Acting on Smallville

[butterfly]

Have I mentioned recently that Tom Welling is just killing me in my rewatch of Smallville? Oh, I have.

Yet here I go again -- I love how all the different 'off' versions of Clark are off in different ways. RedK!Clark is not the same as Mind-wipedKal!Clark who is not the same are SilverK!Clark who is (definitely) not the same as Lionel in Clark's body. The subtle (and sometimes less than subtle) gradations of difference in these character also serves to remind me of how good Tom is as just plain ol' Clark (who, from all appearances, isn't all that much like Tom Welling) and in showing how Clark has grown over the years.

I rather adore Erica Durance's quirky expressions. She does such cute things with her mouth. Very expressive. She also has really great comic timing and is very good at both delivering the sarcasm and kicking people's asses in a realistic way (But of course she is! Teal'c taught her.).

I'm not thrilled with odd prim pout thing that Annette O'Toole does. And it's definitely an AOT thing, not a Martha Kent thing, because she does the same thing with her mouth in Superman 3. I do love a lot of what she does with regards to Clark, though not everything (the disappointment in the 'marriage' talk in Unsafe was just... when your kid is that upset, you should save the moral outrage for a little later).

I'm fond of Rosenbaum's Lex, though not quite as much as many people are. I think he does a really good job selling some iffy stuff. He and Lionel are often a little too melodramatic for my tastes, but the characters are clearly supposed to be.

I've gotten more respect for KK's Lana recently. I still find some of her choices... odd, but workable into the character. Allison Mack is a good dramatic actress and very sympathetic, very good at playing 'tugging-at-heartstrings'.

People on my flist who watch Smallville -- what do you think of the acting?

Comments

[trepkos.livejournal.com]

I think the acting's great - Clark's parents succeed in pissing me off in the way only well-portrayed or real parents can.
Lionel and Lex are excellent, and I'm liking Clark more as it goes on, though I think his father's caution could easily have runied any chance he had for happiness.
And I can't believe he's that young, and I can't understand the shocked reactions that a 17 year-old guy would want to have sex, and do it if the opportunity arises.
Lana annoys me - but I think that's the writers' fault.
How many times can actors be expected to say, "I should go" in one series?

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I think the acting's great - Clark's parents succeed in pissing me off in the way only well-portrayed or real parents can.

The Kents really did feel like a real, imperfect family. I was very impressed with that.

Lionel and Lex are excellent, and I'm liking Clark more as it goes on, though I think his father's caution could easily have runied any chance he had for happiness.

Jonathan's caution certainly impaired Clark, but I think that he's starting to recover, just in the not-quite-a-year it's been since Jonathan's death. He really did do a number on Clark with the alien-related self-hate, though.

[radioreverie.livejournal.com]

I think Tom has improved a lot over the years. He's still not perfect, though. He has a tendency to give flat or unemotive line readings. Though he's getting much better at that, and his comic timing has improved immeasurably.

Kristin has a hard time with emotional dynamics. She never achieves much intensity. And often her line readings are a bit odd or stilted. And she has no sense of spontaneity. She's gotten a little better over the years, but she still underacts. She just doesn't do much with what she's given.

Allison has no comic timing, rushes her lines into incomprehensibility, moves her head too much, is a terrible mimic, steps on other people's lines and cues, telegraphs her lines from a mile away, and has a tendency to make overly hammy facial expressions and exaggerated body/facial movements. Like, if she's supposed to be scared, she's doesn't just give off an aura of tense nervousness, she has to move her eyes around in an exaggerated manner as if she's Mickey Mouse in some 1940s haunted house cartoon. She also mangles line readings and emphasizes the wrong parts of lines. Like, what should have been either "I didn't know SUPERwhining was one of your powers" or "I didn't know superWHINING was one of your powers" somehow bizarrely becomes "I didn't know superwhining was one of your POWERS," which...doesn't make a lick of sense. She's okay at crying, I suppose.

Erica is very raw. She moves her head around too much. She has certain line inflections that she repeats too often. She occasionally rushes her lines and makes too many faces. She has really intuitive, good comic timing. She's remarkably subtle when called upon to do a more dramatic scene. She's good at seeming spontaneous, like her character is actually thinking of the words she's saying, rather than seeming scripted (unlike Allison).

