After twenty years of professional acting, actors should re-perform their first role to demonstrate how much they've grown as an actor.

Posted by bourj@reddit | CrazyIdeas | View on Reddit | 17 comments

Just saw a Paul Rudd SNES commercial from 1991, and thought, "Would he perform the same way now? Would his character make the same choices, the same tone, the same attitude?" Then I thought, why can't an actor go back and perform it better, now that they have so much experience and better insight into character building, etc.?

For example, I would love to see Haley Joel Osmant in a re-performance of The Sixth Sense. Just digitally insert the new, older actor's performance over the young, inexperienced one.

I think this could be a TV show.

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StarChild413@reddit

but wouldn't that have to mean even for one-off episodes of a TV show that did this you'd have to wait until all the main cast of whatever their first gig was had acted for 20 years

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NeverInsightful@reddit

Im not good at remember first roles, but I’m just imagining Neo or John Wick being Bill or Ted (I forget which one Keanu was)

Hmmm. What else?

I don’t think Robert Downey Jr would care to re do his performance in Less Than zero. Nor would a 60 year old late teen be very plausible.

But maybe Caotain Jack Sparrow wandering through 21 Jump Street?

(I know I missed the point of OP for the most part but it was a fun mental exercise)

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bourj@reddit (OP)

To be honest, I think RDJ redoing his Less Than Zero performance would be incredible. Would he make the same choices... and live to tell about it?

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fieldsofanfieldroad@reddit

twenty years

1991

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, pal, but...

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NeverInsightful@reddit

Sorry dude, 1991 was just yesterday. I don’t care what your math and logic says, I’m sticking to my guns on this.

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bourj@reddit (OP)

If you want it to be 37 years, go for it. I chose a nice round number.

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fieldsofanfieldroad@reddit

37 years

1991

I hate to the be the bearer of good news, pal

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Visible-Disaster@reddit

Lucky for you, Paul did exactly that.

https://youtu.be/IqDxUfYSa-E?si=0je8Zdi0rs6qzken

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Ateist@reddit

Why do it digitally?
Just make them put on their old costumes and perform as is.

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bourj@reddit (OP)

Well, getting every other person to recreate a scene with the original props and sets seems excessive and expensive, but you do you.

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Ateist@reddit

You are recreating things for fans - they have money.

Plus, the "original props and sets" can be something as cheap and easy as the iconic bikini the actress has worn in her first role.

Essentially, they are "cosplaying" their younger selves.

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DoookieMaxx@reddit

Would be cool to see Macaulay Caulking playing Kevin McAllister again.

Not editing spelling. Swipe text sucks but I’m lazy.

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fasterthanfood@reddit

I especially want to see this for actors who later became acclaimed as capital-A Actors. For instance, Tom Hanks has two Academy Awards and I don’t think anyone would question his acting skills. He also appears to be someone who puts a lot of thought into acting, suggesting he must have learned a lot since he got his first leading role in “Splash” in 1984. I’d love to see him recreate that role, or even give a second interpretation of something like “Forrest Gump.”

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