Archives For discovering new actors

Ooh la~ Actor Spotting: Osric Chau

November 12, 2009 — 22 Comments

Osric Chau

If I talk about interesting faces on screen while watching 2012, I should be talking about Osric Chau, the monk practicioner — How do you pronounce his name? I have no idea. At the moment I’m saying it with a thick Scandinavian accent. LOL He is 23 going on 24 (born on July 1986) so we are practically the same age! He’s also Canadian! From Vancouver!

And that photo is adorable, but apparently he’s an exceptional martial artist, and shared the screen with David Carradine and Daryl Hannah on Kung Fu Killer.

He’s also got a website! Not a very good one — is that Bradley Sans I’m seeing? — but you can contact him and his management from there. There are also photos and some updates. If he googles himself, I hope he ends up here. LOL — Hey, Osric! How do you pronounce your name?

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Paul Dano

October 24, 2009 — 1 Comment

I thought I would post both #1 spots on one day to not make them one more important than the other. So on the #1 position of the Actors list is none other than Paul Dano!

Paul Dano

If we talk about astounding CVs, then we should note that Dano has a pretty impressive one.  He did L.I.E in 2001, and has shared the screen with fellow The 20 to Watch Emile Hirsch on The Emperor’s Club (with Kevin Kline), and The Girl Next Door… but unlike his colleague, Dano hasn’t shown off the asshole inside — so he’s safe.

Dano also appeared on The Ballad of Jack and Rose with fellows who didn’t make it Jena Malone and Camilla Belle, as well as Daniel Day-Lewis who would later kick the crap out of Dano on There Will Be Blood.  He’s shared the screen with William Hurt and Gael Garcia Bernal on The King, and also co-starred on the successful Little Miss Sunshine alongside Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Steve Carrel and Greg Kinnear.

Add all of that to the fact that he’s also been part of films like Explicit Ills, Gigantic (with Zooey Deschanel), directed by Ang Lee (with Hirsch once again, and Imelda Staunton) with Taking Woodstock, and can be heard on the latest Spike Jonze film Where the Wild Things Are. For the coming years? He’s got The Good Heart with Brian Cox, The Extra Man with John C. Reilly, Katie Holmes and Kevin Klein directed by Shari Springer Berman of American Splendor fame~~~ Then there’s Meek’s Cutoff with Michelle Williams and directed by Kelly Reichardt of Wendy and Lucy fame, and finally Knight & Day with Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Viola Davis directed by James Mangold (Girl Interrupted, Identity, Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma). So clearly, we’ve got exciting things to watch and keep watching~

Interesting projects, seems kind, not pompous, works hard~~~
he really deserves to be the number 1 actor, right?

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Ellen Page

October 24, 2009 — 4 Comments

So we freaking made it! #1 on the List of Actresses~~~
None other than Ellen Page!

ellen-page

Wait, I know. I’m very well aware that many people hate her. Whatever. You know why? Because I’m being quite objective here, and Page has made it to the top with merit. She was pretty freaking scary as Hayley on Hard Candy — my friend told me her now X was scared to his balls in fear. LOL — Anyway, she was also part of a franchise, though a very small role, she was Kitty Pryde on X3.

She later left me scared to death with American Crime, and Tracey Fragments proved to be a very interesting and bizarre film choice. She was later Juno with all her Junoness, won a bunch of awards and was nominated for an Oscar. Next up will be Peacock with Susan Sarandon and Cillian Murphy… and there’s freaking Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and again Cillian Murphy — directed by the one and only Christopher Nolan~~~

That’s a crew to die for!

Plus, if you ask my father, he’ll tell you she’s the one. LOL

If Inception proves to be successful, there will probably be more role choices… more interesting projects. Unless Page gets bored with acting, I don’t see her boring us with some crazy films…

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Looking Back on 18 of the 20 to Watch~

October 21, 2009 — Leave a comment

So~~~ we are very close to actually reveal who will be on the #1 spots of the Actors and Actresses to keep watching until they turn 30. I haven’t had much feedback on it, but the posts seem popular.

