Friday, May 3, 2013

Inspiration Friday!





Inspiration Friday. Every Friday I find a topic and give three things from that topic that inspire me. This is not a favorites list necessarily, though they are some of my favorite things. This weeks topic is— Actors.



First we have Anthony Hopkins. Whether playing the gentlemen psycho  Hannibal, or one of my favorite authors CS Lewis in Shadowlands, Anthony has a way of being completely compelling. You become engrossed in his character and hang on his every word. I strive as a writer to create dialogue that evokes the passion he gives in his performances. Giving Alejandro sword lessons so he may be worthy of the mantle of Zorro(The Mask of Zoro) or helping a young boy navigate his way through a troubled adolescence with a most uncanny mental ability(Hearts in Atlantis), a magnificent moment is sure to unfold. A true master of his craft I am always inspired by his acting.






While known for his masterful abilities in the martial arts, Bruce was after all an actor. While I find inspiration from his philosophy I also grew up watching all five of his movies as many times as I could. I even got into martial arts because of him. While his movies were fun and it is such a tragedy he never got to go forward in his career, this man was brilliant and so insightful. The way he saw the world was without the personal barriers that promote bigotry and division. With a will power and self-awareness lacking in the world today he was able to bridge gaps and change the way people viewed each other. I have three of his books and they've been read so many times that they seem almost abused in their dogeared spine-cracked state. Much of how I try to achieve my goals and look at the world come from his words. If you think he is a silly fad that never seemed to die out or just a badly dubbed kung fu star, I challenge you to pick up one of his books on philosophy and be enlightened.




I will say this last one may have been slightly influenced by the fact that I just saw Iron Man 3 this morning. Robert Downey Jr. could be called the comeback kid. Finding stardom through the eighties and early nineties  Downey was easily on his way to being remembered for a steady acting career.  I remember watching Only You and Heart and Souls as a kid. (Hey I had a romantic comedy phase as a kid what can I say) His story changed when a party lifestyle threatened to destroy any other image he had worked to create. This could have easily ended as another Hollywood cautionary tale, but Mr. Downey bounced back. Not only playing our favorite "iron" clad superhero, but a journalist in the compelling The Soloist, and also the famous Sherlock Holmes. If any of us ever feel that we have messed up in life or that our path has veered in a wrong direction this actor shows that by staying the course correcting what is wrong you can be what and where you wish to be.


Anyway that is my list for this Friday, thanks for reading. Do you have an actor that inspires you? As always have fun and keep writing.

22 comments:

  1. Haha Bunny slippers.

    Bruce Lee, he kicks ass and shares wisdom. Anthony Hopkins? Honestly, I admire the man but I'm convinced he wants to cut pieces of my brain and eat it slowly infront of me. And Robert Downey Jr., it really is inspiring to see him bounce back. I'm glad he did too, I love him as Iron Man and as Sherlock Holmes and on and on...

    Great choice in actors ;)

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    1. lol. He is very convincing. Although it balances out seeing him play sweeter characters.

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  2. The three of them are great men that I admire. I think we have common tastes, Brandon. :) By the way, I featured your drawing gift yesterday and thus it is officially hanging on my blog wall (in awards tab.) Thank you again for your kindness.

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    1. Cool, ty for all the help and support and just having a great blog to cheer me up.

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  3. There is so much I love in this post. lol. Love C.S.Lewis, Love The Mask Of Zorro, and of course, I'm mad for Robert Downey Jr.

    In high school, C.S.Lewis was a spot light author in 10th grade during two of my courses. I still appreciate all the work my school unloaded on me during that time concerning his work. He is phenomenal!

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    1. He really is I don't know that I would be the person/writer I am today without his work.

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  4. I still watch romantic comedies. Formula yes, but always a happy ending.
    Hopkins chews up any role he's in.
    The added tragedy of Bruce's death was that of Brandon's as well. (My author friend Nancy Thompson knew Brandon and even named her son after him.)

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    1. I know, I remember as a very young kid watching Rapid Fire, (a Brandon Lee movie)and thinking hey at least his son can make movies and continue on. I was so excited for the Crow to come out and after he was killed it made that movie just mean so much more than it may have. Such a sad fate for some amazing people.

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  5. Anthony Hopkins is great. I'm glad Downey got off the crack or smack or whatever. I love The Soloist.

    Love,
    Janie

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  6. I am an Al Pacino fan!

    You have an award over at my blog.

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    1. He is great I actually thought of putting him up as one. Cool I pop over to check it out.

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  7. I love Anthony Hopkins! I want to see Iron Man 3, too.

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  8. Robert is one of my favorite actors! I so love him!
    Anthony is a really great actor too, I agree.
    I didn't know Bruce Lee wrote books. Must check those out.

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    1. I know glad he is at the top of his game again.

      Yeah they are great, you should check them out.

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  9. I just love all three of those people. Anthony Hopkins is such a great actor and Robert Downey Jr. is one of my favorites. They both inspire me, one because he is great at what he does and the other because he is not afraid to just be himself and make no apologies about it

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  10. Mr. Downey Jr. is such a great example of turning your life around for the better. The world can use more people like him. I'm totally inspired now. Thanks, Brandon! :)

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    1. Hey glad I could help. Inspiration is like a shot of adrenalin we all need.

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  11. I'm a fan of all three actors you highlighted. Robert Downey Jr is a great example of it never being too late to make a change for the better.

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