List of obese actors

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the golden age of Hollywood, there were many character actors on the silver screen who made a good living playing a “fat man.” [1] A “big” man seemed heroic, but a “fat” man added a note of tragedy. [2] Movie reviews of the golden age of Hollywood referred to the characters and actors as “rotund” or “roly-poly” without any note of criticism or implication they should lose weight. Today, the more politically correct terms “overweight” or “obese” are used, and the overweight actors have trouble finding work, but there are still occasional casting calls for “fat” actors.[3] Actresses are held to an even more severe standard of thinness, even as the overall population in the United States is reaching new levels of obesity. Today an overweight actor’s best bet is to play a clown, such as Drew Carey, while most fat characters are played by thin people in fat suits. [4] [5], A “fat actor” was not just a leading man who had put on a few pounds. Instead he sought roles calling for a “fat man,” and it was as much a stereotype as “romantic lead” or “hard-boiled private eye.” He might play a funny guy like Lou Costello, “a gangster type,” like 400 pound Victor Buono, [6] or pure menace, like 357 pound [1]Sidney Greenstreet as the “Fat Man” in The Maltese Falcon.

Contents

[edit] Famous fat actors

Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933)
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933)
Sydney Greenstreet (1879-1954) in Casablanca
Sydney Greenstreet (1879-1954) in Casablanca

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s http://www.danagioia.net/essays/efatmen.htm Sante, Luc and Melissa Holbrook Pierson, "O.K. You Mugs: Writers on Movie Actors" (1999) Random House. ISBN 0-375-40101-6
  2. ^ a b de Jong, Peter, "Being the big guy," New York Times, Feb. 10., 1991, pg. SM44. viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription) Says it seems heroic to play a big guy, but tragic to play a fat guy.
  3. ^ http://actorschecklist.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=119&sid=44e66385d028ab84dc1b7572115d4777 News and information for actors: casting call for “My Catskills Summer” asks for “4 Husbands (Machers): 30s-50s, must sing and dance, strong willed New York character types, fat, bald, funny, obnoxious.“ viewed 9/16/2006
  4. ^ http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1514229/11212005/story.jhtml Heitmueller, Karl, Rewind, does the fat suit really fit anyone in Hollywood?” at MTV.com. Viewed 9/16/06
  5. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE1D9163DF93BA15754C0A9669C8B63 Mitchell, Elvis, “Film review: Mad scientist’s weight loss formula for disaster’” New York Times, July 20, 2000 Eddie Murphy in a fat suit. Viewed 9/16/2006
  6. ^ a b Gaiter, Dorothy J. "Victor Buono dies on coast at 43; known for portrayals of villains" New York Times, Jan. 3, 1982, pg. 28. Weighed 400 pounds, played villains. viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  7. ^ a b http://http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=50465 Reed, Bill, "Fat in America'" Freedom News Service, at East Valley Trubune.com viewed 9/15/2006
  8. ^ http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=4810&mod=bio Brennan, Sandra, "Ned Beatty," New York Times, Movie online main page, "portly character actor" viewed 9/17/2006
  9. ^ http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800018622/bio "zany and hefty" viewed 9/16/2005
  10. ^ Rottenberg, Josh, "Jack out of the box'" New York Times, Sept 28, 2003, pg. SM 36. Refers to Black as "this generation's outsized, outrageous comic actor," and says he "often plays stony fat dudes."
  11. ^ a b http://glassdog.vox.com/library/posts/tags/movie/ Review of Poseidon Adventure remake
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fretts, Bruce, "Remote Patrol." Entertainment Weekly, New York, Oct. 30, 1998. Issue 456, pg. 94, 2 pgs. Says "fat guys rule the tube this season," listingDzundza, Franz, Knight, Durning and Carey, as following in the footsteps of Gleason, Goodman, Frawley and Conrad. Calls Hung "fat action hero." Says audience likes to see heroes who look like them.
  13. ^ Flint, Peter B. "Sebastian Cabot, 59, a character actor," New York Times, August 24, 1977, pg. 32. "proud of his rotundity," weighed 280. viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  14. ^ Bennets, Leslie, "James Coco, character actor on stage, on tv and in films," New York Times, Feb. 27, 1987, pg. D19 "roly-poly actor who parlayed his sizeable girth into a successful career in character parts that ranged from the comic to the terrifying" viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  15. ^ William Conrad Photos - William Conrad News - William Conrad Information
  16. ^ Stanley, Fred, "Hollywood Flash" New York Times, April 16, 1944, pg.X3. Refers to Costello as "rotund comic" and "fat boy" re film "Lost in a Harem." viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  17. ^ http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&res=9F0DE2D71730E532A25753C1A96E9C946890D6CF&oref=slogin Canby, Vincent, "Film:DeLuise directs himself in 'Hot Stuff'" New York Times, August 10, 1979 "portly, often hypertensive actor" viewed 9/17/2006
  18. ^ a b c http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/features/feature_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002503633 Horwitz,Simi "Fat and Fabulous?" May 16, 2006 at Backstage.com, the actor's resource. viewed 9/15/2006
  19. ^ http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Boulevard/7384/dec18.htm "Comedian Chris Farley dies" Reuters "overweight actor" played "overweight motivational speaker" and "unhealthy Chicago Bears fan." viewed 9/15/06
  20. ^ Shanley, J.P., "The rustic trail" New York Times, June 20, 1954, pg. X1. Refers to Ives as "rotund actor." viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  21. ^ [1] "rotund character actor" per Hollywood.com, retrieved April 25, 2007
  22. ^ Keogh, Jim "Many must die to repair lackluster `Lost World'" Telegram & Gazette. Worcester, Mass.: May 29, 1997. pg. C.2. "..Knight does lose points for playing fat and obnoxious characters.."
  23. ^ Calta, Louis, "Charles Laughton reads in Brooklyn" New York Times, Nov. 22, 1950, pg. 35 . Refers to Laughton as "rotund actor." viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  24. ^ Krebs, Albin, "Robert Morley, jowly actor of jovial roles, dies at 84," New York Times, June 4, 1992, pg. B12. viewed online 9/16/06 (subscription)
  25. ^ Kevin Smith (I)
  26. ^ Oney, Steve, "Once a nebbish, now a sex symbol," New York Times, April 12, 1987, pg. A1 "Roly- poly character actor" became "roly-poly heart-throb" on L.A. Law.
  27. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0933311/bio IMDB Biography

[edit] See also

[edit] External links