance and the cinematic rendering of that performance are separated by a blurry line. Case in point: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." If Brad Pitt's ever-changing makeup and digital effects can't be separated from his own true performance in that film, then neither can the performances of Andy Serkis as Golum and King Kong. He is an unsung master of his craft, and should get more credit for his astounding digital character work on these and other films.

Special Mention: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Sweeney Todd) If you thought Cohen was a one-trick pony specializing in embarrassing people in Jackass-style mockumentaries, watch his performance in "Sweeney Todd." His wit and timing carries over into proper Hollywood cinema, and makes him a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.

ACTRESSES:
1. Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) In my view, Marion Cotillard is the best actress working in Hollywood today. In the French film "La Vie En Rose," she played the yesteryear French music sensation Edith Piaf over a period of some 40 years, and captures the character unfathomably. After getting an Oscar for that role, she has made inroads into American cinema, recently taking a role opposite Johnny Depp in "Public Enemies." She's fearless and unpredictable, without a doubt the most powerful and versatile actress out there right now.
2. Cate Blanchett (Little Fish, I’m Not There) You've seen her in "Lord of the Rings" and "Benjamin Button." Now go watch "I'm Not There." It follows the life of Bob Dylan by dividing his being into 6 different personalities, played by 6 different people. Blanchett plays a male role here--and, playing opposite the likes of Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, she gives the best performance of the bunch.
3. Naomi watts (King Kong, The Ring, Eastern Promises) She has a certain affinity for attracting good roles, and then nailing them. Her eyes are incredibly emotional, and she carries the screen in anything you watch her in, whether she's forming a deep friendship with a giant ape or trying to get to the bottom of where a lost baby came from.
4. Ellen Burstyn (Requiem for a Dream) This was the old lady who made this movie tick. Her role as the mother is so sad and bittersweet, but it's the great actress's take on the role that makes the film powerful and believable, and allows the piece to descend into the deep nightmare that it is. The arc of the mother character is so pronounced and sympathetic, she's unmistakable.
5. Helena Bonham Carter (Fight Club, Sweeney Todd) She's similar to Depp in that she's extremely versatile and she works a lot with Tim Burton (and for good reason: she's married to the guy). Bonham Carter's unique look and chameleon-like acting ability once had her on track to become the next great leading lady of Hollywood, however her choice of roles and take on her characters have made her much better than all that. She's captivating; she brings an intense energy to her characters that few others can bring.

Special Mention: Brittany Murphy (8 mile, Sin City) Stay with me here. Yes, she came out in stupid tweeny flicks like "Little Black Book" and "Just Married," but so did Johnny Depp and Heath Ledger before they found their groove. I think Murphy is as talented as she is fearless; someone to watch closely as her career continues to unfold.

What I Look For In An Actor

I hope that my words in this post won't be taken to be arrogant; I don't by any means consider myself to be the gold standard of casting or directing, and I'm sure some of my colleagues would rightfully disagree with me on a point or two. That said, I thought I could offer one small-time director's perspective on casting.

The one-size-fits-all male star is out. It used to be, a pretty face would get you the role, but not anymore, or at least not for me as a director. I get so many headshots showing cookie-cutter chiseled looks that I'm over it. Your handsome face may get you the date Friday night, but it won't get you a spot on my set. I want you to be ugly. Or at least, anything out-of-the-ordinary.

Here's what I look for in an actor:
1. An interesting, unique look. Every one of my scripts is written for an Adrien Brody or a Ralph Fiennes, actors with features that would set them apart, make them unusual and interesting. As an actor, your appearance is a conduit of visual and emotional appeal--it is the canvass for the story. Your look isn't limited to your grooming and weight. You've got to accentuate the features that set you apart from the rest, because if you look like everybody else I won't care. And yes, I'm talking about your big nose, or your sunken eyes, or your unusually rounded head. One of my favorite actors of all time is Peter Lorre, a man with such an interesting face that he could play anything: villainous, pathetic, benign, charming. He could do it all, and interestingly enough, he didn't look like Tom Cruise.
2. Talent and Commitment. I debated whether or not to even mention talent, because it goes without saying. Some people aren't built for the job--I know I'm not. But that aside, let's assume you are blessed with acting chops. I'm interested in seeing you demonstrate that you are unshakingly dedicated to your craft. I want you to do your homework; to create and inhabit the character on your own, and surprise me with what you come up with. I'm interested in people who go above and beyond in their dedication to their craft; who spend the time and money it takes to improve themselves through training and education, or who think of ways to augment their characters with bits and pieces from their own life. I was thoroughly impressed when an actress brought a bag of items from home to decorate her office set; it made the space real, both for her and the camera, and it was another way of going above and beyond.
3. Directability. I want you to surprise me--show me layers of your character that I might not have seen. But I also want you to be able to take direction, and make it work. If I try to push you in a different direction, feel free to argue your side, but once I put my foot down go with it and try to believe in it.

