In the span of less that two weeks, Austin will be seen portraying two roles that can't be more radically different. In The Informers, he is Martin, debauched, indulged, and sexually ambiguous. Who sleeps with whomever seems to be interesting, his friend Graham's girlfriend Christie, Graham's mom Susan, and with Graham himself. Martin it is all about the sex, the drugs, and the scene. Losing a friend is another day in LA, the party just continues.
Then there is Edward in Prayers for Bobby. Ed Griffith is so far the opposite you could get whiplash from the about face. Portraying a character that was raised with a fundamentalist background and struggles with the fact of his brother's homosexuality, believing it is a sin and keeping his brother's secret until Bobby attempted suicide. As Martin would drink more to dull the feelings, Ed choose faith and religion. A character who's faith comes to question just as his mother's and the rest of the family, when Bobby does succeed in ending his pain and struggle between his upbringing and his true identity, Ed finds resolution with new a understanding and acceptance still based in faith in a loving caring God. The Prayers for Bobby Trailer trailer
Talk about as different as you can get. But both of these roles are chances to showcase incredible skills as an actor, playing such extremes and taking risks for the parts picked. Neither is the starring role but strong supporting ones and never secondary. His choices seem to come from a very artistic and personal viewpoint, what looks interesting, thought provoking, changing. Not just for the audience, but for him as an actor. Austin takes on both roles getting into the character and giving them his fullest commitment. It seems to be Austin's approach to acting, as in the lessons learned from one of his mentor's Markus Flanagan and his book One Less Bitter Actor, focus on the job, and give the best performance you can give for each role you have.
This month, the forces from wherever have pulled together these two roles in such a way in such that it really showcases Austin's talent, craft, and growth as an actor over the past few years. Will it mean more people will take notice ? Let's hope so.
With Mickey Rourke's win at the Golden Globes it adds another award to the cast of The Informers.
What started out in concept as a bunch of "What Have They Done Lately" actors and some new upcoming talent in a retro film, it now is fast becoming THE movie to see at Sundance.
But look at the cast, you have two Academy Award winning actors - Billy Bob Thorton and Kim Bassinger, a Golden Globe winner on the comeback of his career in Rourke, twice Oscar nominated Winona Ryder, BAFTA nominate Rhys Ifans, and Brad Renfro, who dazzled as a newcomer kid against Susan Sarandon. Then add in Jon Foster, Amber Head, Chris Isaak and Austin, it is quite the cast.
Yesterday's NY Times talks about Informers and its infusion of 80's sex and glam to Sundance. Unapologetic The Informers, is filled with the hedonism that was part of LA in the 80's and Bret Easton Ellis playground of inspiration. Filled with sex, drugs, glam, conspicuous consumption, moral ambivalence and bacchanalia that existed as the underbelly during the glossed over upright and good moral standing Reagan years that revisionists now make it seem.
While Informers did look like a ragtag bunch out to make a movie in Uruguay and made you wonder, did Austin just pick this one because it was work? But it looks like the point is moot, and shows that he has a good eye for what he wants to do. He's not scared of taking risks. From projects he's chosen, to the characters he's play, to doing the devil's threesome twice on film. While some might have chosen with a little trepidation, Austin seems to go with full confidence.
With JFC, and now OTH Austin has garnered more fans on the small screen, Informers might give him even more notice on the big screen. Don't think he'll mind one bit.
Post OTH treat - from of all Brulian fans out there who had them already up this morning - enjoy.
Monday night is date night for Julian and Brooke. Now Julian has that snarky smooth charm with a touch of self deprecation thing down pat when flirting with the ladies. They hate him a little, smile a little more and then get totally charmed by him.
The question is art imitating life with Julian's wooing ways? You think this is Austin's m.o.?
But the twain may meet there. While Austin is a serious flirt - it looks like he's more a long term kind of guy than serial dater. But that's not to say that he doesn't have a serious woo game. Now you think he got woo'd himself a little bit?
