MovieChat Forums > Ryan's Hope (1975) Discussion > questionable acting

questionable acting

posted 13 years ago by gjhines
5 replies | jump to latest

Michael Hawkins seems so wooden as Frank. i know he shouldn't be completely mobile yet, but his line delivery is so robotic and he looks directly at the telepromptor while saying his dialogue (even moving his head toward it to get his lines). he seldon looks the other characters in the eyes. this had to be problematic for his fellow actors.

i don't want to seem too critical because i certainly respect daytime actors (i've watched for 50 years!) and i know it's grueling work, but i wonder if this was part of the reason subsequent actors that played Frank were brought in.

[–] SBTea 13 years ago

I agree! This is the first time I'm seeing the series from the very beginning and I actually feel he's not as bad as he gets. Last time I tuned in, it was right before he left the show and his acting was terrible. It always appeared to me like he was talking with his eyes closed. Better Franks to come!!

[–] xerses13 13 years ago

SBTea; Agreed, the actor seems to be reading off a 'teleprompter' all the time and not interacting with the rest of the cast. He is VERY detached from what is going on around him and reacts in a 'delayed' manner. Did not notice as much the first go-around, but is very evident now.

Not watching the episodes with the same diligence this time. Either skipping days or a heavy use of the 'Fast-Forward' of the remote! Parts skipped by or at accelerated watch, all with SENECA and NELL, BUCKY, FAITH, PAT and KENNETH!
Plus JACK and MARY when either of them get too self righteous, which is very often and JOHNNY RYAN when he makes a ASS of himself, which is VERY often.

[–] lguadiana 13 years ago

He was reading the teleprompter. Apparently he was doing a broadway show everynight and having to learn a script a day was something he wasnt used too. But I do agree that he was a very wooden actor.He was lucky that his then wife was the casting director. You would think that they would have tried for a more charismatic actor considering that the character was supposed to be a politician everyone was suppose to love. I always wished that they had done something more with the characters of bucky and Clem.

[–] xerses13 13 years ago

luadiana; CLEM was left out and do not understand why. As for BUCKY they pretty much neutered his character in the first season. Then just came the problem of how to write him out.

[–] marbleann 13 years ago

Funny I just wrote he was not my favorite Frank. He was too old for the role too. That is why he seems to so awkward. He scenes with Gillian and Delia are almost funny because he looks like their father. I think this was a big miscast. Not sure if he had a different role he would be so bad.