Why Meat doesn't play leading roles? God, why??

Garrett · 22 May 2003, 15:44

Why doesn't Meat play leading roles? Please tell me why! I cannot get it into my head. Once he said, he feels himself more as an actor than as a singer. But he doesn't play leading roles, only stupid cameos. There are only three movies, where he played leading roles. But he took part in more than 25 films.

**The Flying Mouse** · 22 May 2003, 16:01

Hi Garrett.
I may be way off the mark here,but I think that Meat probibily finds it quite hard to get offers for really good staring rolls,because most people insist on catogorising him as a rock singer and don't think of him as anything more.

.It's very unfair because Meat really can act,but since when has Meat had an easy ride.
On the last promo tour Meat has talked about Fight Club in every interview i've seen/litened too.He's also talked about the way that he started out as an actor.Again,I may be wrong,but I think he is sending a message to the public and the movie guys that he can do it,and that he HAS done it.
Also I believe that Meat is very selective of the projects he takes on.In an interview recently (help me out here guys)he said that if he is offerd a role where he imediatly identifies with the charachter,he turns it down.He wants a challenge and a chance to flex his acting muscles.
All this said,he's not doing too bad.He's made a lot of movies in the past few years.But I agree that it would be nice to see him in bigger rolls.

Asha · 22 May 2003, 16:56

I have heard that interview to flying Mouse.

I also think meat has gotten better an actor then he was, in e.g. Roadie.
So who knows, he might get more and better offers in the futher. His performance in Fight Club and Crazy in Alabama I really liked, and I think when the producers and direktors see more off him like that, they will not be able to pass him by forever.
(I hope>>>)

Asha

Anonymous · 22 May 2003, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garrett

Why doesn't Meat play leading roles? Please tell me why! I cannot get it into my head. Once he said, he feels himself more as an actor than as a singer. But he doesn't play leading roles, only stupid cameos. There are only three movies, where he played leading roles. But he took part in more than 25 films.

Hi Garrett - What about BLACK TOP where Meat played a pyschopath - this was made for t.v. if I'm correct but at least Meat had the starring role - I really enjoyed this film -Playing a bad guy seems to suit Meat.

Garrett · 22 May 2003, 18:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Quote:

Originally Posted by Garrett

Why doesn't Meat play leading roles? Please tell me why! I cannot get it into my head. Once he said, he feels himself more as an actor than as a singer. But he doesn't play leading roles, only stupid cameos. There are only three movies, where he played leading roles. But he took part in more than 25 films.

Hi Garrett - What about BLACK TOP where Meat played a pyschopath - this was made for t.v. if I'm correct but at least Meat had the starring role - I really enjoyed this film -Playing a bad guy seems to suit Meat.

Yes, "Black Top" is one of the three movies, where he played a leading role. And he acted great. The other two movies were "Roadie" and "How To Catch A Yeti". But these three films weren't big hits in cinemas orso. I wish, Meat would play more and bigger starring roles. And he should do it in movies, which are able to become more famous.

Testify · 22 May 2003, 20:20

i thought that he was funny in 'the ballad of lucy whipple'

fight club was cool. i havent seen black top.

wot would be the top 5 films you recommend me to watch??

White of High · 22 May 2003, 20:40

1. Fight Club
2. The Mighty

I think these are good (not excellent) films. I haven't seen Crazy In Alabama...

heat · 22 May 2003, 20:49

Youve missed out, WoH - Crazy In Alabama is a fantastic film - definately one of his best

R. · 22 May 2003, 21:06

Go for 51st State/Formula 51.

This movie is hilarious, it's really good!

Meat plays the bad guy again and he does a good job as the 'lumpy in the kaftan" (those knowing the film know what I'm talking about).

On the other hand, if you're watching an overdubbed copy, forget it.
The german dub on my DVD simply svcks. Go for the english original (which is on my DVD too).

Dog's bullocks.

