Jon Gries annoying habit
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Jon Gries
geonet — 18 years ago(May 12, 2007 09:41 AM)
I absolutely dislike Jon Gries. Everytime the guy talks he has to clear his throat. For me that's is the sign of a bad actor and it really irritates me. It seems It's fashionable nowadays for some actors (the bad ones) to clear their throats for everything and nothing. They can't act with that annoying habit.
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geonet — 18 years ago(July 11, 2007 06:19 AM)
Jon Gries completely ruined The Pretender for me. Such a good cast with this guy ruining the series with his constantly throat clearing. I wish directors pointed this bad habit to him or stopped hiring him. Actors who regularly clear their throats look insecure and represent something very annoying.
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Computer-Guy — 18 years ago(July 24, 2007 08:16 PM)
Did you even watch the show?? Jon Gries played a nerdy, sniveling, computer twerp nobody and got all nervous and stuttery around anyone at "The Center" in authority. I think it was his CHARACTER that always cleared his throat as a nervous twitchy thing. Otherwise, they would edit it out of the finished product.
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ancsaeb — 18 years ago(July 25, 2007 03:36 PM)
Yeah, he was clearing his throat when in character as Broots, he wasn't just doing that himself. (He doesn't do that in his other roles.) If you pay close attention, it really makes sense in the context of his character because, as said, he does it when he's nervous or intimidated. Jon Gries totally embodies whatever character he plays, and everything, down to the tiniest gesture, is done in character.
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geonet — 18 years ago(July 30, 2007 07:05 AM)
Yes I watched the show and often had to turn off the sound and use subtitles to watch Gries "acting". I don't think a nervous character needs that kind of annoying cliche. There are better ways to do it. When you spend 67 episodes doing it all the time, something is wrong with your acting.
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ancsaeb — 18 years ago(July 31, 2007 07:36 AM)
Well, yeah, there are other ways to portray a character - there always are other ways. But just because this gesture of his happens to annoy you, that's not a valid premise to criticize his overall acting. Maybe you would have portrayed Broots another way, but just because it's annoying doesn't mean it's wrong. In fact, doesn't that annoying gesture5b4 contribute to who Broots is? Broots can often be an annoying character, and he's supposed to be. It's obvious that his throat-clearing contributes to his character and then it is a matter of opinion whether that contributes in an annoying way or not. But if that little gestural motif bothers you, then Broots' character bothers you, not Gries.
"When you spend 67 episodes doing it all the time, something is wrong with your acting"? Again, that is not a valid premise. Acting encompasses everything you do, every tiny gesture. That was his interpretation of the character, and everything Gries didincluding that annoying throat-clearingwas in character; acting is embodying the character, not just good delivery, but everything, including the tiniest gestures. That's something Broots would do. If you disagree with his interpretation and if he annoys the hell out of you, then fine, that's fair. But it's really not fair to use that as a one-dimensional attack on Jon Gries' acting. -
geonet — 18 years ago(August 04, 2007 06:50 AM)
Ok I respect your opinion but in view his constant throat-clearing is not only an annoying habit but it shows his insecurity as an actor. And I mean as an actor not the role that he played in The Pretender. Good actors don't do that even when they play roles where they have to show some anxiety or insecurity. Gries seems more like a one trick poney. In the middle of a scene, when he needs a pause he clears his throat. He doesn't know how to do differently. Unfortunately he's not the only one. There's a growing trend in this direction. They are the "throat-clearing actors" and they're usually below average performers.
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spongemonkey-1 — 18 years ago(December 10, 2007 04:06 PM)
There is a growing trend of "throat-clearing actors"?!?!
You can't be serious.
Seriously.
WTF?!
Did you read an article in Variety about this growing epidemic of actors who turn to these cheap tricks, like clearing their throat or blinking, or maybe even moving their eyes, instead of the time-tested and "Geonet" approved method of acting?! -
stayprettystockholm — 14 years ago(January 24, 2012 06:09 PM)
Only "fuc$#ing morons" can't take a different opinion than their own.
http://i44.tinypic.com/x4ozk.jpg -
melas07 — 18 years ago(August 05, 2007 07:51 PM)
WHAT?
Apparently you have no idea where to draw the line between actor and character. How are you able to judge that Broots' throat-clearing reflects Gries' insecurity as an actor? Broots is an insecure character, so how can you possibly argue that it shows that Gries must be an insecure actor? If you really did understand acting you would understand you have no basis to argue something like that.
And, no, he does not just clear his throat when he doesn't know what else to do. That is just a cop-out and means you don't understand the subtleties of acting. You know absolutely nothing about acting if you think, "To act well, you can't do this." Do not dare to deride Mr. Gries' talent just because his acting was so fully developed that you couldn't understand that acting IS everything you do in the character. If you really think that to effectively act it means you "can't" do some things, then you have a very incomplete idea of what acting really is.
