Do you let the actors' personal lives get in the way?

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Joshua

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Of you loving the show they star in? For example; there are rumors of Sarah Michelle Gellar being a "bitch" multiple times on the set of "Buffy" etc and there are rumors she's had a fued with Alyson Hannigan during the summer of filming season 3.

Now I'm just using SMG and the cast of "Buffy" as an example; would you let these rumors (if they were true and confirmed) about the actors/actresses that you love in that role of the TV Series get in the way of you loving them?

sorry if this doesn't make sense
 
No, I can usually block it out - unless it's an unpardonable crime. That makes it hard for me to enjoy the actor's performance.
 
I'll go with what Val said. Unless it is a serious crime committed I tend to pass it by and get on with the show and enjoy it even if my opinion on the actor/ress has changed.
 
If I let the personal lives of the actors affect whether or not I enjoy the character who they portray or the movie/TV series in question, I would almost certainly be a lot more wealthy, because there are few movies or TV shows that I would ever be able to watch. That applies to the entire industry, not just those in the Buffyverse. I believe that seeing the character being portrayed, rather than the actor playing the part, is the first step in the suspension of disbelief necessary in my viewing experience.
 
Does it really matter? We would all like the stars of our favourite shows to be best friends and hear stories of how they go out and paint Hollywood red after a hard day's shooting. But we've all worked with people be it at school or in the workplace who as people we don't really like, but they are good at what they do and we work well with them. So long as the job gets done and it gets done well, personal feeling are irrelevant. SMG and the rest of the crew may or may not have got on well, I don't know, but it's a fair guess that there were a few cast members who didn't like each other but it didn't matter because what they produced once the cameras were on was golden.

As for people who break the law I am torn. Should people like Chris Brown, who was exposed as a woman-beating douchebag for all the world to see, be given a second chance? I was in the middle of writing a really long argument that he shouldn't and that I am done with him and his work and then it occurred to me that a large part of the reason that I like BtVS and AtS so much is that they are about making mistakes and growing from them, about redemption for past sins and hope for the future. So where is the line? Is it OK for a fictional character to kill thousand of people then change for the better but not OK for a real person to hit another, apologise and want to make amends?

Is it a bad sign for my mental stability that I have had a debate with myself and changed my own mind? 🙂
 
Not for when I watch the show. It gets in the way when I prepare to meet the person. I wanted to go to Nicholas Brendon's conference at Montreal's ComicCon, but I have to work. I decided it wasn't worth taking a night off to go see a guy who apparently had accident(s) due to DUI...
 
I can look past actors and actresses having their feuds. I think to add to, January Jones has been known to be a bitch on the set of Mad Men- but I just look past it.

However, there are some things I just can't look past. For example, Alec Baldwin, I think, is the guy who was caught yelling at his daughter over the phone, calling her a disgusting pig, liar, insert cuss words, etc.. Stuff like that. When people do something other than not get along.. it becomes a different issue. Actors alone, I don't know how people like Chris Brown, or Michael Vick get second chances.

I guess there is a line that I draw. Maybe im a hypocrit as well. When people cheat on their spouses, I usually look the other way. Maybe its their business, I don't know. Sometimes it could change the way I think about them, sometimes it wouldn't phase me at all
 
Only if they're not rumors but facts. I have never heard about the feud between SMG and AH in season 3. I have seen pictures from that time and they were hanging out together during their time off etc.

But if an actor or an actress is a really horrible person in real life (and not just actors, musicians as well) or if they don't get along with their co-stars, it can influence the way I watch their movies/shows or listen to their music. One of the best examples is Charlie Sheen. I enjoyed Two and a Half Men ( back when it was still funny), but Charlie Sheen became such a jerk, I just couldn't stand seeing him.
Stephen Baldwin and Kevin Pollak didn't get along on the set of The Usual Suspects. I think it's a great pity, but it doesn't really affect my liking the movie. Their characters in the movie don't get along anyway 😛
 
Honestly, sometimes it's hard not to judge them, especially when they choose to be in the spotlight, and once that happens it becomes more and more difficult to separate them from the character they play. For the most part I don't care enough about their personal lives to let it alter my enjoyment of a show, music or film, but there are a few actors/artists who I really dislike.

