Is Will Smith A Overall Good Actor?

[markwinfield1]

Besides,the usual Will Smith stuff!Is Will Smith that Great?Seven Pounds,POH,Ali are Good.But Films,like I Am Legend&Ect.Were he's supposed.To be playing a Serious Role.But ends up being.The Usual,Will Smith.Those type of films are Alright.But Critics,Dogged that film.For a Reason!I was into Seven Pounds,allott.But the Plot.Is too far fetched.What are your Opinions?

[Ale]

I don't know what you're trying to say. But I personally consider Will Smith a great actor though most of his movies aren't really that great. For example, his performance in 'Ali', 'Pursuit Of Happyness' or 'I Am Legend' prove, for me, that he can be a serious actor too when he wants to. But I also think he needs to work with better directors and find better scripts if he wants to be considered one of the best actors of our time, like, let's say, Tom Hanks. And I say "our time" because I don't think he'll ever reach the level of actors like Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro or Jack Nicholson (just to name a few), considered some of the greatest actors ever. Let's be realistic. Hope Will proves me wrong.

But, on the other hand, I don't like comparisons. Each actor has his style, and I like Will's style. I like Will's movies. The guy has a lot of talent to act, and I think that's obvious.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Ale

[sonic1988]

I think it does depend on the script and the situation. In many of his movies he can be carrying the entire movie. Like I, Robot, let's say. Will needs a good all star cast type of movie with a strong director to catapult him into the upper stratosphere of actors. Unfortunately, Will is too big of a star to do something like Shakespeare in the park to expand his acting talents. It would be amazing if he did it, but the security risk would be too great.

[Big Willie]

I consider him to be one of the most versatile actors of our time. I don't think he excels in any one genre, but his adaption skills are amazing. For someone to somewhat effortlessly transcend from a biopic, to the last man on earth, then into a superhero and then be able to play such a dark role in 7 Pounds all in the space of 2 years, that's enough for me for him to be considered a great actor. I think there are plenty of actors out there with more acting ability, but very few with his versatility.

[Turntable]

I agree with Big Willie.

[DefCEM]

i'm pretty sure he would suck on stage in a real theater. he is and always was an camera actor but he's still pretty good in what he's doing. sometimes he's unable to get into the spirit of things which leeds to unauthenticity. pretty like the first scene in 7 Pounds, really bad acting. he often tends to act like somebody instead of being that person himself. that makes his roles more or less superficial and thats the reason why he's always "Will" when you watch his movies. the good thing about it is, that people want to see "Will" in the movie. So in my opinion he's a no go for real theater.

[Simon Lerkot Berglind]

I wouldnt call him good, I wouldnt call him bad. He's aight. Especially in the comedy genre.

[JumpinJack AJ]

DefCEM...don't u remember...The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was taped in front of a live studio audience.

[VIsqo]

The thing with Will is that everytime the critics call him a great actor or compare him with Denzel or stuff like that, he just separates more from his real audience which are the ones who really buy the tickets..

[DefCEM]

DefCEM...don't u remember...The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was taped in front of a live studio audience.

AJ, i don't know the details about FPOBA, but its not the same as in a real theater where you have to play the whole thing through. and still camera acting and acting on a theatre stage in front of hundreds of people without a microphone and camera is totally different. you have to emphasize and focus on totally different things. voice, presence, coordination, room are all things which are inevitable in theater-acting. on camera you can do all the stuff over and over again and fix it afterwards in the cut. but to have the skills to use that stage and transform it into a scene just with your body and presence is something i'm not sure about when it comes to Wills acting skills.

it's the same with real MCs and studio rappers who cant perform on stage. 2 totally different things and theater acting is the supreme discipline for an actor. and thats the reason why it's so easy for me to compare and judge an actor like Will with Kevin Spacey. It is so easy to see who the better one is that mastered the art of acting. just to name one example.

[Da Brakes]

DefCEM...don't u remember...The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was taped in front of a live studio audience.

AJ, i don't know the details about FPOBA, but its not the same as in a real theater where you have to play the whole thing through. and still camera acting and acting on a theatre stage in front of hundreds of people without a microphone and camera is totally different. you have to emphasize and focus on totally different things. voice, presence, coordination, room are all things which are inevitable in theater-acting. on camera you can do all the stuff over and over again and fix it afterwards in the cut. but to have the skills to use that stage and transform it into a scene just with your body and presence is something i'm not sure about when it comes to Wills acting skills.

it's the same with real MCs and studio rappers who cant perform on stage. 2 totally different things and theater acting is the supreme discipline for an actor. and thats the reason why it's so easy for me to compare and judge an actor like Will with Kevin Spacey. It is so easy to see who the better one is that mastered the art of acting. just to name one example.

Totally agree with you there Def. Doesn't matter if it was in front of a live audience, it is not the same as straight theatre where mistakes cannot be made

[Turntable]

I dont think you can judge a movie actor based on how he would be in theater. There are a lot of good theater actors who would suck doing movies. I actualy think that a musician has a better chance to become a good theater actor than most movie actors do. Anyway, there is a big diffrence between the acting in movies and the acting in theater, you cant judge ones abilitys based on what he does not even do.

[DefCEM]

@turntable

the question was if he's an overall good actor and in my opinion an overall good actor has to be able to perform on stage and on camera.

[Big Willie]

@turntable

the question was if he's an overall good actor and in my opinion an overall good actor has to be able to perform on stage and on camera.

But the question wasnt "Make a prediction on how Will would perform in a live theatre?".

I'm in agreement that live audiences in a theatre is a whole different ball game to filmed projects, but you cant judge someones ability at it if they havent attempted it.

[DefCEM]

it's not a prediction dude. it's just my opinion. i mean theres nothing wrong about it. lets get easy, its nothing big right?