Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
04-12-11, 06:45 PM
#1
Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
While watching the mostly forgettable horror flick "Ghost Machine" I was struck (and greatly amused) by how the actor Sean Faris seemed to be channeling the spirit of Ben Affleck and (more obviously) Tom Cruise in his performance as if he was doing an impersonation of them even though he was playing a fictional character.
Some other examples would be: Christian Slater in "Heathers" portraying his character as though he were Jack Nicholson or Kenneth Branagh in "Hollywood Ending" playing a fictional character but doing it like he was Woody Allen. Can anyone think of other examples?
And just to narrow the list down, I'm not talking about movies in which an actor is actually portraying another actor (ie. Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in "Man on the Moon" or Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator") or body switch movies like "Face/Off" and "Freaky Friday" where the plot essentially calls for the actor to mimic another actor's style.
And no Jesse Eisenberg/Michael Cera jokes, please.
Some other examples would be: Christian Slater in "Heathers" portraying his character as though he were Jack Nicholson or Kenneth Branagh in "Hollywood Ending" playing a fictional character but doing it like he was Woody Allen. Can anyone think of other examples?
And just to narrow the list down, I'm not talking about movies in which an actor is actually portraying another actor (ie. Jim Carrey as Andy Kaufman in "Man on the Moon" or Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator") or body switch movies like "Face/Off" and "Freaky Friday" where the plot essentially calls for the actor to mimic another actor's style.
And no Jesse Eisenberg/Michael Cera jokes, please.
04-12-11, 07:12 PM
#3
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
David Patrick Kelly sometimes seemed to me to be channeling Kirk Douglas. I think the film where I first noticed that was FLIRTING WITH DISASTER (1996).
04-12-11, 09:01 PM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
Keifer Sutherland evoking Peter Lorre in Dark City was pretty shameless. Effective, but shameless. 
04-12-11, 09:16 PM
#8
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
Obviously Brandon Routh was channeling Christopher Reeve in Superman Returns.
04-12-11, 09:41 PM
#10
Moderator
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
Jason Alexander --> Woody Allen (first season of Seinfeld)
Dan Castellaneta --> Walter Matthau (first season of The Simpsons)
Dan Castellaneta --> Walter Matthau (first season of The Simpsons)
04-12-11, 11:56 PM
#13
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
John Cusack was channeling Michael Keaton in 2012. In fact, one of my first thoughts after seeing it was "if this was made 20 years ago, it would have started Michael Keaton".
04-13-11, 07:20 AM
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04-13-11, 07:46 AM
#17
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Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
Tony Curtis Channels Cary Grant in Some Like It Hot
Kurt Russell channels Clint Eastwood in Escape From New York
Heath Ledger channel Andy Robinson's performance in Dirty Harry for Batman Returns (the Dark Knight)
Kurt Russell channels Clint Eastwood in Escape From New York
Heath Ledger channel Andy Robinson's performance in Dirty Harry for Batman Returns (the Dark Knight)
04-13-11, 06:17 PM
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Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
No way on Heath channeling Andy Robinson. Maybe James Cagney or James Dean.
04-13-11, 09:01 PM
#21
Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
04-13-11, 09:16 PM
#22
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Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?
Nic Cage doing Elvis in Wild at Heart.
04-13-11, 09:44 PM
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Re: Movies in which an actor channels another actor in his performance?