Stop Trying to Make ... Happen!

[DRW50]

 

Steven Weber seems to just do the same thing in every role. I didn't mind him on Wings, he was a good contrast to Tim Daly and gave some energy to the proceedings, but you don't look at him and think you're witnessing a great work. 

 

He was alright in that Jeffrey movie, although you could kind of see him acting. The '90s truly were the era of hey look how awesome it is to see these heterosexual actors playing gay what a noble sacrifice. It's fitting that the decade ended with Hal Sparks being one of the first straight actors to get sh!t for that mindset. To be fair to him he did say sorry and I enjoyed his work on QAF a great deal.

Edited February 24, 2018 by DRW50

[mango]

 

Funny you should mention that. Twenty-ish years later and that vibe is still there on Mom with the sparring brothers, this time opposite William Fichtner.

[BetterForgotten]

I've personally always found her to be a very poor man's Christine Baranski. I think they're both from Buffalo. 

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[soapfan770]

I wonder if Morgan Brittany counts?  She was an Aaron Spelling fave who frequently appeared on The Love Boat and Hotel on A LOT in addition to having a lead role on Spelling's short lived soap Glitter. She also was appearing on Dallas as Katherine Wentworth at the same time in concurrence to all of these Spelling show appearances. Later on she popped up on Melrose where her character was unrealistically married to Patrick Muldoon's evil Richard Hart, and then her character was blown to smithereens by Kimberly's bomb after calling Jane a whore.  

[DRW50]

 

For me Wendie's best work was as the ex-wife on Dream On. It's too bad she has mostly just had Hot in Cleveland in recent years, as I thought that show was about as funny as piles. 

[soapfan770]

 

While his free spiritless and realism was a good contrast to Tim Daly's uptight jerk, Weber is limited and as Brian was given little to do over the course of the series.  Both Tony Shalhoub's character and even David Schramm's caricature were more memorable. 

[Franko]

And Wendie was on an episode of Cybill, as Ira's girlfriend with multiple personalities. She was triggered whenever someone would turn on a faucet. If anyone can think of a more contrived way to show an actor's range, I'd love to hear it.

[SoapDope]

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 and it was just a remake of the Golden Girls with Betty now being Sophia.

 

One actress that they tried to make happen back in the late 70's and 80's was Shelley Smith. I mostly know her from her many many many game show appearances as a celeb contestant. I liked her. Every series of her own she was in was cancelled and she mainly had to rely on guest appearances, game shows, and commercials. She reminded be of Cheryl Ladd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BetterForgotten]

Betty's been playing that mean, over-sexualized old woman caricature for years now....

[Faulkner]

Yeah, her protracted Granny Sue Ann Nivens act is pretty one-note, which is a shame because Sue Ann is one of the greatest comedic creations of all time.

[Soapsuds]

Leave Betty alone!!!

[Soaplovers]

 

Actually.. I didn't like Sue Ann Nivens.. very unlikable and one note.

The two times I thought she had range was when she was Rose on Golden Girls.. and the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie with Jennifer Love Hewitt 'The Lost Valentine'... otherwise she's kind of played a variation of Sue Ann Nivens since the 70s.

[Faulkner]

Oh I loved Sue Ann. I grew up with Rose, but her sly intelligence as Sue Ann made me appreciate her as Rose even more.

[Soapsuds]

Didn't care for her Sue Ann but loved her as Rose and I have that movie on DVD. It is a great movie!

[DRW50]

 

Betty is a comic genius if you ask me, but she often gets into one-note characters. I really did enjoy Sue Ann, but I don't think the character warranted a regular role, as it just became the same scene with Murray or Lou or Mary many many times (I did enjoy the episode where they went to her apartment - hilarious). I thought Rose was a good character in the quiet moments (like when they had the flashback of her birthday after her husband died), and in the early seasons, but in later years the character became reduced to mean-spirited jokes about how stupid she was. The show relied on those too much, to the point where, late in the run, they tried to create some angst over her having a heart attack, it didn't work for me, because I no longer believed the other women (especially Dorothy and Sophia) cared about her. 

 

I think Betty's best comic character was Ellen - she had so many layers, and Betty's charisma/timing were featured at their best. I just wish we'd gotten more of her, but maybe it's for the best.