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[Just!n]

Except for instead of being awkward she's just super aloof. Oh yeah, also Cera was in Arrested Development. He also KILLED it in Scott Pilgrim. Aubrey Plaza is good in Parks & Rec, but she's already carving a niche as the girl Too Cool to Fuck You. The floor is open to debate.

[DGMacphee]

scoot pilgram

[DGMacphee]

is swinging into theaters

[Randy]

when you said parks and rec i knew who you were talking about on the basis of aloofness. 5d and subscribed.

[B]

Being typecast is nothing new. Julia Roberts always plays the exact same character, and people love her. Kate Hudson (with one grand exception), Katherine Heigl (especially Katherine Heigl), Jane Lynch, Matthew McConaughey, Mark Wahlberg, anybody. Zooey Deschanel is always the same character. The problem here is that you HAVE to be typecast to be a movie star these days. You have to be a director who always makes the same movies until you've made about 10 and can do whatever you want. People who dare to break away from their typecasting almost always fail to a mass audience. Michael Cera tried with with Youth in Revolt and nobody went to see it. Seth Rogen makes blockbusters as the affable pot smoking guy, and fails at the box office every time he breaks away from that.

Movies are just like music. People say they want something different, but they actually just want more of what they already like with the luxury of saying they want something different tacked onto it.

More on topic, I don't think April Ludgate is aloof. I think maybe on first glance her "whatever durr sarcasm" thing might come across as aloof, but they've built her into a pretty complex character (at least in the context of Parks and Rec). Also she's been in what, like two movies? Three if you count Mystery Team.

[DGMacphee]

People who dare to break away from their typecasting almost always fail to a mass audience.

I don't know if this is true because... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL7IUE0iRHM

Then there's also Will Smith, Robin Williams, Jamie Foxx, Gene Hackman, Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Steve Martin, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Christopher Walken, who've all managed to break from their original character type to some success.

Or my favourite example: the goofy Dad from Malcolm In The Middle now kicking ass and winning Emmys as Walter "Heisenberg" White, the pork-pie wearing meth chef from Albuquerque.

See, I don't believe so much in typecasting. I believe some actors have a limited range and that's all they can do well, and when they expand out to other role types, they fail. But I also believe there are actors who are gifted enough that their range is greater than most, and when they do break away the results are not only surprising but successful too.

I know you said "almost always" but I think that's probably more because there's more mediocre/substandard actors than there are above average actors.

[Illinois Smith]

Michael Cera tried with with Youth in Revolt and nobody went to see it.

He still does the same character in that movie, the only difference is that he has a split personality who does an awkward Jean-Paul Belmondo impression.

Seth Rogen makes blockbusters as the affable pot smoking guy, and fails at the box office every time he breaks away from that.

That's so gonna change next year with Green Hornet.

[BackLegFrontKick]

That's so gonna change next year with Green Hornet.

It'll be as big as Land of the Lost!

[Andy]

watch the trailer, no its not

[Spoodles]

Green Hornet doesn't have the name appeal to younger viewers, and people aren't going to go to an action movie specifically for Seth Rogan. It'll be another spectacular failure.

I'll see it, but I get in for free so who cares.

[Andy]

Green Hornet doesn't have the name appeal to younger viewers, and people aren't going to go to an action movie specifically for Seth Rogan. It'll be another spectacular failure.

I'll see it, but I get in for free so who cares.

All of this exactly, PLUS judging by the trailer he does not actually break free from his stoner buddy persona except to have an occasional fight or something. Which makes it Pineapple Express minus the sense of parody.

[Terry Cheesecake]

Michel Gondry directing and also starring Christoph Waltz and Eddie James Olmos. I'm definitely interested. My favourite part from wikipedia is this though:

Nicolas Cage was originally in talks to play the role of the villain then called Mr. X but would only do it if he would be allowed to speak with a Jamaican accent.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

she's only been in like four things

coincidentally the av club just posted an interview with her today

AVC: That’s something you have ended up playing a lot. Metaphorically, at least, you do a lot of eye-rolling. Your characters are constantly underwhelmed by what’s going on around them.

AP: Yeah, that’s fair. I mean, for the three things I’ve done.

AVC: Are you personally not easily impressed? Is that just something you play well?

AP: I don’t think I’m really like that. I think I’m really good at playing that. That all really came from—I can pinpoint it. I think it came from this web series I did called The Jeannie Tate Show. That was the first time I really took that kind of attitude, personality, and put it into a project where people saw it. I think that helped me get a lot of parts. Once people see you do one thing and they like it, they want to see more of it, or they can’t look past it. So I definitely think that’s been an underlying theme with a lot of the things I’ve done so far, but I don’t think they’re all exactly the same. And I don’t think I’m like that in real life. I just think I’m good at being like that. I don’t know why.

should probably keep in mind that young actors who are just starting out have very little leverage over what they're allowed to do. the people who offer them the best roles aren't going to have their potential range in mind.

also: gosh she is cute

[Illinois Smith]

Michel Gondry directing

This. I watched the trailer again and yeah, I guess I remembered Rogen's parts in it differently but I really just want to see Gondry do well with his first big budget movie.

[David]

Nicolas Cage was originally in talks to play the role of the villain then called Mr. X but would only do it if he would be allowed to speak with a Jamaican accent.

As terrible as Nicolas Cage's movies are, I would love to follow him around because he seems like a genuinely fascinating guy.

[CH]

On board the B train here to say I agree more or less with his assessment of April Ludgate. The first season she might have just been aloof but the second season, she actually showed a lot of depth despite trying to at least appear aloof when at the job.

You watch Michael Cera and you see him play this awkward character and you probably think to yourself, well he is probably a normal guy and not entirely like this. But you see Plaza and I tend to wonder if she is even that far removed from who she is trying to portray.

Justin, another point I would alter slightly is that she isn't Too Cool to fuck you, but Doesn't care if she fucks you or not. I think there is a difference there. But she certainly is cute. Justin is probably right, and normally I find bitchy, pessimistic girls to be kind of a turnoff, but I cant help myself with this one. Plus she was recently named Delaware's most famous resident.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

so did you just not read the part i quoted where she says she isn't like that in real life