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If only I could get this script to Tom Hanks... or Brad Pitt... or Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino or George Clooney. That's all I need.
Sure it is.
Thinking that getting your script into the hands of an A-List actor is all you need for success is like thinking a ride to Rodeo Drive is all you need to pick up your new Ferrari. They don't just give away Ferraris. I checked (you never know). By the same token, Meryl Streep, Vin Diesel and Nicolas Cage don't just hand out checks to every clown who hands them a script. I checked (you never know).
Hey - crazy things happen in Hollywood every day. Zach Penn is one of the steadiest working screenwriters around today, and he got his start by approaching Arnold Schwarzenegger with the script for Last Action Hero, the first and only (thus far) script he had ever written. It worked for him. It could work for you.
Of course, the higher up you go on the Hollywood food chain, the tougher it is to get some attention for your project. Most actors won't even consider reading a script unless there's already a deal in place and at least the possibility that there's some money coming. You might be better off aiming at someone who's climbing the ladder that Hollywood might be interested in, but hasn't found the "right project" for yet.
Stars coming off successful TV shows are hot properties, and many get signed to deals immediately just so that a studio can hold on to them until the right project comes along. More often than not, they force the issue and end up releasing Corky Romano and ruining the career of someone talented. SNL and Mad TV have a long list of people who would pounce on something good in a heartbeat.
There are working actors that everyone knows that, in my opinion, are sorely underappreciated in Hollywood. John Leguizamo is high on that list. From evil clown in Spawn to possessive, overly macho disco dickhead in Summer of Sam, this guy proves himself every time he hits the screen. Ving Rhames is the lost action hero. Even as cool a movie as Rosewood was, he still hasn't been unleashed like he could be. I predicted some years ago that Giovanni Ribisi would be a huge star, and I still think he will. The guy is an amazing actor. And if there's someone funnier on this planet than Randy Quaid, you'll have to prove it to me.
Topher Grace was almost completely overshadowed in the growing phenomena that became Ashton Kutcher. Now, as Topher is being billed as the next Tom Hanks, another actor from That 70's Show is being overlooked. I think Wilmer Valderaama is about as likable an actor as anyone working today, and, given the chance, he could break away from Fez the way Robin Williams broke away from Mork.
Just about every other TV show has similarly overshadowed actors. With Zach Braf already making his mark as a filmmaker, people are paying more attention to him, but I feel the real talent on Scrubs is John C. McGinley. Never has a more overtly obnoxious character been more likable or more respected than Dr. Cox. And, on Malcolm in the Middle, dad Bryan Cranston is almost invisible behind rising star Frankie Muniz and Emmy-winning mom Jane Kaczmarek. And, on Joan of Arcadia, Chris Marquette (who plays joins artsy boyfriend Adam) is going to outgrow that show very soon. He has a young John Cusack presence and seems very comfortable in his own skin. Keep your eye on this guy.
Go out there and find your stars, people. They're not going to find you. |
