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« Jane Russell (RIP) in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Main | As Links Go By »
Tuesday
Mar012011

Let the Leogend Grow!

You have to see this. Melissa Leo serving up ACTING on All My Children. Soap acting is the best because it's so unpolished and raw, like celebrities working without a net (aka stylist) on the red carpet, or anyone who isn't an Oscar-winner acting in a Clint Eastwood movie. One take realness!

Perhaps this has already made the rounds I do not know. I hate being sick! I'm conscious enough at this moment -- and only this moment -- to know that it arrived in my inbox before I passed out and my friends were making funnies about it none of which I could remember to steal for jokes here. (I recall that they were Julia Roberts based since Nick says that Julia auditioned for this role, which is too rich a detail to forgot. How he knows this I can't say but that boy knows everything.) One thing I will be stealing though is Dorian's title in the comments for our new Best Supporting Actress: "Leogend"

 

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Reader Comments (27)

That fight was lol-worthy.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPhilip

The Leogend makes it look so fucking easy.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterBilly Held An Oscar

She is a ridiculous human being.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterHayden W

i dunno Hayden. I'm loving her more and more :)

March 1, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

I agree, ridiculous. As a soap fan, film can have her. That was ridiculous even for daytime. So disappointing to enjoy a performance like what she gave in The Fighter and then find out she's on the train to Crazy Old Lady Town.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterCity_Of_Lights

On the one hand: LOL
On the other: I couldn't watch the whole thing. Too violent! Are kids watching these things? I think so...

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterJames T

I hate soap operas...god, I hate them so much. They make everyone seem to be really bad actors. This is very bad indeed but it was - OMG - 25 years ago, so I guess I sitll love Leo's recent performances :).

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered Commentervg21

a lot of Oscar nominees started in soaps. there's no shame in it. but yes everyone seems like a bad actor on soaps. but they have no rehearsal time really. and it's not like they can carefully build a character when they have no idea what lines they are going to be reading on Tuesday while they're acting on Monday.

March 1, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

I love her. She's made Hollywood much more interesting.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterMrJeffery

Nathaniel, that is precisely why soaps should all be canceled. How they've survived this long beats me. So annoying.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPhilip

Yep, this is around. It's all over Twitter. And for all you people talking about how "Melissa Leo is ridiculous" and "film can have her," this makes me love her all the more. And didn't Naomi Watts get an Oscar nomination for hitting all the same emotional beats in this video? Just saying...

i can't believe i got away with that clint eastwood joke without anyone attacking me?

The Pretentious & Mr Jeffrey -- me too.

March 1, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

DIVINE.

March 1, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterIan C.

If only Nolan could get their fight choreographer.

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterWalter

Actually she was way more overacted the other night...

Would love to see her doing a monologue on her early years in the business or something like that... she's so fascinating to me right now

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterPeggy Sue

This video is ridiculous of course, but that doesn't have to do anything with Leo's acting today which is good... But as a "celebrity" she is so annoying.
Back in December, I didn't understand how the comment "I don’t have any favorite cultural moments because I live very much in a bubble of my work or my own creation. I don’t read books or newspapers or watch TV. I don’t like what’s going on in the real world, so I don’t pay attention to it." could come from a seemingly classy character actress.

But now I really do know. Boy do I know.

How can an artist be so obviously self-centered and unsupportive of his fellow artists and uninterested in culture but simultaneously campaigning so shamelessly for an Oscar?

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered Commentercinephile

I'll expect some royalties out of this Nathaniel!

The acting prowess of LEOGEND knows no bounds! I just can't . . . I need to sit down.

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterDorian

For the record, "LEOgend" was coined in the AD forums.

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterErik Anderson

"Oh my goodness!" Yes, Hollywood is not the same anymore...

I love Melissa, she's fantastic!

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered Commentergabriel s

Yes it certainly was Erik. It's too good a phrase not to use everywhere!

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterDorian

Dorian, are you at AD? :D

And yes, it is a name that should be proselytized across the interwebs and the world!

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterErik Anderson

Erik -- who coined it? we should give credit where it's due.

March 2, 2011 | Registered CommenterNATHANIEL R

"How can an artist be so obviously self-centered and unsupportive of his fellow artists and uninterested in culture but simultaneously campaigning so shamelessly for an Oscar?"

Because I get the feeling that for her, winning the Oscar was more about getting bigger paypackets/more work as a knock-on effect, as opposed to joining the ranks in movie/Oscar history. I don't think she cares/understands about the latter at all.

All this has nothing to do with my disdain for her win. That performance was way too overblown (and no I don't think 'showboating because your character is a showboat' is a good excuse). Her performance just doesn't have any texture, didn't make me feel anything. How can you win a Supporting Actress Oscar when you weren't even the best supporting actress in your own effing film?!? Worst win in the category since Jennifer Connelly, who also, strangely enough, breezed through her whole precursor season when there was so much lovelier or more challenging work to choose from.

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAmir UK

...I mean didn't she even say in her oh so tacky speech something along the lines of 'we're in the business of selling movies'. Selling?! It made me feel a bit sick thinking of the Oscars in such a commodified way.

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterAmir UK

I'm conflicted. Melissa Leo was my favorite performance of the five and I was rooting for her ever since her Globes win to go all the way. I was worried for awhile after the BAFTA snub and honestly thought that Helena would win in a "King's Speech" sweep. Now Leo's become a running Internet punchline. She's totally earned that with the ridiculous "Consider" ads and that nutsball speech of hers, but that performance was aces, and it's getting overshadowed. And in her head, I think she thinks all of this is perfectly okay, b/c it's all about the next job, the next paycheck, career longevity, magazine ads. It's not about maintaining any sort of decorum or respecting Oscars history. It's a weird feeling to have. But despite everything, I'm still glad she won the Oscar. Next stop, Emmys!

March 2, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterKen

Erik, Nat - this post is the first instance of LEOGEND according to the search function:

http://awardsdailyforums.com/showpost.php?p=1141420&postcount=36

...coined by Dally - lol, who else?

March 3, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterRax

LMAO, of course it was Dally. That funny ass bitch.

March 3, 2011 | Unregistered CommenterErik Anderson
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