MovieChat Forums > Triple 9 (2016) Discussion > How did they get so many A-list actors?

How did they get so many A-list actors?


Sometimes it's the director.

Remember when "Lincoln" got a SAG nomination for Best Ensemble? "No duh, it's got every great actor in Hollywood working bit parts for scale because it's Spielberg."

But this is a CRAZY amount of movie stars.

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John Hillcoat has a nice pedigree, and does seem to pull some sought after actors, but he never has had a major hit in his career. It's interesting that actors seem to be so willing to work for him. I think it also has to do with being a coveted script that had been around for some time. My guess is that it's the combination of those elements, and that they were able to shoot around people's schedules a bit because it's an ensemble and each actor likely only had to work for brief periods at a time, so they could work a little cheaper.

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I feel like The Proposition was sort of Hillcoat's Badlands and The Road was his Days of Heaven. And, like Terrence Malick after his return to cinema after making two masterpieces in the 70s, every respectable actor is dying to work with him. You could toss any great actor some sh!tty script, but once you say Hillcoat's directing, their eyes will likely light up with interest. He's proven himself as a masterful auteur and good actors recognize that.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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It's probably the director. John Hillcoat keeps getting more and more recognizable stars with each film he makes.

What's missing in movies is same as in society: a good sense of work ethic and living up to ideals.

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Outside of Kate Winslet, I wouldn't call any of them A List, I mean they're not complete unknowns, but their mid tier B list at best.

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Yep, Kate Winslet is the only A list actor here

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That's what I was thinking. Winslet and MAYBE Ejiofor.



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Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul and even Casey Affleck all a-list

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Lol!

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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Lol what

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None of those actors you mentioned are A-list. Thought you were making a joke.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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So oscars, Emmys, all types of critical success with fans and critics doesn't make any of them a list?

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Woody Harrelson hasn't been A-list since the 90s. He had a brief spike in popularity after True Detective, but, of course, we all know that was because of Matthew McConaughey. Aaron Paul is a TV actor and TV actors are never A-list. His attempt to move to the big screen has only proved he's not an A-list actor. Casey Affleck has never been A-list either. He has a recognizable last name and a recognizable monotone and that's about it. These were the only three actors the poster I replied to mentioned.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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Woody Harrelson has had a career similar to Kevin Costner. Maybe not the better actor than Costner but he and Costner were in every damn movie in the 90s and their careers fell the hell off. Woody Harrelson is no longer an A Lister.

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Woody from Cheers wasn't a tv actor?
Chris Prat wasn't a tv actor?
Bill Murray?

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A lot of people love Woody. I love Woody. He has a rawness to him. You are wrong about TV actors never being A list, but Aaron Paul is not A-list. He won it big with Breaking Bad and he has a huge following, but he has yet to become A-list material. He is another actor I love though. Also, Casey Affleck is better than Ben Affleck when it comes to acting, how the hell he hasn't made it bigger is beyond me. Ben Affleck should stick to directing, because his acting is okay at best.

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Woody Harrelson hasn't been A-list since the 90s.


Agreed. In fact I think you could argue that he wasn't A-list even during the height of his popularity.

He had a brief spike in popularity after True Detective, but, of course, we all know that was because of Matthew McConaughey.


I don't agree with that. Matthew McConaughey isn't A-list either and, until recently, he didn't really show any acting range - nothing to compare with some of Harrelson's best roles - though he seems to have started taking acting seriously at long last. The bottom line though is that I tuned into True Detective because of Harrelson, not McConaughey, and I doubt I'm the only one...

Aaron Paul is a TV actor and TV actors are never A-list.


Aaron Paul isn't A-list - I agree - but TV actors most certainly can be and are A-list these days. TV is going through a Diamond Age; with there being shows now which have the same production values as movies. People have realised that, thanks to streaming and binge watching, you can now create an 8 or 12 hour long movie; which enables you to tell a story in a more detailed, more nuanced way. Whereas once upon a time every TV actor was trying to break into the movies, though only very few were able to do it successfully, nowadays you have big name, A-list actors lining up to do TV. Hey, but don't take my word for it, for just one example, the Hollywood Reporter agrees with me:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/thr-cover-game-thrones-star-784104

His attempt to move to the big screen has only proved he's not an A-list actor.


Agreed. In the mean time though, Bryan Cranston has proven that he has what it takes to make it in the movies.

Casey Affleck has never been A-list either.


