MovieChat Forums > Vincent Kartheiser Discussion > Peculiar and familiar acting...

Peculiar and familiar acting...

posted 11 years ago by SpectreN7
2 replies | jump to latest

There seems to be a strong "love him or hate him" vibe on the board for this guy, what his acting is to me is that its very peculiar. If you watch a film/tv show from the 30's-60's I think there is a HUGE similarity between the leading male characters and Kartheiser's portrayal of Pete Campbell. By this I mean they carry a "jolly and outspoken" tone just as Kartheiser does on Mad Men. I haven't seen any interviews regarding how he says hes trying to portray his character but if I had to guess I would think he was greatly inspired by this kind of acting that you just don't see on modern television. What I find intriguing about his character is that he tries to retain the common manners and gentleman-ly personality that was expected from that era as such customs were much more valued back in that day. Now, does anyone else catch this vibe as they watch him on Mad Men? Or do not ave the slightest clue what I'm talking about? I'd like to see replies no matter what.

[–] pleckbo 11 years ago

Good post!

Yeah, he definitely plays Pete Campbell to be someone infected by the idea of the appearance of gentility. He's a throwback to an era when people grew up seeing Jimmy Stewart as the premier film star of the day. I feel that a major theme of the show is about the breakdown of people in the mid-twentieth century on into the seventies loosening those restraints and about how those birth pangs upset all strata of society (the show being focused on a particular aspect of the working world and those peripheral to it). I think all of the characters contribute in some way or other (I could use some more Harry!), but Don (duh), Pete, and Peggy are the meat of the show. It's interesting to see how Peggy has come out of her shell from the beginning of the show and how Pete has risen to status very nearly rivaling Don's in the firm.

[–] Snoopy1 10 years ago

Yes, you nailed it!