I don't really understand why some people think it was "career suicide"? Acting is about conveying emotions convincingly
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P-K-One — 10 years ago(July 24, 2015 02:21 AM)
The problem is less the believability of the portrayal but rather the risk of boycotts by beep
Think about it this way. I do not buy Orson Scott Card books because he is a crazy, homophobic, radical. I do not watch Roman Polanski movies because he is a child rapist. I make a conscious decision to boycott those people because I think their behavior is morally wrong.
Depending on the poll you read about 30% of the US population considers homosexuality to be immoral to a certain degree. So there is a risk that the same sentiment that makes me not watch Polanski movies would make those people not watch an Ellen Page movie.
This is something that influences the casting choices for movies. Ask yourself, if you were a casting director and you have the choice between two actors and the choice for actor A would reduce the potential target audience by 30%, would you cast that actor or would you rather go with the safe choice, the other actor? So by making herself controversial, she might have caused massive damage to her career. -
MrTridac — 10 years ago(July 24, 2015 04:01 AM)
You have a very, very good point.
I haven't seen it this way before. But I'm wondering if the opposite isn't true as well?
Some people might consider watching a movie
because
they became aware of that strong young women who made a bold move.
However, I can't imagine a casting director considering this.
Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day
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P-K-One — 10 years ago(July 24, 2015 04:53 AM)
Would you really watch a movie you are not interested in just to support an actor?
As I said, I do boycott movies and books if I have issues with the artists involved. But I can't see myself reading a book I don't enjoy or watching a movie I am not interested in to show my support. And I doubt many people would.
The difference is that you pass on most things anyway. I go to the cinema about once or twice a month. 20 movies come out in that timeframe and I am interested in 5 of them. So I know at any given time that I will not see 3 I am interested in. It does not hurt me which 3 those are since the net amount of entertainment I have is the same. My moral objections come at no cost to me. I watch two movies I want to see no matter what happens.
However, if I go and watch a movie I am not interested in, I waste 50% of my potential entertainment.
I think it's similar for most people. -
lukejbarnett2002 — 9 years ago(June 22, 2016 01:15 AM)
yeah but the problem about that is it only favors the less big population of gays while taking down the probability of straight people watching her movies. so, if you are straight it's good on the count of straight people still watching your movies and gays still watching your movies but just not increasing them watching your movies. go the safe, straight route.
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MrTridac — 9 years ago(June 22, 2016 04:09 AM)
Your reasoning is good but we're still in the realm of speculation about hypothetical circumstances.
In reality I'm sure most people don't care or even know much about the actors they're watching.
You have to consider a good amount of selection bias here on this board.
Or in any IMDb board for that matter.
The average moviegoer isn't interested in "behind the curtain" stuff.
I guess from the point of view of a production company it doesn't matter at all.
A few proud gays more in the theater plus a few homophobics less equals zero. The majority of people doesn't care.
It would be interesting to ask the average person: "Did you know that Ellen Page is gay?"
The usual answer is probably: "Who's Ellen Page?"
And next on the list would be: "Didn't she play a pregnant girl in that movie? What's the name ?"
Just because many movie-aficionados discuss the subject in movie related boards doesn't mean that there are actually many average people who care.
Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day
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lukejbarnett2002 — 9 years ago(June 22, 2016 07:21 PM)
but if it's even, the ones who like it and the ones who don't, which it wouldn't be anyway because more people are straight than are gay, the casting directors and producers care about if someone is gay in the public eye because their image decreases more than it increases the box office for a movie, so that is two things to one thing in the favor of her coming out being a bad thing.
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MrTridac — 9 years ago(June 23, 2016 04:27 AM)
because more people are straight than are gay
I was only talking about the straight people who turn away because they're homophobic.
You can't imply that every straight person is homophobic. I'm straight, I still like her. I still like watching her. I'd never avoid a movie just because an actor is gay and I think I'm not alone with this.
producers care about if someone is gay in the public eye
That's why I raised the question how many public eyes actually do care or even know that she's gay.
I don't think it's too many.
Therefore, I don't think producers care too much.
Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day
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lukejbarnett2002 — 9 years ago(June 23, 2016 04:55 AM)
but I would argue that more people know about this than you think. the internet has made it really easy and quite common for people to find out about an actor being gay. this is what happened with me: I wasn't even looking to find out anything about her. I didn't search for her online but, I saw something online about her coming out so I just saw it in a story online on the yahoo search engine. so, you don't even have to look to find out about an actor being gay, you are given this information whether you like it or not in a story on the yahoo search engine. you know how they put stories on yahoo. they are just there automatically.
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MrTridac — 9 years ago(June 23, 2016 06:41 AM)
but I would argue that more people know about this than you think.
This might be true. Unfortunately we cannot know for sure except someone makes a representative study.
so, you don't even have to look to find out about an actor being gay, you are given this information
That's why I mentioned selection bias.
You and I, we have a natural tendency to roam about in many corners of the internet, potentially many movie or entertainment industry related sites.
While the average moviegoer doesn't get far beyond facebook, instagram, netflix and amazon. Although, facebook was probably swamped with "ELLEN PAGE OUT OF THE CLOSET !!!!!!1111oneoneone #pathetichashtag"
Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day
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MartenBroadcloak — 10 years ago(July 25, 2015 09:47 AM)
This is something that influences the casting choices for movies.
Is it, really? I mean there are not a lot of openly gay actors in Hollywood so it's hard to tell but it didn't seem to be a risk to have Ian McKellen in big-budget films like Lord of the Rings and Jim Parsons was the star of Dreamworks' Home.
I can imagine a few types of roles where Hollywood would be hesitant in casting an openly gay actor but Ellen's never been one to star in those types. -
Smokey_T — 9 years ago(September 21, 2016 05:52 PM)
Yea, Ian McKellen is always going for those sweet roles, the ones where he plays a desirable, sexually powerful, and most significantly a no-more-than middle aged man.
Oh, wait.
Yeah, I'm sure Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier and a slew of other near geriatrics could be openly gay and not have that limit their ability to play Dumbledore. It might impact their bank ability were they 20 something, and seeking a high mainstream profile.
Page was never going to tick the boxes for mainstream Hollywood regardless of her sexuality - bit parts, niche films, sure. And her being out shouldn't affect that at all. -
michaelallen000 — 10 years ago(September 30, 2015 01:56 AM)
I don't think it's going to hurt her career, she's going to be able to get the same type of rolls that she got before, unless she black balls herself talking negative against Hollywood.
With Neil Patrick Harris it has hurt his career, which is sad he's a great actor.
Wentworth Miller came out as gay, his career is doing better then it did before.
I guess it's the type of actor you are and the rolls that you want to do.