MovieChat Forums > Roots (2016) Discussion > One of the posters brought up something ...

One of the posters brought up something interesting.

posted 8 years ago by ldm-mcdonald
6 replies | jump to latest

One of the posters on the board pointed something interesting about Roots being one of the best examples of actors/actresses playing their characters so convincingly evil that you just want to hate the actors in real life lol. I remember watching "12 Years a Slave" and hated Sarah Paulson (one of my favorites) for an entire year because she played such a vile, evil character. Of course, Sarah Paulson, being the amazingly talented actress that she is, shouldn't be hated for being talented haha.

[–] jackiefoxybrown 8 years ago

Yes. Even the man who played Tom Lea (don't want to butcher his real name) was so convincing. I remember him from Match Point and by watching Roots, you would never guesss he has an accent.

[–] acthewriter 8 years ago

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who is Irish) is the actor who portrayed Tom Lea.

Wearing my 'fro as high as it will go

[–] beeball 8 years ago

JRM's most recent roles:

Stonewall-Gay American activist in the 1960's

Roots-American slave owner

Soon to be released London Town-Legendary English punk rocker, Joe Strummer

He's known for his villains but he does play quite a diverse cast of characters.

[–] sweetheart_509 8 years ago

Well, Lane Garrison's character (Frederick Murray) was awful, but that won't make me hate Lane Garrison just because he did a great job playing an evil guy. He'll always be "Tweener" to me. :)

[–] ldm-mcdonald 8 years ago

That was my point. Actors and Actresses shouldn't get hated for playing evil characters so convincingly. Bryce Dallas Howard once did an interview where she brought up that she received a lot of hate mail from people because of her portrayal of her character Hilly in "The Help". Even Laurence Fishburne once said that he almost got punched in a face by a crazy guy because of his performance as Ike Turner in "What's Love Got To Do With It".

[–] AmyJolamb 8 years ago

Yes. If an actor or actress plays a villain well enough to make people hate them I'd say they did a great job.

Take the girl who played Nellie on Littlw House On The Priarie. She said in her book that when she finished filming Little House and returned to school students were so mean to her because of how she treated Laura. She was hurt then thought that she must be a great actress to make these kids hate her. Lol She was a wise kid.