Post #8 3/17/09 The Young and the Restless

3/17/09

Zac Efron. Megan Fox. Hayden Panettiere. Robert Pattinson.

If you were a reasonably well-informed person you would probably know, if not at least recognize, those names. Now, let’s try another list shall we?

Jeremy Irons. Helen Mirren. Viggo Mortensen. Ed Harris.

Being a movie junkie, those actors are just as recognizable to me as anyone for the first list. In fact, I probably know a lot more about one of them than that first list combined. However, I’m pretty sure those names mean little, if not nothing, to you. If I was a gambler, I would’ve put money on it.

So…why’d you blank out?

The answer, it would appear, lies in what that first list had in common with one other: they were celebrities, all under 25 years old, that have appeared in recent major blockbusters and/or popular tv shows. Movies and shows well known to millions upon millions of people around the world. High School Musical, Transformers, Heroes, and of course, Twilight respectively. Ok, now I want you to do something. For the people listed above, I want you to name the ones who have been nominated for and/or have won an Academy Award. Even if you don’t really know, take a guess. No cheating. Got it? Good.

Here are the answers:

Zac Efron: 0

Megan Fox: 0

Hayden Panettiere: 0

Robert Pattinson: 0

Jeremy Irons: 1 win

Helen Mirren: 1 win, 2 nominations

Viggo Mortensen: 1 nomination

Ed Harris: 4 nominations

Notice something? Yup. The latter group was actually the ones with the wins and/or nominations. So, if this is the case, if those group of actors were the ones with the more prestigious recognition, then why don’t we tend to hear about them? Again, it’s all about the ages.

It seems that in today’s age-fearing society, we tend to gravitate toward the younger generation. Fresh, young faces are getting fresher and younger while the older, more experienced actors remain mostly under the radar (unless they happen to be…oh, I don’t know…George Clooney or Johnny Depp or Angelina Jolie). New talent is constantly being “discovered” before kids have even entered high school. Take Dakota Fanning or Abigail Breslin for example. They were young like, really young, when they started working the entertainment business but people loved them. In fact, people loved Dakota Fanning so much that she was getting paid $3 million per movie before she even hit 13. “She’s definitely an old soul,” said actress Glenn Close. So, I guess being “an old soul” automatically wins you the respect of just about every other credible name in Hollywood. Apparently, Tom Cruise adores her as well.

However, with this surge of new, young talent, older actors, actors who have not completely made a name for themselves, are finding it harder and harder to make it in the brutal business that is show business. 30 and 40 something year old unknowns show up for auditions along side 20 something year old unknowns and guess who wins the part? The younger ones. True, the older actors may have the experience but it’s the 25 year olds who have the looks, the charm, and the moves to capture audiences. And that’s what directors, producers, and production studios want.

And along with this problem comes the slow demise and decreasing popularity of the so called “Hollywood royalty”. Audiences want younger, faster, bolder and since we still haven’t managed to age backwards (aside from Benjamin Button), the older, more experienced actors are slowly being left in the dust. It doesn’t really matter if they’ve won one Oscar or ten. What really counts is whether or not they can connect with younger audiences especially when “there are 48 million teens and college aged moviegoers.” Because chances are an 18-year-old girl is more likely to watch a movie with Robert Pattinson in the leading role as opposed to Ed Harris (personally, I’d beg to differ though) and a 20-year-old guy is more likely to be dragged off to a movie with his girlfriend when said movie stars Megan Fox instead of Helen Mirren.

But, hey. Nothing much we can do about it. After all, there’s no business like show business.

Answer to trivia question: Jeremy Irons, left; Robert Pattinson, right