Ever get that queasy feeling when you discover that while viewing a movie that your favorite cinematic star goes radically against type and plays a character that is exceptionally repugnant? In fact the character is totally psychotic unlike a lovable, tough guy who only kills other bad guys, and has a strong sense of morality.
Personally for me there are 3 such examples of my favorite on-screen and off-screen, cool cinematic stars who played ruthless and sadistic killers against are as follows:
Bruce Willis as the assassin in the “The Jackal” (1997), the US remake of the French classic “The Day of the Jackal” who targets an important American political figure.
Tom Cruise as the assassin in “Collateral” (2004) who kidnaps taxi driver Jamie Foxx in order to murder several witnesses to a drug lord before the trial.
Henry Fonda in the western “Once Upon A Time in America” (1968) as a sadistic gunslinger.
Jason Statham in the upcoming “Fast & Furious 7” who plays the revenging brother of the bad guy Vin Diesel and the Rock killed in the previous movie segment.
In each case the performance of these actors was so good at transforming themselves from a long held stereotype that the audience concentrated more on their new character rather than on their good guy persona. The exceptional performance amongst the above actors was by Henry Fonda. Even after viewing the movie I was still in utter disbelief how brilliantly he played this role with those diabolically searing blue eyes.
In post-film interviews they admitted enjoying this change of pace because they had more free rein to act and improvise by adding personal touches to their character. Ironically in a good guy role they’re frequently restricted by the script to meet certain expectations for the audience.
This all means that despite your current persona, you can use these examples to transform yourself convincingly, temporarily or permanently, into someone unexpectedly quite different to achieve your goals. As a shy introvert you can transform yourself into a dynamic public speaker. The purpose of course is to deliver a persuasive message effectively that can only be accomplished in a manner quite different from your everyday persona.
And the opposite is true if you have an authoritative aggressive personality to become someone who is less intimidating and more easily approachable to be an effective leader.
The transformation process always begins in the imagination and is triggered by intent. Remember that even for the best actors, preparation and practice are key. Such a transformational achievement doesn’t occur overnight. But with determination the signs of such a change will occur sooner than you think.
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Indo-Brazilian Associates LLC is a NYC-based global advisory service and think tank with connections at the highest levels specializing in international investment, political and security risk assessments. International business is increasingly complex featuring a highly mobile professional class in all corners of the globe. We provide you the tools to successfully negotiate cross-culturally in your global business endeavors. Tell us about your challenges. We'll get you on the "Short List".
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