Sasha's acting being taken seriously

SeaniBu · Aug 12, 2006

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_4172405

I humbly eat my words earlier about not believing she would be that good at this. It sounds like the possibilities of her being "good" are much greater than I anticipated.

Way to go SC!!!!!

(Open mouth and insert skate emoticon)

News courtesy of the "friends of the other board.":agree:

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

can't get the article to load, sorry

SeaniBu · Aug 12, 2006

Red Dog said:
can't get the article to load, sorry

For you RD and any others that may have an issue.

RAMONA SHELBURNE said:
Skating with the real stars
BY RAMONA SHELBURNE, Staff Writer For the Daily News

But this was no time for regret. With the exception of those who'd won Oscars' earlier in the evening, Cohen quickly realized she was one of the most decorated people in the room that night in early March.

That Cohen would be at home in a room or actresses and actors doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone who has seen her skate.

She's regarded as one of the most artistic figure skaters ever, with routines as emotionally compelling as they are technically brilliant.

During her tragically flawed, but courageous long program in Turin, NBC announcer Peggy Flemming remarked: "Other skaters just skate to Romeo and Juliet, but Sasha is Juliet."

Michael Damian remembers thinking the same thing.

"We both just thought, `I bet the film camera would love her,' " he said. "There's just something dynamic and special about her. She's a showman on the ice, it's very clear."

About a month later, Damian and Cohen's worlds would collide. He was in Calgary in pre-production on a movie called, "Moondance Alexander," and heard that Cohen was looking to get into acting. She just happened to be in town competing at the World Championships, so he arranged a meeting.
Damian immediately cast her as sassy equestrian diva Fiona Hughes in "Moondance Alexander," which is tentatively scheduled for release in 2007.

"I had a feeling she'd be great out of the box, but you never know," Damian said. "You have to make make sure she had the chops."

Cohen took acting classes and riding lessons to prepare. On set, Damian said she was a consummate professional.

"She takes direction beautifully. You could tell she'd worked with a lot of coaches before," he joked.

Her mother, Galina, said Sasha has been flooded with scripts and appearance requests.

In between tour stops, the family has been meeting with agents eager to represent her.

In May, she appeared in the TV drama "Las Vegas," and later this year she's scheduled to appear in an episode of "CSI:NY." She is also planning a cameo appearance in a movie with Will Ferrell.

No one would blame her if she basked in the Hollywood scene for a while. As a 21-year-old, two-time Olympian, it wouldn't be surprising to see her retire from competitive skating. But Cohen insists she still loves the sport and intends on competing in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

"I still love being an athlete," she said. "I love the amazing high you get when you perform live in front of so many people. ... Of course I was disappointed (in not winning the gold in Turin). But it's not going to do any good to focus on the negative and dwell on it. You have to live to your own expectations, do what you want and love what you do. I want to just play it by the moment and see what's out there for me," she said.

"There's just so much to her," said her younger sister Natasha, who will be a freshman at Barnard (N.Y.) College in the fall. "That's why, when people ask her what she wants to do, she can't always give an answer. She has a lot of interests. When she's done skating, you're still going to hear a lot from her."

[email protected]

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

thanks for posting it (although I think there have been copyright issues in the past with posting entire articles on forums).

It sounds like she's going to set herself up for even more disappointment (in skating) if she really wants to do what is said in this article. Didn't Kwan "take it easy" for a couple of years (well, ok, 3) and then injure herself as she was "rushing to catch up"? As we all know, no Olympics for her because of that method. It seems as if Cohen is much more injury-prone than Kwan is, so she (Cohen) should learn something here. I think Hollywood is calling and it might be best for her health to just swallow it and retire from skating altogether.

But that's JMO.

SeaniBu · Aug 12, 2006

Red Dog said:
thanks for posting it (although I think there have been copyright issues in the past with posting entire articles on forums).

I should have known better :eek:

I am going to chop it up.

MKFSfan · Aug 12, 2006

Red Dog said:
It sounds like she's going to set herself up for even more disappointment (in skating) if she really wants to do what is said in this article. Didn't Kwan "take it easy" for a couple of years (well, ok, 3) and then injure herself as she was "rushing to catch up"? As we all know, no Olympics for her because of that method. It seems as if Cohen is much more injury-prone than Kwan is, so she should learn something here. I think Hollywood is calling and it might be best for her health to just swallow it and retire from skating altogether.