Michael *can* be really good, in every way. But when he's bored, it shows. He lets his contempt for or amusement at the script show through, and he plays it like he's on the world's worst soap opera. Lately, I'd say he's been bored a lot. :P

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I think Tom has improved a lot over the years. He's still not perfect, though. He has a tendency to give flat or unemotive line readings. Though he's getting much better at that, and his comic timing has improved immeasurably.

And the director helps no one when they leave the camera on people for infinity -- there was a moment in the latest episode where Clark just looked silly, they held his reaction shot so long. But that's a directing complaint, not an acting one.

Tom's definitely better now than in first season -- I think that he made a huge leap upward at the start of season three and has been continuing to steadily improve since then. He definitely cares about getting better, which is always nice to see.

Kristin has a hard time with emotional dynamics. She never achieves much intensity. And often her line readings are a bit odd or stilted. And she has no sense of spontaneity. She's gotten a little better over the years, but she still underacts. She just doesn't do much with what she's given.

Agreed, for the most part. KK's pretty good at playing Bad!Lana, but 'bad' is generally always easier to play.

With Allison, my problem is that I don't see any change at all in her acting technique from the pilot until now. She was good at the same things then that she is now -- she doesn't seem to have worked on her weak spots at all.

I pretty much agree with you on Erica, too -- she's good now, with some hiccups, but she has the instincts to be better in the future.

Michael *can* be really good, in every way. But when he's bored, it shows. He lets his contempt for or amusement at the script show through, and he plays it like he's on the world's worst soap opera. Lately, I'd say he's been bored a lot. :P

Or during most of the relationship with Helen, as I recall. Which could definitely be a problem for him in the future if he wants to do television again -- because television is never always excellent.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

the disappointment in the 'marriage' talk in Unsafe was just... when your kid is that upset, you should save the moral outrage for a little later

That was written differently originally, but AOT asked for it to be rewritten for Martha to express moral outrage.


I'm pretty happy with the acting. Well I think seasons 1 and 2 really show that Tom and Kristin were hired for their looks There's Lana's unfamous fake crying from Reaper *g* But they've both improved a lot, so I've no complaints now really. Tom does have great comic timing

[pep-singer.livejournal.com]

//Well I think seasons 1 and 2 really show that Tom and Kristin were hired for their looks//

I think Tom's standout acting moment in seasons one and two is "Red". It was like, "Hey, this guy's definitely got something behind those pretty green eyes".

//There's Lana's unfamous fake crying from Reaper *g*//

Hee! That was hilarious. I actually kinda felt bad for her with that one.

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I'd also add that I think Kristin is great at playing the bitch. As early as X-Ray and Nicodemous she did a nice job with that. Unfortunately she was hired for a fairly bland role, and was unable to fill in the blanks. I own some of the dailes (sssh :P) and it's really interesting to see how lively and animated she is, then when it's time to act, she turns into simpering Lana. I don't know if she was trying to be cute, or was directed to act that way, but not good. During seasons 1-3 anyway. I think she became a lot better later on

I thought Lana was faking crying in Reaper I swear! She hung up the phone and let out this little fake sob, I thought the character was supposed to be pretending to cry for some reason. The little dramatic sob and theatrical covering of her mouth. Then I realised she was supposed to be genuinely distressed :P

Tom was definitely great in Red. Episodes like Exile and Transference as well, give him a chance to surprise the audience with what a stand-out actor he is. But when he's playing just Clark, I often found him a bit too blank in seasons 1 and 2. It's interesting that Kristin's lack of experience early on is never acknowledged, yet there will often be references to how Tom's performance in Red he couldn't have done in season 1, and how much he's improved.

And yep, Allison is generally considered the best of the younger cast by TPTB, and it's been mentioned that she always has lots of different reaction shots and interesting choices, so they often turned to Chloe in season 1 especially, because she was the one from the young cast who never simply offered a blank face reaction. As opposed to Clark, Lana, and Pete I guess *g*


And Michael's boredom does show up in mid season 4 with his few scenes in the darkened mansion. Then he went really over the top and campy for Onyx *g* I'm not the best judge of acting mind you, because I've seen several references now to him phoning it in this season, and I hadn't particularly thought that

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

It's interesting that Kristin's lack of experience early on is never acknowledged, yet there will often be references to how Tom's performance in Red he couldn't have done in season 1, and how much he's improved.

Wel by AlMiles and co I mean

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That was written differently originally, but AOT asked for it to be rewritten for Martha to express moral outrage.

Definitely an acting choice I disagree with. But I can't imagine my mom ever giving that speech, so there's that.

