Three Great Actors

1. Identify three actors from your film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in your text.
   
   “The Departed”

1. 1) Leonardo DiCaprio: (The Interpreter) Our text states that an interpreter actor is one “who take material and put their own stamp on it. Often this involves actors interpreting
    well–known roles” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).

2) Jack Nicholson: (Personality) Jack Nicholson falls into the category of a personality actor. The definition of this type of acting is “Having a strong personality and at some level, playing themselves – at least that is the perception. These actors make it difficult for audiences to differentiate between the actor and the character” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).

3) Mark Wahlberg: (Wild Card) This type of acting by definition is “if an actor who if difficult to classify as one certain type, often because he or she can play a wide variety of characters equally well without becoming typecast” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).  

2. Explain your reasons for classifying the actors as you do. Use specific references to the film and pay special attention to how these decisions impacted characterization. Also, consider the impact of any realistic or stylized portrayals within the film.

I listed Leonardo as an interpreter actor because he does such a good job of making the characters that he plays his own. Everything from “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” to “Titanic” to “The Departed”, Leo gives each role his own unique touch. Leonardo also did an amazing job portraying Howard Hughes in “The Aviator” and added his own twist to “Romeo + Juliet”. He’s proved to be such a great actor, that people will run to the theatre just because they know he’s in the movie. I believe the movie that really made his career take off is “Titanic” in 1997. In that movie he portrayed a love interest during the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic. Even though his character Jack is not based on a real person, his performance makes you feel like he was.

Jack Nicholson is listed as a personality actor. This one feels like a no brainer because everyone that has seen a Nicholson movie knows what to expect. They know that his strong personality will come out, whether the character is supposed to be crazy, stern, quirky or serious. For example, “Jack Nicholson has such a strong presence and such idiosyncratic mannerisms and tics that we know what he is trying to convey simply by watching him raise an eyebrow, one of his signature moves” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011). Nicholson has shown his amazing strong personality in movies such as “The Shining”, “As Good as it Gets”, “Batman”, “A Few Good Men”, “Hoffa”, “Anger Management”, “The Bucket List” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”. I simply cannot name them all, but he is certainly play memorable characters including “The Departed”. His portrayals in the films mentioned above are so diverse and unforgettable. He’s one of those actors that has such a strong personality that people love to imitate him.

I listed Mark Wahlberg as a wildcard actor since he has played so many different types of characters. He can play sweet, soft and gentle and he can play a psychopath as well. His performance in “Fear” in 1996 showed that he can play a creepy crazy character. Other movies of his that differ from one another include “Planet of the Apes”, “Rock Star”, “Invincible” and “The Other Guys”. He also did an amazing job in the scary movie “The Happening” in 2008, yet he also played a man that couldn't let go of his teddy bear in “Ted” in 2012. He’s originally from Boston, so his accent in the movie “The Departed” wasn't hard for him to do at all.

Focus on one of the actors you've discussed. Based on other films the actor has been in, would this actor always be placed in the same category? If so, what does this say about the category or actor? If not, what can you infer about the flexibility of these categories? Provide evidence (references from other films, including film clips and stills) to support your argument.

Based on all of the films that these actors have been in, I do not think that any of these actors would always be placed in the same category. That being said, the category of an actor can describe them to a certain point. However, on a broader range, these three actors can play many different types of roles. The following clips are to prove my point.

Leonardo DiCaprio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9_Qsb0mPFk

Jack Nicholson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0eXvemtUE

Mark Wahlberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSGG-nhD5pY

References:

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

YouTube.com. (2014). Top ten performances. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9_Qsb0mPFk

YouTube.com. (2014). Top ten performances. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze0eXvemtUE

YouTube.com. (2014). Top ten performances. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSGG-nhD5pY