Actor Report

(4 points) Pick an actor from the list below and prepare a report that will address the points listed. You may not be able to find all of this information, but find as much as you can. I have purposely chosen actors that I know have done stage, film, and TV work. Many are known as "actor's actors" because they tend to be more interested the artistic quality of the projects they undertake rather than merely accumulating wealth and celebrity. You may also not have heard of them--my intention is to expose you to fine actors who are not celebrities. They deserve to be more widely known. Be adventurous, don't be afraid to learn something new, pick one you've don't know anything about.

1. Vital statistics: real name, place of birth, real age, ethnicity, height, hair and eye color, family background and other important biographical facts
2. If you know how, attach a picture showing the actor either as him/herself or as a character.
3. Education & Training
4. Important Productions/Roles organized into stage, film, and TV categories; be selective, don't give a laundry list of everything they've ever done. Indicate which was their breakthrough role.
5. Find an interview with this actor and select some quotes which seem to reveal some important insights as to this actor's views about the craft of acting.
6. List highest awards or nominations (Oscar, Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe). Avoid more obscure honors unless that's all they've won.
7. List and evaluate the best three or four Web sites containing info on this actor. Be sure to show the complete URL so that I can visit them.
8. Rent a video (or watch a TV program) that you have not seen before that features this actor. Based upon what you observed describe what makes this actor's work special or unique. Be sure to use some of the terminology about acting that you have learned.

The Best Actors You May Never Have Heard Of List

Jeffrey Wright
Kenneth Branagh
Toni Collette
William H. Macy
Frances McDormand
Patricia Clarkson
Forest Whitaker
Gary Sinese
Lili Taylor
Andre Braugher
Marcia Gay Harden
Joan Allen
Mercedes Ruehl
Ian Gomez
Mary-Louise Parker

Where to Look

Use common seach engines such as Yahoo, Alta Vista, and Google. These may lead you to fan pages which can be useful. Also try Web sites for movies or television programs these actors appear in. The URLs are listed in movie ads, and networks such as NBC and Fox have links on their Web sites for their shows. Explore links on sites that lead you to original source material. There are some good links on my Links page.

Finally, don't forget the good old fashioned library. There are many excellent magazine and newspaper articles there that just aren't available on the Web.

How to Prepare

Lay out your report using the sections I have suggested by the questions above. Avoid cutting and pasting gobs of text into your report. Put what you do use in your own words. Be succint--I think 250 words is probably enough. It's really not so much an essay as a fact-sheet.

If you choose to submit as an e-mail message, left-justify everything, avoid indenting or centering. Use only caps to indicate headings and such--italics and bolding may not come through. Include a picture if your e-mail allows you to do it. Those who have AOL, as I do, may have better luck getting fancy formatting though intact.

If you submit your report as an attached word processing document you may include text, photos, hot links, or anything you want.

You may also submit this report as a PowerPoint presentation if wish. Just be sure all the content is there--don't rely on just clip art and snappy transitions for a good grade. Avoid music unless it has to do with the actor.

If you're a real Internet hot-shot, you may create a Web page on your personal site to include all this and just send me the URL. Click here to see an example Web page created by a student for this class. It may also help you to figure out what to put in a regular report.

Whichever method you choose just send your homework assignment to me as e-mail with the following in the subject line:

THR# -- YourFirst&LastName -- H-ActorReport