Actors Who Play Evil Characters

One of the interesting things I've learned so far during my time here in LA is that quite often, the actors and actresses who play evil characters on film are in real life the sweetest, kindest, most big-hearted and gentle people you will find.

I have my own theory on this.  Oftentimes in sports, great players after their retirement, take it upon themselves to become a coach, manager or a general manager of a team.  And (albeit with a few exceptions), they're usually not altogether successful at it.  Why?

I remember years ago reading The Hockey News, and a writer -- Frank Orr, once wrote a column of parables explaining the different kind of coaches who are hired and then later fired by NHL teams.  One of his parables was of "Pete", a once great player who was hired behind the bench following his active career.  After he was fired, this was Mr. Orr's explanation of what happened:

"Pete was gifted, natural athlete who never had to think to play the game well.  He just did it.  I'm sure he couldn't teach salmon how to swim upriver to spawn either."

The same thing is what I think happens in the realm of "good" versus "bad" people.  A public defender once interviewed claimed that -- "Bad people don't know that they're bad.  They've always got an excuse as to why it is they do the things that they do."

This is why "good" people are able to play "bad" people on TV and film.  "Good" people have to actually "study" the art of being "bad", and are therefore able to portray it much better in front of a camera than would say a "bad" person.

I know in this day and age, we're not supposed to clump people into "good" and "bad" categories so easily (the more you get to know me, the more politically incorrect you'll find I am btw), but just another observation...

Happy Tuesday --

OH