Why do people like Humberto Cabbagepatch so much?

Same thing happened with Matt Smith, though he is just starting- no one had heard of him, few arty films, lot of stage work, then does Who- now he has Hollywood films coming out and making his directorial debut on his next project.
If the one role you get has massive public exposure- and in the UK anyway even if you dont watch Who you would still know wh matt Smith was just from the geenral media coverage, same for Cumberbum, then that can be enough to make you a 'star'.
It all depends what the actor makes of the opportunity- some seize it and progress, some just suited a particular role and arent so good outside of it and so get typecast, and some crash and burn playing the fame game.

Thinking back, Sherlock got really good ratings in the UK, didn't it?  That would explain a lot.  Sort of like Will Smith and the massively successful ID4, but on a smaller/less global scale.

I think these days people have such a short attention span that there is a quick turnover of new faces that become stars for a year or so and then disappear. there are very few young actors outside the theatre with a long and solid career ahead of them. unlike the old school such as Sir Ian and co. People like Bloom and Knightly have their day in the spotlight and then people get bored of seeing their over exposed faces and move to something new and shiny. Will Smith is rare in that in ten years i can see him taking on meatier roles. Where will Ryan wotshisface be? probably not acting is my guess.

Just thinking about Sherlock as a star vehicle, I remember two other detective/sidekick TV series with suppressed romantic tension: Moonlighting and Remington Steele. They gave us Bruce Willis and Pierce Brosnan.....and of course both series' were based on Sherlock Holmes (though no credit give of course).

Yeah, I'd say it's a proven platform for writing a star vehicle.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I am not 100% sure but I think Cumberbum has a stage acting background.
As is often the case when someone appears out of nowhere and is flavour of the month what you dont see is the years of hard graft for little reward that went to getting to that point.
Often happens particularly with stand up comics, suddenly a new one comes along and seems to be on every comedy show, when in fact theyve spent a decade or two learning their craft in small comedy stores and clubs all over the world before they get the break through.
Just becuase we haent heard of them until a particular role makes them famous doesnt mean they havent been learning their trade for years in obscurity.
And usually by the time it happens the person has put in the hard work and is actually now good at their job by the time the lucky break comes along and so they get noticed and offered more roles.

yes, yes he has a WIDE stage acting background. that's where he started  and yes, he has worked hard for many years until his massive, internationally break with Sherlock. and gotten praise for it.

Eldorion wrote:I appreciate the explanations, Halfy and Figgy.  You guys are probably on to something with the charisma part.  Plus Cumberbatch is quite atypical in many ways.  I do wish him success, but I wonder if he'll really be remembered for any classic roles other than Sherlock in say 10 years.

oh, i think it'll come. He's riding a massive wave now and everyone wants him, as he said "vanity can trick you into doing to wrong jobs" (about always reading the script first) but idk, he is kinda a dork at time, but also smart and grounded and i think that's both an advantage when it comes to fame and maybe also a disadvantage (he may come across as a bit naive, that was harsh... )

David H wrote:The recipe has three parts: talent, "star power" and a "star vehicle".  Talent is easy to spot, and there's a lot of it out there. A star vehicle is relatively easy to write. Star power is harder to quantify.  What was it about Arnold that made Conan more than just another summer B movie, and that made a stock villain outshine the hero in Terminator? 

The character of Sherlock Holmes is rock star since Doyle first wrote it. Why else do we remember Basil Rathbone, despite his hundreds of other roles? So it makes sense that a hip new interpretation with tight dialog would make an excellent star vehicle for an actor who could play the star game, and BC did it well.

And of course once the STAR light went on over his head, every other casting director started looking at him.  If you can bring the Sherlock fans to your audience it translates to opening week numbers.  It will be interesting to see how far the snowball rolls.

it seems you're saying that his fame only is due to his success as Sherlock, but of all the places i've read his name (in reviews and articles and stuff) other people outside the fandom also praise him. yes, "sherlock" gave him the massive lift and made his name known, but i think it also comes down to his talents and yes, they way he looks and his name (god he must be so tired of being called on that in every interview, some has started to have other things to talk about and that is good!)

i'm gonna give you a long entry where i fully express my thoughts about this

just keep it clean, its a family forum allegedly.

