Why a good looking actor?


The director of this movie said he wanted a good looking actor for the part of DeSalvo. Warren Beatty and Robert Redford were considered for DeSalvo. Tony Curtis, a good looking man, played him. I read a recent article saying how Tom Cruise is being considered to play Albert DeSalvo in a new movie. Why do they feel the need to cast a good looking actor as DeSalvo? Albert DeSalvo was not a good looking man. They're flattering this guy considering all of these handsome actors to play him.

reply

The only other explanation I can give would be name recognition.

They could go with Steve Buscemi or Stanley Tucci instead. Not saying these guys aren't good-looking (or at least I think so) but they are not Tom Cruise types.

Perry: "You, stop multiplying!"

reply

Commercial calculation seems like the only reason that makes sense, but then again Curtis only appears an hour into the movie so the ones finding the subject matter & its depiction problematic, would have left the cinema long before Curtis is introduced, anyway. So, it´s hard to tell.



"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

reply

Casting a good looking or normal looking actor as the villain was nothing new by the time this came out. Hitchcock had used this idea many times(Cary Grant-Suspicion, Joseph Cotten-Shadow of a Doubt, Robert Walker-Strangers on a Train, Anthony Perkins-Psycho). It also goes along with the ruse some serial killers used to get close to their victims, like Ted Bundy. De Salvo, while not good looking in the classical sense, could have passed for normal looking, and blended with the crowd easily. He could have also passed for an anonymous repairman, which this film proposed.

I'm not Charlie! Don't shoot!

reply

Mercury4 why do you smear your ugly face in every Serial Killer movie?

Albert Desalvo because of his offset big nose may not be as Gorgeous as Richard Ramirez the Nightstalker, but Albert had better hair, lack of cheese and less slime than Ted Bundy.

reply

...and Eric Balfour will be perfect as Albert De Salvo, he has the face shape, the shape of the eyes, the hair..and may need a prosthetic nose

reply