Tom and Kristin have definitely gotten much better.

[pep-singer.livejournal.com]

I think the acting overall on the show is good.

John and Annette are the great, IMO. They are just *always* at the top of their game and I can't even remember a moment where I thought either one of them was off or phoning it in. JG adds such interesting mannerisms to Lionel like the magnificent chuckle, which I love.

Tom, Allison, and Michael are the good. Tom is just constantly improving. He's good with his emotional scenes, has some great comedic timing, and can definitely bring the sutble. And, yeah, every once in a while, he'll start to underact a bit, but I find that to be minimal as time goes on. Acting wise, S5 is his highlight, IMO. He received some material he could bite in to. Allison is definitely good at conveying different emotions with one look (see: Stray). She definitely plays Chloe's sense of humor at inappropriate times as charming. She's excellent at rolling off the exposition and making it sound as natural as possible. Michael, when he's on, he's *on*, but when he's not, he definitely comes across as really bored. I think his best episode is "Shattered".

I find Kristin and Erica to be at the bottom. I think Kristin whispers her lines far too much. Michael is somehow able to being the best out in her, which is a plus. Sometimes, she does have a moment that I think she good in (like her scene with Clark at the end of "Blank" and her turn as Dawn in "Spirit") but she has a tendencey to smile at inappropriate times and her facial reactions are lackluster for the most part (her facial expression after Lois's "bad boy blues" line in "Oracle" is just awfully bad). Erica definitely rushes her lines way too much, but she does have pretty good comedic timing.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

John and Annette are the great, IMO. They are just *always* at the top of their game and I can't even remember a moment where I thought either one of them was off or phoning it in. JG adds such interesting mannerisms to Lionel like the magnificent chuckle, which I love.

John really was always great! I wasn't always happy with him (actually... I mostly wasn't happy with him) but his character always made complete sense and felt very real.

[goodnightsong.livejournal.com]

I definitely think that TW has grown as an actor over the years. I remember seeing that people were unimpressed by his performance in Transference but I thought he did a pretty good job portraying Lionel. In the beginning of the series, yeah, he wasn't the best. You could tell he was... a bit inexperienced. But I agree with whoever said this not long ago, that his inexperience, and unsureness about things... it fit with Clark, you know? But anyways, yeah. I think he's been doing great lately.

And with KK... looking back in S1, to now? I don't think there is any denying that she has certainly improved as well. I was really impressed with her in ep. Zod and I'm glad to see others were too. To be honest, I never did think she was so horrible. I mean, there were some moments that kind of made me cringe, but I never thought she was as bad others did. She wasn't so experienced either, but I do think that sometimes, in some of her weaker performances, she was probably mostly just bored with her character. Right now though, Lana has become a more interesting character IMO, and I think it shows that KK is enjoying this new dark!Lana, and enjoys working with MR and JG. MR kind of challenges her, basically. And she certainly seemed to have a lot more fun playing the more 'fun' sides of Lana (Nicodemus, Spell).

Hee. And MR. He is certainly my favorite actor on the show, and Lex being my favorite character. I do agree that when he is bored, it shows. But he was just truly fantastic in Zod and Vessel. But really he's just best in episodes where we get more into Lex's psyche (Shattered, Asylum, Lexmas, Memoria). :)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

All things that I completely agree with! MR lifts up KK's game and she works harder with him.

And I definitely agree that MR is best in the episodes where we explore Lex's inner self -- he really seems to get interested in those. But the Helen plotline (among others) seemed to bore him.

[huzzlewhat.livejournal.com]

Smallville acting in a nutshell for me — from the very beginning, no matter how experienced or not, these actors all convinced me that they were who they were pretending to be. And when you're talking about comic book legends, that's no small accomplishment.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Very good point! That really is the most important part of any acting job.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

:-)
I think Tommy's improved out of sight. He's a good boy! He works so diligently at his acting and he thinks about it and is articulate about it, and I luff him.
I've always loved Michael's ability to transform himself but he needs constant stimulation to keep him interested, so I hope the show continues to allow him range. Melodramatic, yes, but I'm comfortable with that for Lex.
I love Erica to pieces and think she's a great actress with a great work-ethic--very like Tommy, actually.
Allison's good at rattling off exposition and she's sympathetic, but I actually suspect her of being the least actorly of all the SV actors--perhaps because I think her character is most similar to her RL persona, but I could be wrong.
KK has grown on me. I know she's stuggled with Lana at times, and I really sympathise with her on that, but I can tell when she's not 'in' her character. Sometimes she's great, sometimes she's 'meh'.
Justin's my new joy. He's Erica-like in his comic delivery, with just a touch of MR-ness in his ability to take a totally terrible-on-the-page line and make it something fantastic.
Annette is great at playing those high-emotion moments--she screams with such grace!
And everyone else is fine but unexciting, with the exception of some shocking guest actors. ;-)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I think Tommy's improved out of sight. He's a good boy! He works so diligently at his acting and he thinks about it and is articulate about it, and I luff him.

