do you think this is a really bad profile?
my buddy is shy about it, he is trying to be an actor. i think he looks fine "no homo"

and
and

Looks are entirely subjective.

Everyone has different opinions of what looks good and what is appropriate. That said, acting is a very visual business and the harsh reality is, you will be judged on how you appear.

The more important question is: Is your FRIEND happy with his looks?

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
Check out my all-new ”Before & Afters”
www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647/

well he wants to know, would a casting director most likely turn him down if he saw his profile?

TOTALLY HONEST PLEASE hes not looking at this im just trying to get opinions to tell him, i wont tell him bad. its complicated just totally honest please

I've never been anything less.

From a purely aesthetic standpoint, this subject has a relatively prominent nose and a weak chin. With appropriate plastic surgery, these are simple facial procedures and have predictably pleasing and dramatic results. I have several competent, board certified surgeons to recommend in NYC if you require them.

On the side of abstaining from such invasive changes however, may I advise you that if your friend is more of a character type overall, this could absolutely be the WRONG choice. I'd need to see this young man in person to further assist in making this determination.

There's a story about the casting of a young, unknown actor who didn't quite possess the perfect, Anglo-Saxon, "Ivy League" looks that the director was looking for. The casting director repeatedly turned down his requests for an interview, but when unable to successfully cast the role, finally relented. They invited him to audition, and eventually gave him the part. The movie was, "The Graduate," and the actor was named, 'Dustin Hoffman.'

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
Check out my all-new ”Before & Afters”
www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647/

can u describe

quote:

this subject has a relatively prominent nose and a

please thanks u rock btw

His nose is just fine. Even if it wasn't, it is little quirks and differences between all of us that make us all unique, special and marketable in our own way. It may interest you to know that Uma Thurman- one of the most beautiful women in the world- has a HUGE nose. They just never film her from the side. But it's there. The point is confidence and beauty and charisma really are very internal things that come form within. It is how you work it, so to speak. It si all about the ESSENCE. Queen Latifah is a big girl- but she walks in a room and owns it. As a result, many think she is pretty amazing. Your buddy is being too self-critical. Best of luck.

Yeah, what she said.

If your buddy is thinking this hard about this, he's probably got way more problems in being an actor than his nose. The business is cruel enough to the average person's self-esteem without coming in just looking for a hit.

Not to mention he'll probably find when he gets more experience that they're focusing on things he didn't even think about. But the main thing they'll notice is how much he owns the room, and right now it sounds like he's giving it away before he even gets into it.

I have to agree with JimChevallier... if your friend is this worried about his nose, perhaps he should reconsider the acting business. I, personally, don't find anything wrong with his profile. I think we need people in this business who don't look cookie-cutter. Has your friend acted before (stage/film) or is he just beginning this journey?

beginning and thanks for all your replies!

Dear Daniel,

Thank you for bringing up such an interesting and important topic. I was getting a little tired of seeing, “HELP ME PICK MY NEW PIX, PLEEEEEZE!!!”

Questions regarding physical appearance are always controversial because they are so personal. In the end game, how an individual perceives themselves is the most important thing, as I mentioned in my previous comments. Outside of serious psychological cases (like Michael Jackson and Karen Carpenter, both victims of true image dysmorphia), everyone must live with themselves and their own imperfections (real or imagined) and must ultimately make their own determinations based upon their own, adult decisions. Hopefully, these final decisions will be based upon fact and awareness, which is why I support and appreciate your post so much, Dan. What would be considered a “taboo” subject a few short years ago is now spoken of openly, and that can only help increase our knowledge and understanding. Thank you.

Many of my customers over the years have asked my advice regarding plastic surgery. From a practical standpoint, many who would actually benefit from it, can’t afford it. Just as often, actors tend to be over-critical about their looks, based upon what they see in the media and film. Others may have a false impression of what surgery can actually do for them, and like some on this board who mistakenly believe that retouching can make a terrible headshot great, harbor the same misconceptions about modern plastic surgery. I try to be as honest as I can, while trying to ascertain the client’s personal and professional needs. Ultimately, one should approach any facial alteration with caution and plenty of hardcore research. Like everything else, there is good and bad in any professional field, and self-education is key.

Often, young people ask their mothers first: “Should I get my nose fixed?,” or words to that effect. The mother’s answer is almost universally, “NO DEAR, YOU’RE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. WHO CARES IF YOU RESEMBLE THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST? WITH THAT HUGE HONKER AND THE BIG WART ON IT, YOU CAN ALWAYS BE CONSIDERED FOR “WICKED”!!!” I’m being facetious of course, but one needs to understand that mothers are hard-wired to answer their offspring in exactly in this way. Their job, and rightfully so, is to bring up their children to have self esteem and a healthy self image, so this response is to be expected. But in every case, that child will someday become an adult, an adult who will have to live with himself.