Shane · 23 May 2003, 01:56

Crazy In Alabama is one of his best. He has a prominent role in that. Also, in Focus, which I love, he doesn't have the `lead' role, but it is certainly more than a few lines. Check them out if you haven't seen them. I definitely think they'll be worth your time to see them.

Testify · 23 May 2003, 12:34

thanx guys. i'll and get em! my parents wont see me for days cos i watch one film at least 15 times!!

thanx agen

Testify · 23 May 2003, 12:37

juat a quick question have any of you seen 'the ballad of lucy whipple'?? it was on sky the other week so i recorded it. it was funny. mind you i have a bad sense of humor

JulesB · 24 May 2003, 04:32

I think the reason Meat doesn't play many leading roles is due to the fact he has carved out a niche as a well respected character actor. I think those kinds of roles are more of a stretch for an actor then many leading roles. Ever watch a movie and think the leading actor did a good job, but don't you think "so and so" made the movie great?

Think of his roles in Fight Club, Crazy in Alabama or Formula 51 and when he comes on the screen you really notice his presence. Each of those characters were as different from each other as could be, yet they were all good characters for Meat to perform. Many leading actors are locked into a certain type of role and don't get many opportunities to play a variety of characters.

Just my take on the issue.

Jules

Vickip · 24 May 2003, 05:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulesFromMOTS

I think the reason Meat doesn't play many leading roles is due to the fact he has carved out a niche as a well respected character actor. I think those kinds of roles are more of a stretch for an actor then many leading roles. Ever watch a movie and think the leading actor did a good job, but don't you think "so and so" made the movie great?

Think of his roles in Fight Club, Crazy in Alabama or Formula 51 and when he comes on the screen you really notice his presence. Each of those characters were as different from each other as could be, yet they were all good characters for Meat to perform. Many leading actors are locked into a certain type of role and don't get many opportunities to play a variety of characters.

Just my take on the issue.

Jules

I think you're absolutely right Jules

Vicki

martha_mae · 24 May 2003, 05:37

I liked his role in Outside Ozona as a rock radio manager talking to a nutter who was hichting lifts & killing the owners of the vehicles. (I hope i got that 1 right?)

But i really loved him in 51st State he does the bad guy role so well

Vickip · 24 May 2003, 07:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by martha_mae

I liked his role in Outside Ozona as a rock radio manager talking to a nutter who was hichting lifts & killing the owners of the vehicles. (I hope i got that 1 right?)

But i really loved him in 51st State he does the bad guy role so well

Yes, you're absolultely right about Outside Ozona - great synopsis by the way

I really liked him in 51st State too .. but Sheriff Doggett in Crazy in Alabama is still my favorite. He was so good in that movie :)

Vicki

martha_mae · 24 May 2003, 16:03

Hi Vicki

Think i'll have to get Crazy in Alabama, it isn't a film i've seen but by the great responses about it, i think its 1 i'll enjoy

Vickip · 24 May 2003, 23:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by martha_mae

Hi Vicki

Think i'll have to get Crazy in Alabama, it isn't a film i've seen but by the great responses about it, i think its 1 i'll enjoy

Hi Martha Mae :)

Great !! You'll have to let us know what you think of it :)
It's a fantastic movie .. yes, there are two distinct story lines, but it's really interesting to see how the director, Mark Childress, uses Meat's character, Sheriff Dogett and his interaction with the central character, PeeJoe, to tie them together. Meat did a fantastic job ... I hope you enjoy it !

Vicki

Shane · 25 May 2003, 08:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulesFromMOTS

I think the reason Meat doesn't play many leading roles is due to the fact he has carved out a niche as a well respected character actor

What is a character actor? I've seen that phrase before. All actors (and actresses) play characters, don't they?

MBrevard · 25 May 2003, 13:17

Hi, Shane! When I hear the term "character actor," I think of the non-leading roles--the supporting actors and the characters they play. Often, they are the actors who look SO familiar, because you've seen them time and time again, but you just can't think of their real name.

