[Christina Hendricks] Dear Internet...

Student status does not prevent me from doing casting in LA. The fact is that the actors who audition are all professional actors. They work in commercials, television, and feature films. The exact same people apply for student films and up and coming type roles in those kinds of things. They do student films from a select number of schools because they're known to do professional work. That's why I can post a casting notice in LA and have 1100 SAG actors reply in a week. Two years ago Hailee Steinfeld worked in several grad thesis films at my school and now she's nominated for an Oscar.

I'm not being pretentious. I'm not saying that this makes me a great and important filmmaker. I'm just saying I've been exposed to literally thousands of up and coming actors, and it's a pretty good cross section of what it's like for actors in LA.

And frankly, you can say I'm just a student until your face turns blue, but even so, I still have more experience in the film industry in LA than any other person on this board. Asking me to never talk about what I do, both as a student and as a former employee of companies like Warner Brothers and NBC, is ludicrous. Why? Just because it annoys you? I'm not trying to impress anyone, least of all you. I'm just trying to give some personal anecdotes since most people don't really know how any industry outside their own works (and that goes for me, too).


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

tl;dr

 

An actor/actress is responsible for maintaining a "look" and as unfortunate as that reality may be for some, it is what it is. Unfortunately some of those "looks" are unhealthy to maintain--especially looks demanded of women. It's also much harder for older actresses to get work as opposed to older men because of how the female form is looked upon in the industry, as SJ has sort of pointed out (and I think casting experience is a pretty darn good authority).

What SJ says is, essentially, in complete agreement with the casting director from South Coast Repertory (who has plenty of experience and is by no means a student). Joanne was frank with women at the theater about how much harder it can be to go through the industry, because they are women and most don't get work after a certain age because of look. Men seem to have more opportunities (in terms of look). I'm not saying women therefore need to cry "Oh woes me! Look how victimized I am" or men need to guilt-trip themselves, but it's just a reality of the industry imo.

EDIT: Standards change all the time--so just because it might be the reality now, doesn't mean it won't or can't change.

That said, I think "look" is often confused with acting ability for both sexes (and depending on the industry or genre, is even held above actual acting ability). This happens probably more often with women than men, but I can't personally offer a statistic to help substantiate that point.

 

Partly look is valued over acting in women because they aren't asked to take on as interesting or demanding roles. Most women's roles in film are as the main character's love interest, and that's it. Usually pretty generic and limiting. So they just go for someone pretty, who may or may not be talented. And the women who are talented... well, sometimes no one even knows it because mostly they're just asked to be pretty.

But I'm not about to blame actresses for their roles being shallow. They take what's available because it's damn hard to get roles, and there are far more young women trying to get them than young men. Far more. I get 3 times as many women submitting for leads as men.

There's a reason a lot of the most talented actresses (and older male actors) gravitate towards television. There are better roles in general on TV, but certainly many more for women, who drive the TV industry more than the film industry.


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

This too. Although, "Three Sisters," for example, has some demanding roles for women that are quite nice...I wonder if TV/Film is more limiting for women than theater in terms of types of roles they get to play? Do you know SJ?

EDIT: "Hedda Gabler" by Ibsen...or "Wit" by Margaret Edson are other examples

 

Honestly I'm not knowledgeable enough about contemporary theatre to know. I enjoy going to the theatre but everything I know about theatre business comes from The Producers I just know young males drive the major film business but television is about both. And everyone I've talked to in the industry agrees TV has much of the best writing in general right now, which is pretty self-evident.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

You people really know how to throw a party.....

 

Hedda Gabler sure as hell does. Hendricks would probably have a blast playing her...

 

Sorry, we fail at Objectifying Women 101


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I've always wondered if anyone else here have spent 6+ continuous years at the same retail store, at such a young age no less (started at Wally World when I was 17, and I'm now 24). Of course, ancedotes about your line of work (and frankly, most others) would be a lot more interesting than my lists of factoids/observations about the retail life.

They beat Boston!: 2009-2010 L.A. Lakers: Back-to-Back World Champions

 

Maybe, but you still deserve the title of Wal-Mart expert.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I want to be the cheese expert.

 

That just comes with being French. But you'll have to battle Terr for it. And being actually in France, he's probably gonna win that one. But you can be the pharmacy expert if you like

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I would also like to claim the following titles:

-cigar expert

-Laker expert (to be shared with Import...Jedi & Dashy

They beat Boston!: 2009-2010 L.A. Lakers: Back-to-Back World Champions

 

Technically, I probably know more about theater than many people here, but...I think I like cheese better than theater and it's not like the French own ALL CHEESE.

EDIT: plus no one anywhere wants to talk about theater...ever

knowledge is overrated anyways, I usually feel much more comfortable assuming I know nothing and not giving the impression to the contrary.

...I'll just be the Donut master. Donuts have...such beautiful curves

 

[image=http://www.lovemarks.com/media/image/california_cheese_html.jpg]

They beat Boston!: 2009-2010 L.A. Lakers: Back-to-Back World Champions

 

Brecht?

 

Oh God, you made him go all Ted on us


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

There is also Bruch, France (Aquitaine region).

They have cheese there.

cheese

Not sure if they also have cuurves though...

....

I hated Trig...

radians and degrees and radians and degrees and radians....

EDIT: Triangulation is important in making structures stable and resisting lateral forces such as wind bracing. True Story.

 

My intention was never to objectify women (quite the opposite actually), so I'm not sure that would be anymore on topic. I also agree with you, sj, over others in this thread, most especially SLG.

 

Yeah, because people go around trying to get raped

Actresses can refuse to do racey photoshoots or nudity in films or on TV. Jessica Alba has a no-nudiy clause in her contracts (apparently) because she is "conservative" or something. There actually aren't a lot of very revealing pictures of Christina Hendricks around that aren't just major clevage shots.
On the other hand, there are plenty of actresses that are recruited simply for their looks and not acting ability (Johansson, Megan Fox) but want to try and be "serious actors". There are those that embrace the fact they are just wanted for their looks and will go along with that (Kelly Brook for example)

But everyone has a choice, I doubt any actress will be fired or not cast in a movie for refusing to do an FHM photoshoot.

Glamour models have more of a problem with being underweight than most actresses do, from what I've seen. Most of the Hollywood female elite movie stars don't seem to have weight issues.

 

My post was based on a line a character on the show directed at her character [You can post wtihout name calling.].

 

That's like editing the Great Gazoo when he's addressing Fred Flintstone!

 

Except that would be clearly labelled as a quote, something your post was not.