Last week on Entourage, Crash writer-director Paul Haggis, apparently not content to let Hector Elizondo play him in Surprisingly Delicious Haggis: The Paul Haggis Story, took the path all Hollywood personalities take, sooner or later: He played himself.
This is nothing new. Celebrities of various wattages have been playing themselves since… um… since… well, William Holden was on I Love Lucy, that’s all I know. (Does anybody know the first time a star played him or herself in a movie/TV show? And don’t say it was the notorious Irving Thalberg "honeymoon movie" — that doesn’t count. And all the good stuff’s on Reel Five, anyhow.)
But here’s what’s sorta-kinda new: Oscar aside, very few people outside the 310 know who Haggis is. So this is, for all intents and purposes, their introduction to the guy. What do they see? A man who’s reputed to be "intense." (I dunno, is he? I interviewed him once and found him rather mild.) A man who throws his weight around, barks strategic profanities and seems accustomed to getting his way. Haggis seems to be doing an impression of an in-demand "prestige" director. (And doing it well, I might add.) But do viewers know it’s an impression? And… well… is it?
I call it the Larry David Effect: The willingness to carve up a cartoon version of your persona, ostensibly to shed light on Hollywood’s wealth-enabled bad behavior. Apart from being a gift to those who preach fear and loathing of the so-called "cultural elite," has the goof of "playing oneself" evolved into a sort of cleansing scourge stars use to absolve themselves of their own absurd existences? Would Ted Danson really squabble with Larry David over whose name should grace a deli sandwich? And will Michael Bay please, please, please appear on Entourage to answer the insult of being named James Cameron’s second-stringer?
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Well, the fact that he’s a Scientologist isn’t helping my impression of him any.
Dear Scott Brown,
Paul Haggis is a Canadian. Just so you know. But please try and keep your prejudice in check.
Love Tim
My favorite Haggis moment: Hours after his Oscar win for best writing of ‘Trash,’ oops you know what I mean (and how I feel), the wire services were already spinning the tale of his hardship of writing the movie for months and months, researching it and everything…
The next day, with Oscar in hand, Haggis sits down with Katie Couric on “Today” (wow, this feels like so long ago when it was only months ago) and she asks him about all the painstaking work he spent writing ‘Crash.’ He looks at her, pauses and says “No. It only took me a couple of weeks to write.” Katie leans back in her chair and just says “Oh.”
So ended that fake Hollywood story…
At least a dozen stars played themselves in the Warner Brothers musical “Hollywood Canteen,” which showcased performers like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (yes, I’m THAT gay, no, I’m not that old) in short musical numbers loosely based on activities in and around the famed Hollywood Canteen, a nightclub established to entertain active duty service members headed to the South Pacific during WWII. That movie was made in 1942 or 1943, so it predates William Holden on “Lucy” by at least seven years.
In 1943’s “Higher and Higher”, Frank Sinatra played himself, and had quite a big role.
Haggis was GREAT on Entourage. I think Scott nailed it when he said he’s just doing his impression of an in-demand, indie director. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if Haggis is reputed to be intense (about his work, at least) and unleashes strategic profanity.
Those personal bits about his personality (which no one would really get, by the way) would differentiate him from someone like the Billy Walsh character from seasons 1 and 2 of Entourage who is clearly “young, anti-establishment indie director.”
Oh yeah…i almost forgot “Crash” won, “Brokeback” didn’t…it’s been MONTHS…get over it!
American Idol 3 winner Fantasia Barrino (and what she can give us, is Fantasia Barrino, Hollatcha girl!)will play herself in an upcoming Lifetime Television movie.
Paul Haggis…talk about overrated.
Crash was a bad movie. Million Dollar
Baby was overrated. and he’s respon-
sible for creating Walker, Texas Ranger.
What was that? I don’t believe anyone mentioned “Brokeback Mountain,” so that was unnecessary (I personally would have been happy with any of the other 4 Best Pic choices winning, except ‘Trash’) and I can’t forget about his winning despite a lack of talent because he’s coasting on it…
But the fact that he had a hand in ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ actually gives him points, just for the camp deliciousness of it… Chuck Norris says hi-ya!
I really dig it when an impersonation is being done of someone and then the person shows up, like when the real Janet Reno crashed “Janet Reno’s dance party”, when Joe Pesci and Bob Deniro trashed the set of the “Joe Pesci Show” or when the real Ike Turner showed up for an Ike Turner themed skit on “Mad Tv”. My fave is the parody: When Jay & Silent Bob bumped into James Vanderbeak and Jason Biggs dressed as Jay & Silent BoB. Side Note to Kevin Smith: Clerks 2 is looking good, vato!
Well Jon, you called “Crash”, “Trash” (REALLY original by the way) in your original comment and then when i said people should get over “Crash” beating “Brokeback”, you’re the person that responded so it’s pretty clear that it was on your mind…
The reason i mentioned “Brokeback” was because that’s the movie most commonly brought up when people complain and moan about “Crash” winning. I didn’t read too many editorials the day after the Oscars saying “Crash robbed Good Night, and Good Luck” or “Crash robbed Munich” (even though it did).
Anyway, like you said…the man was associated with “Walker, Texas Ranger”…where else can you find better dialogue than that? I loved it when Conan did his bit where he would pull the lever behind his desk and he would show a completely out of context scene from “W: TR”
My fave: Haley Joel Osment saying “Walker told me I have AIDS.” If only I knew whether Haggis was involved with that brilliant line.
Why am I not surprised that this topic easily degenerated into a Paul Haggis bashing thread just because he wrote/directed Crash? Get over his Oscar win already. I can’t believe people take the Oscars that seriously to begin with.
Ceballos, I think we agree more than disagree… I think Munich should have received more accolades too as it was nail bitingly good…
The problem I have with ‘Crash’ is less ‘Brokeback’-love and more because I think ‘Crash’ was extremely racist and not in a good, thought-provoking way, but in a bad, pander to stereotypes way… (and I know it’s not original, I just like calling the movie ‘Trash,’ it makes me laugh, I know it’s just me)
However, Haggis did write the lines that got Morgan Freeman his Oscar and I can’t deny the funny of WTR… okay, no more Haggis hate (from me anyway)…
Michael Bay is a 3rd stringer at best
“Does anybody know the first time a star played him or herself in a movie/TV show?”
C’mon Scott you don’t have time to do your own research? Or at least put one of those lazy NYU “communications” interns to work at your office!
Ok…good deal Jon, I can totally see where you’re coming from.
Back to the topic, I TOTALLY agree with Scott’s suggestion that Michael Bay show up and play himself. It would redeem him a great deal in my eyes to actually show up and play the 2nd (or 3rd string) hack director they’re perceiving him to be.
I read a profile on him in Entertainment Weekly actually, and he came off as having a huge ego (but up until “The Island” all his movies made a ton of money, so who can blame him?) so it was kinda good to see him taken down a peg with his latest movie.
If he showed up as himself on “Entourage” it might endear him to some people and maybe even boost business for “Transformers”…who are from Mars apparently according to the teaser…i guess i missed that tidbit when i was 4.
I’m not surprised it only took Haggis only a few weeks to write CRASH, considering how incredibly inept and amateurish it was.
Haggis is brilliant No kidding he gave us Due South . Dont laugh this show was great.I hope one day he makes a big screen version.