Where are the American actors?
 

I saw 3:10 to Yuma the other day and it just struck me that the two centrals were non-Americans -- Bale (English) and Crowe (Auzzie) -- in the most typical Western flick in years. I then realized that foreign actors are gobbling up tons of cherry roles as Americans. Just off the top of my head, here are some of my favorite recent flicks with foreigners playing Americans: Batman Begins (Bale, and now with Ledger as the Joker), Brokeback Mountain (Ledger), Momento (Pierce), LA Confidential (Pierce and Crowe), the Prestige (Jackman, though he's awful), Matrix (Weaving, as my favorite villian ever, though you argue he wasn't really American he spoke with an American accent), Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (Roth), not to mention all the movies with Gary Oldman and Mel Gibson.

Is this door swinging both ways? It's much harder generating a list in the other direction: Snatch (Pitt), Crying Game (Whittaker) [I don't really count Last King of Scotland because he didn't "steal" that role from another native speaker], and??? I suppose you count some of the Lord of the Rings characters, but that speech is more Shakespearean than contemporary.

Of course the American movie industry is bigger than the Australian or British industry, and some of those movies had foreign directors like Christopher Nolan who may bring actors with them, it still seems odd that American actors aren't competing for those roles. So then who are the great American male (since i didn't get into female roles) actors? There aren't many, are there? Especially young actors. The ones I can think of are all working: Robert Downey, Philip Seymore Hoffman, Ed Norton, Whitiker, Denzel. Maybe there just aren't enough for the great roles. Or maybe the American actors are all tied into contracts with big studios, so they can't pick and choose when a great script like Momento comes along. And what about the next generation? Are we really stuck with Shia LeBoef, Josh Hartnett and the cast of American Pie? yikes.

Why would you think acting would be different than any other service / industry?

Sgran: Any list which includes Momento and Pulp fiction as "recent" favorites suggests you just don't see enough movies.

Ed Norton, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Paul Giamatti...



Ok.. ok.. I threw Hoffman in there just to see if you are paying attention.

Don't forget Leonardo DiCaprio (I don't think 34 is "old").

People always leave DiCaprio off these lists. I understand that he gets tied to Titanic and then a couple of bad movies, but I thought he has had 5 good movies in a row now. He was exceptional in both Blood Diamond and The Departed and I thought also great in The Aviator.

Edit: Bah ISiddiqui beat me to the punch.

Ha ha!

Do answer the specific question asked in the Thread Title, Michael Cera is, or at least as of Tuesday night was, in Royal Oak, Michigan. He's filming some movie here. I walked past him and, presumably, his girlfriend the other night.

Bad news, Cera is from Canada ;).

Btw, do young comedy actors count? Because if so Jonah Hill is fucking hilarious (as is Seth Rogan).

Much like many industries, the wealth and influence of the US film industry pulls the cream from around the world. If you are an "A" list actor, the place to be is Hollywood, regardless of nationality. Sometimes you see a top American actor playing a role in a foreign film, but usually you can point to a specific relationship with a producer or director to explain it.

The other thing about American actors is that, as a general rule, they aren't fluent in foreign languages. Clint Eastwood spoke English in his spaghetti westerns because Italian wasn't an option.

This brings up the English exception. US actors do appear in English films with some frequency. There is no prohibitive wall of language or money.

The American actors are in Jacksonville selling real estate.

Technically, couldn't actors from Canada be called American? Just like actors from Mexico. They're all either North or South American.

No mention of Tom Hanks, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jaimie Foxx, Terrence Howard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Penn, or Tim Robbins.

I'd also stick Johnny Depp and Don Cheadle as American actors that have done very well portraying foreign characters.

Actually, they're all just North American.

Why stop there? What about Tom Cruise? Brad Pitt? Bruce Willis? Donnie Walberg? All limited actors.
I'll give you Depp (good call), Cheadle and Penn, but the others you mention are limited, or haven't been challenged. Quick: what's the most challenging role Clooney has ever played? The one where he had to put on 20 pounds? I like him, but you can't compare his body of work to the others mentioned. And were you really convinced Tom Hanks had AIDS? And Robbins? Yes, he's been in many of my favorite movies, but he is often stiff and unconvincing. And Ledger acted circles around Donnie Darko in Brokeback Mountain. And wasn't Daniel Day Lewis much better than Leo when they were on screen together?

I'll admit that my argument wasn't very thorough -- that's what happens when you try to explain a complex thought at work and finish before someone comes into your office -- but I still think it's an interesting phenomenon that so many foreign actors are playing Americans in good films. And I love talking movies even when I have no greater point to make. And I'd like to remind you that Hugh Jackman is awful, just so don't think I'm only hating on American actors. And i'm rambling.

Who played Wedge?

That's right, an American.

He never did anything good back there.

Neal Patrick Harris ftw

He can play Wedge in Episode 7.

Steve Zahn was on my flight to Lexington on Friday. According to his Wiki page, he and his family live on a small horse farm near Lexington (might be up the street from me, who knows).

Hope that helps. :p

They took our jobs!

They tuuk rha jrbs!

Is this a joke or something? The Eastwood / Sergo Leone Westerns were called Spaghetti Westerns because they were filmed in Italy for cheaper production costs. The actual stories are still set in the American southwest. Why would they speak Italian?

lol...that sorta threw me, too. :)

1. Daniel Day-Lewis being better then an actor in the same scene. Big Shock. I wonder how Leo will live that down. If that's the worst thing you can say about Leo DiCaprio, then you got no case. Leo actually made a few movies after Titanic, check them out.

2. It's Mark Wahlberg, Donnie does act, but not at the same level as Mark.

3. Calling Brad Pitt limited is comical.

4. Your comments on Tom Hanks, George Clooney are based on your bias. Tom Hanks is a Superstar, and has given some great performances. You didnt like him in Philidelphia, so i guess he sucks. George Clooney, who im not much of a fan of, pleases alot of people. I generally don't like his movies, but i think he is a very good actor.

5. 3:10 to yuma featured a great young american actor named Ben Foster, who got oscar buzz for his role as Russel Crowe's sidekick.

6. Shia Labeouf will win an oscar in the next 10 years. All he does is turn out quality performances.

Not to mention that technically they all speak a foreign language. :D

He was also great in Alpha Dog.

DiCaprio in Blood Diamond comes to mind.

I have to vehemently disagree with yo on the next generation of actors... there are some very good ones out there that you didn't mention (Gosling, Phillippe, Tatum), and most people don't get discovered until they are in their late 20's/30's anyway so it's no big deal...

btw, it's Memento

If Tom Hanks is still and unconvincing, I have a set of tits. Also, Johnny beat me to it but Ben Foster from 3:10 is a really talented up and comer

You are right, Ben Foster was great in that role. I hope he gets some good opportunities coming up.

Go watch 'em again, gentlemen. From Wikipedia:

"Originally Spaghetti Westerns had in common the Italian language, low budgets, and a recognizable highly fluid, violent, and minimalist cinematography that eschewed (some said "demythologized") many of the conventions of earlier Westerns — partly intentionally, partly as a result of the work being done in a different cultural background and with limited funds."

You'll notice that even in Sergio Leone's films shot with Clint, a number of the actors voices are dubbed. The English version of "A Fistfull of Dollars" wasn't even released in the US until 1967, 3 years after it was released in Italy. It was always intended to be -- and was -- an Italian film.