(Lead actors can also be character actors. People like Tom Hanks, Hume Cronyn, Meryl Streep come quickly to mind--these are actors who get so into their roles that you forget who they really are--for a while, anyway.)

But basically, what I think of as a character actor is kind of the 9-to-5 worker. They're the bread-and-butter of the industry. They are the people who give the film its 'flesh.' They may drive an older car, live in humble surroundings, but they are ALWAYS working. It's not 2 movies a year for mega-bucks that motivates them. It's the love of acting.

Meat has said he would rather people would forget that it was him acting and remember the character he played. He's said that he loves when people come up to him and say, "That was YOU in 'Fight Club'?"

And I guess that's the goal of any 'character actor,'--to totally lose themselves in the roles and then, be remembered for the character, as opposed to the actor who played it.

But for various reasons, not all actors can achieve that goal. And ironically, the closer they are to "stardom," the harder it is for the audience to forget who is acting. One has to admire those who accomplish that time after time.

But character actors, too, can be typecast--locked into similar types of roles and that's the danger--especially when they are particularly good at portraying a certain sort of character. Think of all the actors who continually turned up in Western after Western. Or the actors whom you'd always find in Gangster films, for instance.

And for a while, after 'Roadie,' that seemed to happening with Meat--playing villains and other bad guys. He's started to break away from that, thankfully, with Bob from 'Fight Club,' the cop in 'Wishcraft'... It's such a shame that Babe Ruth didn't work out for him. It was certainly a role he was born to play and would have taken him still farther away from those 'bad guy' characters!

He has SO much more to offer than just that!!

This is how I see it, anyway.

Love,
MB
xxx

Ben · 25 May 2003, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by martha_mae

Hi Vicki

Think i'll have to get Crazy in Alabama, it isn't a film i've seen but by the great responses about it, i think its 1 i'll enjoy

id recomend the film, its great. i think you'd love it! :P

CarylB · 25 May 2003, 18:58

MB wrote:

Quote:

And I guess that's the goal of any 'character actor,'--to totally lose themselves in the roles and then, be remembered for the character, as opposed to the actor who played it.

I'd have said that was the goal of any good actor, and whilst I agree that some "top" movie stars find this escapes them, people like Hoffman, O'Toole and the late great Olivier do manage it. As does Meat.

As to why Meat doesn't have more lead roles, it's only since his move back to LA that he has been actively pursuing a more serious career in movies, and establisging yourself for leading roles takes time. He has been getting very good reviews for roles such as Bob in Fight Club, Dogget in Crazy, and Fred in Focus, and I have no doubt we shall see more of him in more substantial roles. Th Hollywood system probably doesn't help as they seem to want to cluster round a few big names for lead roles, and the indies in which Meat gets cast do not always get funding or later distribution; Rustin is an example of the latter, and Polish Spaghetti an example of the former.

And ultimately Meat loves to make movies, and I suspect is far more concerned about the work and what he can develop and bring to the role than his billing. I'd love to see him in bigger rols, but his performance always lifts a movie for me :)

Testify · 29 May 2003, 00:11

i agree he has a great acting talent and can turn his hand to anything!!

He has another film coming out doesnt he?? whats it called? did he say he did it cos there was gona be a bear in his scene which turned out to be a bloke in a suit??

Vickip · 29 May 2003, 01:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Testify

i agree he has a great acting talent and can turn his hand to anything!!

He has another film coming out doesnt he?? whats it called? did he say he did it cos there was gona be a bear in his scene which turned out to be a bloke in a suit??

Hi Testify !
I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself

He's a fantastic actor !!

