I'd go more with Brian Bosworth in Stone Cold, and even that would be stretching Gronk a good bit.
2018 Gronk Watch
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I think you and some others don’t realize that it takes more than acting classes to be more than a cheesy cameo.
The truth is that, with the exception of TimelySarcasm, no one who has commented in this thread on Gronk's potential as an actor has any real basis to make an actual judgment. If he wants to try this and it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out.
I do thin, though, that the disquiet that could be senses from him postgame came from the unfulfilled idea of winning the SB and retiring. If they had won, there's no doubt in my mind he would have hung them up.
I do thin, though, that the disquiet that could be senses from him postgame came from the unfulfilled idea of winning the SB and retiring. If they had won, there's no doubt in my mind he would have hung them up.
Which is balls on true, but ignores the fact that those commenting are part of who he would be marketed to. I don’t discount how hard of a skill acting is and short of a frat boy role, I doubt what he’d be able to bring to the table that would make me think I’d ever watch a movie because he was in it. That he works hard in the gym and watching game tape or remembers plays doesn’t mean that translates. The two are completely different skill sets and while I’ve never worked in Hollywood, I’ve known plenty of people who have been extremely skilled in other areas but have failed to make it as an actor, a singer, a musician, etc. he would have the advantage of probably getting his foot in the door easier, but that doesn’t mean much for success. You need some level of artistic ability and composure and I’ve never seen that out of him in the stuff he has done.
It’s all speculation anyway, he’s not retiring and I completely disagree with your last point. His comments I think were purely frustration from losing and then we got third party reports about actors reaching out. Unless I missed it - and I may have, so if I did, mea culpa - we havent heard a word from him about going into acting. I’m not sure why we are putting so much weight into an unnamed source from the Eagle Tribune.
Actually, it was, after Art Modell suspended Brown on July 17, treating him like horse flesh.
http://www.helmethut.com/JBretire.html
Thanks for that, Terry. Brown said he was trying to work it out so he could play one more year for the Browns. There are two sides to every story but I’m going to choose to believe Jim on this one. I don’t know what whoever else was watching back then thinks, but, for me, Jim Brown was the most exciting player to watch ever, even in black and white. F Modell anyway for this and some other things he did.
Sorry about the tangent.
What makes this story better is the way things were in 1966. White America was trying to come to grips with opinionated black athletes like Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali and Bill Russell. After making The Dirty Dozen, Brown took on a movie called One Thousand Rifles, where he performed nude scenes with Raquel Welch. Shocking! Hugh Hefner then ran a full photo spread in Playboy. Jim Brown was having a lot more fun in Hollywood than anyone playing football. His decision to walk away from football was an act of defiance. Other acts soon followed, like Curt Flood in baseball and the Black Power salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics by Tommy Smith, John Carlos and two others whose names I have forgotten.
Um, doesn’t Saints Rest work in something acting or theatre-related? Or am I misremembering?
Yep. Lighting design I believe—he’s wicked good.
(I didn’t think LeBron was very good, if that wasn’t clear; I was agreeing with him.)
I think I see Shaq as a likely comparison. I don't know that Gronk has the chops to carry a (successful) movie. Maybe he develops them, but I'm not sold based on his body of work so far. I'd bet if he does jump to film he gets a few cameos and maybe a big role or two that don't do all that well and settles in to some sports commentary with reality shows and a few commercials.
Gronk isn't nearly as famous as Shaq was circa 1995 or so. There's no way he could carry a feature movie. A Netflix one-off with some actual movie star to help, maybe.
My guess is that when Gronk has been on camera before, the producers (I won’t say directors, because my sense is that the things he’s doing are producer-driven) want him to be a big funny goof — a BFG if you will. Put him in a feature film, after some acting classes, some work with an acting coach and a director with a vision, and there will be a much different level of performance. There may be a ton of crap left on the editing room floor, but a good director can shape a performance.
Think of how many comic actors, thought to be nothing but goofballs based on early credits, got into the right role with the right director and turned in bravura serious performances: Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, to name but a few.
We do know that for all of the Yo Soy Fiesta Gronk moments, this is also a guy who has, by all reports, been very circumspect with his money, who has the vision to put all his loved ones in a bus driven by a designated sober driver, and according to B.B. and others, does a ton of work to make sure he knows the playbook. He is not some dumb-bunny, See-ball/catch-ball, meathead
Oh, and yes, I have spent over 33 years around professional actors and directors.
Think of how many comic actors, thought to be nothing but goofballs based on early credits, got into the right role with the right director and turned in bravura serious performances: Robin Williams, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, to name but a few.
We do know that for all of the Yo Soy Fiesta Gronk moments, this is also a guy who has, by all reports, been very circumspect with his money, who has the vision to put all his loved ones in a bus driven by a designated sober driver, and according to B.B. and others, does a ton of work to make sure he knows the playbook. He is not some dumb-bunny, See-ball/catch-ball, meathead
Oh, and yes, I have spent over 33 years around professional actors and directors.
