Worst big-name actor working

Robin Williams is THE shit. Major talent. Can do anything. And while I personally liked him performing better when he was getting high, the guy is simply outfuckingstandings as a comic and actor.

 

This thread included praise for Mark Wahlberg's work in 'Rock Star' within the first three posts, rendering the entire thread moot.

 

Dude said they all make either humble or outrageous requests (mostly the latter) before they do an appearance. Jennifer Lopez demanded a painfully specific Pantone color for the napkins and tablecloth and really raised a fuss over it. Freeman was asked what he wanted. He said he just wanted a bottle of water, which there were tubs of to begin with.

 

Yeah, the riders for some celebrities are insane.

 

If I were famous, I'd ask for an entire palette of M&Ms everywhere I went. Then, when i got there, I'd be like "I said I wanted an entire palette of PEANUT M&Ms!!!!! I can't work like this!!!!!!"

 

Have you seen "Magnolia"? Nobody can watch that movie and come out saying Cruise can't act. You don't have to like him -- I don't particularly -- but the guy can act his ass off when he wants to.

 

This is only tangentially related, but there was a fascinating article floating around the net the other day (I can't recall if it ended up here) where Van Halen claimed there was a reason for their insistence that there be no brown M&Ms in the dressing room:

http://boingboing.net/2009/08/05/van-halen-had-good-r.html

Essentially, their contract called for a highly detailed sound and equipment setup, and the M&M request was to test the facilities' attention to detail. If there were brown M&Ms in the dressing room, the band's managers knew to start double checking the rest of the setup for safety and quality issues.

 

That actually makes some sense. It reminds me of something me dad taught me when I was a kid: When shopping for a used car, never buy one if the clock doesn't work. Because if they can't build a clock that holds up, that tells you everything you need to know about the rest of the car.

 

Here is an excerpt from that rider:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/backstagetour/1982vanhalen/1982vanhalen1.html

I love TSG backstage section. Some great stuff there.

 

I have a friend who is a director of operations for a pretty decent-sized venue that does big-name comedians and music acts. The venue holds about 8,000.

He said George Carlin came in and didn't have a rider and he was all stressed out that it had been overlooked and was a complete basketcase that Carlin was going to show up and be pissed because they didn't have the right stuff for him. About an hour before Carlin arrived, he finally got his road manager on the phone.

"He wants some water, with honey and lemon for his throat. Bottled water would be great, but if you don't have it, that's fine. And if you could get him a turkey sandwich, that would be great too."

He said Adam Sandler appeared there several years ago and he traveled with his bulldog, who apparently shit and puked all over the dressing room. After the show was done, Sandler was out the door and my buddy had to clean up the mess himself.

The next day, a courier shows up at the venue with a handwritten card from Sandler that said, "My dog was sick last night, I feel terrible for whoever had to clean up, please accept this as an apology."

Enclosed was a check for $1,500.

 

Keanu edges out McConaughey by a nose.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Tom Cruise doesn't rate consideration here. In Rain Man he deserved the Oscar more than Dustin Hoffman. Paul Newman is one of my all-timers but he was not much better than TC in The Color of Money. Yeah, TC does a lot of crap and he's a creep and a freak and he's been bad (you never believed the sex scenes in Eyes Wide Shut and he's opposite his then-wife/beard). Still, really good when he's really good. Not great, but few are.

o-<