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When we typically think of the greatest acting performances, many of us focus quite naturally on the best films ever made or films with breakout performances by actors that would go on to have great careers, with films that are commonly part of acting classes.

However, there are far more great actors out there than scripts that do them justice, and a hallmark of a truly great actor is to take a script that may not have the same renown, make do and mend, often with particularly personal reasons as to why.

Here are some great examples of fantastic acting performances found in somewhat unexpected films and the reasons why they appeared.

Mixing Up Directors

Fresh off of an Oscar nomination for the brilliant and subversive Lost In Translation and in the middle of working on the unique The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Bill Murray was sent a script that he read for, his curiosity sparked by its apparent author: Joel Coen of the Coen brothers.

Ultimately it turned out he had gotten the name mixed up. It was Joel Cohen and the script was for the somewhat infamous Garfield live-action adaptation. Bill Murray’s enthusiasm quickly waned, which was perfectly suited for the laconic cartoon cat.

Not Realising It Was A Video Game Adaptation

In 1992, Bob Hoskins was cast as Mario Mario for the film Super Mario Bros, one of the strangest and most troubled film productions of all time, and a film that throughout the rest of his life he said he regretted doing more than any other.

He was bombarded with script revisions until he finally agreed to be the star but did not realise the origins of the source material, leading to a somewhat infamous interview where Mr Hoskins turns to the camera, takes a pause and laments that he used to star in Shakespearean adaptations.

Award season is upon us, which means Hollywood stars will be gracing the red carpet, paparazzi will be snapping furiously, and budding actors and actresses will be listening to winners’ speeches for encouragement and inspiration. 

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The third and final series of the TV serial Happy Valley has captured the imagination of millions of viewers, but it might also provide some inspiration for those keen to follow in the footsteps of the cast, who are mostly from the north.

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When studying unique performances as part of acting classes or listening to actors discuss particular roles, one point that becomes clear is that the inspiration for particular acting decisions can come from a wide variety of different places.

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Many actors, whether they have recently completed their acting classes or have been in the profession for decades, often play specific roles or have a type that is associated with them.

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Confidence is an issue that many people struggle with. Finding activities you enjoy and feel good doing can be difficult, however, acting is one activity that is sure to help boost your self-esteem and confidence!

Acting is a great skill that can bring you a lot of enjoyment and fulfilment, but it has benefits outside of just being something fun to do in your spare time.

Learning to be more outgoing may seem scary but acting classes can help you build all the necessary skills which you can transfer from the stage into everyday life. 

Acting can help you build social skills. It forces you to socialise, work on speaking to new people and function well within groups. This helps you to learn how to interact socially with others.

It’s also a great way to open up and express yourself. Putting yourself into the mindset of playing a character is a fun way to let go of your inhibitions. If you can pretend to be confident, you can do it every day!

Working on these skills and mastering them will give you a sense of achievement and allow you to be proud of yourself. Knowing you have accomplished something gives you a reason to celebrate, which can be amazing for boosting your self-esteem and improving your mood.

Being proud of yourself brings a lot of positive emotions to the table and can push you to go further and step outside of your comfort zone which can be amazing for building self-confidence.

Practising and performing give you a chance to hone your skills. The thrill you get from performing on stage can be great for battling shyness and insecurities and you get to have fun while doing it. 

All the skills you learn in acting classes for adults are transferable to everyday life and can give you something to focus on when dealing with situations you feel uncomfortable or shy in. 

Film as an art form is an inherently collaborative medium, and whilst the individual achievements of directors, writers and actors are often singled out for acclaim, ultimately a film requires the work of hundreds, sometimes thousands of people to complete.

An actor starting out having completed their online acting classes is as essential to a film’s completion as its leading actors, and the best examples of winning together and losing together are in films by acclaimed actors which ultimately are somewhat less well-received.

The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies) are a parody of the Oscars that often takes place on the very same weekend, which satirises films that are somewhat less regarded.

Whilst it has been criticised for some of its choices, often because it tends to choose “easy targets” for derision, it has become as much of an annual tradition for showcasing cinematic underachievement as the Oscars for showing the best of what film has to offer.

One of the most interesting facts about the Razzies is that only three people have ever won both a Razzie and an Oscar in the same weekend:

• Composer Alan Menken won the Oscar for A Whole New World from Aladdin and the Razzie for High Times, Hard Times from Newsies in 1993.
• Screenwriter Brian Helgeland won the Oscar for LA Confidential and the Razzie for The Postman in 1997.

