Foolish Cat January 9th, 2008

Yesterday’s post gave examples of the negative side of blundering into the unknown, listing the worst of those rhythm and rhyme masters who decided about acting: “How hard could this be?”

But for all the thousands of members of a species that mutate into deranged monsters and disfigured masses, there is one that evolves more beautifully than before, and elevates the genetic future for all.

Here is that list (For the record, it doesn’t include, like, Bing Crosby and Al Jolson. All due respect…it just doesn’t):

Will Smith: Those of us in our (mid)thirties remember The Fresh Prince as a refreshing, literate voice on Top 40 radio in the late eighties rapping about funny, middle class type stuff. He was kind of the Bill Cosby of rap. Then came “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” which had its moments in a “Diff’rent Strokes” kind of way, and a nice run in prime time. Then came the monster forces of Independence Day and Men in Black. A couple of Oscar nominations and unequaled box office success over the last couple years have made Smith the most commercially successful actor on the list.

Mark Wahlberg: Wahlberg’s singing career is pretty much his stupid stage name and “Good Vibrations”. And, on the surface, he may look a bit like a poor man’s Will Smith. But if you look closer at the progression of his acting career and the movies he’s been in, he’s probably not as far off as you think (although speaking strictly financially he probably is a poor man’s Will Smith). From the psycho in Fear and the well-hung Dirk in Boogie Nights, to his oscar-nominated role in the Departed in ‘06, his career has been steady and solid. And his movies that sucked (Planet of the Apes, Rock Star), don’t come anywhere close to Wild Wild West and The Legend of Bagger Vance.

Cher: No, I don’t know where Cher has been for 20 years, and if longevity were a factor, she wouldn’t make it. But in terms of shear acting talent, she’s good. She won an Oscar for Moonstruck and got robbed a nomination for Mask (which was probably a better overall performance). She had another success with The Witches of Eastwick in ‘87, and then, for all intents and purposes, her career pretty much came to a screeching halt with her performance as Winona Ryder’s crazy mom in Mermaids.

Harry Connick, jr.: The jazz guy isn’t great, but he’s shown a lot range in the few movies that we’ve noticed him in. A crazy serial killer in Copycat, Big Willy’s doomed wingman in Independence Day, and just a regular guy in that Sandra Bullock movie Hope Floats, which most guys would say sucked but if they were being completely honest would have to admit wasn’t half-bad. And who could forget him as Grace’s true love in “Will and Grace”? Oh, you forgot? Yeah, that was him.

Queen Latifah: The Queen is an example of someone who’s talent typically outperforms the movies she’s in. Bringing Down the House, Taxi, and Stranger Than Fiction (which I know a lot of people like but really isn’t funny and in which Latifah’s talent is wasted) are just a few examples. Her performance in Chicago, however, validated her ability and showed she can compete with the “true” actors. Hopefully, she’ll get scripts that don’t just center around beauty salons and cookouts so we can see her true range.

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