ST Domhnall Gleeson (General Hux) in Episode VII

That would be just about the coolest thing ever, IMO.

 

Lupita and Domhnall are not in the same place, careerwise.

Lupita - and I admire her GREATLY - had a role of note in a film that is more talked about than seen. And she was brilliant in it, and deserved her Oscar.

However - and I say this stepping very lightly - awesome acting career opportunities for women in film are nowhere near as numerous as awesome acting career opportunities for men in film. Awesome acting career opportunities for women of color are even more scarce. Since "12 Years a Slave," she's appeared in a supporting role in an action film and is doing a voice for one of the Jungle Book films. Meanwhile, Domhnall has one film waiting to be released, two films in post production, and one film in pre-production in addition to SW.

So SW could very well be Lupita's "small role in a giant fan favorite franchise to take her career to the next level." Let's face it, not a lot of kids and a certain segment of adults did not see her Oscar winning performance. From her manager's/agent's point of view, a less than starring role could very well be worth taking because of the doors it will open for her.

Domhnall already has lots of doors open - he's in the stage where he needs to make choices.

Hollywood is just as much about economics and being strategic as it is about storytelling and entertaining people.

 

I wonder if he's the Kenobi descendant that was rumored a few months ago. Faraci says his role is a huge spoiler.

 

That´s probably because he is playing someone neither of us is expecting him to play.

 

maybe he's playing the New Emperor.

 

Gwendoline Christie is known for her work on the popular series Game of Thrones and is set to appear in the Hunger Games: Mockingjay soon. Episode 7 will not be her "small role in a giant fan favorite franchise to take her career to the next level" like you've stated for academy award winner, Lupita Nyong'o. So is she only taking a smaller role because she's a woman and needs the money or is her character equal to the ones Hamill, Ford, Fisher, Ridley, Boyega, Driver, Isaac, Gleeson, Daniels, Baker, Mayhew, Serkis, and Sydow play?

The grandson of Mon Mothma. Leader of the Alliance.

 

I hear what you are saying but "12 Years A Slave" made nearly $200 million dollars worldwide. Quite a few people have seen it. And while Lupita's role is relatively small in that film let's get real....has Gleeson been in one movie that made as big of an impact in which his role was as memorable as Nyong'o's in 12 Years? No offense but he is a bit of an afterthought in the Harry Potter franchise flicks. Plus not to mention the ENDLESS, NAUSEATING press that Nyong'o got leading up to her Oscar win practically made her a household name in ways that Gleeson isn't.

That being said you are right in that Gleeson is in a better stage of a career than Nyong'o despite her Oscar. But you aren't being specific enough when you claim that the film industry is more kind to men. The western film industry is actually very kind to white men, and there are endless leading and substantial parts for white male characters in all types of genres. Gleeson benefits from that through no fault of his own. It isn't as if black, Asian, Hispanic actors have nearly as many options despite being men too. Next on the totem pole, after white males, come white females. Then there are non-white men. And on the bottom of the totem pole, though not as far down as they used to be, are non-white females. Nyong'o obviously falls into that category and right now the roles haven't exactly been pouring in. As talented and lovely as she is she doesn't have the typical look that Hollywood prefers from black women. Hollywod has historically given favor to black women who appear to have a racially mixed look. Halle Berry. Rae Dawn Chong. Paula Patton. Zoe Kravitz. Zoe Saldana. That type.

Another reason why Gleeson is at a better stage than Nyong'o is that he has been acting and working in the industry longer than Nyong'o has.

 

old pics (ok)

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With Adam Drive (2012)

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nice find,especially the last pic, it's great seeing 2 VII cast members 2 years before the casting announcement.

 

All I'm saying is that for a hot actor to put his career on hold for a relatively insignificant role ala the Episode One actors you originally cited makes zero sense and would be a highly illogical move for Gleeson and his advisors. And yes, women don't have the same breadth and depth of roles in Hollywood to choose from, period. Christie - and I think she's one of the best things about GoT and a terrific actress - has a unique look and persona which makes her perfectly suited for certain types of roles. I'm sure she was cast for a part that will make the most of her persona and one that she will make come alive.

I also think the people in this forum obsessed with the size of roles really need to stop taking out their rulers. It's not the size of the part, it's the emotion the role elicits that matters. Domhnall could have one scene in this film - but it could be the linchpin upon which Episode VII and IX depend. If the role is important enough to the story, then it would warrant taking many months out of his schedule that he could otherwise spend on another film. But playing the equivalent of Panaka, when directors are lining up to work with him? That's scoff-worthy. IMO.

EDIT: And sure, he could just want to show up as Spear Carrier #4 so he could say he was in Star Wars - but apparently it's his brother that is the big fan. Also, it's not called show business or the industry just to be cute. Acting is a real career that requires real strategy and results in real salaries being paid if handled correctly. Taking a sabbatical to play a minor, barely registering role "for fun" would be...irrational.

 

12 Years a Slave made $56,671,993 in US box office.
Guardians of the Galaxy's domestic box office is $323,360,000 so far - and it's still in theaters.
Frozen made $1,274,219,009 in worldwide box office.
The Avengers made $1,518, 594,910 in worldwide box office.

Disney is not looking to do 12 Years a Slave business.

