#fighting words

There are some actors who need a script to drive them to their full potential. And then there are actors who can literally make anything into "their full potential".

I'll give you an example of both.

Breaking Bad season 2 episode 13 - ABQ. The scene where Walter White saves Jesse Pinkman from a crackhouse.

I love this show, I adore this scene. The story, the purpose. Specifically the moment where they hold eachother. I love that so much I made a postcard out of it:

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul are awesome actors.

Now here's the original script by Vince Gilligan:

Particularly page 15

Vince Gilligan literally describes the whole damn moment for Bryan and Aaron in the script. Beat for beat, movement to movement, twitch to twitch......it's all here.

I wonder what the scene would've even looked like had the script just been this:

And Vince going "alright guys, figure something out"....

Now here's this scene from Prison Break season 4 episode 4 - Eagles and Angels. With Dominic Purcell and William Fichtner (3:02)

And here's this part in the podcast Prison Breaking (54:42)

Sarah tells us that the lighting guys on Prison Break had a trickier time with Fichtner cause he wedges himself between a wall a file cabinet.

Meaning this whole direction right here:

That's Fichtner.

That's Fichtner going "this feels right, this is an awesome place to put myself."

Him hanging on that cabinet in the freakin shadows. It's brilliant.

So the script Fichtner had only gave lines and general scenario. It literally was

"just this"

Because the crew kept being surprised at where Fichtner places himself and they say HE does this every time. Not "they write this in" every time....no....HE does this every time.

And what placement, what body language it is. Look at that shot alone....you immediately understand the darkness Alexander Mahone is in before Mahone ever even says a damn word. And that carries through the rest of the scene, how beautifully he plays it with that wall and that file cabinet.

There's no Vince Gilligan here puppeteering Fichtner's entire body here like he does with Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul.

Fichtner doesn't figure this out himself, nobody will tell or show him how.

And it's evident over and over again in his career:

Vague description of judge Molridi, yet Fichtner knows immediately how to move

Perfect Storm director tells us he knows what to do, this Great American Actor™️

Fichtner shapes the Accountant from a bland violent character to one everyone says "he should get his own movie"

Boy, after Breaking Bad, the lack of Vince Gilligan really shows with Bryan and Aaron. Bryan has been just hammy old guy (Godzilla, Trumbo, Wakefield, LBJ, The Studio...) and Aaron just earnest young guy (Need for Speed, The Path, Westworld, Black Mirror...).

Somehow they're not transforming into anything anymore without Vince Gilligan. Certainly not into an actual vampire:

If Fichtner chooses a part, it's because HE knows what to do with it. That he can create something. Not because the part is completely written to make him look like a great actor.

Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul = awesome actors

These are fighting words for Antoni.

Robert with Nicola’s kids clip

The Fuck you tryna say about blonde girls huh huh

Challenge #04054-K036: Ordinarily Fighting Words

"Hey you old Teuf!"

"Hey yourself, naked ape!"

The two, human and hellkin eyed each other a moment before giving each other big hugs with warm, cheerful smiles. -- Anon Guest

Some words can kill. In the remote and isolated valleys of Nohmyraa, the residents call any Hellkin 'teuf' shortly before a noose is tightened around their neck or, in the case of those hours old, a pillow is pressed to their face.

The polite say, "Harukh," or, "D'varuv." Those less inclined to be nice say "Orc," or, "Dwarf."

So, when a tall, bald Human walked entered the Butting Goat Tavern, all seemed well enough. Until he approached a Hellkin already drinking there and said, "Hey, you old Teuf."