Broadway Stars and Oscar Nominations

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 10:32am

With Leslie Odom Jr.s Best Supporting Actor nomination as well as Cynthia Erivos Best Actress nomination last year do you think well begin to see more Broadway performers taken seriously in Hollywood or do you suspect these two examples are the exception, not the rule.

With all the talk of the casting of the Wicked movie and how complex those roles are to perform it makes me wonder if theres now a chance well see more faith in Broadway performers leading Hollywood movies.

Aside from projects like Wicked the jump from Broadway musical to Hollywood star seems too large for many people but how many potential Oscar winners arent getting the chances to audition for projects like their LA counterparts are.

(Full disclosure: Im not American and know nothing about the American entertainment industrys inner workings so apologies if Im way off the mark here)

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 11:06am

It's an interesting question, but I think you're creating a false dichotomy - or rather, a real dichotomy with the wrong parameters:

The reason Broadway performers "aren't taken seriously" as movie leads isn't because of a bias against theatre performers in Hollywood. It's because of a combination of (1) a lack of name recognition due to the limited sphere of fame that Broadway brings. People who exclusively do Broadway aren't famous outside of the small Broadway bubble - they aren't household names that can sell movie tickets. And (2) from a "behind the scenes" standpoint, there is limited overlap in terms of industry connections. So in terms of agents, and other connections, stage performers just aren't seen for film roles as much. 

So what happens is that many Broadway performers will make strategic career choices that get them seen for more TV and film roles, either by hiring a film/TV agent, or by communicating to their current agent that they want to go in for more screen roles. It's through this process that a Broadway performer can start to break into film and TV, and depending on how well they do, this might lead to more film roles. Because they will make more connections in the film/TV industries, AND because they will hopefully gain more name recognition through the heightened visibility. 

Leslie Odom Jr and Cynthia Erivo might not have been A-List movie stars when they received their Oscar-nominated roles, but they had done enough screen work that they got their foot in the door - enough to encourage people to take a chance on them for larger roles. Their Broadway notoriety helped them make that jump, but it wasn't enough on its own. 

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 1:06pm

Huh? Lots of mostly Broadway known performers have not only been nominated but have one Oscars: Barbra Streisand and Viola Davis, for starters. Heck, even Anna Kendrick has been nominated for an Oscar.

[NameGreg]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 1:26pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Huh? Lots of mostly Broadway known performers have not only been nominated but have one Oscars: Barbra Streisand and Viola Davis, for starters. Heck, even Anna Kendrick has been nominated for an Oscar. "

Yes but I wouldn’t really call them Broadway performers, as all three haven’t appeared here since breaking out as film stars.

Anyway, I hope that Odom’s success with One Night in Miami will help get him more big projects in the future. As for Erivo, I personally don’t think she’s that great on camera, but maybe she’ll impress me more in the future on that front.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 4:00pm

It should be noted, a LOT of effort, time, and money goes into getting an Oscar nomination. Just because an actor is not one of the 5 people ultimately named in one of the acting categories doesn't mean they aren't respected in Hollywood.

For instance, Jim Parsons was phenomenal in the Boys in the Band film (where he and the entire Broadway cast recreated their roles from stage). He didnt get nominated, as Netflix gave that movie a piss poor awards campaign and it's a more niche movie than their bigger contenders like Trial of the Chicago 7. But he is obviously respected and taken seriously in Hollywood as he is constantly cast in film/tv projects and was the highest paid TV actor for a long time.

Glynn Turman didn't manage to get nominated for Ma Rainey's Black Botttom, but he is certainly taken seriously in Hollywood. He has a legendary upbringing and career, works constantly, and is an Emmy winner.

And an actor does not need to be a "big" name to get an Oscar nomination either. Paul Raci is a theatre actor for decades (never on Bway) but just scored a nom. Youn Yuh-Jung is respected in Korea but virtually unknown in the states and she scored one too.

I suppose I would also need clarification on what you mean by "taken seriously." Do you mean that in terms of Hollywood folks thinking Broadway actors are talented? Or in terms of being a box office draw?

Broadway performers do get cast in movies, but often start out in supporting roles where they dont have to be the face/name that sells the film. But many can soon break out into a big film star after some of these roles. You've already named an example in your initial post: Erivo filmed the supporting turns in Bad Times at the El Royale and Widows before getting cast in Harriet. I think the next Broadway performer to become a breakout hollywood star will be Ariana DeBose. She was great in The Prom, and will have an even bigger impact in West Side Story (which more people will see).

 

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 4:26pm

MayAudraBlessYou2 said: "I suppose I would also need clarification on what you mean by "taken seriously." Do you mean that in terms of Hollywood folks thinking Broadway actors are talented? Or in terms of being a box office draw?"

 

From the OP's mention of Wicked, I'm guessing they're referring to the trend of casting movie stars in movie-musicals, instead of Broadway stars. But I think I that's connected to the whole conversation about screen credits vs. stage credits (just because someone played Elphaba onstage doesn't necessarily mean they will play it well on film), as well as box office draw, as I mentioned in my earlier post 
 

 

[52889j]

Posted: 3/18/21 at 6:46pm

NameGreg said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "Huh? Lots of mostly Broadway known performers have not only been nominated but have one Oscars: Barbra Streisand and Viola Davis, for starters. Heck, even Anna Kendrick has been nominated for an Oscar. "

Yes but I wouldn’t really call them Broadway performers, as all three haven’t appeared here since breaking out as film stars.

"

The same applies to Odom Jr. and Erivo: they haven't been on Broadway since their respective Tony wins in 2016 and subsequent back-to-back film roles. And neither of them seem to be in any hurry to get back on stage.