People probably should have started this conversation by agreeing on what A-list actually means. To me, an A-list actor is someone whose movies people will go to just because they're in it. So ... on that basis I agree that Casey Affleck is not an A-list actor; most people won't go to see a movie just because he's in it. However I really like him so I watch every movie he appears in. He's the reason I watched this movie.

He has a recognizable last name and a recognizable monotone and that's about it.


There's more to it than that. He's actually a very good actor who has a much broader range than a lot of other actors and a lot of A-listers. He might make the A-list one day; only time will tell...

These were the only three actors the poster I replied to mentioned.


Indeed. And none of them are A-list, as you have correctly pointed out...

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I don't agree with that. Matthew McConaughey isn't A-list either and, until recently, he didn't really show any acting range - nothing to compare with some of Harrelson's best roles - though he seems to have started taking acting seriously at long last. The bottom line though is that I tuned into True Detective because of Harrelson, not McConaughey, and I doubt I'm the only one...

True Detective was airing at the height of the McConaissance, and Harrelson just happened to jump onto the same wave and ride it with him during the brief True Detective craze. Most people tuned into True Detective for McConaughey, not Harrelson, and not because of his talent or his A-list status, but simply because of the hype of the McConaissance.
Aaron Paul isn't A-list - I agree - but TV actors most certainly can be and are A-list these days.

Name one.
In the mean time though, Bryan Cranston has proven that he has what it takes to make it in the movies.

He's only proved that he's a decent supporting character actor. He's not A-list and he never will be.
There's more to it than that. He's actually a very good actor who has a much broader range than a lot of other actors and a lot of A-listers

He really doesn't have much range at all. That's why he only works in films like The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Those types of roles are his comfort zone, and if you look at each performance in each film I mentioned, you'll see that they're all basically the same.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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True Detective was airing at the height of the McConaissance, and Harrelson just happened to jump onto the same wave and ride it with him during the brief True Detective craze. Most people tuned into True Detective for McConaughey, not Harrelson, and not because of his talent or his A-list status, but simply because of the hype of the McConaissance.


Do you have any evidence to support that claim? I'm saying that I tuned in for Harrelson and I doubt I'm the only one. I've been a fan of Woody Harrelson for many years and although he's not A-list, he is an actor I will watch a show or movie for because he's proven himself to be a great actor who chooses interesting roles. Once again, I doubt I'm alone. That's not to say that the majority of people tuned into True Detective for him, but I don't see any evidence for your claim that most people tuned in for McConaughey and Harrelson was just along for the ride. That's just a crazy claim!

I agree that there has been a McConaissance (that's very funny and clever; did you make that up???), but for most of his career he simply got by on his looks and charm. Admittedly he has decided to start taking acting seriously and has turned in some great performances in the last few years. Not enough that I will watch something just because he's in it yet, though I will watch something that he's in now if it comes recommended; whereas once upon a time I wouldn't watch something because he was in it! Once again I doubt that I'm alone...

You may well be right, but it's just your opinion unless you have some evidence to support the claim that "...most people tuned into True Detective for McConaughey..."?

Name one.


I gave you the URL to an article on the Hollywood Reporter site where they named one! That article took me about 1 minute to find so I'm sure there are plenty more out there. What more do you want???

I also explained how TV is very different than it once was - now that we have streaming and binge watching - and pointed out that movie actors are now lining up to do TV. A great example is House Of Cards, which stars 2 time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey, and is released in one go each year so that people can binge watch the entire season in one session; making it, effectively, a very long movie.

You have provided no evidence whatsoever to counter the arguments I've made!

He's only proved that he's a decent supporting character actor. He's not A-list and he never will be.


I didn't say he is A-list, I said that he "...has proven that he has what it takes to make it in the movies" - which he has undeniably done. He was the lead actor in Trumbo, for which he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar. I'm sorry, but that is most certainly doing better - a hell of a LOT better in fact - than simply proving that he's a decent supporting character actor. Whether or not he ever becomes A-list remains to be seen. It could certainly happen, though as I said last time we probably need to specify exactly what being A-list is. If it's being an actor who gets people to watch their shows and movies just on the basis of them appearing, then you could argue that he already has attained that to some degree.

He really doesn't have much range at all. That's why he only works in films like The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Those types of roles are his comfort zone, and if you look at each performance in each film I mentioned, you'll see that they're all basically the same.