I see where you're coming from Norc but outside of Cumberbatch's fandom and people who are interested in theatre I doubt many people are familiar with much of Cumberbatch's early work.

Yeah I thought he had been in rep for a while.
I think it certainly gives an actor an edge I think.

yes, and i didn't say anything else. People hardly knew who he was because he'd done small parts in series and larger films (e.g. atonement) but his break undoubtedly came with sherlock. But the thing is, of the work he's done, both before and after his break, was praised. His Hawking and Frankenstein. I am eagerly awaiting him as Julian Assange and in that Brad Pitt movie (12 years a slave) and i bet Smaug will give him a name in movie history. ALso his radio plays.


i think the fact that he's so successful is the fact that his so (forgetting the word) but he can do EVERYTHING! he's just as good as the awkward son in "forty something" as he is as the hopelessly naive Captain Crieff in Cabin Pressure, as he is brilliant as Van Gogh in "painted with words" as he is in Sherlock, Star Trek (although the movie was meeh, the villain was insanely likable) and the Angle of Islington and i could go on and on. Not forgetting his brilliance (this after sherlock) in Tinker taylor soldier spy and Parade's end. Parade's end is a masterpiece. really. he's great. also he is a main character (unlike in Miss Marple murder is easy, forty something, the other boleyan girl and so on before Sherlock), undoubtedly because of sherlock, but that doesn't mean he can't do it.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Yeah I thought he had been in rep for a while.
I think it certainly gives an actor an edge I think.

 
what do you mean in rep? that he was known before?

Rep is  stage term its short for repetoire theatre.

A repertory theatre (also called repertory, rep or stock) can be a Western theatre and opera production in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. In the British system, however, it used to be that even quite small towns would support a rep and the resident company would present a different play every week, either a revival from the full range of classics or, if given the chance, a new play, once the rights had been released after a West End or Broadway run. However the companies were not known for trying out untried new work.

UK
Times have changed, the practice of a new play every week and a week's rehearsal doesn't happen, and today the practice of "rep" is more likely to be seen in large cities in the manner applied by such well-known established companies as Birmingham Rep in the Midlands of England which states in its programmes: ""The REP" presents a season with each play generally having an unbroken run of between three and six weeks. This is the form of repertory theatre that the majority of theatres like The REP — which are also called producing theatres — now follow." Actors have the luxury of at least 3 weeks of rehearsal, and audiences see better shows. Repertory can still be found in the UK in a variation of the old time manner, for example the producer Charles Vance still produces weekly rep in Sidmouth (12 plays), Wolverhampton (8 plays), Burslem and Taunton (4 each). The one Equity standard company left producing Weekly Repertory theatre is the semi-legendary Summer Theatre season at Frinton-on-Sea, produced by Ed Max. This season has been running for seventy years now, and until recently maintained its links with the oldest traditions of British commercial theatre by being run by the actor Jack Watling, his son Giles and most recently, his son-in-law Seymour Matthews. Frinton saw the early launch of actors such as Michael Dennison, Vanessa Redgrave, David Suchet, Jack Klaff, Neil Dudgeon, Owen Teale, Lynda Bellingham, and continues to give first jobs to graduating drama students.- wiki

oh, makes sense  thanks ^^

Its a good system I think, and one of the reasons the UK has a habit of turning out a high number of quality actors- getting into a rep is what most drama students will try to do when they qualify. Competion means standards are maintained high and those who go into rep get a solid founding in classical acting and mentored by older actors who have been there and got the t-shirt.
So its not unusual when a 'new'  acting talent bursts onto the scene like Smith or Cumberbum for them to in fact have been doing rep for years before getting near tv or film in more than bit parts.

yeah

and look at him.

He does have an interesting smile.

interesting? yeah ok.. let's say interesting.

well it is interesting if a shark smiles at you, it could eat you or it could just be smiling.  you never know

Humberto Cabbagepatch is God?

I never liked Brad but I am sure he is a very nice person.  I only liked Cumberpatch in the Miss Marple and I have the Sherlock Holmes as a Christmas gift. But he too seems like he is very nice and that is to me their real appeal.

yepp, leelee ^^ he's great in both of them

btw, i've almost seen everything he's been in.  (not theater of course, but everything i could find on youtube.. series. movies. interviews)

and look at him --------------------------------------------------------------------------------->