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

[Mrs.) Lee Storm (God is the Healing Force]

[bboyminn]:
| 
| I can understand your hard feelings, and to some extent I share them,
| but on the other hand, this is very common. Gambon is not making the
| book, he is making the movie, and in making the movie, he has to play
| the character as written in the script, and has to work to carry out
| the Director's artistic vision. 
| 
| Even Draco/Tom_Felton didn't read the first book when he did the movie
| because he wanted to come into the role fresh, he wanted to be able to
| act as a tool of the director, and to take the character in a
| direction that the director felt was correct. I'm sure he felt that if
| he read the books, it would just confuse him, he would come into the
| role with preconceived notions about who and what the character was

<Snip>

[Lee]:
I can agree to a point, but I personally admire the actors and actresses who
"research" the characters they are called upon to play.  Examples abound of
actors and actresses doing copious reading about the character they're being
called upon to enact or, if possible, meeting the person and spending time
with said person in order to study their habits, the walk, the speaking
style, etc.

Dumbledore, IMHO, is going to be more of a presence in this and the upcoming
movies and, IMHO, needs to really be that presence which I don't think M.G.
is capable of.

I didn't see him as whimsical, powerful, dignified, all those things we
associated with Dd.

[bboyminn]:
 So, this is very common amoung experienced professional actors. They
| read only the script and concentrate on making the movie, and try hard
| not to let outside influences conflict with the script or director's
| vision.

[Lee]:
Again, I can't totally agree.  A true performance comes from the heart of an
actor who can interpret the character and claim it for his/her own.  A good
director, IMHO, will see the actor's feeling for the character and go with
it so long as it's not so totally out of the ballpark.

[bboyminn]]:
| That said, as fine an actor as Gambon may be, I'm not sure he makes
| the very best Dumbledore. Certainly an adequate Dumbledore; an
| exceptable Dumbledore, but perhaps not the best. I really did like
| Richard Harris as Dumbledore. He could be whimsical, but I have
| absolute confidence that Harris could also portray the power and fury
| of Dumbledore when the time came. I also suspect that Gambon, at the
| time, was the only man for the job. 

[Lee]:
You really think so? Or was the director limited by what he felt would be a
good Dd?  It would be interesting to really know. :-)

{bboyminn]:
| Another suggestion I read about recently was Patrick Stewart (Star
| Trek: Next Generation) as Dumbledore. I think he could have been a
| very good candidate. He is an excellent actor. I'm sure he could play
| whimsical, and I'm confident he could play the anger and fury when
| called on. Plus he has a really nice voice. Also, Patrick Stewart
| seems to have an energy about him, a certain vitality that could lend
| itself well to Dumbledore.

[Lee]:
Now, that I can agree with.  Sure he's going to need a good long wig, etc.,
but his persona would work.  Plus, he's a good character actor!  I believe
when he started out with Trek Next Generation, he wasn't into the part, but,
as the series took off and he realized the potential for growth in Piccard,
he ran with it and did it well.  He grew his character, and I believe a lot
had to do with his interpretation and suggestion to directors, etc., not
just what the directors and such had in their little box of tricks.

One of the most incredible people, IMHO, is John DeLancie who, because of
dyslexia, found it hard to keep up with the sudden changing of lines at the
last minute.  So, he was familiarized with the setup and did a lot of ad-lib
and, voila, the character of Q definitely became memorable. :-)

[bboyminn]:
| Perhaps we will get lucky and Gambon will not be available, and the
| part will go to Patrick Stewart in the later films.
| 
| Just a thought.

[Lee]:
Here, Here!!  Raise the butter beer! From Captain Piccard to Dumbledore, his
characters will grow evermore. Here, Here!

Peace,

Lee :-)

Do not walk behind me,    | Lee Storm
I may not care to lead;   | N2FGC
Do not walk before me,    | n2fgc at arrl.net (or)
I may not care to follow; | n2fgc at optonline.net
Walk beside me, and be my friend.