Thursday, September 20, 2007

Who's The Mann?

There are a few actors whose careers have spanned the decades and whose talent has in some way improved the overall quality of the field. Terrence Mann is one of those who can deservedly be called a "consummate professional". From 1985's movie version of "A Chorus Line", to his numerous originating roles on Broadway, to his most recent work as the otherworldly Bob/Hrothbert on "The Dresden Files", he's shown a remarkable ability to adapt to (and succeed in) any medium--even lending his voice to a few animated series and audiobooks. (Admittedly some of the movies he's appeared in are less than stellar, but that shouldn't be considered a reflection on his acting skills.)

Why am I saying this? Someone recently uploaded a sort of "overview" of his work throughout the years, prompting me to mention it here. I hadn't actually noticed just how many roles he originated on Broadway: Rum Tum Tugger in CATS, Javert in Les Miserables, and Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel to name a few.

I had the honor of meeting him while he was working at The Scarlet Pimpernel, a show with tremendous potential that was never really given the chance to show how good it could be. (Pick up the original Broadway soundtrack sometime--you won't regret it.) Not only is he a talented actor, he was also quite gracious to the throng of people crowded around him. It's good to know there are still folks out there who can take their work seriously without taking themselves too seriously. For your convenience, here's the clip:

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