Only one actor has ever won both the Oscar and the Razzie in the same weekend, however, and it is a credit not only to her exceptional range as a performer but also to how important scripting and direction are to a performance.

Sandra Bullock starred as Michael Oher’s adoptive mother Leigh Anne Tuohy in the film The Blind Side, often considered to be the highlight of a film that often divides opinion.

On the other hand, All About Steve, about eccentric crossword puzzle constructor Mary Horowitz, was considered to be somewhat the opposite of this.

Sandra Bullock received her award in person with a giant cart of copies of the All About Steve DVD to give to every member of the audience, in a performance every bit as iconic as the two she received awards for.

One of the great aspects of acting is that in almost every case it is the collaborative effort of dozens, sometimes thousands of people working together on a common goal.

From people fresh from acting classes to Hollywood A-listers, every single person plays their part to make a film what it is, and in cases where a film is not exactly well received, it is always essential to note that everyone tried to make it succeed, often in less-than-ideal circumstances.

A case in point for this is how so many films that have notably been received negatively by critics tend to have a brilliant, standout performance that often contrasts with other elements that work far less well.

Here are some of the best examples.

Raul Julia In Street Fighter

The 1994 adaptation of the popular computer game to the silver screen was in a difficult position from the start, with a mix of studio and game publisher mandates that hampered director Steven E. de Souza’s ability to make a meaningful film.

The biggest issue was its huge central cast, headlined by “Muscles from Brussels” Jean Claude Van Damme hopelessly miscast as All-American Colonel Guile, alongside relative newcomers such as Kylie Minogue and Kenya Sawada.

However, the shining light throughout a somewhat cluttered mess of a film is the casting of the wonderful Raul Julia, in what would become his final role, as the megalomaniacal General M. Bison. His sheer dedication to the role lifts what was otherwise rather poor material.

Angelina Jolie In Hackers

Contrasting an incredible actor making his swansong in a bad film is a great actor making her debut in Hollywood as the standout in a film known far more for its strange direction and depiction of hacking than less ethereal concepts such as plot, narrative and acting.

Ms Jolie’s biggest strength as an actor is the sheer presence she brings to scenes, and this is on full display even in a film where she plays a high school hacker with an exceptionally 1990s pixie cut.

It would not take long for Hollywood to realise this, which is why she has films such as Tomb Raider – The Cradle Of Life and Mr and Mrs Smith on her CV.

Phil Hartman In Jingle All The Way

Jingle All The Way is a film that is more fondly remembers now it has become a nostalgic touchstone, but a subtle and carefully crafted film it is not. This is perhaps fitting for a comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

However, one aspect that works brilliantly is the late Phil Hartman’s pitch-perfect performance as Arnold’s impossibly smarmy neighbour Howard, and it is his fine performance that gives the world one of Arnold’s most famous lines.

All actors and actresses start off where you are, attending drama school day in, day out, going along to endless auditions and hoping one day they will make it big. Although it is easy to assume Hollywood stars have always been successful, they had to put in a lot of hard work to get to where they are today, especially those on the list of the best actors of all time.

Empire Magazine has recently revealed its top 50 actors and actresses, voted for by its readers, who didn’t just pick their favourites based on their acting skills but their “charisma, a command of the camera, [and] an energy that enlivens even the most stellar script”.

Although it didn’t place the top 50 in order of preference, the list included the likes of Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, and Marilyn Monroe.

Robert De Niro, Bette Davis, Natalie Portman, Gene Hackman, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Heath Ledger were also named, showing that voters chose actors from different eras as their favourites.

Some on the list have, unsurprisingly, won Academy Awards, but there are a few who have never received the prestigous accolade, including Tom Hardy, who has starred in Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Peaky Blinders.

Michelle Williams and Tom Cruise were also included in the list and have not received an Oscar, despite being in several impressive films.

When it comes to the Academy Awards 2023, Awards Daily predicts Brendan Fraser could be in line to receive the Best Actor gong, while Cate Blanchett might receive the Best Actress accolade for her role in TAR.

While these superstars don’t need to brush up on their acting skills, if you are interested in pursuing a career in this field, it is worth signing up to Manchester acting classes, as well as take inspiration from these legends.

If ever there was a reason to get involved in the arts in Manchester, it is the city’s growing reputation in this field – one that is gaining increasing international recognition. 

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