Natalie Portman will be shaved for a role!!

On Demi I guess I'm biased: I don't think her acting was worth a crust (never mind 12m) in any of her movies.

But my impression was that her movies were already bombing before GI Jane and the 12m offers were probably getting harder to come by.

Jeff

To misquote: there are lies, damned lies, statistics, political spin doctoring and movie publicity.

An actress SAYS she's excited about shaving her head (or the movie) - I mean she'd hardly be likely to say I need the money and it's the only role on offer (Not I hasten to add that I am suggesting that's Natalie's position). Come on these are people who are paid to say other people's words as if they meant them.

Equally no producer is going to say she really didn't want to but we bullied her into it (very different to admitting she was unsure about at first it but she bought into the director's vision).

I mean do we really believe that oft stated: "Oh I did all my own stunts" - as if the insurance company holding the completion bond would let them even if they could and would like to.

Maybe she does find the role an exciting challenge worth the sacrifice. Maybe she's fancied a bald look and been unable to try it because of movie roles. I don't know - what I do know is that most such cases have been either gratuitous, or desparate attempts to kick start a career or revive a flagging one (Demi Moore). Whatever very few actresses have found it bumped them from the B list to the A list.

Jeff

Natalie's hair length is extensions, BTW! In Holocaust movies, I suppose shaving is a necessity for women in portraying the reality of the horror. But, I remember Jane Seymour wore a fake cap in lieu of shaving. In general, I think it's pointless in this age of digitalization for a main character to be shorn.
Bai Ling's was the most senseless shearing ever. She had the most gorgeous hair near her knees! The cutting was off camera, and she only appeared briefly with a bald head in scenes afterward. Bob

I've seen fake balds of her and they looked good on her and you knew they were fake. So if the fakes look good on her then so will the real thing. I for one can't wait to see how sexy she will look bald, also for all us who may think she looks good bald enjoy as much as you can because chances are she will grow it out shortly after filming raps up, which BTW I read in the Detroit News that the movie is execeted to be released on November 25, 2005, which seems quick compared to some movies that take a long time to be released in theaters. We should just be happy that Natalie wants to shave her head and not being forced to, and at her age she can pull of being bald just fine, she is after all very sexy and not just her hair, I think some people are being to judgemental!!

Franperez wrote: I shaved my head last summer,and in a couple of months my hair had grown back about 1'5 inches.It's not so dramatic.

remember Natalie has long hair so when she cuts her hair really short then bald that will be very, very dramatic for her especially going from gorgeous long hair to an ugly bald head

I agree with Rod. I assume that by "excited" Natalie means she appreciates the challenge of the role. Look at how Hillary S**** won an Academy Award for portraying a guy and cutting her hair short a few years back, also a very challenging role.

fatmoogas wrote: I think head shaving in movies is a tired fad. Rarely, does an ugly woman shave her head on screen. It is usually a desirable woman who will manipulate the feelings of her fan base by publicing a head shave in one of her pictures. After this, many people will go to see the movie only for the aforementioned 'shave'. As I said once before, nobody expects an actress to cut off an arm if she is portraying a disabled person. Wigs today are excellent and there is really no reason other than the wish to make an easy hit movie, for these ubiquitous head shaves.

You are right, fatmoogas, nobody expects an actress to cut off an arm (or a leg, for that matter) if she is to portray a disabled person. You have made a good point.

However, the argument contains a key omission, which is...

get ready fatmo...

an arm..

or a leg, for that matter...

ready?

WON'T GROW BACK!!! HAIR GROWS BACK!!! NATALIE PORTMAN'S HAIR WILL GROW BACK!!! CUT OFF ARM, ARM GONE, CUT OFF HAIR, HAIR *VOILA* COMES BACK!!! AM I SHOUTING? NO, I am LAUGHING on my end, and ubiquitous head shaves? (A CIA plot perhaps?) You think this is big news on a hair board because a headshave occurs every, oh, I don't know, three minutes in this country? No, it's big news on a hairboard because...

get ready...

fatmoo...

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THAT OFTEN!!!

Here's a challenge to you, fat: name all the instances you know of. Then, compare your findings to your definition of ubiquitous. Either:

1) your understanding of the word ubiquitous is faulty, or

2) yours are the rants of the garden variety conspiracy nut.

Which?

You have an interesting point, but I disagree. Two examples I bring up are Toni Collette in "8½ Women" and Cate Blanchett in "Heaven". Both women cut off their hair for the role in a movie that was never intended for a large audience. Neither movie grossed much money, and the actresses worked for basically scale in both movies.

Why? I believe they felt that they could be artistically challenged, and they felt the physical transformation was essential to a great role. How is this different to Dustin Hoffman staying up for 24 hours to simulate being tortured in "Marathon Man" or the many actors who put on weight for a role like Robert DeNiro in "Raging Bull".

With that said, I do believe there are examples of what you call "ubiquitous" head shaves, case in point was Demi Moore in "GI Jane".

fatmoogas wrote: I think head shaving in movies is a tired fad. Rarely, does an ugly woman shave her head on screen. It is usually a desirable woman who will manipulate the feelings of her fan base by publicing a head shave in one of her pictures. After this, many people will go to see the movie only for the aforementioned 'shave'. As I said once before, nobody expects an actress to cut off an arm if she is portraying a disabled person. Wigs today are excellent and there is really no reason other than the wish to make an easy hit movie, for these ubiquitous head shaves.

fatmoogas wrote: I think head shaving in movies is a tired fad. Rarely, does an ugly woman shave her head on screen. It is usually a desirable woman who will manipulate the feelings of her fan base by publicing a head shave in one of her pictures. After this, many people will go to see the movie only for the aforementioned 'shave'. As I said once before, nobody expects an actress to cut off an arm if she is portraying a disabled person. Wigs today are excellent and there is really no reason other than the wish to make an easy hit movie, for these ubiquitous head shaves.

A "fad?" Speilberg had women shave their heads in "Schindler's List" because it was a fad? It was hardly only attractive women who did so. If the part called for it, then the actress or actor did so. It's only when a lead actress does so that it makes news. And lead actresses are attractive. Samantha Morton shaved her head for "Minority Report," but it hardly got a blip. That's because isn't exactly ugly, but she's not a sexy icon.

I can't think of a movie where there was a head shave that it wasn't necessary for the movie and that it was done to manipulate the public or get them to go to the film. Demi Moore's head shave in "GI Jane" was integral. And people didn't go to the film. It didn't get her fans to go. The movie bombed.

I suppose it's possible to use a wig in such a situation, but why would you? Shaving your head isn't cutting off your arm. There's no physical harm to the person. There's more authenticity with an actual head shave than a wig. Wigs sometimes come off as fake. If the actor is willing to shave his or her head, what's the problem?

I think head shaving in movies is a tired fad. Rarely, does an ugly woman shave her head on screen. It is usually a desirable woman who will manipulate the feelings of her fan base by publicing a head shave in one of her pictures. After this, many people will go to see the movie only for the aforementioned 'shave'.

As I said once before, nobody expects an actress to cut off an arm if she is portraying a disabled person. Wigs today are excellent and there is really no reason other than the wish to make an easy hit movie, for these ubiquitous head shaves.