Younger Actors: Should they be held to the same standards?

[Khan]

Hey, I'm going only by what I've been told in the past. #shrug

[John]

Also

http://soapcentral.com/yr/news/2004/1220-chapman_vanark.php

My point is and those were only 2 examples but some stars have done daytime & couldnt handle the pace. Its just not new actors that can have issue with it. That is why to me they need to be all held to the same standard

[Antoyne]

Of course no one expects them to be a Slezak or Flannery, but if you're hired to do a job I expect you not to sound like you're reading a script...And it kills me when actors "act". It has to be natural.

[marceline]

I think that actors young or not should be judged by the performance they give and that's it. It hardly seems fair or reasonable to hold them hostage to the nostalgia warped memories of the "good old days."

I really, truly don't understand the concept that these young actors should be made to watch episodes from 30 years ago to "see how it's done." See how what is done exactly? Honestly, if decades old episodes of a long dead soap are the best thing you've ever seen then stick with YouTube and enjoy them but don't demand that these shows try to recreate them. That's a losing proposition for everyone. I loved the TV show MASH but I don't look at new comedies and think, "Well, you're certainly no Alan Alda."

There seems to be a segment of the soap audience that glorifies the past to the point of fetishism. Every new character has to be tied to an old one, the more obscure the better. Every new story needs to be tied to something or someone from a million years ago. Now new actors need to be compared to someone who got their start during the Ford administration?

[ReddFoxx]

In terms of skill and experience, younger actors can't be held to the same standards as the older actors, because you can't beat years of being in the industry and building your craft. In terms of work ethic and focus, they should be held to the same standard, since that's one of the main things that older actors grasps better. I think some younger actors end up phoning in performances, as opposed to using any sort of method or digging into their characters.

[frequentsoapfan]

Great post right here.

And honestly I'm tired of people acting like the vets displace some overly amazing acting abilities that no one can attain. Especially hammy ass Tony Geary. I haven't seen a vet do any acting that was above and beyond in years.

And frankly the writing just isn't always their for young characters. I've seen people bashed in daytime on the boards who then were praised for things they've done outside the soaps. And I think it was the writing more than the pace that factored. Not even the vets can make dreck work, I don't expect young actors to add layers where layers can't be added.

At this point I look for something that stands out about their performances from the rest. I tend not to agree with most of the highly praised young actors that have been on soaps in the past few years because they all turn in the same bland similar performances. If I get the feeling that their playing the role of themselves I'm not impressed. I like to see growth too and see the improvement from when they first start on the show to the point they are at now.

[ChitHappens]

This is why I'm very sensitive about that word "vet".

[Khan]

You make an EXCELLENT point, marceline.