Post by Sarah on Feb 22, 2004 11:41:26 GMT -5
Here's an interesting article from The New York Post that talks about actors playing Jesus, and what it does to their careers.
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THE CURSE OF JESUS
By BILLY HELLER
February 21, 2004 -- YOU'D think playing Jesus Christ would be a career-maker.
Then again, what have you heard of Ted Neeley, Jeffrey Hunter, John Bassberger and Maurice Costello?
All have done a turn in a thorny crown - then were barely heard from again. Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," opening Wednesday, might want to take note.
After Willem Dafoe in "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988) and Christian Bale in TV's "Mary, Mother of Jesus" (1999), you'd be hard-pressed to find any big names.
And although Max von Sydow's career didn't go to hell after "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), he ending up playing Satan three decades later, in "Needful Things."
Michael Shurtleff, who cast "Jesus Christ Superstar," says it's not the part that's cursed, just the performances.
"They choose people who look the part," he says. "They go by appearance rather than talent."
Take Neeley. After his star turn in "Superstar," he went on to a couple of "Starsky & Hutch" episodes and a 1981 Meat Loaf movie called " Dead Ringer." He's been touring in "Superstar" stage productions since.
"The role requires a tremendous amount of skill and craft," says Richard Kuranda, director of professional development at the Actors Studio, "and not many young actors have that."
Too often, Kuranda says, "the role follows them . . . it's like Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars.' "
Jeffrey Hunter, who shaved his armpits for "King of Kings" (1961), is best known as the man who played the captain of the Enterprise in the "Star Trek" TV pilot, but declined to take the series.
Chris Sarandon starred in the 1980 TV movie "The Day Christ Died." His bigger role? Getting married to and divorced from Susan Sarandon.
While Robert Wilson played Christ in several movies in the '50s, he scarcely played anything else. At least he acted again - which is more than can be said for Bassberger ("The Thorn") and Ray Magnano ("Barabas").
Shurtleff, the casting director, has advice for others who dare to play the part: "Learn how to go and be a good actor."
Or pray.
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So, what do you guys think? I personally think Christian's acting was very good in Mary, Mother of Jesus, not his best work, but nothing to be ashamed of. As for it making or breaking his career, I think it did nothing of the sort, in fact, I don't think it affected his career all that much. It certainly showed that he can do a very wide and eclectic range of roles (especially since his role before that was as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho), but he didn't disapear after making it.
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THE CURSE OF JESUS
By BILLY HELLER
February 21, 2004 -- YOU'D think playing Jesus Christ would be a career-maker.
Then again, what have you heard of Ted Neeley, Jeffrey Hunter, John Bassberger and Maurice Costello?
All have done a turn in a thorny crown - then were barely heard from again. Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus in Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," opening Wednesday, might want to take note.
After Willem Dafoe in "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988) and Christian Bale in TV's "Mary, Mother of Jesus" (1999), you'd be hard-pressed to find any big names.
And although Max von Sydow's career didn't go to hell after "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965), he ending up playing Satan three decades later, in "Needful Things."
Michael Shurtleff, who cast "Jesus Christ Superstar," says it's not the part that's cursed, just the performances.
"They choose people who look the part," he says. "They go by appearance rather than talent."
Take Neeley. After his star turn in "Superstar," he went on to a couple of "Starsky & Hutch" episodes and a 1981 Meat Loaf movie called " Dead Ringer." He's been touring in "Superstar" stage productions since.
"The role requires a tremendous amount of skill and craft," says Richard Kuranda, director of professional development at the Actors Studio, "and not many young actors have that."
Too often, Kuranda says, "the role follows them . . . it's like Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars.' "
Jeffrey Hunter, who shaved his armpits for "King of Kings" (1961), is best known as the man who played the captain of the Enterprise in the "Star Trek" TV pilot, but declined to take the series.
Chris Sarandon starred in the 1980 TV movie "The Day Christ Died." His bigger role? Getting married to and divorced from Susan Sarandon.
While Robert Wilson played Christ in several movies in the '50s, he scarcely played anything else. At least he acted again - which is more than can be said for Bassberger ("The Thorn") and Ray Magnano ("Barabas").
Shurtleff, the casting director, has advice for others who dare to play the part: "Learn how to go and be a good actor."
Or pray.
---
So, what do you guys think? I personally think Christian's acting was very good in Mary, Mother of Jesus, not his best work, but nothing to be ashamed of. As for it making or breaking his career, I think it did nothing of the sort, in fact, I don't think it affected his career all that much. It certainly showed that he can do a very wide and eclectic range of roles (especially since his role before that was as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho), but he didn't disapear after making it.