I mean, is there anyone who can take Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen seriously anymore?
 
JCoatsworth said:
But if an actor or an actress is a really horrible person in real life (and not just actors, musicians as well) or if they don't get along with their co-stars, it can influence the way I watch their movies/shows or listen to their music. One of the best examples is Charlie Sheen. I enjoyed Two and a Half Men ( back when it was still funny), but Charlie Sheen became such a jerk, I just couldn't stand seeing him.
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I think Charlie Sheen is a perfect example. I watched Two and a Half Men once or twice a few years ago, and I found it funny. But hearing about how horrible Charlie Sheen seems to be in real life, it doesn't make me want to watch anymore episodes of when he was in the serie.

In general though, I won't stop watching shows because I don't like how an actor is in real life (i.e.😀avid Boreanaz cheating). I watch the shows for the characters, the story. But it will surely prevent me from going to see them at a conference or ask for a picture with them. (though I would make an exception for David, for I've been an Angel fan for so long).
 
Yes and No, If I start watching a show and realise I enjoy It, I tend to read up about the actors etc. But if I read something bad about them It doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving the character they play necessarily, But It might stop me from watching them in other films or T.V shows.
 
No. Usually I completely detach the actor/actress from the character that he/she is playing, because in my opinion, if the acting is done well enough, they become that character in the viewer's eyes.
 
Jodast said:
As for people who break the law I am torn. Should people like Chris Brown, who was exposed as a woman-beating douchebag for all the world to see, be given a second chance? I was in the middle of writing a really long argument that he shouldn't and that I am done with him and his work and then it occurred to me that a large part of the reason that I like BtVS and AtS so much is that they are about making mistakes and growing from them, about redemption for past sins and hope for the future. So where is the line? Is it OK for a fictional character to kill thousand of people then change for the better but not OK for a real person to hit another, apologise and want to make amends?

Is it a bad sign for my mental stability that I have had a debate with myself and changed my own mind? 🙂
Click to expand...

The big difference there is that in fiction, like Buffy and Angel, we know that when Angel or Spike or whoever are seeking redemption, they mean it. They truly do feel remorse for what they've done. With someone like Chris Brown, we have no way of knowing that. There's a pretty big incentive for him to just fake an apology: He wants to remain a star and make money. It's not murky with someone like Angel. If I knew for a fact that Brown was truly repentant for what he's done, then yes, I think I could be into his work again. But I don't know the man, so it's harder for me.

As for the larger question, for the most part I don't care. I don't pay much attention to the tabloids or things like that, so for stuff that for everyone else on the planet would be personal, I don't tend to mind. And unfounded rumors I pay no heed too.

But for bigger things, I find it hard to ignore. I mean, look at Mel Gibson or Tom Cruise. They're both great actors, actors I actually really enjoy watching, but I don't anymore. Why? Because they're both freaking nuts, and every time I watch Lethal Weapon 2 now, and hear Gibson talking about the evils of racism, I remember everything he's said about Jewish people.

So I guess when the actor/celebrity's life is, at their will, forced upon me, then yeah, I do care. Tom Cruise spouts off about Scientology every chance he gets, so it's hard to avoid. But the vast majority of actors/acrtresses don't willingly force that kind of stuff down my throat, so I tend to just enjoy watching them more.
 
Absolutely not. I judge an artist based on their art. Period. If I sat there and judged every entertainer based on their personal life, then I wouldn't enjoy any of my favorite bands, books, or movies. Hell, I wouldn't even watch Buffy based on how much of a douchebag Joss appears to be in real life. 😉
 
If there is an actor I hate in a TV show I love than it won't stop me from watching it..unless that actor was the main star. Normally I just separate actor from character, but I wouldn't watch any movie that actor does, or give any other TV show they make a chance.
 
I do.... I'm sorry to admit it, but I'm not good at separation - at all! - I mean... everything sorta comes together in my mind.... and it can (and often does) work out well....If I'm iffy about an actor but then find out they seem to be really nice people (like someone I'd like to get to know) it makes me appreciate their work more....

but, unfortunately, vice-versa... one concrete example I can give is michael richards.... hearing his racist rant just really really turned me off to him. I'm sorry kramer...but just... no.
 
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