And two-time Tony winner Viola Davis isn't a Broadway performer? I mean Cynthia Erivo only has one Broadway credit...

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 10:58am

52889j said: " I mean Cynthia Erivo only hasoneBroadway credit..."

 

Cynthia Erivo has performed extensively on the London stage. I realize the thread specifies "Broadway," but I think the point is that there's a divide between stage and screen, not necessarily limited to Broadway.

Although it's interesting to consider the UK in all this, because it seems to me that there's much more fluid crossover between stage and screen over there. Probably because there isn't that huge geographical divide, and also maybe because I think there's just more cultural value placed on the stage over there - I get the sense that most British actors are expected to work onstage, even if they prefer film/TV. And even the super famous UK-based actors seem to have no problem continuing to do stage work regularly. 

So as far as Erivo is concerned, it's almost more surprising and unusual that Broadway was her big stepping stone - whereas a more common path to fame for UK actors is to do stage work in London, which can lead to film/TV work in the UK, which can result in greater fame in the US. 

 

[NameGreg]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 11:13am

52889j said: "NameGreg said: "BrodyFosse123 said: "Huh? Lots of mostly Broadway known performers have not only been nominated but have one Oscars: Barbra Streisand and Viola Davis, for starters. Heck, even Anna Kendrick has been nominated for an Oscar. "

Yes but I wouldn’t really call them Broadway performers, as all three haven’t appeared here since breaking out as film stars.

"

The same applies to Odom Jr. and Erivo: they haven't been on Broadway since their respective Tony wins in 2016 and subsequent back-to-back film roles. And neither of them seem to be in any hurry to get back on stage.

And two-time Tony winner Viola Davis isn't a Broadway performer? I mean Cynthia Erivo only hasoneBroadway credit..."

Two time Tony Winner Viola Davis hasn’t been on Broadway in over a decade since she became a movie star, so I wouldn’t say I consider her a Broadway performer now, no.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 12:09pm

these damn duplicates

Updated On: 3/19/21 at 12:09 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 12:09pm

6/20 - roughly 1/3! - of this year's acting nominees have starred on Broadway;

Incl. 3 out of 5 best actress nominees, Mulligan, Davis and McDormand, each of whom have starred on Broadway more than once; all are Tony nominees; two of them winners.

Plus: Hopkins, Close and Odom 

Only one of the 6, Hopkins, was a movie star before he starred on Broadway.
So I think the answer is a resounding yes.

Updated On: 3/19/21 at 12:09 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 12:27pm

henrikegerman said: "6/20 - roughly 1/3! - of this year's acting nominees have starred on Broadway;

Incl. 3 out of 5 best actress nominees, Mulligan, Davis and McDormand,each of whom have starredonBroadway more than once; all are Tony nominees;two of them winners.

Plus: Hopkins, Close and Odom

Only oneof the 6, Hopkins, was a movie star before he starredon Broadway.
So I think the answer is a resounding yes."

 

And again, if we open it up to stage acting in general - not just Broadway - the numbers shoot up even higher (except for the Tony award stats, obviously). 

Though I also think it's worth raising a distinction between musical theatre actors vs. non-musical theatre actors. It's much less common (but still not totally uncommon) to see musical theatre actors nominated for Oscars. To my knowledge, Glenn Close and Leslie Odom Jr. are the only acting nominees this year who have done musicals onstage (Sacha Baron Cohen and Amanda Seyfired have both done musicals onscreen - one of them together!). And even then, I believe Close was already famous when she first did a musical.

 Last year we had Jonathan Pryce and Cynthia Erivo - plus Antonio Banderas, who, like Glenn Close, I believe was already famous when he did musicals. 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 12:45pm

"Last year we had Jonathan Pryce and Cynthia Erivo - plus Antonio Banderas, who, like Glenn Close, I believe was already famous when he did musicals."

Close first big movie role was as Jenny in The World According to Garp (1982),  Before that she had appeared in Bdwy musicals, incl. as Mary Tudor in Richard Rodgers' Rex (1976) and Charity Barnum in BARNUM (1980), for which she received a Tony nomination.
 

 

 

Updated On: 3/19/21 at 12:45 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 12:55pm

henrikegerman said: ""Last year we had Jonathan Pryce and Cynthia Erivo - plus Antonio Banderas, who, like Glenn Close, I believe was already famous when he did musicals."

Close first big movierolewas as Jenny in The World According to Garp (1982), Before that she had appeared in Bdwy musicals, incl. asMary Tudor in Richard Rodgers' Rex (1976)and Charity Barnum in BARNUM (1980), for which she received aTony nomination."

 

Ah! Didn't know that! Thanks! 

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/19/21 at 5:46pm

my pleasure JBroadway.  It's a perk of being OLD. 

[Ke3]

Posted: 3/20/21 at 4:06pm

Agree with most of what was said above. Do want to note that Cynthia's trajectory is much more atypical than Leslie's. He's been building up a solid resume as a character actor for a decade now. Hamilton definitely helped, but Cynthia Erivo is having more of a "star is born" moment. Since her 2016 breakout, she's already one award away from an EGOT. That's practically unheard of.

I've been thinking about something else about this topic. We appear to be in an era where many theatre stars are staying in the theatre. Sutton Foster's breakout role came in 2002. She didn't appear as a major character in a show or movie until a decade later with 'Bunheads' and in between that did 6 shows. Audra has only had two major gaps to do Hollywood work during her career. Building a Hollywood career takes time, and you often hear major theatre stars talk about how much they miss the stage when they take extended breaks for film and tv projects. Which, sadly means they're likely not getting cast when it's time for musical films.