Left Wing UK Actors

[Proper Tidy]

Also a fella from that benidorm show was a corbyn supporter, can't remember his name.

Mostly they are middle class though aren't they, actors, posh schools, so probably heavy on liberal tories

 

[hot air baboon]

the famous Scouse git himself ( for the teenagers that's Cherie Blair& Lauren Booth's dad )

 

[JimW]

Reckon stephen graham has alright politics, he says some good stuff on class

I'm sorry, if he wasn't touched up by Gerry Healey it doesn't count.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Wasn't derek hatton in brookie once or is that an urban legend

 

[tim]

Didn‘t he endorse Starmer?

Yes, but that was when he was in the National Front. Ricky's reformed since then

 

[redsquirrel]

Mostly they are middle class though aren't they, actors, posh schools, so probably heavy on liberal tories

Yeah, need to distinguish between liberal anti-toryism for something more.

 

[Petcha]

Laurence Fox - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[killer b]

I'm sorry, if he wasn't touched up by Gerry Healey it doesn't count.

the top tier for UK celeb radicals.

 

[tim]

Laurence Fox - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

As was seen in his nuanced performance in the role of King Cnut when he commanded the wokes to keep away from him.

 

[tim]

Here's an actor who was willing to go out and stand on the picket line.

He's currently appearing in a long running farce in the West End.

 

[Sprocket.]

the famous Scouse git himself ( for the teenagers that's Cherie Blair& Lauren Booth's dad )

Classic quote re Anthony Booth was when he first met Blair he lost his temper, shouting ‘Our Cherie’s going out with a tory’!

 

[Reno]

Can we get some info on names as to why/how please?

Genuinely curious. Would you be more likely to watch a film or tv series because an actor was left wing ? Would you not watch something because an actor is right wing ?

 

[killer b]

Actors - good actors at least - are artists, and their politics informs their art: so yeah, I'm interested in actors politics.

 

[killer b]

Baffling that needs saying tbh

 

[Reno]

Actors - good actors at least - are artists, and their politics informs their art: so yeah, I'm interested in actors politics.

Actors merely are interpretive artists, the politics of filmmakers (directors & writers in particular) have far more influence on the politics of a film. I have to mentally do more work to divorce the artist from the art if their politics or views are objectionable, but the casting of a conservative actor wouldn't put me off a film nearly as much as the film by a right wing filmmaker if their politics come though in their work. With Clint Eastwood (as a director) I can see the conservative values in most of his films and I find them off putting. I've never been on board with those on the left who will give him a pass for being a good director. But I won't skip a good movie with Michael Caine, because he's a tax-dodging Tory-twat.

On the whole actors and much of the filmmaking community are more likely to be center to left or liberal, than conservative. Proper right wing actors rarely get on in that industry. Laurence Fox hasn't done his career any favours with his Question Time appearance, there are many in the film and theatre community who wouldn't touch him with a bargepole now.

 

[Wilf]

Genuinely curious. Would you be more likely to watch a film or tv series because an actor was left wing ? Would you not watch something because an actor is right wing ?

Pretty much, yes. At least if the lead in a film held seriously objectionable views or had done something nasty. Not a golden rule, just a case of reacting to particular individuals and circumstances i.e. I wouldn't abandon a film if Ray Winstone only had a 30 second cameo.

 

[Reno]

Pretty much, yes. At least if the lead in a film held seriously objectionable views or had done something nasty. Not a golden rule, just a case of reacting to particular individuals and circumstances i.e. I wouldn't abandon a film if Ray Winstone only had a 30 second cameo.

No more a Michael Caine movies for you then !

 

[not-bono-ever]

talked about Spanish Civil war and UK workers history with a McGann, so there you go

 

[JimW]

I was even a bit disappointed to find that Welsh actor who plays the dwarf in Lord of the Rings is a headbanger and I wasn't that into the film.

 

[ska invita]

Genuinely curious. Would you be more likely to watch a film or tv series because an actor was left wing ? Would you not watch something because an actor is right wing ?

I genuinely only know about 10% of the names mentioned so far, I don't pay attention to actors names - knowing who an actor is spoils it for me. The magic of the silver screen is being able to suspend your sense of disbelief so the less i know the better, as a rule of thumb anyway. I find the modern day celebrity of actors pretty bizarre.

But in answer to your question, no, i wouldn't NOT watch something, though there are plenty of actors, whether i know who they are or not, who i take a dislike to for whatever reason and they can spoil a film for me by being in it. Id expect there's suspicious personal politics lurking there somewhere in those judgements!

