The Acting Career
- Thread starter Landing
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Country
-
Sonia Henie had a very successful acting career.
"Rachel McAdams was raised in St. Thomas, Ontario. Starting at the age of four, she competed in figure skating." From her bio.
Sonja Henie had what we might call a film career rather than an acting career. She never played a role but appeared pretty much as the generic pretty girl in a string of popular skating movies. This is not a criticism of her! I'd love to see skating movies nowadays, and hers were heaps of fun. They're still great cotton candy escapes when life gets too tough or too routine.
Probably the best example of a figure skating alumnus who became a true actor (playing a variety of roles) is Tab Hunter. He skated under his real name, Arthur Gelien, and he had a substantial film career in the late fifties and early sixties, including the male lead in the musical Damn Yankees, opposite the great dancer Gwen Verdon.
Wunderkind Katherine Healy was a child actress in the years when she was also a precocious ballerina/skater/book subject (in A Very Young Figure Skater, by Jill Krementz). She played a dying girl in a movie with Mary Tyler Moore and Dudley Moore (Six Weeks?), but she later concentrated on ballet and didn't seem to pursue films.
I think Lynn-Holly Johnson, who played the lead in the skating movie Ice Castles, was a skater—obviously that fitted her for this role—but I don't think that either her film career or her acting career were stellar.
And of course, Tara Lipinski and Sasha Cohen have aspired to acting careers. I don't think either of them has made great strides toward stardom, alas.
Probably the best example of a figure skating alumnus who became a true actor (playing a variety of roles) is Tab Hunter. He skated under his real name, Arthur Gelien, and he had a substantial film career in the late fifties and early sixties, including the male lead in the musical Damn Yankees, opposite the great dancer Gwen Verdon.
Wunderkind Katherine Healy was a child actress in the years when she was also a precocious ballerina/skater/book subject (in A Very Young Figure Skater, by Jill Krementz). She played a dying girl in a movie with Mary Tyler Moore and Dudley Moore (Six Weeks?), but she later concentrated on ballet and didn't seem to pursue films.
I think Lynn-Holly Johnson, who played the lead in the skating movie Ice Castles, was a skater—obviously that fitted her for this role—but I don't think that either her film career or her acting career were stellar.
And of course, Tara Lipinski and Sasha Cohen have aspired to acting careers. I don't think either of them has made great strides toward stardom, alas.
Last edited:
That was good. I tried to edit the title, though.
I absolutely forgot about Sonja Henia! Of course, she had excellent carrier being no actress! Her movies, as well as her tours, are also regarded as very important for the development of figure skating image.
I remember reading somewhere that Yagudin has turned to acting in Russia a while ago. Is it true? Was it success?
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Country
-
Oh...Taylor Firth actually played her character Lexi (as well as doing the skating) in Ice Castles the remake.
http://everydaychristian.com/features/story/6227/
http://everydaychristian.com/features/story/6227/
- Joined
- May 20, 2009
I think that they've both thrown in the towel on their acting careers. There was a rumor that Tara gave up skating because of hip problems, but she debunks that rumor on her website. She was in pain from hip problems throughout her competing and performing years, but she had an operation on her hip at age 21, and she is O.K. now. She recently skated(superbly) on T.V., and it was like she had never left. She is in in top notch form. As for her talent, she's still got it.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
One should check out Curry's R&J with the Prokoviev music. Toller plays Tibalt and so good. But that was a stage presentation.
Zanuck kept giving us Sonia movies which kept 20th Century Fox from going under. They were relaxing during the war years. One movie she did after the war she actually acted in without cue cards. It was passable but the movie wasn't. Unfortunately, her Revue was faltering too. She went from richest woman in the world to a has been.
I don't think hollywood movies would gamble on another skating film in this day and age. In fact I don't see anymore Swimming and Diving extravaganza film either. Esther Williams had seen better days.
I don't blame Tara and Sasha for thinking they might, and as far as acting is conerned, I don't believe either of them would go to an acting class and study the scenes for Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.
Zanuck kept giving us Sonia movies which kept 20th Century Fox from going under. They were relaxing during the war years. One movie she did after the war she actually acted in without cue cards. It was passable but the movie wasn't. Unfortunately, her Revue was faltering too. She went from richest woman in the world to a has been.
I don't think hollywood movies would gamble on another skating film in this day and age. In fact I don't see anymore Swimming and Diving extravaganza film either. Esther Williams had seen better days.
I don't blame Tara and Sasha for thinking they might, and as far as acting is conerned, I don't believe either of them would go to an acting class and study the scenes for Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.
Actually, Johnson went on to make 10 more movies after Ice Castles, including a role as a Bond girl. She also had some solid TV credits. Her career pretty much ended in the early 90s, but she did work consistently for about 15 years after Ice Castles. She did a lot of acting and modeling growing up in Chicago before moving to California to focus on skating.
I stand corrected about Lynn-Holly Johnson! Thanks for the info, Pixie Cut. Even a Bond girl, eh? Impressive.
I don't expect Hollywood to resume making the kind of skating movie they made in the 1940s. But there are other ways to do skating. Look at a dance movie like The Turning Point. It had a storyline, but it was also stuffed to the gills with great dances, both by the leading players and by guests who danced at the end, kind of like an old-time musical revue, or a dance recital. Why couldn't we have a film like that with skaters?
I do, however, draw the line at a psychodrama like The Black Swan. I don't think I have it in me to watch skaters in such frightening scenarios.
I don't expect Hollywood to resume making the kind of skating movie they made in the 1940s. But there are other ways to do skating. Look at a dance movie like The Turning Point. It had a storyline, but it was also stuffed to the gills with great dances, both by the leading players and by guests who danced at the end, kind of like an old-time musical revue, or a dance recital. Why couldn't we have a film like that with skaters?
I do, however, draw the line at a psychodrama like The Black Swan. I don't think I have it in me to watch skaters in such frightening scenarios.
I think that Hollywood goes for everything that is popular with the public – which figure skating has been not lately. So it’s the image of figure skating again and the lack of the personalities who could make this image attractive and popularise it in the movies. Or, the modern figure skating itself is the cause. It has become too powerful, too masculine for the girls who just like the nice dresses and the glamour still makes it too feminine for the boys who like the extremes. I can’t really imagine what could help the matters, maybe some kind of ‘Ice Glee’ series 
Evan apparently has studied method acting and played 'Vladimir Plushenko', a Russian skating champion in Skate Great! I know nothing about the film other then it exists. One assumes some of the other actors are trained skaters too
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279969/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1279969/
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2006
In 2000, there was a made-for-tv film entitled, "Ice Angel," about a hockey player who dies, and is reborn as a figure skater. The figure skaters were played by figure skaters, and it was kind of entertaining.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211426/fullcredits#cast
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0211426/fullcredits#cast
Vera Hruba Ralston, Czech figureskater, was imported to the U.S. in the hope of making her a new Sonja Henie. She married the head of Republic studio and was a leading lady in several movies during the 50's, in a couple of them co-starring with John Wayne.
Jamie Gertz, born 1965, has been in tons of movies and TV-productions - from Spielberg to Ally McBeal.
Jamie Gertz, born 1965, has been in tons of movies and TV-productions - from Spielberg to Ally McBeal.
Last edited:
Similar threads
