Joel Crothers - DS's Most Underrated Actor?

[Philippe Cordier]

I've commented over the years on how natural a performer Joel Crothers is.  Partly his naturalness may be dictated by his regular-guy character, Joe Haskell.  But with some acting experience myself, I know it isn't as easy as it looks to appear natural, at ease, comfortable -- it can be easier to be stagey and overly dramatic (Betsy Durban's over-emoting, anyone? )

He and KLS are such comparable performers -- there is such an ease to their individual performances and the way they work with one another -- you don't even notice most of the time that they ARE acting (now compare that with Humbert Allen Astredo, who never appears natural or believable, IMO, at least not as Nicholas Blair ... though I do admit the dictates of the roles are quite different).

When Joe was panting and out of breath, lying on the sofa in the drawing room at Collinwood, he was BELIEVABLE.  Again, a useful comparison -- or contrast, I should say -- would be the Jeb Hawkes actor (sorry, I'm spacing out on the name) -- imagine him doing the same scene!  Yikes!!

The only times I didn't quite like Crothers was when we seemed to have been directed to be overly hysterical, as with some of his latter scenes in 1795.

I think his performances are sometimes overlooked in favor of the more theatrical (though superb) work of actors like Frid and Thayer David.

[scout75]

I always liked Joel Crothers, but felt that he was generally wasted on Dark Shadows. I think he had a better role on Somerset as Julian--the concert pianist/editor of the town newspaper.

[tripwire]

while i have never acted, i thought joel crothers was a good actor, always seemed relaxed and hardly ever messed up a line ( it could have been the wood, wind for all we know) however, as far as astredo as nicholas, i thought he did an excellent job, couldnt picture anyone else doing a better job.

[CandleLighter]

When Joe was panting and out of breath, lying on the sofa in the drawing room at Collinwood, he was BELIEVABLE.

 I thought the same thing when I saw that today.. it looked real... and also I thought the fight between the werewolf and Joe was very good.

[Connie]

Yes yes yes.  I agree 100%.  Saw both shows today and thought he was excellent.  Fine work in every scene he did.  I also enjoyed his scene with Alex Stevens - thought they pulled it off very well.
Good good stuff.

-CLC

[jennifer]

i also think he was a good actor Vlad probaly one of the better ones on the show!would have been interesting to see him  in more roles  as when he plays
Nathan hard to believe sometimes he is the same guy who plays Joe! great range!

jennifer
HAA is good but sometimes a little too over the top!

[Cassandra]

I agree Vlad, I also thought Joel Crothers did a good job at both portraying Joe and again as Nathan Forbes. These two characters were as different as night & day and he played them both out wonderfully.  As Joe,  he  was everyone's "Mr.Niceguy" and led a seemingly normal life that is up until about two months ago. First he got involved with Angelique, then loses his Fiance, now he just witnesses a horrifying site as his own cousin changes into an animal right before his eyes! If that's not enough to drive a normal man insane, I don't know what is.

IMHO J.C. played out the part superb!  It's too bad he had to leave the show, I would have loved to have seen him play a different character in 1897.

[VAM]

He and KLS are such comparable performers -- there is such an ease to their individual performances and the way they work with one another -- you don't even notice most of the time that they ARE acting...

When Joe was panting and out of breath, lying on the sofa in the drawing room at Collinwood, he was BELIEVABLE.  Again, a useful comparison -- or contrast, I should say -- would be the Jeb Hawkes actor (sorry, I'm spacing out on the name) -- imagine him doing the same scene!  Yikes!!

I agree about the chemistry between Crothers and KLS and the natural quality to their craft. Scott's ability was most appreciated by colleague Lara Parker.  Miss Parker comments about Miss Scott in THE DARK SHADOWS COMPANION as follows: "I remember watching her once before she made an entrance. She had unbuttoned the cuff of her dress in order to be re-buttoning it as she walked in the door. This simple bit of behavior gave her the most natural demeanor, as though she truly lived at Collinwood. Her acting always seemed effortless."

( Vlad, it was Chris Pennock, who portrayed Jeb Hawkes.)

[Birdie]

I am in total agreement Joel Crothers was a wonderful actor.  He did an excellent job, such a same his life was so short.  Like the rest of you I would have enjoyed seeing him play other roles on DS.

Birdie--got to log off --there is something on TV I want to watch. hehe

[Luciaphile]

I would agree with you about Crothers.  I wish they'd given him more to work with--I think he took the parts he did have as far as he could go and there was simply nowhere else to take the character.

Not as impressed with KLS (and as I write this I realize that the members of the TLATKLS club are not going to be pleased ).  She's got a tendency to stare straight into the camera which bugs the hell out of me, but more importantly with some of the actors like Crothers or Barrett or Blackburn, while they're on the screen I can believe in them as characters.  I never ever got that feeling from KLS.  She's always KLS as Maggie or Josette or Rachel or whatever.

Luciaphil

[VictoriaWintersRox]

I think he was a great actor on the show and wasn't able to show his full potential. He was great in his two roles - niceguy Joe and devious Nathan. They were very different and he played them very well. Too bad after 1795 his acting talents just seemed to go to waste on the show

[VAM]

Not as impressed with KLS (and as I write this I realize that the members of the TLATKLS club are not going to be pleased ).

This is not the TLATKLS club speaking. Arguably anything artistic often yields to subjective opinions.

[JoeNathan]

I agree JC was a very good actor (and a personal favorite of mine).  Looks like his last scene on this run of the series will be next Friday (Sept. 27), episode #666.

[kuanyin]

If I hadn't ever seen him as Nathan Forbes, I would be less likely to agree. But he was obviously wonderful in that role. I still find it interesting that he could be so sexy as one character and so not as Joe.

I think that he played Joe TOO well. There is that attitude that is easy to take "Oh, he isn't really acting, he must really be like that." Because he was so natural in the role and it was an every day guy part.

To be honest, though I think he fell short a bit when he had to play Joe as a troubled guy. It is quite likely it wasn't his fault and it was just that it didn't work with the character. I think his final scene is unintentionally hilarious.