Essay question 4

Charlie Chaplin and Humphrey Bogart achieved great success for their powerful screen personas. Consider contemporary examples of actors, male and female, who have maintained consistent and recognizable screen personas over a number of roles. Choose two different actors whose careers span many films. Explain what you believe is the purpose of using a familiar persona in a film and what the limits of such a practice might be.

I. Identify at least two contemporary actors who have maintained consistent and recognizable personas.
II. Using these actors’ films as examples, explain the advantage of using a persona actor in a film.
III. Explain what might be the limits of using a persona actor in a film.