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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga Underrated Actors

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by SlashMan, May 30, 2013.

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  1. SlashMan

    SlashMan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 5, 2012
    Sure, we all know about the Big 3 when it comes to the Saga, but there's many more actors who helped propel Star Wars into the phenomenom that it is today. Here's a few of my picks for the actors, whom I believe don't get enough credit for their roles.
    • Denis Lawson - Wedge Antilles was one of the best supporting characters of all time. Never had too much screen time, but he survived through major battles in all three of the original films. He finally gets the recognition he deserves when Wedge is added back into the celebration on Endor in the Special Edition.
    • Silas Carson - Talented character actor, who has played multiple key roles in the prequels, notably Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi Mundi in addition to Lott Dod and the Republic Cruiser pilot. While originally going to be overdubbed, the crew decided he was capable of giving the distinct voices of both Nute Gunray and Ki-Adi Mundi. Unfortunately, much of his impressive stuntwork has been cut.
    • Zachariah Jensen - As everyone's favorite extra, he really adapts well to the heavy appliances needed for Kit Fisto (even adding some character to him). In a sea of human actors, he keeps the spirit of Star Wars alive by bringing an otherworldly being into the battle. It's a shame that he couldn't add some life to the character in Revenge of the Sith...
    • Richard LeParmentier (R.I.P.) - Let's be honest, the whole fake choking scene could have looked really silly, but thankfully LeParmentier had the uncanny talent of simulating being choked. He really set the example that Vader was not one to be argued with.
    • Femi Taylor - Her dancing skills worked well to portray Jabba's sick form of entertainment. I'm also partial to the Special Edition additions, which used Taylor again fourteen years later. I didn't even notice.
     
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  2. Jarren_Lee-Saber

    Jarren_Lee-Saber Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Apr 16, 2008
    • Not to mention that without Denis, we may not have gotten Ewan McGreagor!!
     
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  3. bstnsx704

    bstnsx704 Force Ghost star 5

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    Mar 11, 2013
    Two that come to mind are Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker) and Jimmy Smits (Bail Organa). August was excellent in the role of Shmi and her death scene in Attack of the Clones was one of the most emotional moments in the entire saga. I also loved seeing Bail Organa finally come into focus and assist the Jedi in the later half of Revenge of the Sith, and kind of wish his presence was a bit more constant throughout the duration of the prequels (if I remember correctly he was focused on more in the deleted formation of the Rebellion scenes from Revenge of the Sith, right?). I guess Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) could count in this topic as well. He is obviously an excellent and very respected actor, but his role in the Star Wars films always seems to get looked over. Personally, I love Dooku's character. It was very interesting seeing a former Jedi that, unlike Anakin, left the Order for purely political reasons before Sidious stepped in and began pulling strings.

    Oh, I would also like to add Jake Lloyd and Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) and Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks). Stop hatin'.
     
  4. JoshieHewls

    JoshieHewls Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    May 16, 2013
    Definitely gotta go with Hayden. I feel that a lot of the criticism directed towards him is unfair. Complaints about him being whiny, or the awkwardness of the romantic scenes in Clones are both things that I feel are intentional about the character. Whiny-ness runs in the Skywalker family, and it's supposed to be a major fault in Anakin. The same goes for being awkward in his love scenes. He's a repressed young man who has never known how to express his love, so it comes out strange when he tries to put it into words.

    I do feel that Jake Lloyd gets it rough as well, especially as a child actor. Sure, there's a couple of lines that are cringe worthy ("Sand storms are very....very dangerous" and "This is pod racing!"), but other than that I feel like he nails young, naive Anakin. The dinner scene with Qui-Gon and the scene of Anakin leaving Shmi are especially well done on his part.
     
  5. Han Burgundy

    Han Burgundy Jedi Master star 3

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    Jan 28, 2013
    Hayden really is the most unfairly maligned actor in the saga. The first time I heard someone describe his acting as "wooden", I was absolutely gobsmacked. Hayden gives easily the most emotive performance in the prequels, at times making Ewan and Natalie look timid in comparison (which actually kind of works given the circumstances).

    I second JoshieHewls about the awkwardness. I always saw those scenes, especially "You're just like I remember you in my dreams" to be attempts at awkward comedy, attempts that by all means would have been successful if George Lucas knew how to frame and edit comedy(It's all in the timing and shot selection). Otherwise, the performances are all there.

