"Regal Bearing, Common Touch"
That's how Gregg described Margo Martindale, who was on stage for the LA Times "The Envelope"/Elmore Leonard's "Justified" discussion and screening, and then who we got to talk with in the green room afterward.
Well, that is, I talked. Gregg sang. It was the most amazing thing. He knows a lot about music, and he's also a huge George Jones fan. Margo comes from "George Jones country," as Gregg called the part of Texas where she's from. One of them brought up Melba Montgomery, or as Gregg referred to her, "the female George Jones."
Well, Margo started singing this duet by Montgomery and George Jones, "Let's Invite Them Over Again" (about wife-swapping), and then Gregg started singing along -- it was a truly unforgettable moment.
I can't really do it justice here, but the experience reinforced an experience I've had over and over, since I was back in New York and I used to stop by and eat with the character actors (like Harry Goz and Bill Nelson) at the old Edison Hotel Coffee Shop.
If you want to talk to somebody really interesting who's an actor, I think it's generally best to avoid the big superstars. (Typically they're egos in search of a landing pad.) Talk to the character actors. They are, not surprisingly, the truly interesting characters.
And, if you haven't seen "Justified," on FX, you should. It's phenomenal, and Margo is especially, as evil mama Mags Bennett. Walton Goggins, who was wildly great in The Shield, turns around my other favorite performance on the show.
Love that show. Timothy Elaphant (sp?) is HOT.
And I have to agree with you about the character actors being WAY more interesting most times, at least television and movies actors.
I work in theatre at night (got a day job to pay the bills ya know), but theatre is also a different animal than film/tv and even the leads have to get a little dirty sometimes. You won't find the leads swinging a hammer in film but you sure will at most theatres.
I am also more of a character actor than ingenue myself. It's way more fun to play the character or the bad guy then the lead often times. You need a pretty good sense of humor and self confidence to play those parts too because they don't get the glory. Christine Baranski is one of my favorite character actresses. So is Joan Cusack.
Sabrina at June 7, 2011 5:43 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/06/07/regal_bearing_c.html#comment-2228175">comment from SabrinaChristine Baranski is fantastic. She used to come in for voiceover auditions when I worked as a producer at Ogilvy & Mather, right after college. I also loved Barbara Feldon, who I used as a voiceover on something, can't remember what. Now, I watch Baranski on the stupidly named but very good "The Good Wife."
Amy Alkon at June 7, 2011 6:38 AM
I am so jealous!
I love Christine Baranski in just about anything she does. She elevates any film or show just by being in it. I hated Mama Mia (and I am a musical theatre geek to the core). She was the only good thing I had to say about it. It it wasn't for her, I would have sent hate mail to the studio.
Sabrina at June 7, 2011 7:23 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2011/06/07/regal_bearing_c.html#comment-2228284">comment from SabrinaI love her, too. And Margo Martindale is an actress I would listen to if she read aloud from the phone book.
Walton Goggins, by the way, is a talented writer-director. I loved this Academy Award-winning short he did, "The Accountant." Yesterday night, he told me he's directing a film in Connecticut starting in the next few weeks. He and his wife also just had a baby, and if you saw "The Shield" (and you should -- it's an amazing show...we watched all seven seasons)...well, you know why he joked to me that they don't use the words "family meeting" around their house.
I think character actors have the same task an average looking woman does. She's got to develop herself in a way a beautiful woman does not. Leading men do get much of the acclaim, and you get the sense from hearing Olyphant (in these talks) and seeing his "bits of business" on the show that he's a really smart and very clever guy. But, for me, the people like Walt and Margo, who play these odious people, yet somehow make you manage to like them, at least a little, have the really hard job, and the really interesting job to me as a viewer.
Amy Alkon at June 7, 2011 7:35 AM
I totally agree about the character actors. I love Margo on that show. She is so sleazy yet, I sympathize with her immensly. She just broke my heart this last season. My sense of justice goes through serious bi-polar disorder with her. I like Timothy (and not just because he's so pretty to look at...) but he's also one of those guys that while good, is a "type". He's always gonna be the cowboy cop leading man or something like that. There's only so far you can go with that. Margo's character though, it can be changed and portrayed in so many ways and she's got the chops to do it.
I am not really familiar with a lot of Goggins work. I haven't watched The Shield but a lot of people I know have and they all say it's amazing. I really should just get all seasons and watch them on DVD all at once like I did with The Wire. (Seriously, Hubby and I went through the entire series in two weeks.) Idris Elba on that show is just... yum. And SO good as his character. He's another one that had me feeling like I am rooting for the wrong team when the cops were trying to catch him.
Sabrina at June 7, 2011 8:08 AM
Yes, indeed did Margo Martindale do an outstanding job in this year's series of Justified. But I thought it was Jeremy Davies as her skeezy-ass son Dickie that stole the show. My gosh that guy was creepy, creepy and deadly. Someone like that moves in down the street and you know there's gonna be trouble in the neighborhood.
David Crawford at June 7, 2011 8:32 AM
"Well, that is, I talked. Gregg sang."
That. is. so. cool.
Have him check out Jamie Johnson and Nathan Hamilton. Jamie is actually pretty well known and there is a better than average chance Greg has already heard of him, but Nathan has yet to receive the rewards he deserves.
Steve Daniels at June 7, 2011 10:13 AM
A bit off topic, but it *is* about a theater. NSFW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L3eeC2lJZs
Steve Daniels at June 7, 2011 10:40 AM
Amy, it's much the same in music; if you meet a band and you want to talk to a band member who knows something, it's often best to avoid the lead singer. For instance, a lot of people don't realize that the person who founded Guns 'n Roses and wrote most of their songs in their heyday was not Axl Rose or Slash, but rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin. He was the person who made that band work, despite his not being a front man on stage.
Cousin Dave at June 7, 2011 11:41 AM
Steve. That was just funny right there.
SAbrina at June 7, 2011 12:27 PM
LOVE Justified!!! and she is GREAT in that role. So sad the last episode... Well, I guess her character was not really the nicest.. hehe
Melody at June 7, 2011 1:30 PM
I haven't seen Justified - mebbe I hafta. Margo was in The Riches on TV. It lasted less than 2 seasons but was one of the most original things I've seen, IMHO one of those shows that's too good to survive.
DaveG at June 7, 2011 3:09 PM
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