I'm wondering, if in today's acting industry, looks score? I remember growing up it was a huge part of it, but in today's society, in some ways it still does, in others it doesn't. Maybe when it comes to the genre or the part in general. Does it really matter?
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I agree with you, Xan. In some ways it still does in others it doesn't.
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It still does, at least for women. All i see for castings are looking for "model" looks or "drop dead gorgeous model/Actress" and it gets more and more ridiculous in what they're "looking for" very demeaning. Always looking for films that are casting actors and not models
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A hard working actress from NYC was cast as a prisoner in "Orange Is the New Black" -- regular paychecks. Yes, she looks like an inmate. This friend of mine also snagged a TV commercial for a new drug. She made enough in 2014 to take her husband for a 6-week vacation around the world. Her plain looks have never held my friend back and she belongs to all the unions.
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It shouldn't matter, but I think that in the eyes of the executives trying to sell films in today's market, that it absolutely does.
I find that background casting notices are the most insulting. They say they want "real looking people" but some less than reputable casting agencies (one in particular) put out notices that say, "HOT HOT HOT. DO NOT CALL US UNLESS YOU'RE HOT." whatever that means. But as far as principal I think looks or body type only matter depending on if they're looking for something specific. Looks definitely matter less for stage.
In this era, the concept of 'pretty' has fallen by the wayside. We're into a form of acting where those artistic pieces which focus on a limited scope of beauty are either SO SPECIFIC that the actors are being chosen like set pieces, or the piece is open to the rainbow. There are universally unattractive, unhealthy things which even have a place. But on the whole, my experience has been that the 'reality' of a person tends to hold more weight in the creative process than their overall 'beauty'.