In a series of sixteen advertisements screened in Japan, Tommy Lee Jones plays extraterrestrial 'Alien Jones', who has taken the form of a man to check on the world of humans, all the while drinking a Japanese brand of coffee named BOSS. I have no idea how Tommy Lee Jones got talked into doing these advertisements, or why. And after watching them for yourself (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), you probably won't either.
posted by Effigy2000 on Nov 23, 2008 - 85 comments

Look out, New York ladies, the Goot is loose! His experience on Dancing With the Stars "made him a better person"; after getting the hook as a hoofer, a disllusioned Steve Guttenberg abandons Hollywood for New York.
posted by grounded on Jul 16, 2008 - 46 comments

David Garrick (1717-1779) revolutionized acting technique in the eighteenth century. One of England's most influential actor-managers, he operated the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and exerted a profound influence on Shakespearean texts and performances alike; in fact, Garrick's Jubilee Celebration of 1769 is the ancestor of the modern Shakespeare festival (and inspired some fakery as well). [more inside]
posted by thomas j wise on Apr 3, 2008 - 8 comments

The Unsung Joe: Where bit-part actors go when they die. Biographies of the most obscure micro-stars of 1940s and '50s cinema, all remarkably well-researched and richly illustrated.
posted by jack_mo on Dec 11, 2007 - 28 comments

John Simpson, on actors.
posted by veedubya on Oct 9, 2007 - 23 comments

Hey! Isn't that the guy from that movie? The 20 best "that guys" of all time -- according to Cracked. (via)
posted by fallenposters on May 30, 2007 - 157 comments

Bollywood Dreams. Bollywood in a nutshell: Bollywood is the name given to the Bombay (Mumbai)-based Hindi-language film industry in India. Bollywood films are colorful, crammed with singing, dancing, loads of costume changes. In the past there were often absurd and hilarious take-offs on Western films or superstars, such as the Beatles, Michael Jackson , Elvis,70's music and hair styles. Spectacular collection of Bollywood posters and vintage original poster art for sale and t-shirts. Stats and faqs. The history of Bollywood, brief chronology [pdf]. The main actors, images. The main actresses, images. Some of the renowned songs and the singers who sang them. Bollywood song lyrics and audio at the excellent Music India Online. [more inside]
posted by nickyskye on Jan 27, 2007 - 74 comments

Withnail & I on the YouTube:

Drinking the Lighter Fluid
In the tearoom
Withnail and Danny argue about drugs
Withnail and the Telephone Box
Monty and I
Withnail's monologue in the rain

Withnail & I - A review, Sanjek on Withnail and I
Concerning film maker Bruce Robinson
Withnail & I - The Screenplay
Withnail & I  locations, Withnail and I  quotes and picturesand...
Kids, don't try this at home!--Regarding the Withnail & I drinking game
posted by y2karl on Nov 24, 2006 - 49 comments

Sherlock Holmes on Stage & Screen is a gallery of almost every significant actor who has ever played the great detective. Among their ranks are William Gillette, who was able to build himself a castle in Connecticut with the proceeds from his Holmes portrayal; Charlton Heston, who enacted a version of The Sign of Four onstage; Jeremy Brett, the superlative television Holmes; and, of course, Basil Rathbone, the South African actor whose name became synonymous with the role.
posted by Iridic on Sep 25, 2006 - 21 comments

U.F.O., R.I.P. The two lead actors in the cult 1970 TV series "UFO ", Ed Bishop and Michael Billington, have both died this week within days of each other.
posted by matteo on Jun 10, 2005 - 23 comments

And here's to you, Mrs Robinson! RIP
posted by Duug on Jun 7, 2005 - 69 comments

RIP Eddie Albert. As Mr. Kimball might have said, he was an actor . Well, not really an actor, but a war hero. He was awarded a Bronze star...well, it wasn't really bronze, more like a...anyway, for his efforts at Tarawa. But maybe he was more of an environmentalist...oh, anyway, dig into some hotscakes and remember Mr. Douglas.
posted by Oriole Adams on May 28, 2005 - 20 comments

Actor/impressionist Frank Gorshin, aka The Riddler of the Batman TV series, has died at age 72.
posted by QuestionableSwami on May 18, 2005 - 53 comments

Jerry Orbach, 1935-2004. Goodnight, Lennie Briscoe. Farewell, Lumiere.
(And Billy Flynn and Mack the Knife and Sky Masterson and ...)
posted by grabbingsand on Dec 29, 2004 - 97 comments

"Me, I fart loud - I can't be a hypocrite. I get these parts, but I never get to play 'em because I fart out loud. Why can't we all fart together? Let thy arse make wind!"