Of course last night was the Golden Globes. Heath was honored for his incredible work in in The Dark Knight, and in a way for his whole body of work as an actor, receiving the Golden Globe for Best Support Actor. Austin's Informers' co-star Mickey Rourke was the comeback miracle of the night with his win as Best Actor.
And Jake? Jake came out as his handsome self to introduce David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons. Dashing and dapper with a touch of scruff, Jake again makes a tux look even better, complete with the perfect pocket square. But he was doing something a little different than he's done in a while. A vest. Why would someone with abs all mighty cover them with vest? Think he is falling under some "vested interest"?
Today's Spotlight is comedian, actor, self described "executive transvestite" Eddie Izzard. Born in Aden, Yemen, the youngest son of British parents Dorothy and Harold Izzard, an accountant with British Petroleum. At, Izzard's family moved to the UK. His mother died of cancer when Izzard was only 6 and his older brother Mark was 8. Boarding school followed with an education at St Bede's Preparatory School and at Eastbourne College, after he began to toy with stand-up at the University of Sheffield and, after being ingloriously kicked out of a major in accounting, he took his act into the streets. Izzard spent a much of the 1980s working as a street performer in Europe and the United States, and moved his act into the stand-up comedy venues of Britain, first appearing at The Comedy Store in London in 1987. He refined his material throughout the '80s, and in the early '90s he finally began earning some measure of recognition, though not in the guise in which he would later become famous.
Izzard's style is heavily influenced by Monty Python, especially in his use of a stream-of-consciousness delivery that jumps between topics as he free associates on stage. Among Izzard's comic talents are mimicry and mime. He portrays God as a bumbling authority figure using the voice of James Mason, and John F. Kennedy and Noah as Sean Connery, impersonations of whom appear in all of his performances. Izzard also imitates activities such as sawing wood, vacuuming, and mowing the lawn, anthropomorphizing the machines with accents and personalities. He tackles topics both contemporary and historic, including frequent re-imaginings of historical events which result in scenes like 'Cake or Death: Church of England runs the Inquisition,' or 'Jesus Ministers to the Dinosaurs.'
His stand-up work brought him British Comedy Awards in 1993 (for Live at the Ambassadors) and 1996 (for Definite Article). After the British leg of the tour, he took Definite Article to major cities outside the UK including a successful stint in New York City. However, his U.S. breakthrough did not really come until 1999, when Dress to Kill was shown on the American television channel HBO, about a year or so after he performed the show on tour in the U.S., the U.K. and France (that same year, he played a supporting role in the movie Mystery Men). Suddenly, America was aware of Izzard, and the show went on to earn him two Emmy Awards in 2000 (for performance and writing). However, he only rarely performs his stand-up act on television, as he says it uses up material at too high a rate whereas stage material can be continually re-used in front of different audiences for several months.
In 2005, Izzard provided the voiceover (again, in his unique 'rambling' style) for the British government's series of television advertisements promoting recycling. The tagline of the ads was "Recycle. The possibilities are endless!"
In January 2006, the U.S. television network FX announced the production of a new drama series co-written by Izzard called The Riches (formerly Low Life). Izzard and British actress Minnie Driver starred as a married couple, Wayne and Dahlia Malloy, who have been part of a caravan of con-artist Irish travellers swindling their way across the U.S. with their children. After finding another family killed in a car accident, the Malloys assume their identities and start a new life as law-abiding suburbanites in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Their youngest son has shown a preference for wearing girls' clothing, leading to some speculation that the role was based upon Izzard's experiences. Izzard has stated in several interviews that the character of Sam had been given transvestite tendencies long before he was cast as Wayne Malloy, but he has contributed his perspective to keep the character believable.
