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Clint Eastwood and other older actors


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I was having a conversation with my son about Harrison Ford and the proposed new film in the Indiana Jones series last week -- we were talking about how a film franchise sometimes lasts longer than the youth of its originators, and that sometimes the actor will continue in a role despite his age (like the Rocky films) and sometimes the role will go to a new actor (see new Bond), so I've been mulling over this topic lately. And so I was primed to notice this comment in the preview of the San Francisco Ballet gala (see links for 1/22)

"when another ancient-but-still-handsome city native, Clint Eastwood, was already 3 years old"

Ancient?

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I think the ‘ancient’ was intended with a certain facetiousness. But Eastwood is in his middle seventies, if I recall correctly. As for 'Indiana Jones' I assume Ford will not be shown being chased by a big boulder as in days gone by, but you never know. :)

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Interesting that you should mention Eastwood

Middle seventies? I've been thinking him as a older yet virile man, but the camera at the Golden Globes caught him perhaps from a different angle, and he looked to me, for the first time, like an Old Man. Handsome? Very. But for that moment at least, old.

As for 'Indiana Jones' I assume Ford will not be shown being chased by a big boulder as in days gone by, but you never know. :lol:
Isn't that what stunt doubles are for? :)
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As for 'Indiana Jones' I assume Ford will not be shown being chased by a big boulder as in days gone by, but you never know. :lol:
Isn't that what stunt doubles are for? :)

Since we can call women 'actors' now, I want to see Angie Dickinson as Pepper again, no matter how many stunt doubles they need to get those tiny running steps in white pantsuits with purple seams in ditches right. Her fistfight difficulty (always solved by Earl Holliman's miraculous reappearance) will be hard to get a perfect double for too. And I want it in a big movie house, not some crummy TV reprise.

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As for 'Indiana Jones' I assume Ford will not be shown being chased by a big boulder as in days gone by, but you never know. :)
Isn't that what stunt doubles are for? :jawdrop:

Since we can call women 'actors' now, I want to see Angie Dickinson as Pepper again, no matter how many stunt doubles they need to get those tiny running steps in white pantsuits with purple seams in ditches right. Her fistfight difficulty (always solved by Earl Holliman's miraculous reappearance) will be hard to get a perfect double for too. And I want it in a big movie house, not some crummy TV reprise.

Ah, dear old 'Police Woman.'

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Paul Newman, and now Alex Baldwin, seem to have "aged" well by redefining the parts they were willing to play. Similarly, the apparent agelessness of Cary Grant and Sophia Loren on screen had a lot to do with keeping strict control over how they presented themselves, spoke, moved, dressed, and were captured by the camera.

This topic also makes me think about Ingrid Bergman, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen on the screen ... or simply walking down a NYC street:

Until 45 I can play a woman in love. After 55 I can play grandmothers. But between those ten years, it is difficult for an actress.
Vanessa Redgrave is an example of someone who, although she has played grandmothers, greatly expanded the idea that (a) old women can remain beautiful in their own way, and (b) they can play lots of interesting roles, not just grandmothers or thsoe other standbys of the aging actress, alcoholics and bag ladies.

P.S. As to doubles, Judi Dench, now in her 70s, opened recently as Mistress Quickly in a musical version of "Merry Wives of Windsor." At one point she is required to do cartwheels across the stage. Yes, she uses a double.

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Paul Newman, and now Alex Baldwin, seem to have "aged" well

Newman yes, but Baldwin may have 'aged well' but to only 48.

Vanessa Redgrave is an example of someone who, although she has played grandmothers, greatly expanded the idea that (a) old women can remain beautiful in their own way, and (b) they can play lots of interesting roles, not just grandmothers or thsoe other standbys of the aging actress, alcoholics and bag ladies.

Yes, but she can become the very greatest actress in a sense because she is devoting so much time to the stage--always a bit more impressive in some ways. Deneuve is also getting varied roles although she's about 6 years younger and never has been a stage actress; but she's made the most good films in the last 10 years of any 'aging actress' of whom I'm aware--hers aren't caricatures either.

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Papeetepatrick, I see your point about Baldwin. I guess I should have put it differently: he has recrafted his type, surrendered his leading man image, and made himself into an interesting character actor willing to play an entirely different kind of character (comical, roguish, anti-romantic). He started experimenting with the tradition quite a while ago, if Glengarry Glen Ross is anything to go by.

When face and body change, at whatever age, playing against the leading man type may be a good way to go.

I'm definitely with you on Deneuve. And how about Jeanne Moreau, whose progression from Jules et Jim to recent roles has been natural, graceful, and entirely appropriate to changes in her (admittedly extraordinary) face.

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Bart--yes, I thought that was what you meant about Baldwin, because it is a very odd evolution at that young an age, especially for men. But I did see that he had changed from glamorous leading man almost over night. It's hard to know whether he really wanted this, or simply adapted to some physical changes, but I found it somewhat unusual.

oh, of course, Moreau is amazing and she's really old by now, I think. One of her characters said 'I'm an old bitch' at least 10 years ago--the Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea, something like that. No, I just checked, that was 1991. It's the mouth that you can't mistake even as she gets older and older.

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Bart--yes, I thought that was what you meant about Baldwin, because it is a very odd evolution at that young an age, especially for men. But I did see that he had changed from glamorous leading man almost over night. It's hard to know whether he really wanted this, or simply adapted to some physical changes, but I found it somewhat unusual.

oh, of course, Moreau is amazing and she's really old by now, I think. One of her characters said 'I'm an old bitch' at least 10 years ago--the Old Lady Who Walked in the Sea, something like that. No, I just checked, that was 1991. It's the mouth that you can't mistake even as she gets older and older.

Moreau's almost eighty, I think.

There are opportunities for older actresses, but few relative to those available to their male contemporaries, and those can be more frequently found in smaller scale or independent productions. (This is true for younger actresses as well. Generally at Oscar time there are always a couple of first rate male performances that get left out because of lack of room, while in the Best Actress category there’s usually one that’s filler – no chance, but you have to fill out the list.) There’s been some discussion in the entertainment press of the fact that in recent years the Oscar has not been going to women over forty, and this season there are several older actresses –Streep, Dench, Mirren – who have been nominated. But it’s the exception that proves the rule.

As a leading man Baldwin made some bad choices, put on weight, attracted less than great publicity, etc. He was able to recover because there are a lot of juicy supporting roles out there for aging actors and also he’s terrific.

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Tonight's Newshour on PBS closes with Ann Taylor Fleming's appreciation of Eastwood. She notes that he is in his "late 70s." (IMdB gives his DOB as May 31, 1930.) She is not uncritical, but mostly she praises his willingness, as he gets older, to risk more. Of course, it can be argued that it is his maturity that allows him to take chances and his experience that has allowed him, more often than not, to succeed.

I will post a link after one becomes available.

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