The new season of Sopranos starts tonight on HBO. It's been so long in coming that I almost forget where we left off with Tony and the gang, but I'm looking forward to an entertaining premiere.
When I got to thinking about The Sopranos and various other well-made television shows, my thoughts turned to the topic of acting in general. I am always impressed when I can watch a show and feel totally undistracted by poor acting or unconvincing character portrayals. The best test of an actor's ability, in my eyes, is when I watch them and think, "I could do that." Now, at first, that might not make sense, since I have virtually no acting experience, but what I mean is that when I see a good acting job, I am so totally convinced that the lines are natural and heartfelt that it just looks easy. My first experience with this feeling was at the ripe age of four when I attended "Sesame Street Live" and was completely convinced that I could easily take on the role of Prairie Dawn. Little did I know that she was not nearly as small as she appeared from the peanut gallery of the Civic Arena, and there was no way a four-year-old could fill out that costume.
Since that time, I've experienced multiple instances of the Prairie Dawn syndrome. Sometimes I think I can handle the role because, frankly, it seems like anyone could. We can't deny that sometimes characters are cast for looks, rather than talent (ahem -- Kelly Kapowski,
Kate on LOST, or any soap opera character), but others have struck that same chord with me because of the sheer relatability of the characters. When I can watch a show and believe I'm watching real people in admittedly exaggerated life situations, that's what I enjoy. Whether it's pure skills, great writing, or a combination of both, I truly appreciate the TV characters that make it so easy for me to believe.
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