Actors and the Depths of Egoism
Like many people I am just as fascinated by the stories and happenings behind the scenes as I am with the final product. The non-fiction, practical world of creating art is filled with tales of passion, camaraderie and butting heads. The best stories can become works of art in their own right.
Theatre, film and television production is a collaborate effort. Every person has their part to play in realizing the imaginary into something tangible and consumable. Managers, technicians and assistants are invisible and invaluable to the success of any production. Any crew, large or small, will work harder and work better when there is respect among the team, respect for the creative hierarchy, and a belief in the project they are working together to create.
Unfortunately, sometimes actors don’t get the idea of mutual respect and creative integrity that is strongly associated with the craft.
In the days of the Hollywood studio system, where actors were under contract, executives hired teams of lawyers, handlers and PR staff to regulate and fashion their stars with idealized, wholesome personas. The actor’s image was created and maintained by the studio for the purposes of popular consumption. With the end of the studio system it became the duty of the actor themselves to shape their public image, with the help of agents, managers, personal PR teams, stylists and social media. Their image is their brand, and they want their image to always be positive.
Being the face of storytelling can go to one’s head. In historic theatre and continuing to the present day many actors abuse their position at the expense of other artists and the final result. Thanks to their celebrity and popularity with audiences, A-list stars can take command over their projects with a blatant disregard not afforded other members of the cast and crew. Their demands, which sound unreasonable or ridiculous to most sensibly-minded people, are indulged by producers and studios because they are considered indispensable or ‘worth it’. The concessions made for the acting elite are more than often damaging to a resulting play, film or TV show than a benefit.
(Note: the inner workings of Hollywood happens behind closed doors. Because of this many of the examples cited are derived from rumour and undisclosed sources within the industry. Any claims made are speculative or based on available information.)
The most commonly heard of demand from actors? Mo’ money.
If a production wants A-list talent working for them they need to pay through the nose to get them. Deals can reach into seven and even eight figure sums based on an actor’s proven box office draw or their unshakeable association to a certain character, such as Robert Downey, Jr. with Iron Man or Matt Damon as Jason Bourne — no one could readily replace them. They can demand incredible fees because their presence will near-guarantee profitable returns.
An actors pay doesn’t have to begin and end with the production. Their contracts may promise residual pay from a percentage of the box office, and a share of the home release profits, too. Actors are paid more upfront if they sign themselves to contracts cementing their return in a franchise (Disney and Marvel, Warner Bros. and DC). The most egregious and controversial practice associated with actors in Hollywood is the pay or play deal, where an actor is paid their full fee regardless of whether a film is ever made. Actors can be paid massive amounts for little to no work, leaving producers and studios with nothing to show for their time and expense.
Hollywood names who belong to a successful franchise, or have signed on to a project before a finished script is written, can have contracts which grant them a decisive role in the development of a feature. Right of approval is a stipulation in an actor’s contract that a screenplay cannot move forward without their consent. If they are unhappy with a story element or character motivation the actor can demand that it’s changed — when the screenplay is to their satisfaction the production can proceed.
The problem with having right of approval is that actors may be more concerned with looking good or appeasing their own wants rather than serving the storytelling. In the final film to feature the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Nemesis, Patrick Stewart had such a clause in his contract. Being an enthusiast for off-roading in all-terrain vehicles, Stewart asked for the script to include an action scene where Captain Jean-Luc Picard cruises around on an alien planet in a futuristic dune buggy. It makes no practical or logical sense in a universe of warp speed and transporter technology for this vehicle to exist, but because Patrick Stewart asked for it, he got it. (Also, Picard is depicted as more of an action hero in the films in comparison to the TV series, most likely at Stewart’s request.)
This might also explain the tendency for Tom Cruise movies to feature him riding motorbikes so much. Like Patrick Stewart and the dune buggy in Star Trek: Nemesis, why does Tom Cruise’s character in Oblivion need a motorbike? He has his own personal spaceship.
While these practices are unpalatable they are at least in writing and legally binding. Unofficially actors regularly exploit their power in ways that are tantamount to blackmail and bullying.
Actors with substantial clout can complicate and stall a production until they get what they want. A personal entourage that includes chefs and masseurs and trainers, all provided and paid for by the production, is not uncommon. After intensive auditioning by agencies and directors the top billing names can override casting decisions if they decide they don’t like an actor. It’s become a cliché for actors to behave like spoiled divas because studios acceptingly bend to their whims.
The adage of, “It’s not about what you know, but who you know,” strongly applies to Hollywood. Nepotism is rife in the industry, both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Big name actors can corner a production into casting family members, especially their children, without going through the process of auditioning. The question of whether their family members are talented and capable of achieving success based on their personal merit is redundant because of their insider connections.
Jaden Smith’s career in Hollywood can be attributed entirely to his father, Will Smith, who has been giving his son roles since he was five years old. They have starred together in $100 million+ productions, such as M. Night Shyamalan’s After Earth, because Will Smith is both the actor and producer. The transparent defense for this nepotism is that their natural father-son bond translates to the screen, thereby enhancing the quality of the film. It’s called acting — people pretend to be related all the time, and they’re equally or even more convincing playing families than Will and Jaden Smith on screen. It’s an unfair advantage afforded to privileged names who cheat their profession and hinder emerging talents.
Even when actors aren’t disputing their pay or the script or asking for their buddies to get a part they can still disrupt a production. Some actors can take their roles too seriously and expect the people surrounding them to tolerate their nonsense because it’s their ‘process’. Actors who claim to use the method approach can take it to extremes, disrespecting cast and crew members while indulging (there’s no other word for it) dickish behaviour.
From Marlon Brando to Daniel Day Lewis there are plenty of actors who have pushed themselves and their collaborators to near-breaking point, which in many cases lead to high praise and numerous accolades. Reading about Jared Leto’s ‘method acting’, however, only frustrates me. Playing the Joker in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad Leto decided that ‘inhabiting’ his character meant terrorizing his cast mates, sending them bullets, pigs' heads and used condoms on set (among other childish and detestable things). Personal space and comfort be damned, Jared Leto viewed his role with greater esteem and wanted those around him to oblige his pretentious ego. (I have the utmost respect for Viola Davis because she refused to put up with his method acting bulls**t during filming.)
Whether it involves the machinations of Hollywood or the craft itself actors need to be held accountable. For too long the industry has afforded them excessive power and status. The responsibility to throttle and control the egoism of over-inflated artists belongs to everyone: themselves, those around them, and those who watch them. If we see unacceptable, selfish behaviour we have a duty to call it out. Acting should be an honour not to be squandered or used as a commodity.
To those actors who abuse their position, they need to know that the riches given to them, real and figurative, can just as easily be taken away. They need more people calling their bluff, and fewer people submitting to their delusional superiority.
Respect those around you, and respect the craft. It’s not hard.
Coming soon: Suspending the British Classics
