In 2004 Ben Stiller starred in the movie Dodgeball and approximately 10 years later The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
I think if these were the first two Ben Stiller movies you saw, you would struggle to believe it was the same actor.
Over the years a ‘Ben Stiller’ movie has evolved into a very different beast.
Walking into the cinema to watch Dodgeball you could safely expect Stiller’s character to be wacky, crazy and over the top.
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Stiller’s performance was closer to subtle, minimalist and non expressive (he also directed the film!)
And the contrast wasn’t shocking because over the decade Stiller has steadily been moving away from the outrageous and more towards serious.
This artistic evolution isn’t restricted to Stiller either.
Justin Bieber is not the same musician as when he started.
Liam Neeson was not always considered an action star.
David Bowie reinvented himself constantly.
And Tom Hanks used to be perceived as just a comedic actor.
It seems that the creatives that last adhere to the motto – evolve or be forgotten.
Thomas Duggan 