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Synopsis: King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied by a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the nefarious ‘Dark Man’.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l–4gu4CQBM
ReplyI have been on sets for seven years and I have seldom been more impressed by an actor than I was when I saw Alexander Skarsgård in this when it filmed in Vancouver right before the pandemic shutdown. He was so professional, being able to deliver these big speeches without a hitch. I could tell about the show overall though that the content and style were so out there that it would easy to miss the mark, so the mixed reviews do not surprise me.
ReplyCopy URLI missed this during the casting phase, but I saw Russell Harvard (aka Mr. Wrench from “Fargo”) post about it on Instagram. I know it won’t get a lot of traction, but it should get more.
I haven’t read “The Stand” and I didn’t watch the 1994 miniseries either, so I wasn’t familiar with it or the character Nick Andros, a deaf-mute. In 1994, he was played by Rob Lowe and in 2020 he is played by Henry Zaga. Both are hearing actors. Many deaf actors are quite understandably upset. One actor, Jared Perez-DeBusk, had a conversation with writer/director Josh Boone about this casting decision. Boone responded that his intention is to honor King’s book. He explained that the deaf character, in his dreams and when he turns into a ghost, can speak and hear, so it is okay to have a hearing actor because the character is both deaf and hearing depending on whether he is asleep or awake. Boone said Henry Zaga is a dedicated actor, have been hard at work learning ASL, and that there would be consultants who are deaf on set: Director defends casting of hearing actor
In that same article: Jared said in his vlog that he was not able to change Boone’s mind. He questioned why it couldn’t be the other way — why not work with a deaf actor and work on his “hearing side?” He closed his vlog with telling Boone to spend less time feeling sorry and more time changing the world.
I do love his last sentence there. A deaf/hearing impaired actor can bring more authenticity to the role than a hearing actor could. I wonder how much actual speaking the character does. According to the post by Russell Harvard, not one deaf professional actor was called in to audition for the role.
Y’all, representation matters. Deaf actors are marginalized in Hollywood as it is and then a role as a deaf character in a major production and no deaf actors are called in to audition is such a bad look. Did they think that no deaf actors are oral or could speak?
(steps down from soapbox)
ReplyCopy URLAnyone else watching?
I’m finding it pretty boring. However, my favorite game is seeing which known actor come on for worthless minute long cameos. So many actors that I recognize come on for minutes.
This has to be Alexander Sarsgard easiest paycheck. So far he appears for about a minute In each episode that has aired.
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