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movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illness

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movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illness

Old 06-08-10, 07:06 PM
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movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illness

If I'm not mistaken Jason Robards was dying from cancer and played the part in Magnolia
Old 06-08-10, 07:13 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Tom Hanks in Philadelohia...in real life he was suffering from fallen arches.



I got nothing. I think this may be a short thread.
Old 06-08-10, 07:26 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by JumpCutz
I think this may be a short thread.
Not if we include alcoholic actors who played alcoholics... or drug addicts.
Old 06-08-10, 07:28 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by KillerCannibal
Not if we include alcoholic actors who played alcoholics... or drug addicts.
So true.
Old 06-08-10, 07:35 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Wasn't John Wayne terminal when he played the dying gunfighter in "The Shootist"?
Old 06-08-10, 07:38 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

The French film Savage Nights (1992) was about a character who is HIV positive and played by Cyril Collard, who was HIV positive and died a year later.
Old 06-08-10, 08:19 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Christopher Reeve in "Rear Window" (remake)
Old 06-08-10, 08:40 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Seabiscuit'
Old 06-08-10, 08:50 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by Shemp
Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Seabiscuit'
Old 06-08-10, 09:24 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Did the Edward G. Robinson character in Soylent Green have cancer? I think Robinson died a couple weeks after the film was finished.
Old 06-08-10, 10:00 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Michael Cuccione in 2gether
Old 06-08-10, 10:26 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by Shemp
Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Seabiscuit'
Never gets old.
Old 06-10-10, 11:22 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by Chet Desmond
Wasn't John Wayne terminal when he played the dying gunfighter in "The Shootist"?
No, he had not been diagnosed with that particular cancer yet, and lived 3 more years.
Old 06-10-10, 12:42 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Does Robert Downey Jr. in 'Less Than Zero' count?
Old 06-10-10, 12:50 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Andre the Giant's acromegaly in Princess Bride.
Old 06-10-10, 12:52 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Kirk Douglas after his stroke in Diamonds.
Old 06-11-10, 05:50 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

When Jan-Michael Vincent was filming some low budget action movie in the early 90s, he was in a nasty car crash and suffered severe facial injuries. Since they couldn't afford to wait, the script was rewritten to involve a car crash to explain why he suddenly became so grotesque.
Old 06-11-10, 05:52 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

'Blow'.

Only it was the director Demme, and he died from a coke overdose not too long after. He was making a film about his disease. Good movie too.
Old 06-11-10, 09:31 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by resinrats
Never gets old.
Sarah Jessica Parker walks into a bar. The bartender says "Why the long face?"
Old 06-11-10, 09:50 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Come on guys, the ultimate one in this category (if you count injuries as illnesses) is Harold Russell who played Homer Parrish in "The Best Years Of Our Lives". It's a great movie and Harold won two Oscars for the part.
Old 06-11-10, 09:52 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by Charlie Goose
When Jan-Michael Vincent was filming some low budget action movie in the early 90s, he was in a nasty car crash and suffered severe facial injuries. Since they couldn't afford to wait, the script was rewritten to involve a car crash to explain why he suddenly became so grotesque.
As long as we're considering actors' injuries, how about Mark Hamill. I didn't research the details of this, but I believe a similar thing happened to him (car accident), resulting in some facial injuries, which were then worked into the beginning of ESB by having him be the victim of a Wampa attack.
Old 06-11-10, 11:48 AM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Originally Posted by Yavin
As long as we're considering actors' injuries, how about Mark Hamill. I didn't research the details of this, but I believe a similar thing happened to him (car accident), resulting in some facial injuries, which were then worked into the beginning of ESB by having him be the victim of a Wampa attack.
You've got your facts a little screwed up. In real life Mark Hamill actually was attacked by a wampa. It happened in Malibu.
Old 06-11-10, 12:17 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Also, Grandma Walton on the Waltons.
Old 06-11-10, 12:51 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Will you fuckers lay off Sarah Jessica Parker already? Her suicide scene in "The Ring" is one of the last decade's most riveting screen performances...
Old 06-11-10, 01:15 PM
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Re: movies where a plot line centers around an (in the movie) actor's real life illne

Not exactly illness or a movie but Ossie Davis' death scene on 'The L Word' was pretty close to his real life death. Both time-wise and how it happened.
A great final performance.

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