I think that’s probably true, but then again plenty of actors who aren’t “great” tend to end up in prestige films. I think that’s a function of how the industry at the highest levels are entirely risk averse.
Many of whom are not getting any remotely high profile roles, because they are not getting chances to read for them.
I think that unless there is something intrinsic to the role of those things, then they should be more open to different configurations of human beings, because out here in the real world, that’s reality. We don’t live in a world full of “beautiful”, thin, cisgendered young people. And yes, this is hollywood, escapism, blah, blah, blah, but you know, if you’re doing realism, there is no reason not to reflect the REAL world.
But they are risk averse, remember? It’s only when a studio takes a risk that pans out that the others hop on the bandwagon. Honestly, that’s no way to make art. I’m actually happy that independent films have gotten a higher profile over my lifetime, because it has allowed for a bit more diversity than I saw in movies as a kid.
and we don’t know if these other actors are “right” because they often do not get in to read for the primary parts. If it’s a big studio film (prestige or not) it’s going to a big, bankable actor, who is more often than not white, cisgendered, and often male. they often already know that when they do readings for the parts, they KNOW who they want. Or the actor is an executive producer and has created the whole thing as a vehicle for themselves. Our friend Tom Cruise, once again.
Not to speak for @KathyPartdeux, but she REALLY knows this history and reality. Transitioning isn’t the only metric of trans identified person, too.
People also use to claim he was gay and in the closet. It’s pointless to debate it, because he’s not come out in any form. Cruise has a lot of hate thrown his way (in part for his scientology activism, which he seems to have quieted down on). Calling him gay was merely a means of discrediting him.
In this case, its ridiculous! Representation matters. There ARE trans actors out there, who’d love to play not only roles that reflect their own realities in life, but a variety of roles. Like other actors, they’re interested in telling stories. Why not let them?
I don’t know why you think you’re the only one here with any cultural insight into the profession? Over the past couple of decades the inner workings of the culture industries (writ large) have become much more transparent. We have larger discussions in the culture over how casting works and how the craft itself works. Many actors are giving interviews where they talk about these very same issues in a pretty frank manner. As a cultural historian myself, I’m well aware of the fine line between industry and art, and how fraught that has been and continues to be. Do you yourself, act? Or do you work within filmmaking in some capacity? Should we perhaps bring @Donald_Petersen, since he actually DOES work in hollywood?
That’s happening NOW and has been. TV is becoming a place where a more diverse and there are more complicated and interesting stories being told about people who aren’t white, cisgendered, young and pretty. Honestly, the mainstream of hollywood seems like a dinosaur now that is afraid to be daring and tell stories that resonate across the spectrums of gender and race. Films keep coming out of the independent circuit that tell those stories, and honestly achieve more than critical success.
Then we need more trans producers, directors, and writers in hollywood.
