Paris Hilton recently graced the cover of “Elle
Girl” dressed in a moderately conservative, flowery tank top
— a lot more than she usually wears when she’s bar-hopping.
The magazine, aimed at girls aged 13 to 19, touted her as a role
model for young girls, citing her involvement with charities and
her closeness with her family.
And while Hilton might be trying to forget the days of her
infamous sex video, her appearance on multiple magazine covers, in
addition to her current role in the newest thriller, “House
of Wax,” might indicate that Hollywood already has. But if
many have forgotten her past, what will it take to hold the
public’s attention in the future?
“This is what the marketplace has become,” said UCLA
Professor Mel Shapiro, who teaches acting in the theater
department.
“Years ago, if a young girl did that, she could not get a
movie contract, but now it just doesn’t seem to make any
difference. The more notoriety you have, the more commercials (you
make) ““ you become in the movies.”
Sex, lies, and videotapes may make you a star or an instant
celebrity, but according to Andrew Duncan, a third-year film and
television student, it requires talent to be a true actor.
“Actors achieve success with talent and stars with
charisma. If somebody excels in one area or the other they can only
get so popular within their respective markets,” Duncan said.
“Only the rare true Hollywood superstars like Tom Hanks and
Denzel Washington can excel in both categories.”
While succeeding in the film industry as an actor does require
talent, it also takes a tremendous amount of hard work. Shapiro
stresses that even the best actors can’t get by on talent
alone.
“Good acting ““ even the most talented ““
requires an enormous amount of work, as much work as an opera
singer or good dancer,” he said. “Many people going
into acting don’t realize that. Because it looks so easy,
acting attracts a lot of people who don’t think it’s
work.”
Part of the reason people don’t realize how much hard work
the acting profession requires is because of the strong emphasis on
a person’s looks. Many actors are nixed in the casting
process not based on their acting skills, but simply because they
don’t fit the certain “image” that the role
requires.
“Unfortunately, actors need to look the part before being
considered for anything else,” said third-year film and
television student Christine Lee.
Lee also believes that while looks come first, eventually talent
will keep the audience interested and believing in an actor’s
character.
“If an actor really (is bad at) acting, it doesn’t
matter how good they look because they can’t persuade the
viewers,” Lee added.
If the audiences aren’t persuaded, the millions of dollars
that big blockbusters bring in during their opening weekends
don’t show it initially. Films such as “Guess
Who” starring Ashton Kutcher or the remake of “The
Amityville Horror” managed to debut on top of the box office,
but they dropped off in income drastically in the following weeks.
One possible reason for this is that after the initial hype has
died down, the movie is left to stand on its own merits.
Still, for every “Million Dollar Baby,” there are
hundreds more like “House of Wax.” And as long as
consumers are willing to pay for this kind of entertainment, it
will keep being produced.
“I think it says a lot about the film industry, which has
become more and more about the marketplace and more and more about
appealing to certain demographics,” Shapiro said.
“Whatever is tickling the public at the moment is what they
go for.”