    What I don't get is people attributing what they view as bad dialogue to Hayden's performance. That's such an infuriating false correlation. Hayden did the absolute best anyone could have done with the lines he was given. If you want proof that he can act with a quality dramatic script, watch Shattered Glass. Otherwise, watch his preformamce in ROTS closer. Look at how he visualizes the struggle between his trained Jedi stoicism and his darker frustrations bubbling to a head. Watch the scene where he is slaughtering the Separatist leaders. In a brief shot, as he is slicing someone down, we see a glimpse of his face under the cloak; he's crying. It's such a quick moment that Hayden knew we wouldn't see much of, but it totally puts in to context the horror that he feels at his own actions.

    Finally, look at the immolation scene. Honestly, I've seen more painful looking skin-burning effects. Final Destination 3, for example. But what makes that scene on ROTS consistently hard to watch is the emotions. Hayden makes you feel it. He shows you rage, bewilderment, overwhelming sadness. He shows you the creation of a monster, but, in a subversion of our expectations, it's more a thing of pity than of terror. Hayden owns that.

    I've heard many people speculate what the PT would have been like if Leo DeCaprio had taken the role of Anakin. While Leo is overall the superior actor, indeed one of the best actors of our time, I don't believe anyone else could have brought the sheer pathos and restrained dangerousness that Hayden brought to the role.
     
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  6. SkywalkerSquadron

    SkywalkerSquadron Jedi Knight star 4

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    Feb 2, 2013
    I would definitely go with Hayden. I don't understand all the negativity towards him. I feel like he puts a lot of emotion into his role as Anakin.
     
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  7. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

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    Sep 3, 2012
    Hayden is Underrated, the guy gets a lot of flak for no reason, even Natalie Portman is IMO Underrated
     
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  8. Darth Palpadious

    Darth Palpadious Jedi Master star 3

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    May 31, 2013
    Richard Le Parmentier - seconded. Possibly my favourite one-shot character, is Admiral Motti. IMO, it's his reaction to Vader's hand gesture that makes Vader scary, not Vader himself. And it's only because his manner suddenly changes so much that "I find your lack of faith disturbing" is such an awesome one-liner. I also had the good fortune to meet Richard at a convention near where I live a few years back, and chatted with him for a while. Really fantastic man, gave me a free autograph for my trouble. Was genuinely saddened to hear of his death.

    Andy Secombe - the voice of Watto. I thought he gave a great performance in both films, managing to convey a three-dimensional character with just his voice. He made Watto seem like a decent guy deep down, just one with a very deep greed. And he's actually only in 5 or 6 scenes, but was always one of the most memorable TPM characters for me.

    Pernilla August - Shmi is a fascinating character, and it's mostly down to the performance. She's really brilliant in her farewell scene with Anakin in TPM, and is definitely one of the most believable characters in the PT.
     
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  9. Darth_Kiryan

    Darth_Kiryan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2009
    Debatable. i believe that he actually told Ewan not to do it. Plus, he is only Ewans uncle.
     
  10. Vthuil

    Vthuil Force Ghost star 5

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    Jan 3, 2013
    Honestly? I'd say basically everyone in the PT, except maybe Ian McDiarmid, who seems pretty popular even with PT haters. Not all of them actually deliver what I'd call good performances - some are, indeed, pretty bad - but there is this widespread assumption that all of them were universally terrible, or at best flat, that really isn't deserved.
     
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  11. Darth_Arapsis

    Darth_Arapsis Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    May 21, 2013
    Sometimes i would love to be fly with long lifespan and a time machine.
     
  12. MRCynical

    MRCynical Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 7, 2008

    This. I've said on a couple of threads that the fireplace scene is perfect in my opinion: he's a slave-turned-monk from a backwater planet, trying to sound sophisticated to impress the older, aristocrat girl he likes. Of course it sounds awkward and forced, that's the whole point. In fact I think Hayden Christensen is actually quite good in AOTC ("If you'll excuse me..." being one of my favourite moments), which just makes it all the stranger that the same actor was responsible for the train wreck performance in ROTS. "His fate will be the same as ours", "You've turned her against me", "You will not take her from me". Three reasonably-written lines delivered so terribly that there should have been a re-take. But the truly terrifying thing is that, this being a big-budget blockbuster movie, you know that there were multiple takes and these must have been the best ones [face_rofl] .
     
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  13. Minez01

    Minez01 Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2005
    Not sure if he's underrated, but I really liked the actor who played Admiral Piett (and along with him, General Veers too). I thought both of these guys did a great job - in fact Piett was one of the few guys in the OT who I actually cared about outside the main characters and Wedge.
     
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