Ideas For New Indy Actor

Mickiana

Well-known member
A future actor playing Indiana Jones has to look like Indiana Jones, which means there has to be some likeness in most probability to Harrison Ford. This doesn't mean a carbon copy, but a reminiscence. I find Ford to be an almost boring actor, which is not a criticism, and that this lent itself to playing the morally ambiguous and hard-to-pinpoint character of Indiana Jones really well. That 'bland' character contrasted really well with the adventures he took on or was thrust into. This blandness also made him cool and detached and when he did express heightened emotions they took on greater effect.
 

Darth Vile

New member
Mickiana said:
A future actor playing Indiana Jones has to look like Indiana Jones

I'm not sure what you mean Mickiana? How similar was Harrison Ford to Tom Selleck, Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, Michael Keaton to Christian Bale? Etc. etc.

Of course there are basic physical traits one most aspire towards e.g. the actor must have two legs (thinking of a Pete and Dud sketch), he must be of a general physical build e.g not looking like Woody Allen. But other than that anything goes... You have to choose the best actor for the job, not the one who closest resembles the original actor.
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Darth Vile said:
Of course there are basic physical traits one most aspire towards e.g. the actor must have two legs (thinking of a Pete and Dud sketch)...

After Mutt's swinging with the monkeys a one-legged Tarzan could be an improvement. :p
 

Mickiana

Well-known member
Without running away from an definitive answer, I was talking in general terms. He'd have to be within a certain range of height. Too tall or too short is going to be a problem. For instance, some have previously argued that Selleck might have been too tall and too ruggedly built with it and swinging off his whips might have seemed then to be too unrealistic.

He's got to be relatively athletic, neither too thin or too muscular/fat. As you say a Woody Allen wouldn't suffice. So, once stature is right all we have left is his face and head to really see for most of the movie because once he has his trademark clothes on he is supposed to be Indiana Jones and Professor Henry Jones Jnr. Too round a face or too long and thin won't do. None of his features can be extreme in any way. Harrison looked like Indiana Jones is one way of putting it.

No extreme features, lean and muscular (no double chin or puffy cheeks - although Harrison was close to this in LC), full head of hair, right proportions in the face and the ability to grow a good stubble. He is handsome because there are no distracting features. I suppose these are the parameters for choosing someone. Sorry I seem to be vague but I don't think it's easy as there's not a science to it (or is there?).
 

emtiem

Well-known member
I like him, maybe he's bit more pretty boy than rough-and-ready as Indy is so far, but I suppose that's true when you compare Roger Moore to Sean Connery; as Darth Vile points out above.
 

Darth Vile

New member
Mickiana said:
Without running away from an definitive answer, I was talking in general terms. He'd have to be within a certain range of height. Too tall or too short is going to be a problem. For instance, some have previously argued that Selleck might have been too tall and too ruggedly built with it and swinging off his whips might have seemed then to be too unrealistic.

He's got to be relatively athletic, neither too thin or too muscular/fat. As you say a Woody Allen wouldn't suffice. So, once stature is right all we have left is his face and head to really see for most of the movie because once he has his trademark clothes on he is supposed to be Indiana Jones and Professor Henry Jones Jnr. Too round a face or too long and thin won't do. None of his features can be extreme in any way. Harrison looked like Indiana Jones is one way of putting it.

No extreme features, lean and muscular (no double chin or puffy cheeks - although Harrison was close to this in LC), full head of hair, right proportions in the face and the ability to grow a good stubble. He is handsome because there are no distracting features. I suppose these are the parameters for choosing someone. Sorry I seem to be vague but I don't think it's easy as there's not a science to it (or is there?).

I think the quintessential thing Ford brought to the role (similar to what Bruce Willis has done well over the past couple of decades and what Paul Newman was good at in the 50's/60's) is he can be hugely heroic, but he can (surpisingly for the muscular type) also appear physically vunerable... and I don't think that's a taken 'from the page' thing... but an inate skill hard to immitate.

If Raiders had been made in the 50's/60's I'd definatley pitched it at Paul Newman rather than a Rock Hudson or Cary Grant type. And although clearly Newman was a good looking guy, he was a physically slight man... which leads me to think that it's what they embody which is important rather than being 6ft or with a full head of hair etc... :)
 

Dr. Gonzo

New member
Would Bradley Cooper make a good Indiana Jones?

No.
The short answer is "No."
The long answer is "No he wouldn't."

Rocket's sentiments are shared.
 

Mickiana

Well-known member
But he needn't act smug if he were to play the role at all. Privately he can be as smug as he wants. Onscreen he does what the script and the director wants. (place smug emoticon here)
 

Toht's Arm

Active member
Darth Vile said:
I think the quintessential thing Ford brought to the role (similar to what Bruce Willis has done well over the past couple of decades and what Paul Newman was good at in the 50's/60's) is he can be hugely heroic, but he can (surpisingly for the muscular type) also appear physically vunerable...

I remember that Nathan Fillion commented in the Serenity and/or Firefly DVD special features that he took a Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones approach to his action scenes. He said that Ford always made it look like being punched in the face actually hurt, and he tried to mimic that.

