Ham Actors

[Drusilla]

Who are your favourite 'old hams' and are there any modern actors that could be classified in this way?

Who are the modern Robert Newton's?

Is John Malkovich the closest example to flamboyant acting that we have today?

Does the actors modern training for TV and film preclude the rolling eye and booming voice of old?

[gary baldy]

Nicholas Cage regularly hams it up - i think he quite relishes being in ridiculous action films because it means he can really go to town.

[Famous5]

List has got to include Brian Blessed and Derek Fowlds (in role as Oscar on Heartbeat)

[casaespana]

Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee. HAMmer Horrors.

[halfadaily]

I always thought of Donald Sinden when ham acting was mentioned. His Spitting Image puppet was very realistic.

[Drusilla]

Are you making a point cosyrosy, or is St.Vitus Dance playing havoc with your keyboard touch?

[joko]

william shatner

[dotjhawkes]

Bill Murray can be like that, but not quite as obvious

[dotjhawkes]

But then, I always think Bill Murray is like Jack Nicholson, who can also be just the same!

[Drusilla]

I have to agree with the modern hams like Cage, Shatner, Murray and even Jack Nicholson. All of them seem able to act brilliantly on occasion, but do seem to 'lose it' every so often. I wonder if the quality of their acting is dependent on strong directors, or whether some of their performances are a deliberate two fingers to the profession, as I suspect with William Shatner.

[LeMarchand]

Nigel Bennett, British born but based in Canada - where there appears to be some sort of law that any show filming more than one season there has to hire him in at least a guest slot.

[Drusilla]

I had to look him up LeMarchand and even after finding his website I don't remember ever seeing him. He's one I'm going to look out for in future.