But that's JMO.

I agree here too. I think Michelle was a combination of protecting her hip/back since 2001 as well as too much work, and it all caught up to her when she pushed hard for Turin. I don't think Michelle slacked off and then overdid it to catch up and that did her in as much as her body started breaking down over the years and boom, too much.

But yeah, Sasha seems very injury-prone and taking off 2 years is not going to be smart. If she ends up doing what Michelle did, lighter competition load, that wouldn't be so bad, but I don't see how, if she's going to pursue acting, which takes up a LOT of time, she can still find time to train as an elite skater. Even when Michelle was not doing GPs, she was still training 2, 3 sessions on ice each day.

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

We will have to see what Cohen decides after COI is over before speculation on her future begins. Will she attempt a solely Nats/Worlds season like Kwan did in 03/04/05? Or will she take a break from skating altogether?

The only difference here is that Cohen is actually expressing interest in the 2010 Olympics, while Kwan was hard at work dodging all the questions regarding the '06 Olys until just a few months before, when I think she was going for it all along. Just different personalities.

That said, knowing Cohen, she'll come out next year saying that she doesn't feel like doing it any more. :laugh:

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

MKFSfan said:
I agree here too. I think Michelle was a combination of protecting her hip/back since 2001 as well as too much work, and it all caught up to her when she pushed hard for Turin. I don't think Michelle slacked off and then overdid it to catch up and that did her in as much as her body started breaking down over the years and boom, too much.

What was wrong with her in 2001? My impression was that she was perfectly healthy for all this time, and then after 2002 just decided to "take it easy" and then it caught up to her in '05 when she tried "catching up".

demarinis5 · Aug 12, 2006

Red Dog said:
What was wrong with her in 2001? My impression was that she was perfectly healthy for all this time, and then after 2002 just decided to "take it easy" and then it caught up to her in '05 when she tried "catching up".

I think that it has been speculated that MK has been nursing this hip injury for quite some time (since 2001)and the reason she decided to take it easy after 2002 was because of her hip. I don't know any of the specifics. I am sure some other MK fan on this board can clarify-Mathman?

On topic-Thanks for the link to the Sasha article. I thought it was well written. If this article is true its Hello Hollywood for
Sasha and Goodye to Skating. Her skating will be missed
by me but I think that she has a lot of talent and acting
just be the thing for her.

MKFSfan · Aug 12, 2006

As demarinis5 said, there has been speculation over the years that Michelle may have been dealing with more injuries than she let on. Specualtion has even gone as far as being in part to the blame for the Team Kwan and Carrol split up. Reason being, Frank was pushing her for the 2 3/3's and Michelle could not train consistenly, due to the hip/back pain (3sal/3lp rumored to be primarily blamed.) After all that, Michelle lightened her load, but didn't cite injury, just the "one day at a time" thing.

My belief is like any athlete, issues arrise and Michelle dealt with them in private, didin't use them as excuses. But when she upped her training for Turin, and included different things in her programs for COP, her body said "no more."

Joesitz (RIP) · Aug 12, 2006

I really would like her to get that Worlds under her belt but if she really does have the acting potential, it is really a better way to go in the long run.

Joe

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

Interesting about MK, I can totally see her hiding any injuries if she did indeed have them early on. Then again, it's just speculation. Nothing substantive in that.

But, what's wrong with coming out and saying that something might be going on? Maybe (assuming the speculation is true) she wasn't injured enough or something?

Longhornliz · Aug 12, 2006

I wish they would make a figure skating themed movie for her to star in... there hasnt been a top notch figure skating movie in a while. They either find someone with acting chops but stand in skating or a skating princess who cant really act. This would be a good opportunity to feature a star skater who might be a good actress as well.

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

that's a possibility. All the figure skating movies I've heard of are pure junk IMO.

But let's see whether all those roles are just family shows or made-for-TV movies, or a part in the next Steven Spielberg film.

