Even the hype itself bothers me. Perhaps in the old days when stars were unattainable models of perfection that others worshipped from afar then it was best to keep Joe Public from realising who they really were but this is the era of the magazine, where people watch the famous like kids watch animals at the zoo. People don't want to see someone being perfect and aloof - they want to see the monkey pick its nose and eat it. They want to disect their heroes' lovelives, rifle through their bins, spot the nasty sweat patches under their armpits... Ultimately it isn't as nasty as it seems - it's not about destroying the people in question, it's about finding out that beneath the airbrushed sheen of celebrity they're real human beings.
Well, I'd like to take this opportunity to say... I'm a total, total twat. You know that person you see trip over in the street, then burst out into terribly unfeminine snorts of laughter? That's me. I'm the girl who accidentally posts her car keys through the letterbox, who drops her new phone in the loo. I once tipped an entire carton of grated parmesan cheese into my latop and the last time I locked myself out of my house while taking out the bins (I sincerely wish I could say it was the first time that'd happened) and was sitting on the lawn waiting for my mum to rescue me the little girl from next door whizzed past on her scooter, stopped, rolled her eyes and said "you really do do some stupid things sometimes, don't you?", then whizzed off again. She was, of course, right - very perceptive for a 9 year old.
So there you have it - I'm not just a real human being, I'm literally covered with flaws, but that doesn't mean I'm particularly bothered by them. Who wants to see another mass-produced, could-be-anyone actress anyway? As I've got older I've come to understand that all the little weird habits I have that others might find odd are just different aspects of my personality and, after all, variety is the spice of life (paprika is also good). Yes, I'm a woman, but I'm also a tomboy - I like pretty shoes and taking time out to paint my nails but I also know the joy of smashing down a brick wall with a sledgehammer and hitting my target with an air rifle. I read classical novels and discuss philosophy but I also watch anime, laugh at farts and, on occasion, read Heat magazine. One thing I refuse to ever do however, is become snobby about the industry that I work in.
In my opinion to be a really exceptional actor you must to add as many strings to your bow as possible and be totally unbiased when it comes to learning. You have to absorb new accents, new styles, new physical skills, and if you're going to make any kind of a living you can't afford to deem any genre unworthy of your talents. I recently had an online discussion with another actress who took great pride in having seen many arty European films yet, despite having never seen any of them, described the original Indiana Jones films as "crap" and Monty Python as "funny" but far less important than "ground breaking film" due to their "fundamental aims". This bothered me. A lot. Especially coming from someone who wouldn't know a Knight who says "Ni" if it pushed her into a shrubbery.
It took me a while to figure out why this particular discussion got my knickers in such a twist, but I think I've finally nailed it. The simple fact is, I can't stand it when people look down their noses at art forms they simply don't understand. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely fine to have personal preferences in terms of genre or style but to consider dramatic films as somehow 'better 'or more artistically valid than a well-made comedy, action or sci-fi film seems rather pretentious and totally ignorant of the considerable skill it takes to pull such a role off. Experimental, artistic and dramatic films can be wonderful if done well but I feel that the key to being a truly great actor is to study every genre, finding the worth in each and bringing what you've learned into your performance, no matter what part you're playing. Also, to write off certain genres as 'crap' is to essentially alienate a huge portion of the viewing public, along with many directors who, more than likely, got into film-making because such movies initially sparked their interests. Passions are founded in our childhoods, whether we realise it or not.
It concerns me that some people might not think that comedy is as much a valid art form as whatever 'ground breaking film' might be. In fact good comedy is far more difficult to pull off than straight drama and just as subtle. Assuming that comedy is easy simply because it's funny is a mistake that far too many actors make, hence the abundance of horrendous comedies out there. Fact is, the Python boys were the very epitome of 'ground-breaking', exploring new areas of comedic performance and perfecting comic timing in a way that is still revered today. The Python humour wasn't just slapstick, though it's easy to see why the untrained eye might view it as such - it's deeply intelligent comedy, without being patronising, which is incredibly difficult to do. Their continued popularity is testimony to the amazing skill of the group - a single style of comedy remaining funny after so many decades is a rare thing indeed. As for 'fundamental aims'... well, in historical context their aims were pretty damned important. Luckily just two days after I had my little online 'disagreement' with the aforementioned actress, in a truly delightful display of point-proving, Terry Gilliam was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship - their highest accolade. About bloody time, I say!
So please, if you're reading this, do something today you wouldn't normally do. Watch a film you consider 'not your thing' (even if it's just so you can later maintain that view, but with educated reasons as to why). Part your hair differently, add a strange new (non toxic) ingredient to an old favourite dish, go for a walk on your own, just to see where you end up. What you discover might surprise you. Above all else, though, don't be afraid to let people see you for how you really are because god knows they'll figure it out eventually!
As for me, I'm going to keep on learning and, most likely, fall over again fairly soon - it's been at least a week now since my last A over T moment. If you have any must-see film suggestions then I'd love to hear them (my current genre weaknesses are westerns and classic horror, though I'm working on it), and I promise to write reviews when I get time. For those who usually don't enjoy rom-coms I'd heartily recommend Valerie Breiman's 'Love and Sex' - a rom-com that's genuinely funny and definitely NOT just for the girls. Let me know what you think of it.
TTFN,
Milly x
PS - Of course, another key to being a great actor is to never assume you know everything (that kind of diva behaviour is soooo 80s, dahling!) so I may well take all of the above back in a year or so when I learn something new and change my mind, or if my publicist recommends that I display a more closed-minded attitude in order to impress the genre snobs...
Heheh, as IF. ;)
Check out www.AmeliaTyler.com for previous blogs, plus more info, photos and behind-the-scenes goodies.
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