He has a very broad range and is well respected. Sorry, but the fact that you think "The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints", are 'like' films, and that his roles in them are basically the same performance, shows that you have no idea what you're talking about!

Oh ... and he too has had an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor too by the way...

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Do you have any evidence to support that claim?

Yeah, I lived through the McConaissance, which I didn't make up, by the way. The McConaissance was a term used extensively in the media beginning around September 2013, when Dallas Buyers Club started getting McConaughey Oscar buzz after premiering at TIFF. By the time True Detective premiered in January, the McConaissance was in full swing as the media scrutinized his recent filmography and started buzzing about his performances in Wolf of Wall Street and Mud and the Paperboy and Bernie. By the time True Detective premiered, the media had already turned McConaughey into an A-list star. Sure, plenty of people like yourself tuned into True Detective for Woody Harrelson, but the overwhelming majority tuned in because of McConaughey and the hype of the McConaissance. They tuned in to see an Emmy-worthy performance from the guy who was all but certain to win the Oscar for The Dallas Buyers Club (which would have still been in theaters when TD premiered, mind you).
I gave you the URL to an article on the Hollywood Reporter site where they named one!

Emilia Clarke is not A-list. She has a failed Terminator movie to her name and that's it. Literally the first movie she headlined bombed. She is not A-list. In fact, she looks more poised to become a female Taylor Kitsch than the next leading lady of the A-list.
What more do you want???

I didn't ask you what some article has to say about TV stars becoming movie stars and graduating to the A-list. I asked you to name one TV start turned movie star that you believe has made it to the A-list. You're the one who made the claim that TV stars can be A-list too, not the Hollywood Reporter, so I asked for your opinion, not theirs.
I also explained how TV is very different than it once was

I am aware that TV is better than it has ever been, and the new formats are bringing A-list movie stars to the small screen, which is awesome. But just because a bunch of A-list movie stars have ventured into TV recently doesn't automatically make B-list TV stars A-listers. They're still just TV stars.
He was the lead actor in Trumbo, for which he was nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar.

And Trumbo was a typically forgettable Oscar-bait film like Spotlight. Both will be forgotten in a year if they haven't been already.
He has a very broad range and is well respected. Sorry, but the fact that you think "The Assassination of Jesse James and Out of the Furnace and Gone Baby Gone and Ain't Them Bodies Saints", are 'like' films,

I never said they were "like films." What? are you trying to put words in my mouth to make your point because you're out of options or something? Grow up.
He has a very broad range and is well respected. Sorry, but the fact that you think that his roles in them are basically the same performance, shows that you have no idea what you're talking about!

The fact that you don't see that they were all basically the same performance with the same mumbling monotone shows that you have no idea what you're talking about.
Oh ... and he too has had an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor too by the way...

The quickest way to show a film buff that you don't know what you're talking about when it comes to film is to cite Oscar nominations/wins. No serious student of film takes the Oscars seriously. Just a heads up.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

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Tom Hardy started off on TV, has done a lot of it over the years and still does tv. He is A list, at least on acting merit and respect within the industry. Maybe his film choices wont lead to mega mainstream stardom but he easily has A list talent and an A list filmography. I'm hoping he is the main lead in Dunkirk and can garner even more recognition among casual film viewers. Doesn't really help him that he is such a chameleon and had his face covered in his most famous role.

If you are just talking about A list in box office pull then Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest A listers going, so maybe being A list isn't such a great thing right now with so much horrid taste Among the mainstream viewing public. I'm sure child TV actor Ryan Gosling could easily be A list box office pull wise if he didn't turn down all the money grabbing crap scripts he must get sent, hell he turned down the Joker.

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Well, the thing is they are all A-list down to Norman Reedus. It is really a relative thing. This is not another summer blockbuster movie or comic book heroes. So it is not A-list as a movie to begin with. For example, if you take the notorius Asylum pictures. For them Lorenzo Lamas is A-list. Blows your mind, right?

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@ fillshertease "Matthew McConaughey isn't A-list either" lol he is def. an A-list actor, just look at the movies he have been in, Interstellar, wolf of wall street, Dallas Buyers Club, to name a few.

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Sadly being A-list is more about popularity than awards or critical reception. Sarah Paulson and Michael Fassbender are both amazing, but that does not make them A list.