MKFSfan · Aug 12, 2006

My guess is the injuries weren't that substantial to stop her from training and competing lightly, so why bring that all up and risk potential sponsors being scared off? You look at Sasha, and every time she's off, people question/whisper about back issues, etc. Maybe Michelle didn't feel the need to share her ailments with every interviewer. Every time something slipped, like 2004 Cheesefest she said she couldn't even do a layback, she and her PR are quick to cover it up.

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

Every time something slipped, like 2004 Cheesefest she said she couldn't even do a layback

She said this? I don't remember...

But the problem is that if you keep quiet about the injury, and your performances are gradually getting worse, people get the impression you may be "slacking off" or something. Even worse were her comments after 2005 Worlds...I mean, Cop has been AROUND for a while? Huh?

attyfan · Aug 12, 2006

I don't have a link to the article, but shortly before MK withdrew from SA,.she mentioned that she had been injured and couldn't practice her new (CoP-friendly) spins -- but later said that she did not withdraw because of injury (I don't recall if anyone asked her if the injury-caused training delay meant her program wasn't ready by SA).

In Michelle's case, though, her body had been put through extensive pounding for over ten years before it broke down -- not only in competition, but also in touring (during the "post whack boom", COI sometimes did over 70 shows a season -- in off Oly years). I think this bears on two issues.

First, it might explain MK's failure to fully commit to CoP in 2005 -- she might well have considered retiring after winning her 9th US title (I think she wanted that one pretty badly), and the USFS talked her into going to Worlds because there wasn't anyone else who, combined with Sasha, could secure 3 spots for US ladies in Torino -- after Moscow, MK got fired up and wanted to show she could do better. Her "rush to catch up" wouldn't have been so much of a problem by itself, but when combined with all the earlier pounding, there was trouble. Also, in MK's case, the pounding began when she was 13, and I have heard that stress on the bones of a pre-
pubescent can cause all kinds of problem years later.

Second, I think this shows some problems Sasha might have heading into 2010. While Sasha started competing as a senior at a later age than Michelle, she has been pounding her body for lot less time than Michelle, and has been touring less (since the COI tours are so much shorter). Yet, Sasha has also had a lot of back troubles -- much greater than MK ever had at the same stage in her career.

MKFSfan · Aug 12, 2006

Yes, she did make some sort of comment about not being able to do a layback and WD from SA and SC shortly after-understandably so since ladies must do layback spin in SP.

As fas as her comments after Worlds 2005, I think what really did her in and what she may have been hinting at, was not so much levels, but thinking quality would count more than quantity. Like, she chose to do a flying sit spin for her solo, she has a fabulous flying spin and textbook position for the sit spin, BUT obviously she had no COE and no variation, which did her in. Same for the layback-she was hoping speed, centering and many revolutions would keep her in good stead instead of an ugly, slow catchfoot. Basically, she was using what she knew, and what worked under 6.0-relying on presentation and flow to help her through her weaker elements. She also did herself in by not counting her spiral positions long enough, and my guess is that was more timing and relying on music to change positions than not knowing COP. However, the jumps, FW and jusst her basic skating were fine, 6.0 or COP. Yes, her QR was a mess, she overthought and things came undone, but considering she was 3rd in both the SP (and undermarked in PCS, IMO) and LP behind 2 seasoned COPers, I thought she did a decent job, just not a Michelle Kwan calibar job.

R.D. · Aug 12, 2006

yeah...when you are someone like Kwan you get held to your own standard. Compared to everyone else she was fine, I suppose, but it was really sub-par by her standard.

However, she could have AVOIDED or at least MINIMIZED this situation by at least committing to a GP event or two. Even one could have made the difference. But what's done is done.

Unless, of course, she couldn't do one later on. However, I also think that if U.S. Nats had used the Cop system in 05 that could have been beneficial to her (or maybe not so much, like they did MAJOR propping of Cohen's scores in 06 even though she stumbled TWICE- but still deserved the overall win).

Mathman · Aug 12, 2006

For people who can't get the page to load, try turning off your pop-up blocker.

Sasha's acting being taken seriously

SeaniBu

R.D.

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R.D.

SeaniBu

MKFSfan

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R.D.

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Gold for the Winter Prince!

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Joesitz (RIP)

R.D.

Longhornliz

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attyfan

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