Here are a few things actors do that always impress me, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant:
1. When actors get there early, whether it be to an audition or to the set.
2. When actors take the initiative and figure out where their mark is, where the edge of the frame is, where their eyeline should be.
3. When actors print out their sides before an audition or reading.
4. When an actor gets in character and stays there.
5. When an actor asks me to see my work, as part of their selection criteria for working with me. It makes me feel that they care about how the project is going to come out, and that they are driven and savvy about where they're going.
6. When an actor calls me off-set to discuss their character. It shows me that they're doing their homework, and that once again they care about what they're doing.

The Rendezvous

I promise, promise, promise that in the future I will only make shorts that can be filmed in a single day and in a single location... Of course, I said the same thing last year.

I was so impressed with Stephanie Drapeau after we worked with her on "Arno's Gift," that I wrote a 20 page short all around her. I created a character for her named Andrea, an aggressive and successful woman with a lot of pent-up anger, who comes across a man on a dating site who strikes her as an absolute pervert. That man turns out to be Louis, a shy and somewhat innocent man who wears an ill-fitting exterior of false experience. The script was written for Stephanie Drapeau to be the main character, although as it turns out she and the male lead, Oren Rehany, share the screen quite nicely.

Our production was originally slated for 5 days, of which we've shot 2, but will need to go on an extra day to correct some minor setbacks we had on the second day of shooting. Our first production with Curtis Heyne of Living Cinema as cinematographer, we've been able to bring a particular life to the visuals. Several lush locations have lent wonderfully to our film in color and texture, including a beautiful neighborhood in Rancho Palos Verdes, a luxury hotel room, a coffee shop in downtown Long Beach that doubles as an art gallery, and a beautifully posh restaurant, also in downtown Long Beach.

I wanted the film to have a somewhat classic sensibility to it, particularly in things like clothes and cars. You'll see an old 1973 VW, not quite a classic car but classic in its nature, and clothes that have the color and texture one might expect to see in an older film. Oren Rehany had a striking appearance that made him perfect for Louis, and it was a brilliant find; especially after sifting through volumes of chiseled, Tom Cruise-like headshots. I wanted him to look the part; not to look like every other multi-purpose male star. And he pulls it off beautifully, with marvelous acting talent to boot.

As you can see from the picture above, the actors have fallen into character quite nicely. I have high hopes for the project going forward.

New Stills from "Arno's Gift"

I'm tremendously excited at the progress we've made on our most recent short film, "Arno's Gift." I won't tell you whether what we're looking at is the gift:

We have been blessed recently with the discovery of some incredible actors. These 3 stills are of Stephanie Drapeau, playing the character of Julia, Arno's estranged former love. In these 3 frames, she gives 3 subtle variations on an emotion. It is this type of emotional virtuosity that I'm truly excited to see and work with.



Scott Burn is our title character, playing the role of Arno. Here he is in the Village Treasures knick knack shop, a location that the owner, Maxie, graciously allowed us to use.

Stephanie and Scott playing a scene together.

Some frames of Scott, experiencing the ups and downs (mostly downs) of his search for the tin soldier.



Discovery.

Clowns: The New

I'm very excited to post up the first round of preliminary character sketches for the Clowns graphic novel. These are from our concept artist Mike Donaldson over in the UK, and I'm very happy with the progress we've made with the character concepts.


The first two sheets are a couple variants of Francesca, our pivotal female character.

Francesca is a new character who didn't exist in the original 'Clowns' short. I came to realize that female characters are virtually non-existent in my writing, and I also realized that I had the perfect role for one. She plays a crucial, and I believe a powerful, role in the outcome of the 'Clowns' plot.

Mr. Wiggles is getting there. Coincidentally, he looks a little much like my sister-in-law's boyfriend, and that's a little weird to me. Also we'll want to work on his facial mark, which gets a lot of emphasis in the story. It'll need to be bigger and brighter.

