Every time I watch Nova or the history channel, I am plagued by the characters overacting their parts trying to install themselve into posterity. I propose a school that tones down the under-employed actors that pepper the profession. Students to the school would be subjected to long hours of over-actors such as Gene Wilder, William Shatner, and Whoopi goldberg until they realize that acting requires subtlety and finesse, not wild gestures and gritted teeth. Only then would the students recieve a diploma that certifies that they are ego-free, or at least ego-constrained.
-- ricchris, Jan 04 2009

Dude, don't mess with his Shatness alright?
-- zeno, Jan 04 2009


not sure why you are aiming at t.v. documentaries.

theatre trained acTORS would be more prone to the camper variety of gestures and tone than television actors because they are projecting to the very back of the theatre and the acting techniques required by cinematic film (i.e. the widescreen) requires even more subtler gestures and speech.
-- po, Jan 04 2009


"AH DAMN YOU! GOD DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"
-- gnomethang, Jan 04 2009


To be fair to the Hestmeister, over acting was very much the style at the time.
-- Texticle, Jan 04 2009


It seems that re- creations on shows like America's Most Wanted fall prey to the same syndrome. It must suck being type-cast as child molesters and wife beaters, but that is no excuse for bad acting. Maybe actors could be on a game show where they try to act their way out of giant paper bags. (Scenes of Spinal Tap Krysalis pods)
-- ricchris, Jan 04 2009



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