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the late, great Timothy Carey, possibly the weirdest of all Hollywood character actors. A follower of Salvador Dalí and Le Pétomane, Carey was a Method actor who was pals with John Cassavetes, a muse of sorts for Stanley Kubrick, alleged discoverer of both Frank Zappa and Ray Dennis Steckler, and one of the dedicatees of Reservoir Dogs. Not only that, he wrote, directed, and starred in one of the all-time strangest American films, The World's Greatest Sinner, and wrote and directed the world's only Dalí-inspired play about death by flatulence.

Against all odds, Timothy Carey has a website, and if you're interested, you can buy his movies, posters, and other odds 'n' ends (warning: doesn't appear to have been updated particularly recently).

Truly, in the words of his tombstone, "A Super Nova of Original Thespian Talent."
posted by Dr. Wu on Dec 29, 2004 - 12 comments

Prime Suspects. Providing actors, extras and consulting services to the movie and TV industry, Suspect Entertainment is Hollywood's best source for street cred.
posted by jacquilynne on May 27, 2004 - 3 comments

American cult actor is an Afghan prince...
Scott Reiniger, who appeared in the 1978 movie Dawn of the Dead, is the great, great, great grandson of Josiah Harlan, the first American to set foot in Afghanistan.
posted by tomcosgrave on May 27, 2004 - 4 comments

Christopher Ecclestone is The Doctor. The BBC have announced it on the tv news and everything. It's just like the old days.
posted by feelinglistless on Mar 20, 2004 - 7 comments

A Pretty URL Is Like A Melody: By a waterfall, I'm calling Who's Who In Musicals, diligently compiled by John Kenrick, a wonderful little resource.
posted by MiguelCardoso on Sep 30, 2003 - 6 comments

Cleveland Press Shakespeare Photographs Er, no, not photographs of Shakespeare--that would be difficult--but of Shakespeare's plays in performance, 1870-1982. Covers productions in all media; photographs can be browsed by dramatic genre (tragedy, comedy, etc.). On a related note, see also Harry Rusche's Shakespeare Illustrated (outstanding and extensive site devoted to nineteenth-century paintings of scenes from Shakespeare's plays).
posted by thomas j wise on Sep 27, 2003 - 6 comments

Pam Grier, Tura Satana, Laura Gemser. Cult Sirens is a site dedicated to, you guessed it, the women made famous due to the cult movies they starred in. If you love this kind of stuff, there are links to more sites having to do with actors, cult movies and horror movies. And there's always this list of cult movies, complete with reviews.
posted by ashbury on Aug 25, 2003 - 3 comments

With his book of short stories entitled Solarcon-6, Wiley Wiggins has become the newest member of a growing community of writers offering their work for free download and distribution under a Creative Commons license. For those unfamiliar with Mr. Wiggins, he is most recognizable as a lead actor in Richard Linklater's films Dazed and Confused and Waking Life.
posted by cachilders on May 14, 2003 - 2 comments

De Niro non disputandis est or, in English, don't fuck with Bobby De Niro. Which is what the English have been doing recently, naming Al Pacino as the greatest movie star of all time. Askmen.com is a little more appreciative but also brackets Pacino with De Niro. The American Film Institute [pdf format] will be giving De Niro their 31st Lifetime Achievement Award on June 12 but - there they go again - he's merely described as "widely regarded as one of the most skillful actors of the last three decades". Is nothing sacred anymore? Who's the man [read "of a certain age, experience and cojones"], after all? I mean, after Jack Nicholson, of course. Now I'm all confused!
posted by Carlos Quevedo on May 8, 2003 - 31 comments

Joe Connelly conked out, as the Beav might've put it. The "Leave it to Beaver" co-creator had many other credits to his name, but for my money, his most memorable achievement was creating TV's smarmiest character, Eddie Haskell.
posted by Oriole Adams on Feb 14, 2003 - 7 comments

"I prefer not to work in Canada. I prefer to work in my own country...There are better actors down here. That's why they have to import so many actors for their Canadian productions."

