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The term “Movie Star” used to mean something. There was a time when a single actor’s name could open a film to massive box office success. Icons like Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio, Katharine Hepburn, Meryl Streep, and Julia Roberts didn’t just star in movies… they sold them. Audiences showed up because they were in the role.
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One bad movie can be overcome. Look at Colin Farrell. He's overcome dozens of them because
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the perception of him is he's a movie star. What's the perception of me? That you don't give a f***
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It would be an understatement to say the film industry is constantly in a state of flux
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but the power and relevance of movie stars was never really in question until now. From aging
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A-listers stuck in 10-year franchises to unidentifiable up-and-comers riddled with iPhone face, suddenly Hollywood has given up on turning talented actors into silver screen icons
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And while there are glimmers of movie magic among a handful of young performers, and despite some old school actors still hanging on, the death of movie stardom has already arrived
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It is impossible. What's not possible? He's fantastic. It's his best performance ever
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But that was you. You were in that movie. When we think about what makes an actor a movie star
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many aspects come to mind. In a bygone era, Arnold Schwarzenegger wasn't just the Terminator
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and Sylvester Stallone was more than just Rocky or Rambo. Arnie and Sly were titans of film
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cultural juggernauts who shifted easily from pumped-up action violence to ridiculous comedy
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and adult dramas. And within their varied performances, fans could appreciate a broad
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spectrum of roles from their favorite stars. To be or not to be? Not to be
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Nowadays, actors find themselves disappearing into their roles for all the wrong reasons
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Rather than baking on big A-list names for a variety of roles, stars are instead relegated to playing the same exact character over and over
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sometimes for years on end. And when actors like Chris Evans or Anthony Mackie repeat the cycle one too many times
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potentially massive movie stars become those guys who played Captain America. When you went to the movies, you went to go see the Stallone movie
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You went to go see the Schwarzenegger movie. Now you go see X-Men.
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In fact, for a seriously saddening glimpse at the state of movie stardom
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one must look no further than that team of the biggest box office busters of all time Because when you examine the careers of the MCU Avengers some startling revelations come to light No matter the size of their talent and no matter what films came before
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once the Avengers assembled, there was no looking back for the actors who portrayed them
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Whether it's the career of the once and future Spider-Man or even the almighty Thor
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both Holland and Hemsworth have already spent the bulk of their careers working under one red banner
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Prior to suiting up as superheroes, both Holland and Hemsworth were relative unknown
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And due to the nature of the franchise' film cycles, neither performer has really been given
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the opportunity to be anything else. That's when I came across a path of death and destruction, which led me all the way here
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into this cage. By keeping a multifaceted performer like Holland tied up in the MCU's web, we've effectively
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been robbed of potentially groundbreaking performances. And by only offering up more Funko-ready roles for Uncharted to a clearly talented actor
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the Hollywood industry has created an environment where only the most popular IP can survive
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There's just nowhere for actors to go after the latest superhero appearance
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Most performers don't have an opportunity to breach adult dramas or even mid-budget comedies
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Shockingly, even the biggest, most storied careers attached to the MCU can't seem to get away
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Hey, how long have we been here anyways? 37 minutes. What? 37 minutes? That's insane
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I cannot take this anymore. I gotta get out of here. Robert Downey Jr., one of the most famous actors alive today
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is so tied to Marvel's cinematic universe that the actor has now accepted multiple roles within
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the same cinematic universe. Basically only known as Iron Man for the last 18 years
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Downey will now take up the equally recognizable mantle of Doctor Doom against his former Avengers
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And despite heaps of comedic and dramatic roles that first made him a star, Downey is now just another actor playing extremely popular characters
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New mask. Same task. Of course, there are some heavy hitters of the past
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who have been able to keep pace with traditional ideas of movie stardom Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt both continue to steer clear of capes in favor of low masterpieces by our greatest auteurs Meanwhile mainstay icons
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like Denzel Washington still occasionally appear in late career successes like Gladiator 2 to
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achieve both critical and commercial appeal. But not every aging movie star gets to work with
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master filmmakers every few years. More often than not, most legacy stars end up flirting with
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long-running franchises, whether it's Harrison Ford donning old hats, firing blasters, and going
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read for Disney, or Tom Cruise putting his life at risk for multiple Mission Impossibles
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franchise films are clearly the new norm for movie stars moving past their prime
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You're not the man I knew 10 years ago. It's not the years, honey. It's the mileage
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But as Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World have made a meal out of Chris Pratt's glory days
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even modern-day movie mavericks can't escape this vicious anti-star cycle. And as Keanu Reeves
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continues to fight it out in the John Wickverse, it would appear that even some original concepts
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can quickly become franchise prisons. While it's all fun and good to see Wicks suited up for more solo shootouts
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too many cheap cameos in lazy spinoffs can ultimately destroy an entire legacy
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Rather than escaping into other action entries like Liam Neeson post-Taken, Reeves seems stuck in that black suit
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People keep asking if I'm back, and I haven't really had an answer
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But now, yeah, I'm thinking I'm back! As dramatic adult roles have dwindled in favor of superhero stories
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and streaming exclusives, movie stars now receive less and less opportunities to shine
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in critical darlings. Because where once an actor like Halle Berry could star in Catwoman and still
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be remembered for Monster's Ball, powerful modern movie stars such as Scarlett Johansson have stopped
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appearing in films like Her or Under the Skin in favor of more Marvel or Jurassic Park sequels
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But even though we have most definitely entered the dark age of stardom, there are still those
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who desperately try to keep the flame alive. Timothee Chalamet, for all his Wonka and Dune
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franchise forays, has certainly attempted to become the sort of movie star that once cluttered
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each opening weekend Whether he strapping on a guitar in a heady biopic or going full cannibal for bizarre romantic romps Chalamet clearly knows what once made movie stars so great In fact after an exchange with Tom Cruise
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the actor shared some key advice from the legend. Right after finishing the first Dune
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he sent me the most wonderfully inspiring email. Chalamet said of Cruise, he basically said
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in old Hollywood, you would be getting dance training and fight training, and nobody's going
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to hold you to that standard today. So it's up to you. This exchange notes a sinister change in
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Hollywood film development. By asking so little of film performers, we subconsciously stop seeing
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them as stars. Because whether they're layered over all prevailing green screens or fully phoning
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it in with body doubles and overdub, by expecting less, our actors feel lesser too. While the full
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breadth of Timothee Chalamet's talents have yet to be revealed, it is encouraging to see that there
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are performers willing to do the work independently to make their mark. You try to make yourself as clay-like, as malleable as possible
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So how can the very notion of movie stars be saved? Well, perhaps we're already on our way to resurrection
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Because when studios finally decide to put their chips in non-franchise baskets
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they might just see returns that can change hearts. Warner Bros. studios may have finally seen the light through darkness
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From the low-key success of Companion, to an enormous year-defining film in Sinners
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to the runaway smash weapons, the Warner Company seemingly holds the key to movie star making hits
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That ain't your brother. What that witch out there talking about? You gonna let her get in between us again
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Perhaps we can all resurrect the movie star by choosing to support what makes them so great
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Because when we pay to see independently produced films with stellar performances
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we cast our vote for a future filled with versatile actors. And when we pick a seat at the theater or pony up for a streaming rental
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the audience can force Hollywood's hand to make better choices. Eventually, perhaps genre films, franchises, comedies, and dramatic efforts can all thrive
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With the right support from filmgoers and studios, we may finally get back to the age of originality
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Through less end stints on big-budget IP, audiences will rediscover their love for the craft of acting