Yes .. the movie you're talking about is called "Extreme Dating", which is a comedy. I'm not sure when it's going to be released. He also filmed another one last year called "A Hole In One", where he stars as a gangster who tries to convince his girlfriend not to have a labotomy :) It's still in post-production (whatever that means

) so I'm not sure when it'll be released either :)

Vicki

22 May 2003, 15:44	#1
Garrett Super Loafer Join Date: 30.05.2002 Location: In the room at the top Posts: 291	Why Meat doesn't play leading roles? God, why?? Why doesn't Meat play leading roles? Please tell me why! I cannot get it into my head. Once he said, he feels himself more as an actor than as a singer. But he doesn't play leading roles, only stupid cameos. There are only three movies, where he played leading roles. But he took part in more than 25 films.

23 May 2003, 01:56	#10
Shane Super Loafer Join Date: 30.04.2002 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand (GMT+12) Posts: 608	CIA Crazy In Alabama is one of his best. He has a prominent role in that. Also, in Focus, which I love, he doesn't have the `lead' role, but it is certainly more than a few lines. Check them out if you haven't seen them. I definitely think they'll be worth your time to see them.

24 May 2003, 04:32	#13
JulesB Senior Loafer Join Date: 07.02.2003 Posts: 188	Great Character Actor I think the reason Meat doesn't play many leading roles is due to the fact he has carved out a niche as a well respected character actor. I think those kinds of roles are more of a stretch for an actor then many leading roles. Ever watch a movie and think the leading actor did a good job, but don't you think "so and so" made the movie great? Think of his roles in Fight Club, Crazy in Alabama or Formula 51 and when he comes on the screen you really notice his presence. Each of those characters were as different from each other as could be, yet they were all good characters for Meat to perform. Many leading actors are locked into a certain type of role and don't get many opportunities to play a variety of characters. Just my take on the issue. Jules

22 May 2003, 16:01	#2
The Flying Mouse Armed ba$tard and Jo's other half. Join Date: 06.08.2002 Location: In the middle of nowhere near the end of the line. Posts: 16,104	Hi Garrett. I may be way off the mark here,but I think that Meat probibily finds it quite hard to get offers for really good staring rolls,because most people insist on catogorising him as a rock singer and don't think of him as anything more. .It's very unfair because Meat really can act,but since when has Meat had an easy ride. On the last promo tour Meat has talked about Fight Club in every interview i've seen/litened too.He's also talked about the way that he started out as an actor.Again,I may be wrong,but I think he is sending a message to the public and the movie guys that he can do it,and that he HAS done it. Also I believe that Meat is very selective of the projects he takes on.In an interview recently (help me out here guys)he said that if he is offerd a role where he imediatly identifies with the charachter,he turns it down.He wants a challenge and a chance to flex his acting muscles. All this said,he's not doing too bad.He's made a lot of movies in the past few years.But I agree that it would be nice to see him in bigger rolls.

22 May 2003, 16:56	#3
Asha Mega Loafer Join Date: 05.05.2003 Location: Somewhere out there Posts: 1,356	I have heard that interview to flying Mouse. I also think meat has gotten better an actor then he was, in e.g. Roadie. So who knows, he might get more and better offers in the futher. His performance in Fight Club and Crazy in Alabama I really liked, and I think when the producers and direktors see more off him like that, they will not be able to pass him by forever. (I hope>>>) Asha

22 May 2003, 20:20	#6
Testify ragamuffin Join Date: 21.05.2003 Location: xxx daydreaming xxx Posts: 5,023	i thought that he was funny in 'the ballad of lucy whipple' fight club was cool. i havent seen black top. wot would be the top 5 films you recommend me to watch??

22 May 2003, 20:40	#7
White of High Nature's Siegfried Join Date: 27.05.2002 Location: Budapest, Hungary Posts: 2,930	1. Fight Club 2. The Mighty I think these are good (not excellent) films. I haven't seen Crazy In Alabama...

