G R O W Y O U R W I N G S

I was in an all day meeting and completely offline and unplugged today.  fickleone called me to let me know about Heath Ledger.  Normally, the passing of actors/celebrities is not a significant thing for me.  But I do have a smallish number of actors who I really respect and Heath Ledger was one of those.  It's weird to me that someone who I'd really only seen in a couple of movies (Knight's Tale and Brokeback) has registered as so significant in my mind.  I think it was the different way I saw him between what I originally saw in Knight's Tale and then what I saw in Brokeback.  I enjoyed both movies.  I saw Knight's Tale because of my daughter and I really did enjoy it, but I admit that I saw it as a typical hollywood movie playing towards the young female demographic (i.e., my daughter).  That didn't mean I didn't enjoy it--but I admit that it was not a huge standout for me. 

What really made it stand out for me was when I saw Brokeback.  My appreciation for Heath Ledger rose ten-fold.  I was so blown away by his performance of Enis that it made me re-evaluate my shallow original response to Knight's Tale.  When I saw interviews with him later he further rose in my mind because he seemed so level-headed and down-to-earth. 

I guess I have this set of four categories of performers: 

1) those that are really just "celebrities" -- such as the Brittany's of the world.  These I don't think much about at all.  Not in the sense of "judging" them--but rather in the sense that I mostly don't pay any attention to them. 

2) Actors that are successful and "good" at acting--but seem to be either a "one-note" "same guy/gal" in every performance OR let acting get to their heads.  Such as the Tom Cruises of the world.  Again, I can enjoy their work (as long as they don't pass the line into truly weird)--but I don't have the same level of respect for them as I do for my third category. 

3)  I call these my Robert Redford/Paul Newman category.  Those actors who are really good, stay level headed, and don't let the Hollywood hype get to them.  They practice their craft, not their celebrity.  Like Redford, they start to work behind the cameras and are more than a one-note kinda actor.  In this category I place folks like Heath, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, and I really think Jensen Ackles--and I'm sure there are few others but I'm drawing a blank. 

Then I have to admit there is a 4th category:  People like Shatner, Nimoy, Jared Padalecki etc.  Those actors who have just contributed something to my enjoyment in something.  For example in something like Star Trek.  They may be very good actors or they may not be.  They are just someone I love because of one or more things they've done and/or who they are.  I don't think any less of these actors and may in fact appreciate them more to distraction in some cases than those in category #3.  They may migrate into category #3 as they mature and/or I see more of them.

There is one constant (I think) in both the #3 and #4 types--they all tend to be hard-working and level-headed--more about the work then the image.

So I rambled.  But back to Heath--such a major shame. So young.  So talented.  I really feel for his family.