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Did he realise what he was getting into?

LOL, I think it's pretty telling that when reading each of your points...

move
genuflection
utterance
gesture
step
hand wave

...I couldn't help but see Shatner in all his hamming glory in my mind's eye!

It's going to be hard for Wesley, harder than for Chris Pine probably. But I think he's a pro and expected to be treated as an usurper for at least a while. That being said, if the criticism of his performance holds on for too long, I can imagine him adapting his acting style a bit. On his own or as directed. I certainly hope that he doesn't let anything related to the experience affect his mental health in any way.

I forgot voice cadence
gait
postural identity
dialogue delivery
facial expressions.
eye movements.

i don't believe he hammed it up very often and seemed to go with the directors direction.

Do you have any specific moments where he hammed it up?
 
The Vampire Diaries.

As much TV as is produced now, no one can keep track of it all.
No really into vampires or zombie stuff as bad fantasy.

Drinking blood makes you young nonsense = eating food just like any other food or drink after digestion.
Decayed corpses/skeletons becoming super strong without any muscles.
 
i don't believe he hammed it up very often and seemed to go with the directors direction.

Do you have any specific moments where he hammed it up?
Oh, I actually agree with you, Shatner wasn't all ham all the time. He could be very subdued. He was very expressive at times in a rather unique and easily recognisable style, though, which then over the decades became inseparable from the character Kirk, for most fans I suppose. And that's what I was trying to say: it was inevitably Shatner's acting I saw in my imagination, that's how much I associate the two.

But speaking of his acting style, Shatner's several guest appearances in Columbo do highlight some of those same expressive acting quirks outside of the role of Kirk - for better or for worse. Me personally, I find them charming.
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No really into vampires or zombie stuff as bad fantasy.

Drinking blood makes you young nonsense = eating food just like any other food or drink after digestion.
Decayed corpses/skeletons becoming super strong without any muscles.
Spaceships travelling at FTL speeds and aliens who look just like humans but with bumpy foreheads is about just as unrealistic. One shouldn't be watching television if they want realism.
 
Spaceships travelling at FTL speeds and aliens who look just like humans but with bumpy foreheads is about just as unrealistic. One shouldn't be watching television if they want realism.
Also, there's usually an element of magic and the supernatural to the classic vampires and zombies which helps with the suspension of disbelief. So, pretty much fantasy. It can get iffy though when repackaged as sci fi, I admit at least for my part. It does help not to think about it too much, and I like how a reason for the outbreak never was of any relevance in eg The Walking Dead - the excellent comic books at least, I haven't watched the TV series.
 
I'm fairly sure that Wesley knew even before he landed the role, that if he got it, every single breath he took was going to be analyzed, scrutinized, and compared to Shatner & Pine (and maybe even John Belushi and Jim Carrey as well :lol:).

Every actor that has landed a well-known role is likely aware of both the good and bad that comes with it, but at the end of the day, they have to focus on the work they were hired for more than the pretty much obligatory criticism from the internet. The people they really have to pay attention to the most are the director and the producers (and not always in that order).
 
I mean, nobody can REALLY know what they're getting into with something like this until they do it, because the experience can't really be conveyed by words. Being the next Captain Kirk, the next Mister Spock, the next James Bond, the next Doctor, the next Superman, the next Batman, the next Spider-Man -- these are things that can't really be fully comprehended until you're it.

But that doesn't mean that Wesley wasn't well aware that there would be extraordinary scrutiny and pressure coming with this role and that it's not just a normal acting job. I don't think there's any reason to condescend to him about that by assuming he didn't appreciate the enormity of the role.
 
I mean, nobody can REALLY know what they're getting into with something like this until they do it, because the experience can't really be conveyed by words. Being the next Captain Kirk, the next Mister Spock, the next James Bond, the next Doctor, the next Superman, the next Batman, the next Spider-Man -- these are things that can't really be fully comprehended until you're it.

But that doesn't mean that Wesley wasn't well aware that there would be extraordinary scrutiny and pressure coming with this role and that it's not just a normal acting job. I don't think there's any reason to condescend to him about that by assuming he didn't appreciate the enormity of the role.
It's possible he maybe ignorant or not a St fan and thus unaware and may secretly regret the role.
 
It's possible he maybe ignorant or not a St fan and thus unaware and may secretly regret the role.

On what basis do you make that presumption? And why do you imagine Paramount would not advise him on the role's importance and weight, since doing so would be in Paramount's best interests?

It's just weird to assume ignorance on Wesley's part, especially since he's a genre actor. He starred on The Vampire Diaries for eight years. The guy's familiar with genre shows and genre fandom.
 
It's possible he maybe ignorant or not a St fan and thus unaware and may secretly regret the role.
Even if Paul Wesley wasn't a Trek fan before getting the gig (which is possible, I honestly don't know if he were a fan or not) I'm reasonably certain he would have been aware of the fact that Star Trek is a Big Deal in pop culture, and that Captain Kirk is himself a pop culture icon. That's just not the sort of thing that flies under the radar for anyone with even the faintest knowledge of TV history.
 
On what basis do you make that presumption? And why do you imagine Paramount would not advise him on the role's importance and weight, since doing so would be in Paramount's best interests?

It's just weird to assume ignorance on Wesley's part, especially since he's a genre actor. He starred on The Vampire Diaries for eight years. The guy's familiar with genre shows and genre fandom.

He may fear being typecast.
 
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