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Not really, by Hollywood major franchise film standards.​

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I'm not talking about press and public perception (which pays...zero. All that press and attention and Lupita's only upcoming role, other than Star Wars, is a voice role in one of the Jungle Book films? That's criminal).​

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I'm talking about career heat. Gleeson has his pick of projects. By taking Star Wars, he had to say no to other films. He took himself off the market for several months for Episode VII. So it needed to be worth it, in either potentially moving him further up the star ladder and/or money. Actors get paid based on their "quotes," or salaries for their previous film. Why would he take a Capt. Panaka-level role, when he's getting leading, second lead or third lead in high profile indie and major Hollywood studio films, and risk not only losing his career momentum but also lower his quote?!​

No, I said I was treading lightly, because it would be off topic to start a discussion about sexism/racism in Hollywood/dominant Western culture.

 

given that Faraci heard that Gleeson's role is a big spoiler, we can say that if its true then it's either a major role or a significantly important role in VII and not a minor role like Panaka.

 

could some elaborate on the different between a "Major Role" and a "Significantly important Role" for me please?

 

It could take him 2 weeks to film his part for Episode 7 for all we know. The same amount of time it took Ian McDiarmid for AOTC (minus pickups). I'm not sure that qualifies as putting your career on hold. Maybe one reason why he took the role was because there was time between the picture he was currently working on and the next one he had lined up.

I initially came in here and speculated that he could be playing a new droid and was essentially told that was beneath him. I value Threepio and Artoo as characters so the idea of him putting his comedic chops to such an effort didn't sound degrading let alone this career ending crisis you're making it out to be. Sure Panaka was boring character and Jar Jar was anything but what was intended, however they were (or meant to be) significant supporting characters that were brought into a previous star wars script read and I mention it for perspective. Not everyone at that script read is going to be playing a lead and thus will be in a supporting role. And in some cases, not every lead or significant actor is at the script read. I would, no matter how big or small any of the actors roles are, hope that they are interesting.

As for Gwendoline, I'm glad you approve of her decision to take part in this movie despite it potentially not taking her to the next level.

 

Exactly october 2012

 

I never said career-ending crisis. Hyperbole much?

This isn't about sentiment. It's about understanding filmmaking is a business and this is the decision making process actors go through. It's also about how film scheduling works, along with first position/second position for actors. Even if the actual filming is scheduled for just two weeks, the actor must still clear his/her schedule for second unit work, reshoots, looping, etc. And we also know that the worst case scenario happened for Ep VII and the schedule did have to be rejiggered. So it is difficult for an actor to "squeeze" in a few weeks here, a few weeks there if both films want him/her in first position (i.e. that production takes precedence over all other jobs and gets first call on the actor). Most productions stay away from signing an actor in first position to another production because scheduling can and does change

I'm glad you care so much about what I think as to be glad of my approval, I guess?

 

My God, think of all the blockbuster movie franchises Zoe Saldana has been in off the top of my head:

Star Trek (black woman)
Avatar (blue alien)
Guardians of the Galaxy (green alien)

I can't think of a single movie she's been in where she hasn't been a white man. I always thought that pattern was interesting.

I love her in everything she does, but I wish more room was made for other black female actresses in these type of mainstream (white-friendly) blockbuster movies.

 

Hm, I wonder why.

 

Let me check. But first I'll need that ruler you told me to put down earlier.

Yeah. I'm sure he'll work all of that out whether his role is a lead or a supporting character. Just as I'm sure the in demand Samuel L. Jackson did when he filmed his role as Mace Windu in 1997.

 

Head, point, flew right over. But thanks for playing!

Meanwhile, I'm very much looking forward to seeing Domhnall on screen, no matter who or what he is playing.

 

Or I understood your point and tried to alleviate your concern about a supporting role potentially not being worth what it could cost him in more substantial jobs (or one potentially already lined up down the road) by referencing Samuel L. Jackson, an actor who got noticed after appearing in Pulp Fiction and knew that being hot in Hollywood doesn't last forever. But in the midst of a key time in his career, during a busy schedule, he signed on to TPM in a supporting role, filmed, and continued on with his new, hot career playing lead characters while he did looping and reshoots and so on for TPM.

 

Awwww, it's SO sweet of you to be concerned about my concern! But wholly unnecessary. I'm pretty confident in my knowledge of how Hollywood works. Also, Mace Windu? Not exactly Panaka or Sio Bibble, which was your original supposition.

So...don't look now, but you kinda made my point for me. I never said Domhnall would be a lead, just that he wasn't playing what amounts to Spear Carrier #3/Sio Bibble because, again, doesn't make logical sense.

back on topic - has this photo been posted before? I hadn't seen it, but I could have missed it. Photographed by Annie Liebovitz for US Vogue, August 2014.

"Best known for his shoulder-length locks throughout the Harry Potter films, the Dublin-born Domhnall Gleeson has since been experimenting with a clean-cut look (in last year's About Time), floppy curls (in Frank, with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender, out this month); he's even gone blond (as an American POW in the Angelina Jolie-directed Unbroken, which opens Christmas Day). No word yet on the hairdo for his most anticipated job, in J.J. Abrams's Star Wars: Episode VII. 'It all I want to talk about, of course, but literally I'm only allowed to say how excited I am.'"

 

Did the dude on the far left forget to put on a decent pair of shoes or something? Lol

 

Anything is possible - however, the TPM script read wasn't the announcement that the Episode VII script read was. It was to showcase the new actors and the returning stars.

The guy playing a Boba Fett/Sio Bibble role is going to be a part of that.

It's role is major - if Driver is indeed the villain, and if Episode VII is sticking with tradition of 3 heroes leading the cast, then it is between Gleeson and Issac and I'm putting money on Gleeson.

Of course, the new Big 3 won't be the Big 3 until VIII, but I'd say that it will be clear by the end of VII.