When I first started the list, I felt like I was effing it up with the guys. I know there are a lot of great young actors out there, but I’ve never truly felt a connection the way I kind of fuzz over with some of the actresses on my list. However, now that we are almost over, I feel like both lists are pretty good — I would really want your opinion though.

Another part of this interesting process was coming up with The Ten 20 to Watch that Didn’t Make it. I think working on it also proved how difficult it was for me to come up with actors names. While I had actresses names to spare for that list, I thought it was difficult to come up with just 5 names.

During the making of these many posts, I also noticed how complicated it was to find any real GOOD photo of the young actors. Are we so obsessed with the photos of the young and beautiful ladies that we don’t bother photographing guys? It’s so easy to come across a photoshoot of almost all the girls on my list (except Ines Efron and Sandrine Pinna — whose picture I, by the way, confused wtih some other actress. LOL) but it’s nearly impossible to come across an unwatermarked good photograph in good resolution of at least 50% of the guys.

Also, did you notice that I added actors that I don’t like? It was such a bizarre experience to talk about them without wanting to talk about them. Emile Hirsch I could deal with, because at least I watch his films… but Shia? I was shocked that I couldn’t find someone I really liked to take his place.

Maybe that should mean that I should stop watching so much television, and listen less music to focus a little more on films. I should be able to find someone, right? Talented and charismatic? Someone whom you actually feel like supporting through and through?

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Kenichi Matsuyama

October 20, 2009 — 2 Comments

We are also closing in the #1 spot of our 10 choices for Actors we should be checking out until they’re 30~~~ But first, on the #2 spot is Japanese actor Kenichi Matsuyama.

Kenichi Matsuyama

For those not familiar with Japanese films, Matsuyama is an unknown face that you should be knowing. He’s only 24, and has over two dozen films on his filmography, among them? Worst by Chance (with fellows The 20 to Watch actors Hayato Ichihara and Yu Aoi), The Taste of Tea, Linda Linda Linda, Nana (with fellow The 20 to Watch Aoi Miyazaki), Yamato, Don’t Laugh at my Romance (with fellow Yu Aoi again). He also has the Death Note manga franchise, so he’s got a franchise under his belt ;P

He plays quiet, he plays weird, he plays heartthrob, he does drama, he does comedy. He does it all.

Next up for him, he’ll be on Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood adaptation alongside Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi. With such variety, we can’t just stop watching~~~

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Evan Rachel Wood

October 19, 2009 — 1 Comment

Only ONE spot missing! On the #4 spot is Evan Rachel Wood~~~

evan-rachel-wood

Back in 2002 and 2003… and maybe half of 2004, I was the hugest Evan Rachel Wood fan on this side of the world. I mean, I used to watch every weekend Sony’s reruns of Once & Again, so when I moved to Canada and saw that I would be able to watch Thirteen at the cinemas, I was thrilled. I probably should still have my used ticket somewhere.

Anyway, after Thirteen came and went, Wood began to be cast oftentimes as the Lolita of the films she chose to make. They weren’t bad films, but her choice of roles seemed to be getting boring. Down in the Valley (with Edward Norton) wasn’t a bad film, but it was a pretty average role of the young girl that sleeps with the older guy and stuff happens. Then came Running with Scissors (directed by Ryan Murphy, and working alongside Annette Bening, Alec Baldwin and Gwyneth Paltrow) which wasn’t really a bad film either.

It wasn’t until King of California (with Michael Douglas) came out that I started to pay attention again. That was followed by The Life Before her Eyes (with Uma Thurman, directed by Vadim Perelman of House of Sand and Fog fame), and eventually ended up working as Lucy on the dramedy/musical Across the Universe. I’m pretty much sold right there and then~

Last year, she showed up on a bit of The Wrestler, so any Aronofsky film on anyone’s filmography is cool on my books, and then showed up on Woody Allen’s Whatever Works with a pretty hilarious southern accent. She is currently working as an over-sexed (most likely) vampire lady on the HBO True Blood with fellow actress Anna Paquin.