Me, too! He just cares so much and thinks about his character and his blocking and just... I have much love for people who work to improve themselves (see also: David Boreanaz, who went from the least impressive actor on Buffy to a killer terrific actor on Bones -- DB, like Tom, just consistently improved over the years until, now, no one's complaining about his acting).

I've always loved Michael's ability to transform himself but he needs constant stimulation to keep him interested, so I hope the show continues to allow him range. Melodramatic, yes, but I'm comfortable with that for Lex.

Indeed, it works for the character.

I love Erica to pieces and think she's a great actress with a great work-ethic--very like Tommy, actually.

Agreed! Of course, I was impressed with her right off the bat, because I saw her first in her episode of Stargate (where she played a sweet girl who kinda accidentally kills her abusive ex-boyfriend) and then when I saw her in Smallville, her Lois Lane was such a different character (and so identifiable as Lois). Such distinct characters -- and you can also see the difference between stills of Lois and stills of Erica. There isn't much character-actor bleedover.

Allison's good at rattling off exposition and she's sympathetic, but I actually suspect her of being the least actorly of all the SV actors--perhaps because I think her character is most similar to her RL persona, but I could be wrong.

I suspect that you may be right.

KK has grown on me. I know she's stuggled with Lana at times, and I really sympathise with her on that, but I can tell when she's not 'in' her character. Sometimes she's great, sometimes she's 'meh'.

She's off and on -- like I said, some of her choices are seriously weird.

Justin's my new joy. He's Erica-like in his comic delivery, with just a touch of MR-ness in his ability to take a totally terrible-on-the-page line and make it something fantastic.

Justin is lovely. I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him (hopefully not just on Smallville).

Annette is great at playing those high-emotion moments--she screams with such grace!

She is a terrific screamer! Hee.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

a killer terrific actor on Bones
Oh, are you serious? I've avoided that show because I assumed it would be very 'meh'. David's acting without Joss's writing? No thanks! But it seems I dismissed him unfairly!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

David's been doing really great! I'm not thrilled with the actress who plays the lead character (honestly, though, that's mostly because she has a scary jaw -- it looks like it could leap off her neck and kill people), but all of her assistants are also great fun.

And David's character, Booth, is pretty much nothing like Angel. I've been really impressed so far.

[navia.livejournal.com]

(the disappointment in the 'marriage' talk in Unsafe was just... when your kid is that upset, you should save the moral outrage for a little later).

That moment was so very OOC for Martha, too, and just awkward to watch.

I like the acting. KK started impressing me in S4 and TW in S3. For KK, it helped that they finally started giving Lana a personality and interests. I never disliked Lana, but I didn't start to like her until S4.

TW has more than proved himself, imo. When he switches from Red Clark to Farmboy Clark in an instant, it's all in his eyes, and that's pretty damn cool to see.

The only actor who stands out as not that great is John Glover. He has two expressions, sinister and innocent, and I am so bored with him at this point.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That moment was so very OOC for Martha, too, and just awkward to watch.

And the worst part is that, apparently, Annette O'Toole is the one who wanted them to write it that way. Very bizarre.

I like the acting. KK started impressing me in S4 and TW in S3. For KK, it helped that they finally started giving Lana a personality and interests. I never disliked Lana, but I didn't start to like her until S4.

S4 sounds about right for when KK improved. She's definitely much better now than when she started.

TW has more than proved himself, imo. When he switches from Red Clark to Farmboy Clark in an instant, it's all in his eyes, and that's pretty damn cool to see.

Indeed. He's doing such great things with his role these days.

The only actor who stands out as not that great is John Glover. He has two expressions, sinister and innocent, and I am so bored with him at this point.

He was good as the 'evil' foil for Lex back in the day, but doesn't work so good now that Lex is further down the path. JG can be rather entertainingly over the top, but he doesn't do wonderfully with subtle.