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MacGyver Online Forums > Backstage > Richard Dean Anderson as a movie actor

Posted by: Dr Zito 10 October 2011 - 09:55 PM

how would you rate him? why didnt he quite make it?

Posted by: MacGyverGod 11 October 2011 - 12:52 AM

Because he didn't want to.

Posted by: Dr Zito 11 October 2011 - 03:35 PM

who as an actor doesnt want to make it big in movies? its why you become an actor in the first place. I very much doubt RDA dreamt with becoming a tv actor solely

has he done any theatre?

Posted by: Makedde 11 October 2011 - 06:53 PM

He either didn't want to make it, and was happy where he was.

Or he did want to make it, and didn't try hard enough, which doesn't sound like RDA.

OR and this is what I think, he did want to make it, but the birth of his daughter changed that. She came before anything and everything else.

Posted by: KiwiTek 12 October 2011 - 02:25 AM

QUOTE (Dr Zito @ 12 October 2011 - 12:38 PM)

who as an actor doesnt want to make it big in movies? its why you become an actor in the first place.

You couldn't be more wrong. The actors who become famous do it because they enjoy acting so much; and because they enjoy it they are good at it and so get hired more.

Also I think as a general rule TV actors don't (or didn't back in the 80's and 90's switch domains (from TV <> movie)

I think RDA wanted to do his own thing. After MacGyver he created his own western series (Legend) and then went on to StarGate which he stuck with because he enjoyed it.

So really to answer the question I think he didn't go to movies because he didn't want to.

Also TV series is a more consistent income, rather than a one off payment for 6 months of work and then nothing.

There's probably another very dominant reason RDA never went for movies. He doesn't like the attention. He's very private. Being in movies would make privacy pretty hard to get. He had enough trouble with it from MacGyver and SG:1.

Posted by: Dr Zito 12 October 2011 - 02:12 PM

QUOTE

You couldn't be more wrong. The actors who become famous do it because they enjoy acting so much; and because they enjoy it they are good at it and so get hired more.

Perhaps I didnt word it the best way or the most accurate way compared to what I was thinking. I think most actors dont consider tv as their only objective of their careers. Id be hard pressed to think of any well known actor who didnt want to have a bigger career in movies, unless it was a theater actor.

QUOTE

I think RDA wanted to do his own thing. After MacGyver he created his own western series (Legend) and then went on to StarGate which he stuck with because he enjoyed it.

wait, legend? what is this? never heard before about it, its easily "getable"? any good?

QUOTE

So really to answer the question I think he didn't go to movies because he didn't want to.

I dont buy this at all. Every actor wants a crack at the movies, hollywood or independent filmmaking, unless hes a theater actor, which I dont think its RDA case.

QUOTE

There's probably another very dominant reason RDA never went for movies. He doesn't like the attention. He's very private. Being in movies would make privacy pretty hard to get. He had enough trouble with it from MacGyver and SG:1.

to be honest tv nowadays gets more exposure than almost any movie.

Im not really convinced by your answer

not that you had to convince me, dont get me wrong. For me still remains strange how few attempts he had at films

Posted by: MacGyverGod 14 October 2011 - 06:13 AM

QUOTE

I dont buy this at all. Every actor wants a crack at the movies, hollywood or independent filmmaking, unless hes a theater actor, which I dont think its RDA case.

You don't buy it, that's fine, the reason stays the same: He didn't want to.

The gap between tv-actors and movie actors was very big during the '90s. You were either one or the other. Tom Selleck never made big movies after Magnum PI, Lucy Lawless never did anything after Xena Warrior Princess and mainly because of the same reason as RDA did. She didn't want to even though she is married to the show's producer. She can easily get big roles in movies but she doesn't want to, besides she has children to take care for just like RDA has.

Not everyone has the same dream as George Clooney and Will Smith to make it from TV to movies.

QUOTE

wait, legend? what is this? never heard before about it, its easily "getable"? any good?

