[HPFGU-OTChatter] Michael Gambon doesn't see any point on reading the books????

[Rebecca Dreiling]

Sionwitch wrote:
"don't know about you but I'm so hurt with the way this guy express
>about doing Dumbledore, he does not deserves the privilege. He said
>that he have no idea of what makes Dumbledore the greatest wizard of
>all time. He doesn't care about learning who this character is and he
>doesn't even dress like him, don't talk like him, don't do anything
>like Dumbledore would, well, maybe some jokes he does like him.
>I would like to ask all of you that, if you are as mad as I'm about
>Gambon playing Dumbledore, we have to make some noise.
>We may try at least to make Warner Bros consider the possibility to
>change the actor or to make him act (at least) as the books describe
>Dubledore is.
>I really miss Richard Harris, he will always be Dumbledore in my mind."



I'm not surprised, nor am I dissapointed.  People love Anthony Hopkins 
portrail of Hannibal Lector.  He won an oscar and he's played the character 
in a few movies.  It is also based on Harris's books.  It is well known that 
Hopkins says that he just learns his lines and speaks them...and that is as 
much research as he does.  It is a very old-fashioned British stage actors 
way of doing things.  Alot of actors find doing all this method research 
(reading the novel in which the script is based, walking as the character, 
dressing as the character) just clutters up the basic simple intention of 
the script.  In the end, it is much simpler for some actors to use the 
script as their main source because they are not doing a book tape 
version...they are doing this particular script's character.  It's just a 
different way of approaching character.

Alot of old school brit actors will say the same thing, Hopkins and Gambon 
included in the bunch.  They feel they are doing their job, which is to be 
loyal to the given text..which is essentially what they have been hired to 
do.  Now actors like Hoffman and say Sean Penn will tell you they do exactly 
the opposite.  Different strokes for different actors.

Gambon is a gifted, funny actor so I don't really care how he comes about 
his finished product as long as it's enjoyable.  If you haven't seen his 
portrayl of Churchill you really should...it's really uncanny.

I wouldn't be surprised with Richard Harris's old school brit stage 
background that his approach to the character probably wasn't all that 
different..I also wouldn't be surprised if had himself a little 
"firewhiskey" to get himself in the mood for a scene.  I'll never forget him 
on Letterman promoting Gladiator wearing leather pants and telling drinking 
stories. Only Richard Harris could wear leather pants at that age..him and 
say Keith Richards.


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