Oscar winner Robert Duvall claimed Canadians don't make good actors following a Kevin Costner "runaway production" made in Calgary. He should know, having worked with Canadians and been involved with Canadian projects in the past (maybe he's secretly Canadian!). Could he have been referring to these folks? Or does he just lack the patience to coach Canadian's to speak American (NY Times reg. req'd)? Hopefully it's all just be an allergic reaction to tacky-female-cheese-pop-muzik...
posted by boost ventilator on Feb 12, 2003 - 17 comments

The Traitor List. From the straw man while-u-wait department. Remove known sociopaths like Zacarias Moussaoui and Patch Adams from the mix and you get a pretty good list of celebrity activists, with a few politicians for good measure. Anyway, is this site a joke or not? Should actors stay out of politics? And is there something unAmerican about posting images in the right aspect ratio?
posted by condour75 on Feb 12, 2003 - 38 comments

Oh I Just Love This Whatzisname Guy! Aren't we ungrateful about character actors whose work we so enjoy? Sometimes we only realize what their names are when they die. Yet without them the Cinema would be unbearable.
posted by MiguelCardoso on Dec 14, 2002 - 47 comments

eddie bracken, 1940s slapstick comedian, passed on over the weekend. the star of hail the conquering hero and the controversial miracle of morgan's creek, bracken was often regarded as the onscreen alter ego of pioneering writer/director preston sturges. unfortunately, he correctly predicted that his appearance at film forum would be his last.
posted by pxe2000 on Nov 20, 2002 - 6 comments

This guy apparently doesn't like Gary Busey. I disagree, but I generally avoid movies with Kevin Costner or Will Smith...Who's on your Axis of Evil?
posted by octavius on Aug 9, 2002 - 122 comments

Skin flicks? Close. Ok, not really. Not at all. Someone had a little too much time on their hands and deconstructed a bevy of actors and their skin conditions.
posted by mikhail on Jul 26, 2002 - 6 comments

Rumpole and the Angel of Death. Leo McKern dies at 82. "Author John Mortimer created Horace Rumpole with only one actor in mind, and as the blustering, grumbling barrister, McKern did not disappoint."
posted by mcwetboy on Jul 24, 2002 - 11 comments

Attack of the Hollywood Clones Flametracker investigates how some actors are being cloned so that they can work on twice as many projects. See also Julia Roberts and Monica Potter, Keira Knightly and Natalie Portman, Robert Redford and Brad Pitt ...
posted by feelinglistless on Apr 25, 2002 - 18 comments

About Sydney Poitier Something one of my professor's brought up. He said, "I'm tired of everyone being politically correct in Hollywood. They say African-American because they are afraid to say Black." His point being that Mr. Poitier is from the Bahamas and not Africa. What do you think?
posted by ProfLinusPauling on Mar 29, 2002 - 74 comments

Berry, Denzel Make Oscars History Denzel Washington is only the second African American male to win an Best Actor Oscar since Sidney Poitier's win for Lilies of the Field in 1963. Halle Berry is the first African American female to win Best Actress ever. Berry's speech was quite good (albeit long) but it leaves me wondering how all those "women who stand behind her[sic], Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox and it's for every nameless faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened" feel about being named inferior. And why didn't the camera flash onto Jada Pinkett-Smith when Berry said that? Now, that would have been a true Oscar moment.
posted by gloege on Mar 25, 2002 - 60 comments

The Oracle of Bacon is prehaps the greatest waste of time ever. Go from Akira Kurasowa to Kevin Bacon in just three degrees of seperation.
posted by SweetJesus on Dec 11, 2001 - 23 comments

Roger Ebert on Steve Martin. "He published a novel last year that was touching and true, and he is an expert on modern art, and he is capable of hosting the Academy Awards and starring in a David Mamet movie and writing for the New Yorker and, no doubt, brooding a lot."
posted by adrober on Nov 11, 2001 - 24 comments

Sharon Stone hospitalized for brain ailment. I don't want to snicker, but I can't stop.
posted by solistrato on Oct 1, 2001 - 26 comments

Speaking of famous people and religion, Jet Li talks about religion, and his views on them.