Just a little something RDA made on his own. 1 season only. Never saw it on dvd though.

Posted by: Dr Zito 14 October 2011 - 06:06 PM

QUOTE

You don't buy it, that's fine, the reason stays the same: He didn't want to.

The gap between tv-actors and movie actors was very big during the '90s. You were either one or the other. Tom Selleck never made big movies after Magnum PI, Lucy Lawless never did anything after Xena Warrior Princess and mainly because of the same reason as RDA did. She didn't want to even though she is married to the show's producer. She can easily get big roles in movies but she doesn't want to, besides she has children to take care for just like RDA has.

Not everyone has the same dream as George Clooney and Will Smith to make it from TV to movies.

Not everyone but is there any factual evidence for your categorical opening? I mean has he said that he definitely wasnt interested in movies?

Selleck definitely tried to have a career in movies. He was a failure because he isnt a good actor, but made plenty of attempts, and some pretty decent movies like Runaway. Lawless.. Im not sure. I ve been watching her in spartacus and shes a good actress, I seem to recall seeing her in a couple of famous movies, but I could be wrong.

QUOTE

Just a little something RDA made on his own. 1 season only. Never saw it on dvd though.

Thanks, a friend lent me a copy of the pilot and the first episode, will give it a watch. Sounds very unusual

Posted by: KiwiTek 14 October 2011 - 11:49 PM

Here's a little comment from a question and answer season RDA did at the 2008 GateCon. It lends evidence to the fact that he has always done the work he wanted to do and ergo didn't do movies because he didn't want to.

QUOTE

[Question:
Out of all the parts, MacGyver, Legend, O'Neill, what is a part that you went up for, that you wanted, and you wish you could have done, another show or movie, that you watched and you were like, "I could have done that!"?

Richard Dean Anderson:
That I auditioned for and didn't get? [thinking] [scattered laughter] What? I think I was up for, there was a Superman... No, it wasn't Superman. I quite honestly don't know that there's anything that I went out for that I didn't get that I wanted. [applause] You better figure that sentence out first before you applaud. At one point I think I had been out on an early, early audition for Sam Malone, you know, from "Cheers"? [audience ohs] Yeah! I don't know if I would have survived in that world, but, you know, he had fun. He's verrry wealthy, too. And the thought of doing a sitcom has crossed my... My best friend, he's a writer, and he's written for and produced "Friends," and, from that point, I guess, down. And we're motorcycle buddies and scuba diving chums, and he keeps, you know, we keep pitching ideas back and forth. He said, "You should do that one," and I said, "No, it means getting up early." [laughter] "I'll wait. Wait until I'm in a wheelchair." [coughs] 'Scuse me! Yes, number three. What happened to number four?

Posted by: Dr Zito 15 October 2011 - 01:17 AM

interesting, he seems to be more comfortable outside the limelight, though I dont get how this fits with making hugely popular series like SG-1 or Mac, but yes he doesnt sound like he has any regrets. Good for him.

On another note, and linking up with that last quote, how do you think he'd fared in a sitcom? I reckon he'd been pretty good. His comedic timing, perhaps the most difficult thing to get about humour, is spot on. also unlike many other supposedly funny actors, he does seem to have his own brand of personal humour. I hate when people have a cliched sense of humour that goes into all the common places and jokes. Either you have your own sense of humour or you dont have it, but dont go around copying others.

Posted by: KiwiTek 15 October 2011 - 02:45 AM

QUOTE (Dr Zito @ 15 October 2011 - 10:20 PM)

interesting, he seems to be more comfortable outside the limelight, though I dont get how this fits with making hugely popular series like SG-1 or Macs.

Take a look at http://www.macgyveronline.com/pages/video5.html. Towards the end of it they talk about this exact situation and you get quite a good insight into his approach and attitude about acting and fame.

Posted by: Dr Zito 15 October 2011 - 01:58 PM

nice , thanks

how about RDA as comedian, how do you see this Kiwi?