Guest Blog: The A-Lister Problem

My good friend and writing partner Philip Larkin (the writer, not the poet) has written an excellent blog about A-Lister Actors working on Sorkin’s material. I enjoyed it so much, I got his permission to reproduce it here on my blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

It’s not a secret that I’m a huge Aaron Sorkin fanatic. The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, A Few Good Men, The American President and Charlie Wilson’s War (to name a few) should and most likely will someday sit amongst literary greats such as Poe, Eliot & Shakespeare.

His work for telelvision, I believe is his best; more than likely due to the freedom he’d have on TV, compared to film. I’ve recently come to the conclusion that Sorkin’s words are something only the finest, most humble actors can deliver.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore are fine actors, and have great track records – but they all also have one thing in common. They just don’t quite cut it in Sorkin’s film roles.

Now, yes – this is opinion and I know, these actors are highly successful and whatnot. BUT, why is it that their performance are always shadowed by lesser-known actors, or TV regulars such as Allison Janney, John Slattery, Josh Malina, Brad Whitford, Rob Lowe, Felicity Huffman, Richard Schiff, Michael J Fox, and the late, brilliant John Spencer.

That’s because these guys are grafters. They’re humble, they are unassuming, and they just bloody ‘get it’.

By ‘it’ I mean Sorkin’s rhythm and by ‘get’ I mean, they make it shine.