Money, Dear Boy: Difference between revisions

[[File:Olivier1.jpg|link=Clash of the Titans|frame|[[Laurence Olivier|One of the greatest stage actors of all time performing the classic role of Laser Zeus.]]]]

 

 

 

Sometimes, undeniably famous, classical actors and actresses take roles in movies that are very against their type. Unlike the [[Classically-Trained Extra]], who laments that their talent is being wasted, or the small but legitimate roles of the [[One-Scene Wonder]]... or the [[Old Shame]] of roles taken when it was the only work available, this trope covers actors who are completely fine with the situation. Why? Simply put: the long green.

** Hopper probably starred in the box-office flop ''Meet The Deedles'' for the same reason.

** Though surprisingly averted with ''[[Waterworld]]'', which he admitted to liking. He believed the reason that it bombed in the US was because the filmmakers announced that it was overbudgeted, shooting themselves in the foot.

* [[James Earl Jones]] has always been very upfront about doing anything that comes with a salary attached. Lampshaded by his appearance in ''[[Two and A Half Men]]'': "To be completely honest, I didn't know Charlie Harper. But any man who, with his dying breath, would set aside $25,000 and a first-class air ticket so I could deliver his eulogy is aces in my book!"

* [[Raul Julia]] taking the role of M. Bison in the ''[[Street Fighter (film)|Street Fighter]]'' movie was motivated by knowledge of his imminent death from stomach cancer, and a wish to [[So My Kids Can Watch|leave his children well off]] - in fact, he let his sons choose which film he'd perform in, and they chose ''[[Street Fighter (film)|Street Fighter]]'' because they were fans of the game. His [[Ham and Cheese|amazing]] [[Magnificent Bastard]] performance in the role is one of many elements that made the film [[So Bad It's Good|hilariously awful]] instead of just simply bad. Julia's accepting of roles as Gomez in the 1991 and 1993 ''[[The Addams Family|Addams Family]]'' movies (particularly the latter) are also attributed to this circumstance.

** Similarly, he was in the cheesy ''[[Overdrawn at the Memory Bank]]'' entirely due to his support of public television. He was also the only bright spot in the entire movie, and when ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' riffed on it shortly after his death, they went out of their way to point out that they respected Julia and were mocking the movie itself, not his performance.

* [[Klaus Kinski]] says it himself in one documentary. ''"Every time when I was out of money, I would just make any movie, I really didn't care. And suddenly the newspaper write I am the best murderer, the best this one, the best that one. And it isn't even too megalomanic to say 'Sure, you idiots. I can do all that. Without even trying.'"''

* [[John Larroquette]] in [[50 Cent]]'s ''[[Gun (film)|Gun]]'' as the rich gun runner Sam, not to mention his appearance in ''[[Southland Tales]]'' as Vaughn Smallhouse.