I think that's one of the things that Ford brings to Indy - he always looks like a man that is really vulnerable when he's getting the sh*t kicked out of him. If there ever were a replacement such as Cooper, they'd have to ensure they followed suit. He's not Superman.
 

AndyLGR

Active member
The movies Bradley Cooper's been in have certainly seem him to be very smug in them. Thats not to say he couldn't do it though. I think looks wise he fits the bill.

Going slightly off topic and someone may be able to clarify this, but I'm sure I remember gossip years ago of Indy having a brother who would appear in a film with him, and this lead to talk of Tom Selleck maybe getting his chance to appear in an Indy movie as said brother. But I actually was always of the opinion that Dennis Quaid reminded me in a certain way of Harrison Ford. Obviously Quaid is probably too old anyway now.
 
Mickiana said:
But he needn't act smug if he were to play the role at all. Privately he can be as smug as he wants. Onscreen he does what the script and the director wants. (place smug emoticon here)
I have a feeling he couldn't contain it...:)

I don't think he could convince me he was a college professor especially conveying the authority...

...I've seen no evidence he can.
 

Mickiana

Well-known member
I have a feeling he could convey the authority. In Limitless he portrayed pre NZT and post NZT pretty well. Rocket, when you say he comes across as smug, are you referring to his character while under the use of NZT? If so, I would agree with you, but that is a part of the change which NZT causes. The total self confidence contains high levels of smugness. But compare that with his loser self pre NZT. He plays a droll, very uninspiring character well. This type of transition in a character is similar to the transition between Professor Henry Jones Jnr in the classroom and leather clad, whip cracking Indiana Jones on an adventure. I know it's going to be pointed out how it isn't similar, but I'm going to put it forward anyway.
 
Mickiana said:
I have a feeling he could convey the authority. In Limitless he portrayed pre NZT and post NZT pretty well. Rocket, when you say he comes across as smug, are you referring to his character while under the use of NZT? If so, I would agree with you, but that is a part of the change which NZT causes. The total self confidence contains high levels of smugness. But compare that with his loser self pre NZT. He plays a droll, very uninspiring character well. This type of transition in a character is similar to the transition between Professor Henry Jones Jnr in the classroom and leather clad, whip cracking Indiana Jones on an adventure. I know it's going to be pointed out how it isn't similar, but I'm going to put it forward anyway.
Well he was a teacher in "The Hangover" so yeah...no.;)

I haven't seen Limitless yet, (though I'm interested), so I'll take your word for it.

The overriding doubt revolves around Ford being a Movie Star more than an Actor which is to say: his successful roles are those which his personality intersects with his character..."Russian Accents" aside.

Either can "act" and another film could be made, but will he be doing a Michelle Williams type impersonation of Marilyn Monroe? Could he be "good"?

I guess it could be good. I thought Crystal Skull was "good".

To me Harrison was himself, more than he would like to admit.

Tom Selleck would have been good, but I doubt we would all be here if he really was Indy.

I guess I would have to see it to be convinced, but that's why they have screen tests eh?
 

Montana Smith

Active member
Who the ****'s Bradley Cooper? :confused:

Alice Cooper would have more star appeal.

He's got a bullwhip and leather jacket:

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He also has a hat and a connection with snakes.

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He's also younger than Harrison Ford (well, just).

Bradley Cooper wasn't much cop in Alias, either.
 

Mickiana

Well-known member
You guys are hard to please (or convince)! Wouldn't have it any other way, though. Rocket, watch Limitless and see if that changes your perspective. I'm not saying it should or will. If his smugness has been getting to you, though, Limitless will not be helping you.

Montana, Alice C. might make a great villain in an Indy flick! Given all the parallels, he might be more of a shadowy reflection of Indy than even Belloq was.:rolleyes:

One thing Bradley Cooper doesn't have is Ford's deep voice. Ford's voice was a big plus.
 

indytim

Member
I have no doubt that Bradley Cooper will be portraying Nathan Drake in the forthcoming 'Uncharted' movie, now that 'Limitless' director Neil Burger is attached.
 
Mickiana said:
You guys are hard to please (or convince)! Wouldn't have it any other way, though. Rocket, watch Limitless and see if that changes your perspective. I'm not saying it should or will. If his smugness has been getting to you, though, Limitless will not be helping you.
Ryan Reynolds was promising for a while, (not as Indy though) and it seems he was hired specifically for his smugness. Everyone embraced it and rode it hard...THAT's gotten tiresome. Cooper still has some elbow room, I wouldn't say he's a one trick pony but it's getting close. Harrison Fords brand of cocky has that element of pragmatism. I didn't know he learned carpentry from a book until much later, but its one of those things that comes out in his persona and his characters, that focus. It always came off like FU I've got things to do, whereas Cooper has developed the playboy entitlement side of his cockyness. One is about getting the job done, the other is I'm gonna have my fun. One is how I see Indy the other doesn't sell me.

Mickiana said:
One thing Bradley Cooper doesn't have is Ford's deep voice. Ford's voice was a big plus.
I agree with that...
 
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