"...upon closer inspection, the underlying heart and central principle in every religion is the same. Every religion boils down to love, to a respect for all living things, to choosing peace over violence as a means of resolving a conflict."

posted by jcterminal on Sep 29, 2001 - 13 comments

Anthony Hopkins cares less about his movies than you do. Wow, I like his attitude toward acting and the industry. He's the polar opposite of the typical Hollywood pretentious types. What's wrong with some apathy in your life anyhow?
posted by skallas on Aug 21, 2001 - 17 comments

The Simpsons Get Respectable in this play where all the characters from the show act out Hamlet? It's a one-man show in New Jersey, but I'd pay to see this. It proves Hamlet's weird universality, but seeing Apu as "the first murderer" has got to be a rush. (via TV Tattle)
posted by rev- on Aug 3, 2001 - 20 comments

john cusack for president
Why Shouldn't John Cusack be President?

He made the tough decisions in Grosse Pointe Blank.
He couldn't be bought in Eight Men Out.
He's cooler than John Malkovich
And we like his politics so far.

interesting. what actor do you think should be president? and why?
posted by bwg on Jul 31, 2001 - 57 comments

"Hello. I'm Christopher Walken. If my video, Weapon of Choice, featuring the Fat Boy Slims, does not take at least seven of the nine moon men, I will personally journey to each of the voters' homes and I will ask them to explain themselves. Then I will slice off extremities until they suffer as I will suffer if my dance moves are thus summarily dismissed." Pause. "I could really go for a hot dog."
posted by solistrato on Jul 24, 2001 - 21 comments

Death in threes? Jonno pointed it out about six weeks ago, and I thought to myself that he was right. But man, the deaths are coming thick and fast now. The score, for those of us playing along at home, is: Musicians' deaths, 3 (John Lee Hooker, Chet Atkins and Joe Henderson), actors' deaths: 2 (Carroll O'Connor, Jack Lemmon) and Net folks' deaths, 2 (Jim Ellis and Michael Hauben. (Boozoo Chavis' passing, noted by fooljay, could be totted up in the musicians' column as well. Anthony Quinn and Joan Sims could go in the actors' column, if (like harrycaul and wackybrit, you were so inclined.)
posted by allaboutgeorge on Jul 1, 2001 - 5 comments

San Fran: Matrix 2 Casting Call June 5, 6, 7 I don't live in SF but maybe you do, and maybe you'd be interested in being in The Matrix 2? (sorry, no link and more details within...)
posted by gen on Jun 5, 2001 - 3 comments

Tick, tock ... tick, tock I generally hate TV, but I'm counting down the minutes until this new series premieres on FOX. Yeah, it'll probably suck, but I'm a big fan of Patrick Warburton. In fact I just saw "The Dish" over the weekend and didn't even realize, until halfway through the flick, that the superintelligence NASA scientist was, in fact, played by none other than good ol' dumb guy David Puddy. Who's your favorite underappreciated actor?
posted by Shadowkeeper on May 21, 2001 - 13 comments

Voices In My Head... Call me crazy, but I think casting "celebrity voices" in animated flix is counter-intuitive. Think back to the classic Disney movies - "Pinocchio" and "101 Dalmations" come to mind - and the fact that they regularly used professional voice-actors, not a cast of celebrities-du-jour. With the new trend in animated movies, I find myself picturing the celebrity doing the voice, not the animated character of the story. Quick - what's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the movie "Aladdin?" Robin Williams as the Genie, I'd wager. Your thoughts on this weighty matter?
posted by davidmsc on May 18, 2001 - 36 comments

Michael J. Fox Database :: How's this for a non-sequitor? That's right, now you too can pain your friends with wacky quotes from Midnight Madness, make relatives loathe you because of your deep knowledge of Teen Wolf and attempt to impress women when you tell them what the "J" in Michael J. Fox really means...
posted by dincognito on May 1, 2001 - 8 comments

No Need for Actors. While this article has certain phrases meant to incite -- "With quality actors who won’t ask for a bigger trailer or a sauna for their iguana, why then would Hollywood ever cut another cheque for the demanding stars that have always filled our screens?" -- Final Fantasy seems to be the next generation in animation of live actors.
posted by bkdelong on Apr 18, 2001 - 15 comments

Obi Wan - We hardly knew ye. Three new biographies concur on Sir Alec Guinness' well guarded homosexual past.
posted by tamim on Apr 16, 2001 - 28 comments

Brando ill. The saddest, scariest part of this story is that he was just getting ready to film Scary Movie II when he got sick. Scary Movie II...and the Oscar for "Most Pathetic Former Genius" goes to....
posted by jpoulos on Apr 13, 2001 - 17 comments