Izzard describes himself as an "executive", "action", and "underground" transvestite, as "a male tomboy" or "male lesbian" rather than a "weirdo" transvestite (he cites J. Edgar Hoover as an example of the latter). He regularly cross-dresses both on and off stage and makes it clear that cross-dressing is, for him, neither a part of his performance, nor a sexual thing — he simply enjoys wearing make-up and clothing which is traditionally perceived in the West as female-only. He remarks in one of his shows, "Women wear what they want and so do I." According to Izzard, "Most transvestites fancy women." He dismisses claims that he is a male homosexual, saying he is either a straight transvestite or a "male lesbian". He has also described himself as "a lesbian trapped in a man's body", and "a complete boy plus half a girl."
Often describing his "breast envy," Izzard, after shooting the film The Avengers, occasionally wears a pair of false breasts, reputedlymodeled upon co-star Uma Thurman's own breasts. These had been intended for Thurman's body double to use.
During the 1999 television special It's... the Monty Python Story,which Izzard hosted, John Cleese said Izzard was the "Lost Python"; Izzard furthered that idea via his substitution for Graham Chapman in public performance of Python material with the rest of the original members of the troupe. In 2008, Izzard received the James Joyce Award of the Literary and Historical Society.
Break time is over! It looks like Austin in back in Wilmington and back to filming and filming with Sophia. Check out it the brief up date from Spooky. The episode is for February. So will it be a Brulian Valentine's or more secrets for sweeps? In the past there were dinners at Jar before time apart but circumstances are different nowadays and maybe take out from their favorite pizza place is now the go-to. Amazing how little things take your time. (little not tiny - big difference) But there is always time for what you want.
January's going to be a busy month for this frequent flier as he will be adding up more segments on the his Executive Platinum status flying East and West for the next few weeks, and hanging in the club lounge. Watch the guy on the right - looks a little shady. Have to admit there is a little concern about Austin not being at Sundance. Why?
Scheduling shooting OTH? No that can be figured out.
More time away from home? Bicoastal easier than Bicontinential.
More like can Austin really keep a shirt on that long? OR his pants up for that matter. Utah is not Southern California or even North Carolina where you can lose your shirt or drop trow moon and not worry. Do that in Utah, and you got some 'splainin' to do about what Jack frost nipped.
Then again will Austin start a new fashion frenzy in Sundance doing the puffy vest as the winter version of the kayak towel?
PUSHMI-PULLYUS are now extinct. That means, there aren't any more. But long ago, when Doctor Dolittle was alive, there were some of them still left in the deepest jungles of Africa; and even then they were very, very scarce. They had no tail, but a head at each end, and sharp horns on each head. They were very shy and terribly hard to catch. The men would get most of their animals by sneaking up behind them while they are not looking. But you could not do this with the pushmi-pullyu--because, no matter which way you came towards him, he was always facing you. And besides, only one half of him slept at a time. The other head was always awake--and watching. This was why they were never caught and never seen in Zoos.
Though many of the greatest huntsmen and the cleverest menagerie-keepers spent years of their lives searching through the jungles in all weathers for pushmi-pullyus, not a single one had ever been caught.
In the book it was a two headed antelope and in the old movie version it was a two headed llama when it moved tried to go in opposite directions at the same time. This all reminds me of pushmi-pullyus. Pushed one way and pulled the other.
Not a proponent of extinction, but this is one species that everyone would like to see fade away in Hollywood. No more pushing and pulling, let them just be who they are. Naive maybe but sometimes the greatest change comes from a such story book dreams.
The Dying Gaul will get to be a January Bride! Of OMG's Movie Club bride that is. We will discuss the movie beginning 5:00pm EST Friday January 24th and throughout Saturday Jan 25th.
This blog is strictly for entertainment purposes. Its writers make no serious claims about the sexuality of either Jake Gyllenhaal or Austin Nichols. This blog is in no way affiliated with any Hollywood person or agency. Images and music used within this blog belong to their respective copyright owners and no infringement of copyright is ever intended.
Check out the newest NSFW trailer for The Informers at Austin Nichols Journal (Spooky's)
The Prayers for Bobby Trailer trailer
The Prayers for Bobby Trailer trailer
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