Next up for Wood, The Conspirator directed by Robert Redford with James McAvoy, Robin Wright Penn, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson and Alexis Bledel. Worth to keep an eye on her ;P

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Michael Angarano

October 18, 2009 — 1 Comment

We’re closing in the Top 3 Actors list, with Michael Angarano on the #3 spot. xD

Michael Angarano

Angarano seems to be acting for what feels like forever. He’s appeared as the kiddo who thought was a teen on the critically-acclaimed Almost Famous. He’s also been on Lords of Dogtown (with The 20 to Watch fellow Emile Hirsch, Heath Ledger, and fellow who didn’t make it Melonie Diaz), Snow Angels (with fellow The 20 to Watch Olivia Thirlby), Man in the Chair, and even dared to share the screen with bombastic martial artists Jackie Chan and Jet Li on The Forbidden Kingdom. Oh, yeah… and he’s also been the non-gay kiddo of our favorite gay Jack McFarland on Will & Grace.

Next up for him is Noah’s Ark: The New Beginning, an animation featuring Michael Keaton, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Marcia Gay Harden. And after that, there’s Ceremony with Uma Thurman and Lee Pace.

I still wanna see what’s in store for him~

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Carey Mulligan

October 17, 2009 — 1 Comment

We have actually already spotted Carey Mulligan on this site, and she’s on the #5 spot of the list of 20 Actors Between 20-25 to Watch Until They’re 30… on the Actress list.

Carey Mulligan

Man, what a year Carey Mulligan has had, and with award season coming our way, we can only wait to see her more often, and everywhere. As of Oct. 15, Mulligan still leads the Oscar for Best Actress race for her role on An Education, and it’s been that way since July… and ever since the film premiered at Sundance.

She seems to capture your attention on screen, even in small roles like on My Boy Jack (with fellow The 20 to Watch Daniel Radcliffe), and she seems to have a certain maturity on screen that doesn’t make you think “oh, look at this girl,” but it’s more like “look at this woman.”

If she wins Best Actress (or just gets nominated), that’s enough reason to keep an eye on her future roles.

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Josh Peck

October 16, 2009 — 6 Comments

Surprise! On the #4 position, there’s Josh Peck.

josh-peck

The heck is wrong with you, Amy? Nickelodeon guy, really? Drake & Josh??? — Just hear me out. He may be a Nick dude, but he managed to participate on two very-non-Nick-friendly films~~~ Mean Creek (with fellow who didn’t make it, Rory Culkin), and he even dared to appear on Havoc (with Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips and Joseph Gordon-Levitt)… and that’s when he was still working for Nick.

Last year, he worked on The Wackness sharing the screen with Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Mary-Kate Olsen and fellow the 20 to watch, Olivia Thirlby.

Peck has lost weight, grew up (he is even taller than his Drake & Josh castmate/friend), so he’s got that “not-looking-bad-yourself” thing in his favor. He just needs to stay away from so much voice work and Nick cameos (for a while) and begin pimping the acting chops.

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To Watch Until They’re 30 – Aoi Miyazaki

October 15, 2009 — 2 Comments

We are actually making it half our list of Actresses now! On #6, Aoi Miyazaki.

miyazaki-aoi

Always, all the time, all I hear is “Miyazaki Aoi is so kawaii (cute) and how awesome she is,” and well~ she is also so very popular in Japan topping every list there could be. However, scratch all of that, and what have you got? You’ve got an actress.

I’ve seen her in a few couple of films, some of them are pretty great like Gaichu (Harmful Insect), or are very deeply sentimental like Sukida. Her films often have to deal with human emotions, though I’ve also seen her doing comedy~ but what truly makes me think she can pull it off if she decides to stay away from this love-interests type of films was her decision to play the lead on NHK’s historical drama, Atsuhime.

This role that lasted a whole year let Miyazaki play Atsuhime from her tender kid age, throughout her teens, her 20s, her30 up until her death in her late 40s. She played innocent, clueless but at the same time idealist. She matured and began learning how things in life and politics work, and stood by her ideas trying to make everything better for everyone. Miyazaki truly nailed it on this one.

This is why I’m putting her here.

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