I’ve been using the phrase “my mom” a lot lately in blog posts because we spent two weeks together over the holidays during which we saw four films. But allow me one more. After we saw Avatar, my mom immediately wanted to know Sam Worthington’s name and suddenly paid attention to the Clash of the Titans poster hanging in the theater lobby. Is it possible that Avatar‘s billion-dollar appeal will help make the 33-year-old Aussie a sex symbol for all ages?
Reached this afternoon, while she was getting her hair colored, my 62-year-old mother said yes. True, she did first refer to him as “Sam Whatshisname”, but she was adamant that he has “the ability to show different emotions that would appeal to different age groups.” Pressed further, she said he reminds her of one of her other documented favorites, Owen Wilson. I laughed. But then she explained: “He has an innocence about him. Sometimes he just looks like a little lost kid, and sometimes [inappropriate chuckle] he doesn’t.”
Has anyone else’s mother expressed an affection for Worthington, or am I the only lucky one? Anyone swooning over him should watch his December interview with Jay Leno, embedded after the jump. (I know, I can’t believe I just typed that either.)
My mother’s analysis — “rough exterior with a softer inside and a very engaging, very warm smile that makes you feel like he’s smiling just at you” — seems accurate. He’s a former bricklayer who got into acting when he accompanied a girlfriend to a drama school audition for moral support and got accepted. (She didn’t, and dumped him a week later.) He talks about turning 30, selling all of his possessions to metaphorically reboot his life, and with that $2,000, buying the car that he was living in when he petulantly went auditioned for a film that no one would describe or tell him who was directing. (A week later, he got a call from James Cameron asking him to come to L.A. for six months of auditions.) He shares a great story about filming with Cameron: If your phone goes off, he’ll nail-gun it to the wall (“He does it above the exit, so you always remember when you go out”). He also confesses that he needs to wear glasses or contacts but doesn’t, so he’s crashed six cars, including one that rolled off an embankment and one that went through a shop window — then settles in, shoeless, for Leno’s Green Car Challenge.
More Avatar:
Dave Karger: District 9 + Star Trek = An Avatar loss at the Oscars?
Avatar: Is it worth seeing twice?
Is Avatar this generation’s Star Wars? Is Avatar better than Star Wars?
Avatar: The EW review
15 movie gambles: Jackpot or bust?
Photo credit: Mark Fellman
He is utterly ordinary looking. Almost plain. Pass.
WHAT?! C’mon he may not be a complete stud, but he’s cute.
I have to disagree. I’ve thought he was adorable since I first saw him in Thunderstruck. And he was gorgeous in Terminator.
stop the hate. i think he’s adorable!
HOOOOOOTTTTT!!!!! Kept thinking threesomes when i saw Terminator: Salvation.
HAAA! Me too!
I think my mom was more into Stephen Lang then Worthington, but she prefers the silver fox type (even if they’re gleefully mowing down a peaceful race of aliens).
Also, I’m kinda wishing now that my local theatre would implement Cameron’s cell phone policy.
Me too, but I’d like to add crying babies to the policy as well. Just staple ‘em up there.
crying babies stapled to a wall sounds good to me
As long as we’re talking about stapling their mouths shut, then I’m on board. Because having a bunch of babies stapled on a wall yet still crying just seems counterproductive to me.
I would have done both. The good guy to make passionate love with and the bad one to have naughty sex with.
I’m waiting crispy to swoon. any. minute. now.
ha ha ha, I think he handed them this particular Avatar topic on a silver platter!
I should be on EW’s payroll. Here’s an idea for their next post: Those psychic bonds with Pandora’s animals, what’s up with that? Seemed a little naughty, right?
(And yes, I did swoon. A little. Considering this was a Mandi Bierly post, I’m a tad disappointed there’s no shirtless pic. Methinks he’s too old.)
Oh, I have an even better one: Of James Cameron’s leading men, who’s hottest? My vote goes to Ed Harris. (I have a joke to make about “the abyss” but it’s horribly inappropriate.)
Can we count Christian Bale, since he was part of the Terminator franchise? If so, him.
No, he doesn’t count! From the Terminator series, you get Arnie, Michael Biehn, Edward Furlong, or Robert Patrick.
I hereby submit Billy Zane’s eyebrows? (Which are unfortunately canceled out by his terrifically bad toupee.)
Arnie hands down! i loooooooooooove me some juiceheads (yea i got all snooki on ya’ll)
Eh.
I find him very bland. I don’t understand why all the directors and producers are after him. *shrug*
An “every man” look makes it easier for audiences to identify. That’s my take anyhow.
Yes! That’s exactly what Cameron was looking for in the character of Jake Sully, which Sam is perfect for.
ooohhhh… baby!! that is all i have to say!
I think his sex symbol status will either be firmly established or firmly banished after Clash of the Titans comes out. He was second fiddle to Christian Bale in Terminator and mostly a blue alien in Avatar. Let’s see him carry a film looking like himself.
He’s not pretty by any means, but I kind of like that. Too many hot-ticket actors these days look so pretty and delicate.
And if nothing else, it’s nice to see women talking about an actual man who’s actually been through puberty.
true true. But i felt Christian Bale played second fiddle to him in T:S
I agree that’s kind of how it turned out, but Terminator was basically set up to be Bale’s movie.
I could get used to seeing him around, especially after a season of watching grown women slobber over 17-year-old boys.
He was the best thing in the utter disappointment that was Terminator; he upstaged Bale. He’s more rugged and masculine than pretty.
I like him. he’s got that appeal.
no, not attractive. You know who is really attractive? Henry Cavill.
He is adorably sweet.
He’s just a poor man’s Tahmoh Penikett.
I find him very attractive. He was the best part of Terminator:Salvation. He’s not a pretty boy, but he’s masculine rar.
When I saw Sam on Terminator Salvation I was instantly mesmerized.
I thought the movie was bad, boring, but it was worth watching it because of Sam.
I think he could be the next Hugh Jackman in no time.
btw, I’m 26.
i was just thinking the same. TS didn’t make an impression to me (it was just boring) but Sam did – a lot!
This guy is gorgeous. Hollywood’s got way too many pretty boys, he’s a breath of fresh air
well, in that photo I guess he’s not gorgeous lol
yeah, that photo is bad.
They should’ve put a Terminator photo.
Shirtless if possible…
yeah, that photo is bad.
They should’ve put a Terminator Salvation photo.
Shirtless if possible…
Oh, I disagree – I love his long shaggy hair. It is much cuter than the buzz cut he sports for the rest of the movie.