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I don't think most of you know what "A" list means? Its the most bankable stars. If you start in a movie,it means that it will guarantee a certain amount at box office. You're confusing renown with bankable. None of these actors are really "A" list but renown. Kate Winslet is usually lucky enough to star in movie with other well known actors.Good for her coasting off titanic but she isn't "A" list. Whether she's in a movie or not doesn't guarantee its box office. Its not entirely her fault. Female actresses have a shorter window to be bankable than male stars. And that's usually if they only stay with romantic comedies. Jennifer Lawrence is the current "iT" girl but her time will pass also.




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Yes, in getting drugged.


I'm so excited, I think I'll brush all my teeth today!

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Woody Harrelson, Aaron Paul, and even Casey Affleck all a-list

I agree with you, Icecutter.

Harrelson has been nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars (twice), in addition to winning an Emmy.

Paul is a triple Emmy winner on one of the most popular shows in history, in addition to being a Globe nominee.

Affleck - meh, I don't know. I know he's been nominated for an Oscar but I don't think of him as A-list but more of riding his brother's coattails.


I also think Chiwetel Ejiofor (Oscar nominee; triple Colden Globe nominee; BAFTA winner (a huge award, though Americans tend to forget that; in the upcoming Doctor Strange film), Anthony Mackie (these Marvel films have turned up his star power, in addition to being part of the trio of that comedy with Seth Rogan and Gordon-Levitt), and Gal Gadot (4th biggest global film of the year; the new Wonder Woman!) are all A-listers.

Kate Winslet needs no explanation.

Other members of the cast (Michael K Williams, Teresa Palmer, Clifton Collins, Jr.) were also impressive talents to include in the film.

And at the end of the day, though, I don't really care. I have my own life to lead. 😉

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Actually Winslet was the only one who was just awful and a ridiculous failed attempt at Russian accent.

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Actors gotta eat/meet sag criteria. Aaron Paul needs a better agent to transition him out of this drug/junky typecast funk, because he is clearly a talented actor. Kate Winslet can act in the right role, but a Russian matriarch with a Russian accent isn't it. Chiwetel was barely passable in this and could be the next Cuba Gooding Jr if he doesn't choose better roles. I'm guessing Anthony Mackie needed anything. Woody Harrelson is just rehashing his true detective character without just doing true detective and could have been cut from the movie honestly. Casey Affleck was good, but nothing special. I'm not sure why these actors stuck around on this one

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[deleted]

This script was considered one of the best unproduced film scripts circulating around Hollywood at one point, that plus the director may have had something to do with it.

And if anyone is interested in a review for this movie- https://youtu.be/MTzKB9_ySSk

Trying to go for an informative, and hopefully something people think is funny, youtube channel so hope you guys like. Thanks.

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Solid director, solid script. Those things must have brought the great cast together. It's a good film I thought. It's an ensemble piece though really, no one actor really stands out too much. Though I thought Woody did more than any other. I really enjoyed it, very gritty, somewhat complex storytelling and a very fast pace. Go see it people, but put on your seat belt before the show starts.


My body's a cage, it's been used and abused...and I...LIKE IT!!

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What happened at the end? shortly after jessie from breaking bad was shot to death and blew off the other guy's head off? Basically right as they were doing the tripple 9 heist? How did it end? I had to leave ten or 20 minutes early due to a phone call about a disaster

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this movie sucked badly. the script was full of flaws. nothing made any sense in the film. cliche would be an understatement. tried to make something gritty and progressive, but it fails on all levels. 6.4 imdb rating? imdb should be ashamed of themselves for allowing that. its a 3.4 at best.

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Haha. It's not that bad. The story needed some hashing out, but it was headed in the right direction. We don't get enough movies like these with real grit. What it was really missing was giving a *beep* about any of the characters.

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There's this thing actors have been doing in recent years where they essentially work for next to nothing up front and earn a percentage of the profits after the fact. I haven't seen this movie yet but I wouldn't be surprised if several of the actors have producer credits. Ethan Hawke has been doing this for years, The Purge and Daybreakers being two examples. Movies like this don't really make much profit in the states as it costs a lot more to promote here but overseas is where they make the big bucks once it hits the market. With all these known names attached, be they A-list or not, it will essentially market itself all across Eastern Europe and Asia where movies like this are released for online purchase and OnDemand style media services. The budget for this movie was only 28 million...over seas it will probably triple that netting all those involved several million each for their roles.

It's pretty ingenious really.

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That makes a lot of sense. It also looks like the US Box office gross income eclipsed the estimated 20 million budget.

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