If you were an actor…

Which do you think would take more suspension of belief:

being an atheist in rl playing a character who’s very religious, or a religious person in rl playing a character who’s an atheist ?

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uncalled4 · 56-60, M

Both situations require a certain amount of extrapolation. That is, if the actor is a very-well-known Atheist, it's going to take a lot for them to completely possess that character without coming off as contemptuous as many Hollywood types are(think Sean Penn). Maybe it would be easier for someone who has faith to imagine themselves questioning it/rejecting it? I don't know.

I've seen that usually, when an actor plays against their political type, the result is often buffoonish and goofy. It's a very, very difficult balance. I'm not certain who could pull that off.

bijouxbroussard · F

@uncalled4 The late Carroll O’Connor being a notable exception.

uncalled4 · 56-60, M

@bijouxbroussard He crossed my mind but I can't say that Archie was much of a likeable character. Perhaps that was what Norman Lear was going for? At least it made people think.

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uncalled4 · 56-60, M

@bijouxbroussard There's a big lesson there that you won't see online.