In this picture, on the left we have Baggy Britches, and on the right we have Johnny Boy. Johnny Boy is spot-on; the absolute best character design I've seen from Mike yet. He looks wonderfully twisted and pathetic, and the character and detail in his face is marvelous.

Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with this first round of sketches, and I can't wait to see where it goes from here. Compare these to the movie stills below; we'll see these characters transform even more in the coming weeks.

Clowns: The Old

This week I prepared some frames from our original "Clowns" short film to send over to our concept artist, Mike Donaldson. I informed him that these will serve simply as reference images; I would like the re-envisioned characters to have a healthy dose of his creativity as an experienced artist. One of the wonderful things about animating "Clowns" is that there is no extra budget necessary to have spectacular sets and makeup. For example, you'll see below that Wiggles has two simple dots on his cheeks--a choice that was purely utilitarian, as we would've had a grand old time trying to consistently reproduce anything more complicated. Well here they are, for your viewing pleasure: today we celebrate the old, as we prepare diligently for the new.

Clark McLanathan was an absolute force as Buttercup. He came up with this makeup design himself. I insisted that, in the interest of budget and time, each actor be able to put on his own makeup, which consisted of a base of clown white and whatever other designs they could muster to put over it.

Sam and I got a kick out of naming the sadistic clown killer "Buttercup." It was the sweetest, most innocent clown name we could come up with, and so you can see it worked perfectly for a clown that would kick down a door, guns a-blazing. My favorite part of his costume was the smiley face-covered tie.

George Johnson was marvelous as clown kingpin Baggy Britches.



There are several things I loved about Wiggles' costume. First and foremost, that jacket. It was a wonderfully silly retro jacket, green with a great fuzzy texture and, you can't see it in either of these shots, but multi-colored polka dots on the inside lining. The other find that I love is the frilly shirt, which is actually a woman's blouse. This the jacket and blouse together at Goodwill: $5.00

What's Next

The goal for my live-action short films is to have them done--production, post, and release--in a month's time. The fast turnaround, I've learned the hard way, is essential to the morale of the team (there's nothing worse than the urge to avoid certain people because you haven't yet finished the film they helped you on). Because of that, I've taken to writing short-form scripts that are shorter, simpler, and able to be filmed and edited quickly. Animation, on the other hand, is a different story. No matter which way you spin it, an animated film is more of a long-haul; the process is much longer and more labor-intensive, and requires the contribution of many skilled artists. And we, Sage and Pitts, are happy to announce that we're diving in. We have two animation projects in the works for this year, both to be tentatively released in December 2007.

The first project, a 3d animated short called "The Marionette," is a 5-minute story about a mouse who discovers an old marionette tangled up in its strings in the corner of an old-fashioned toy shop, and, taking pity on the puppet, attempts to bring it to life. We hope to have concept art done in the first two months of this year (be on the lookout for it--we'll be posting it here!), after which Sam will be modeling the characters and environment. Characters will be ready and rigged by early Summer, and the next few months will be spent animating the story, hopefully ready for rendering by fall. I've written the script, and it will be co-directed by myself and Sam Pitts. Sam will also be the technical director and will be in charge of modeling, texturing and rendering. Music will be composed by myself and Daniel Pitts, and will be recorded by a live orchestra for use in the film. Other posts we plan to fill are rigging, animation, and sound engineering.

The second project is a pet of mine. "Clowns," which I originally wrote to be an El Mariachi-style low budget action film, will hopefully be re-emerging as an anime series. It is amazing to me how much the story has improved since I last worked on it; it seems that the time I've spent away from the material has allowed me to step back from it and see its weaknesses. I see the new and improved version as a 3-season anime series with 9 episodes per season. It has mostly the same characters, but their dynamics in the story have changed, they have a stronger back story, and they lend themselves better to unique and compelling character development. The story is still just as violent, and the over-the-topness of its style is perfect for an anime series. Also, concepts that I never could have expounded on in a low-budget short film, like the Linden Wall, a wall 100 stories high that separates the clown city from the world of the humans, and the clown city itself--these high concepts are given freedom to shine in an anime, since we are spared the expense of actually building the sets. The plan is to create a 2-minute trailer for the series that will draw in studio involvement or investors, whichever comes first. By the time the trailer is finished, I plan to have a good first few episodes written, as well as a detailed outline of the first season (which will be self-contained in case it ends up being the last season as well) and a preliminary outline for the second and third seasons. Be looking for concept art and a splash page for the "Clowns" anime!