You know, I always got offered other stuff. Not the romantic leads, obviously. But very often it's a role that's underwritten, where the character has no personality at all. And they need a character actor who can fill it in.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I don't feel like a romantic lead; I guess I feel more like a character actor.
I'm an actor. I'll take a lead if it's offered. The really good actors can fill a character, no matter what the role is. A good leading man is a character actor; a good character actor can be a leading man.
You might see some of the movies that I'm in where there are shades of drama or whatever, but for the most part, I don't get offered serious roles.
One thing I think is really important is chemistry, and if actors have chemistry, audiences will pick up on that. Audiences will root for characters that don't even exist as a couple because the actors' chemistry is so strong.
I think every leading man wants to be a character actor, and every character actor wants to be a leading man.
I have friends who are leading men, and they're only ever allowed to play leading men of a certain type. But as a character actor, there's a wider variety of projects available. On the big Hollywood films, all they care about is having their lead in place, so it's actually easier for someone like me to slip in. And I'm happy to do so.
There's a lot of romanticisation of the intuitive actor and method acting and all kinds of notions about getting inside a character and coming out from there.
Actors look for characters. If they read a well-written character, and if they think the director's not an idiot, they're going to sign up and do some acting.
There are always leading characters. There are always complex characters; there are very rewarding plays with great directors and tremendous playwrights, yeah. I've done a lot of things with theater that I'm very, very proud of.
I am the actor that I am. I do what I do. I've been a 'leading man' playing romantic leads for a long time now.