But what I’m specifically discussing here is the subject of one's appearance AS IT RELATES TO THIS INDUSTRY. As I stated earlier, this is an extremely visual business, and like it or not, you will be judged and cast in accordance to your looks – either as a leading man (or lady), or a character type. Characters can run the gamut from Fran Dressler to Frankenstein, but leading roles are usually relegated to the certain physical conventions that you see everyday in magazines and film – Brat Pitt and Angelina Jolie being two, quintessential examples. The examples of Uma Thurman and Queen Latifah as glamorous leading ladies, ARE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE, NOT THE STANDARD. Past examples of these notable exceptions would be Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman, who excelled IN SPITE of their physical limitations, not BECAUSE of them -- and that’s the huge disparity in this argument (as ground-breaking as Queen Latifah was as REVLON’s new cover girl, I seriously doubt that they will be overthrowing their usual beauty lineup for more plus-size models anytime soon).

While it is true that, “beauty comes from within,” who can say that it can’t be given a “helping hand” when such an improvement could be of enormous benefit to the actor? When it comes to something as non-invasive and aesthetically pleasing as a subtle rhinoplasty for example, NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DICTATE TO SOMEONE THAT THEY CANNOT, OR SHOULD NOT HAVE WORK DONE IF IT WOULD IMPROVE THEIR SELF IMAGE AND THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIFE. When options like corrective makeup don't fill the bill, I support anything that allows for a more confident and self-assured actor.

On the subject of plastic surgery for use in film and television, here are a few highly visible examples of who’s gone under the knife:

1) Marilyn Monroe
2) Elvis Presley
3) Angelina Jolie
4) Benjamin Bratt
5) Pamela Anderson

Would Pam Anderson have had the same, spectacular career had she NOT undergone breast augmentation? I seriously doubt it. Would Elvis had gone on to fame and fortune without his nose job? Most definitely. The “bottom line” in every case is this: If an individual BELIEVES that plastic surgery has made them more successful, they are right. If they BELIEVE that such choices have made them less successful in their careers, they are also right. There are no guarantees in life, and plastic surgery certainly occupies the bottom of that list.

Here are some examples of where plastic surgery was a very BAD idea:

1) Michael Jackson
2) Melanie Griffith
3) Joan Rivers
4) Mickey Rourke
5) Jennifer Gray

Jennifer Gray (the star of “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off” and “Dirty Dancing”) had a radical nose job when her career was waning. It improved her looks dramatically, but when no one in the business could recognize her, it also destroyed what was left of her film career (a good thing to remember if you’re contemplating facial improvement… if you’re going to do it, do it early in your career).

My opinions expressed here are specifically in regard the practicality of plastic surgery for performing artists ONLY. But as techniques improve and become more accessible to all, our quest to maintain our youthful good looks will continue. In fact, it already tops the list of all elective surgeries in America. These procedures will be as common to everyday life as mental health, once relegated only to hushed back room discussions and embarrassing innuendo. Whatever your stance on the issue is -- this is the future, OUR future.

Plastic surgery is no panacea for psychological problems, and it won’t end the world’s ills. For the working actor, it can either be a help OR a hindrance. But to deny its existence or obvious benefits when used intelligently is denial in its purest form. It’s here, and it’s here to stay.

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
Check out our all-new ”Before & Afters”
www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647/

I don't see anything wrong with his profile. I also don't believe any CDs will be turned
off by it either, although they will most likely be turned off by a lack of talent or acting skills.
Wasn't there an actress that was in Dirty Dancing that later decided on a nose job & no one
recognized her & her career came to an abrupt stop?
Please tell your friend that he is fine the way he is (physically) & should divert his time & energy to improving his acting skills & reaching his goal.

May I suggest that you read my post again... thoroughly?

... oh sorry Robert, I must have just skimmed over your long post. Thanks, so her name was Jennifer Gray.

quote:

Originally posted by JimChevallier:
If your buddy is thinking this hard about this, he's probably got way more problems in being an actor than his nose.

I doth protest.

His friend's insecurity about his personal appearance was every bit as valid and normal as any young man his age would have, PARTICULARLY one entering a business as competitive and looks-based as this one. It was a logical, perfectly legitimate inquiry.

Whether he wanted advice about his hair style, his clothing choices, or whether or not to wear contact lens or get his teeth straightened, don't belittle or minimize his question. He has every right to ask it.

It's all a part of the process.

“Whatever works.”

www.robertkim.com
Check out my all-new ”Before & Afters”
www.imdb.com/name/nm0453647/

In the main, Robert, I agree with your lengthy and well-balanced post. But in this case I do get the impression of someone looking for defects in themselves.

You can choose hair styles, clothing, contacts, readily enough - and reverse them readily enough if they don't work. Plastic surgery is far more radical (not that I'm opposed to it per se).

My main point is that to think you can't be an actor because you don't have a particular standard kind of profile reveals a very shaky idea of what being an actor is. Unless your only goal is to be a soap star.

I fully agree that appearance has its importance in this business. I just think one should be an actor first and see where actual obstacles appear rather than starting with the idea of "I don't fit a certain ideal" and making that decisive.

As I said above, I think this person may discover, once they've auditioned a bit, that CD's (or more likely student filmmakers at this point) are concerned with things the person hasn't even thought of. They may also find people saying, "Hey, get me the guy with that nose again".

Act first. The obstacles - and opportunities - will appear on their own.