22 May 2003, 20:49	#8
heat Rampant Loafer... Join Date: 29.07.2002 Location: welshy wales Posts: 5,706	Youve missed out, WoH - Crazy In Alabama is a fantastic film - definately one of his best

22 May 2003, 21:06	#9
R. You dig. Join Date: 02.04.2002 Location: On the fothermucker Posts: 7,179	Go for 51st State/Formula 51. This movie is hilarious, it's really good! Meat plays the bad guy again and he does a good job as the 'lumpy in the kaftan" (those knowing the film know what I'm talking about). On the other hand, if you're watching an overdubbed copy, forget it. The german dub on my DVD simply svcks. Go for the english original (which is on my DVD too). Dog's bullocks.

23 May 2003, 12:34	#11
Testify ragamuffin Join Date: 21.05.2003 Location: xxx daydreaming xxx Posts: 5,023	thanx guys. i'll and get em! my parents wont see me for days cos i watch one film at least 15 times!! thanx agen

23 May 2003, 12:37	#12
Testify ragamuffin Join Date: 21.05.2003 Location: xxx daydreaming xxx Posts: 5,023	juat a quick question have any of you seen 'the ballad of lucy whipple'?? it was on sky the other week so i recorded it. it was funny. mind you i have a bad sense of humor

24 May 2003, 05:37	#15
martha_mae Senior Loafer Join Date: 29.04.2003 Location: In the graveyard of the universe.... Posts: 122	I liked his role in Outside Ozona as a rock radio manager talking to a nutter who was hichting lifts & killing the owners of the vehicles. (I hope i got that 1 right?) But i really loved him in 51st State he does the bad guy role so well

24 May 2003, 16:03	#17
martha_mae Senior Loafer Join Date: 29.04.2003 Location: In the graveyard of the universe.... Posts: 122	Hi Vicki Think i'll have to get Crazy in Alabama, it isn't a film i've seen but by the great responses about it, i think its 1 i'll enjoy

25 May 2003, 13:17	#20
MBrevard Super Loafer Join Date: 06.02.2003 Location: Deceased Posts: 761	Hi, Shane! When I hear the term "character actor," I think of the non-leading roles--the supporting actors and the characters they play. Often, they are the actors who look SO familiar, because you've seen them time and time again, but you just can't think of their real name. (Lead actors can also be character actors. People like Tom Hanks, Hume Cronyn, Meryl Streep come quickly to mind--these are actors who get so into their roles that you forget who they really are--for a while, anyway.) But basically, what I think of as a character actor is kind of the 9-to-5 worker. They're the bread-and-butter of the industry. They are the people who give the film its 'flesh.' They may drive an older car, live in humble surroundings, but they are ALWAYS working. It's not 2 movies a year for mega-bucks that motivates them. It's the love of acting. Meat has said he would rather people would forget that it was him acting and remember the character he played. He's said that he loves when people come up to him and say, "That was YOU in 'Fight Club'?" And I guess that's the goal of any 'character actor,'--to totally lose themselves in the roles and then, be remembered for the character, as opposed to the actor who played it. But for various reasons, not all actors can achieve that goal. And ironically, the closer they are to "stardom," the harder it is for the audience to forget who is acting. One has to admire those who accomplish that time after time. But character actors, too, can be typecast--locked into similar types of roles and that's the danger--especially when they are particularly good at portraying a certain sort of character. Think of all the actors who continually turned up in Western after Western. Or the actors whom you'd always find in Gangster films, for instance. And for a while, after 'Roadie,' that seemed to happening with Meat--playing villains and other bad guys. He's started to break away from that, thankfully, with Bob from 'Fight Club,' the cop in 'Wishcraft'... It's such a shame that Babe Ruth didn't work out for him. It was certainly a role he was born to play and would have taken him still farther away from those 'bad guy' characters! He has SO much more to offer than just that!! This is how I see it, anyway. Love, MB xxx

29 May 2003, 00:11	#23
Testify ragamuffin Join Date: 21.05.2003 Location: xxx daydreaming xxx Posts: 5,023	i agree he has a great acting talent and can turn his hand to anything!! He has another film coming out doesnt he?? whats it called? did he say he did it cos there was gona be a bear in his scene which turned out to be a bloke in a suit??