Obviously with something like a Ken Loach film you watch it knowing what it is, but that's not a situation that comes up very often. Id expect left wing actors to take on more interesting roles though, so that might be a draw.
I really like films with unknown or unprofessional actors, especially when children. Two that spring to mind are Michael Winterbottom's In This World and the Russian film The Return.

And then theres the politics of the producers. State financed films, especially of the soviet era, Russian or not, have a certain something to them. Usually with a US studio film its more a case of marveling at what they've churned out this time. The most recent trilogy of Star Wars films should be taught in economics classes.

Rambling answer <Ive got time on my hands

ETA: cant watch John Wayne films, and I like a Western. Suspicious about Clint Eastwood films too (apart from the Italian ones he was in). So actually yeah, there are films I wouldn't watch. Probably some other names like that if I have a think. Antiques Roadshow is painful

 

[Orang Utan]

Michael Caine, Vince Vaughn, James Woods, Jon Voigt, Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson, Charlton Heston all have right wing tendencies - not sure I'd avoid watching any films of theirs.

 

[Reno]

I love film too much to skip a great film because of a dodgy actor, I'd simply have to miss out on too many great films. It is of course disappointing to find out any artist I admire is a wrong’un.

An actor I love is more likely for me to check out a film, but they wouldn't be the main reason. There are filmmakers though who I will watch or avoid anything by.

 

[belboid]

It's good to know sometimes about the actors politics to see whether they're gonna be any good in that role or not ( tho you can often guess from the kind of films they're involved with). I wouldn't really want to watch a film with, say, Omar Sharif as Che Guevara, because I just wouldn't believe he'd really 'get' the role. It's all a part of how believable you think they are going to be. Which isn't to say an actor can't surprise you, but it's a starting point.

I do avoid Mel Gibson films these days, unless someone I respect tells me this ones an exception. Not a great issue as all his most recent films have looked awful to me, and I dont care whether that's all he can get now or if its cos they fit with his general perspective in life.

 

[Reno]

There was a recent Mel Gibson film which I thought was brilliant, if politically questionable and his notoriety probably was a reason why he got cast. I'm not in the mood for that fight right now though.

 

[JimW]

Thought Gibson's shit politics actually helped in Apocalypto in a weird way but then leave a question hanging over the whole thing. Not that can't be interesting or challenging but usually just tiresome.

 

[killer b]

There was a recent Mel Gibson film which I thought was brilliant, if politically questionable and his notoriety probably was a reason why he got cast. I'm not in the mood for that fight right now though.

tbf it was you that brought up the idea of avoiding films with right-wing actors. it's your fight!

 

[Reno]

tbf it was you that brought up the idea of avoiding films with right-wing actors. it's your fight!

I don't understand this post, considering what I said. I'm not going to discuss this film on this thread and not today. That's why I didn't give a title. I'm happy to continue having a civilised discussion about what an actors politics means to ones assessment of their work. You go and have a fight if you like, but not with me.

I'm not much of a believer that good intentions or the correct politics necessarily results in great art or that art/film/tv which challenges ones politics is always worthless.

 

[belboid]

There was a recent Mel Gibson film which I thought was brilliant, if politically questionable and his notoriety probably was a reason why he got cast. I'm not in the mood for that fight right now though.

I can see that can work - and was partly why I wanted to watch an IRA supporter playing Oliver Cromwell the other day. I would just definitely be waiting for someone to go ‘no, you should, really, despite everything’ before I’d consider it.

and if a films whole politics looked shite there’d have to be a bloody good other reason to watch it. Life’s too short and there are thousands of other great movies I haven’t seen already.

 

[killer b]

I don't understand this post, considering what I said. I'm not going to discuss this film on this thread and not today. That's why I didn't give a title. I'm happy to continue having a civilised discussion about what an actors politics means to ones assessment of their work. You go and have a fight if you like, but not with me.

I'm not much of a believer that good intentions or the correct politics necessarily results in great art or that art/film/tv which challenges your politics is always worthless.

It's ok, I don't want a fight. I don't choose whether to watch or not watch films based on the politics of their stars, I just think the politics of actors - especially left wing actors - can do interesting things to the work they choose to do, and the way they interpret a role.

 

[Reno]

I can see that can work - and was partly why I wanted to watch an IRA supporter playing Oliver Cromwell the other day. I would just definitely be waiting for someone to go ‘no, you should, really, despite everything’ before I’d consider it.

and if a films whole politics looked shite there’d have to be a bloody good other reason to watch it. Life’s too short and there are thousands of other great movies I haven’t seen already.

I also wouldn't be interested in something which i'd regard has shit politics. Then of course one can argue where the line between "challenging" and "shit" lies.