I hear it all the time from people who should know better. They say of a particular actor or actress, "You know, I really like _______. He seems decent enough. Or intelligent. Or kind-hearted." You name the virtue.But the fact is, they know nothing whatsoever about the celebrity. They have fallen prey to liking the characters he/she plays and then confusing the characters (scripted to be brave or funny or smart -- and carefully coiffed to look ruggedly handsome or fetchingly pretty) with the person behind the role.
I thought of this yesterday when I read about Will Smith. I've only seen one movie in which Smith acted and he was, if I'm remembering correctly, perfectly competent in the part. And the character he played in the film was brave and smart and witty. But that wasn't Will Smith; it was just the character he was portraying. Always keep that difference in mind.
However, Smith happens to be one of those I've heard several friends say is a guy they really like. I've even heard said of him, "He seems pretty conservative, pretty much of a family guy." I even heard one person say, "I wouldn't be surprised if he was a Christian."
Unfortunately, I've heard that latter line frequently over the years. But again, it's a mere matter of transference. I really like the actor's roles ergo I really like the actor ergo I think/hope he believes like I do about the key concerns of life.
Like I said earlier, always keep the difference in mind between the character and the actor.
Which brings me back to Will Smith. He may well be conservative in his work ethic. After all, he turned his rap music career into becoming one of the most successful actors in Hollywood. And he may be conservative in his family life, though he is on his second marriage. But what about his religious and political philosophy?
After Smith and his wife were honored guests at the Tom Cruise/ Katie Holmes Scientology wedding ceremony in Italy, Smith was quoted, "I've talked to Tom about [Scientology]"... and though it has "lots of incredible, wonderful concepts,... I don't necessarily believe in organized religion. I was raised in a Baptist household and my grandmother would get up out of her casket [if I became a Scientologist]." Although he has donated money to Scientology.
But then Smith doesn't need to become affiliated with just one religion because...well, they're all the same thing. "I’ve probably read 95% of the words in the Bible. Probably 60% of the Torah. 70% of the Koran. And the thing that is so amazing to me is how everybody, in essence, believes the same thing. I just can’t understand how we get from such similar beliefs to murdering one another. My beliefs are that individuals have to create relationships with God. You can’t listen to what the preacher says—you have to read the Bible yourself and make your interpretation. I’m good friends with Tom Cruise and I just think a lot of the ideas in Scientology are brilliant and revolutionary and non-religious."
And in politics, Smith has been an outspoken and generous supporter of Barack Obama. Hardly a surprise given Hollywood's left-leaning biases, but still, one would have thought Smith would have avoided saying something so over-the-top as “Barack Obama as a person is a fantastic individual, but Barack Obama as an idea marks an evolutionary flash point for humanity.” But that's exactly what Smith did say when he co-hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo yesterday.
Shall I repeat it? Keep in mind the difference between the actor himself and the actor's roles.
