It was a beautiful, sunny post-Carnival day when we filed into the Tartan office to decide what would be written for the next week. Going in, I told myself I wasn’t going to write anything. I didn’t have time, not when all my writings needed writing and my readings needed reading.
However, when our Forum Editor William Curvan proffered the idea of “Film Forum,” I couldn’t say no. I grabbed a pen (my laptop) and sat down, because I had a fantastic idea! That idea, you may be asking yourself? Nothing. I had absolutely no idea what to write. There I sat, gazing over the lush concrete hills of the Steel City, wracking my brain for a prompt.
Then an idea hit me: Actors. Celebrities. Household names. You know who I am referring to: Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Sandra Bullock, Adam Sandler. Need I name more? No, you understand.
We should stop casting them.
Sure, you’re probably screaming several profanities at this paper, maybe you’ve even taken a match to it, watching my article shrivel up beneath the flame. I wouldn’t blame you. But I said what I said and I’m not taking it back.
I’m sure you’re saying: “I love watching movies with them.” I get it. We all do. They are so talented and deserve leading roles. Then again, there are so many other talented actors who have not had the chance to make their screen debut.
I love watching a film when I do not know the starring actors more than anything. There is something so authentic when we take a talented actor that no one has heard of and cast them in the lead role. It brings something fresh and exciting to the film.
I don’t care how talented an actor is if I’ve already seen them in a billion and one other things. I can’t help but be taken out of the world that the film is creating. Seriously, Daniel Radcliffe almost left Harry Potter because he didn’t want to be known as the boy wizard his entire life. (Spoiler alert: He is.)
When we watch a film with an A-list actor, we’re not watching a detective, we’re watching that actor play a detective. But when we watch actors we don’t recognize, we don’t have the opportunity to scream: “I know them!” They take a role and internalize it. The film begins to feel like real life. That detective on screen isn’t a pirate in a movie you saw the week before, nor do they star as an insufferable love interest in another — they are solely a detective.
With how competitive the acting market is, those new actors dedicate themselves to this role because it is their shot to make a lasting impression on the audience. An A-list actor has a chance to do that several times a year, but here the actors only have a guaranteed one.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie starring fan favorites. Sign me up! I’m not saying we should stop casting them all together. If they’re an A-list actor, it’s for a reason. I don’t need to tell you about their flexibility and range as a performer. You already know. However, there is something so charming and drawing with a new face. It brings something unique to the story.
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