Right - but at it's heart, acting and comedy are similar - you're trying to use your tone, inflection, facial expressions, and words to incite a specific emotional response. They're not the same, but good stand up comedians already have a lot of the groundwork built.
I think that if Gronk had played football in the 80s and 90s, when the prototypical action star was Schwarzenegger, he could have had a pretty good career in the movies. Nowadays all those starring roles seem to go to dramatic actors who have bulked up - guys like Hugh Jackman or Tom Hardy or Christian Bale. Gronk's upside would be Dave Bautista - small roles with limited dialog and looking scary. (And WWE is way closer to acting than the NFL - so Bautista had a huge head start)
You're comparing guys that spent as much time honing their skills at live, stage/screen-based performance as Gronk has at football, before their transition to more serious acting roles.
By your logic, Robin Williams could have played tight end for the Broncos based on this success early in his career:
I always thought they could have made another Godfather movie, I wanted to see what happened after Michael killed that cop.
Yah. Williams was a bonafide genius. I'm sure Gronk is sharp and could do something, but these two are not alike in experience or skillset.You're comparing guys that spent as much time honing their skills at live, stage/screen-based performance as Gronk has at football, before their transition to more serious acting roles.
By your logic, Robin Williams could have played tight end for the Broncos based on this success early in his career:
I guess I'm curious about your choices of examples here again.
First off, I am operating on the assumption that Gronk is an exception being who seems to make a lot of good decisions that some of his peers do not, and recognize that he's hugely successful in one of not only the most difficult but also most competitive professions out there. He by definition has the cognitive capacity to get there, and that is a formidible force.
So I guess maybe what I'm more curious is: How long would it take him to become good, do you think?
What I keep seeing here is that the examples people raise are exceptions to the rule. Williams went to Juilliard. Sandler went to Tisch. Carrey... Carrey wrote to Carol Burnett when he was like 10 and was discovered on stage by age 20.
These aren't weird breakouts, to me. Many of the so called "naturals" out there have been working since they were kids, now more than ever with the rise of kids programming with the abominations of Nickelodian and such. The naturals are part of the packaging, right--part of the dream--when the reality is they work hard. Williams and Sandler used to be two of my go to examples for this division between belief in naturals/authenticity and the reality of training and work in class discussion when these kinds of things came up.
Gronk certainly grinds. But what would it actually take to get him in acting shape? I think that's the more appropriate question: Not could he if he wanted to, but what would it take?
(I'd also note that a couple decades ago, he'd have an easier time and could go the Schwartzennegger route. That was before the high end training and drugs hit Hollywood and the physique he brings while still obviously exceptional is something that other actors can at least imitate, which did not used to be the case.
Though that does get me thinking... I wonder if any of Gronk's "more unique" talents might lend themselves to certain types of movies... like, beyond just being muscly. Magneto is in great shape but couldn't sell being an Assassin... hmmm...)
My point was that back in the early days of some of the people I mentioned, people may have thought of them as brilliantly funny, but not capable of “serious” acting. Not many would have expected Mork to be capable of Dead Poets Society or Dead Poets Society. Not many would have pegged Ace Ventura/Fire Marshall Bill as being able to pull off The Truman Show. Yes, these guys had great comedic timing and stage presence, which does lend itself to other acting skills, but it was not obvious to many.
All I’m saying is that I don’t think we can infer Gronk’s potential based on a couple one or two day shoots where he was only expected to be GRONKSMASH. That’s all.
I’ve seen a lot of people improve incredibly at acting after taking the right classes and working with the right directors.
Gotcha.
I think we--or I, anyway, found myself in not a heated agreement, per se, but something like it. Frankly, I'm most flummoxed by those who don't realize those guys are such talented, hard working professionals.
I did too. But not very good—they gave him a narrow Unlikely LeBron character to play and he stayed in his lane. For his level of self-possession and charisma, I think he could get a lot better
I expect he will be way better in Space Jam 2, for example. But who knows?
Edit: The above is sill very good, of course. But do we mean professional standards or regular person standards? I mean, some people... heck, I don’t think I would buy Tom Brady playing himself. But with training and dedication...
I always wondered if you were a long con of a “Boston” fan, and now the truth comes out. The facade has slipped, and you are exposed for the charlatan you are.
Of course any true fan owns multiple copies DVD, Blu-Ray, VHS, etc of the seminal Tom Brady movie Ted 2 and realize that he was robbed of a best supporting actor Oscar going to Mark Rylance due to the Oscar’s inability to give comedic acting or movies their due and rewarding stupid period pieces like Bridge of Spies.
Say it ain’t so Rev, say it ain’t so.
Don't try to hijack this thread about Gronk's acting future with stuff about his playing future.
Truly, who could have thunk that he'd perform lines from Hamlet as John Wayne or Marlon Brando
I think his ceiling as an actor is a loud and party animal side kick in an Expendables type movie.
Gronk just tweeted this Someone smarter than me tell us what this means.
“Forseee your own future, control your own temptations, and your destiny will be not just be reached, it will just be starting.”
“Forseee your own future, control your own temptations, and your destiny will be not just be reached, it will just be starting.”
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