I recently saw the trailer for Due Date and cringed to see an actor of Robert Downey's caliber in a lame looking buddy comedy, especially with the likes of that no-name bearded guy from The Hangover.
Why go down this path? He's made some great movies over the years before and after drugs, such as A Scanner Darkly and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang that showcase what a good character actor he is (IMO). Natural Born Killers is another, although that's going back a bit.
He's drifted lately doing the popcorn blockbusters such as the Iron Mans and the Sherlock Holmes types which would be too financially enticing to turn down. But it's such a shame when a capable actor takes up these mediocre roles like in Due Date, probably due to sheer monetary gain.
They drove a dump truck of money up to my house... *sob*... I'm not made of stone!
It got me thinking about other actors who have followed a similar path.
Nicolas Cage: he used to be one of my favourite actors, he seemed to have such an intensity in his roles and I'd see a movie based purely on the fact he was in it. Loved movies like 8MM, The Rock, Adaptation, Con Air, Snake Eyes, Lord of War. These days, what's happened? Sorcerer's Apprentice, Astro Boy, Ghost Rider, Kick-Ass (which I liked as a movie, but his role was just silly).
Christopher Walken: a shameful example. What classic movies this guy's been involved in. The Deer Hunter, Annie Hall, Pulp Fiction not to mention countless others. I could go on but clearly one of the finest actors in years. These days, the likes of Click, Welcome to the Jungle, Balls of Fury, even that (awesome) Fatboy Slim video clip. Bit of a mockery of what was and still is a stalwart career. Will he do any more proper roles before retiring?
Morgan Freeman: another great actor, not so far fallen as some others, but think of what he's done. Shawshank Redemption, Power of One, Driving Miss Daisy (lol), Se7en just to mention a few. What's he done lately? The Almighty movies, Bucket List (a tongue-in-cheek poke at the nearing of the end?), and a fair few voice over type roles. I haven't seen Million Dollar Baby but they say it's worth it, so perhaps there's hope for him yet.
Then you have the reverse. Actors that have started off doing all the silly stuff then tried (and maybe failed) to take on more serious roles.
Jim Carey: from Ace Ventura, The Mask and Liar Liar to The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Number 23. Actually, Carey seems to chop and change a lot, trying to be more versatile I suppose. But for a while there, he definitely seemed to be trying to steer his career in the opposite direction, maybe to avoid being type-cast forever.
Adam Sandler: Not much to say, we all know what type of movies he's made. But he has tried to get serious the last few years, well, kind of. For a period there he seemed to have gone from stupid comedies to deep, emotional roles to generic rom-coms. Punch Drunk Love, Spanglish, Reign Over Me, after those he seemed to just give up and go back to what he knows best with stuff like Zohan.
Jack Black: I like his comedy but he shouldn't try to be serious. He tried with King Kong and The Holiday but he must know in his heart it's not the path for him to follow. Tried and failed.
Robin Williams: I can't figure this guy out, really. What's his main strength, comedy? It seems like he started that way then tried something a bit different with One Hour Photo and Insomnia. He's done stuff like Good Will Hunting which could be labeled a classic I suppose. It seems these days he's not in huge demand for movies, maybe his stand-up routine is just too popular. But his most recent movies are definitely on the 'silly' side.
Incidentally perhaps, my five favourite actors are (in no particular order):
Al Pacino
Jack Nicholson
Christopher Walken
Steve Buscemi
Michael Douglas
Got any other examples? Thoughts?
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