It was considered a radical career move in 2005 when Glenn Close took a job on a weekly cable-TV series. The stage and film actress with a string of Oscar nominations and awards to her credit temporarily bypassed the big screen to play a cop on “The Shield.”
Asked why she was doing a cable show, the “Fatal Attraction” and “Dangerous Liaisons” star noted the “spectacular writing going on in television.”
Again more recently, when she played a ruthless lawyer on “Damages,” the idea that an A-lister would take on a cable-TV role caused a stir. She credited the appeal of the writing, and the fact that she could stay in New York with her family during shooting.
Not that dipping into TV hurt her career. Last week she was nominated for yet another Oscar, for playing the title character in “Albert Nobbs.”
Close crossed the line when a perceived prestige gap between movies and television was still very much in evidence.
That was before Jeremy Irons played a 15th century cardinal in Showtime’s “The Borgias,” before Laura Linney took on a weekly series as a cancer patient on “The Big C,” also on Showtime, before Jessica Lange spent a season as the crazy next-door-neighbor on FX’s “American Horror Story.”
As cable drama enjoys a golden age on TV, the march of talent to the small screen continues. And we’re not talking Ashton Kutcher. Marquee names who’ve conquered Broadway and Hollywood and made film history are being lured to series work. The prestige gap may be shrinking.
Add Dustin Hoffman to the list of notables who are finding challenging work on cable TV. HBO nabbed the biggest name of the season for “Luck,” premiering at 7 p.m. tonight on HBO. In “Luck,” Hoffman takes his first bow on the small screen.
When we first spy Hoffman as life-long gambler Chester “Ace” Bernstein in “Luck,” he’s about to be released from prison.
For a moment, the star wattage is distracting. Hoffman’s history of film and Broadway credits springs to mind, from “The Graduate” to “Death of a Salesman.” Scanning his face and hearing his thinner voice, viewers are forgiven for noting it’s been 45 years since Benjamin Braddock was seduced by Mrs. Robinson.
Then his ability to withdraw into the character takes hold.
Hoffman is Ace Bernstein, a calculating gambler, concluding a three-year prison stretch. He’s cranky, crude and off to the races. Literally. He plans to focus on the Santa Anita race track to set things right.
“Luck,” a slow but engrossing drama set in the world of horse racing, is the latest from creator David Milch (“Deadwood”), who owns and races thoroughbreds. It is as visually stunning as it is plodding, beautifully directed by Michael Mann.
Cable’s moment
Producers and actors suggest several reasons for the appeal of cable TV drama as the artistic forum of the moment.
Unlike broadcast TV, cable dramas don’t require a 22-episode season. The schedule is less grueling, the acting rewards are potentially greater.
Unlike big-screen projects, cable series offer screenwriters the chance to explore characters in depth, over a prolonged period. Not for a couple of hours but for multiple weeks, and perhaps multiple seasons.
The studio’s commitment to a project and marketing support extends beyond opening weekend: Immediate box office and ratings considerations are less crucial. Slow growth can be good enough.
Creative freedom is a draw. Unlike commercial network TV, cable affords relative freedom for writers, producers and directors to explore adult territory (including language, nudity and sexual situations.) For actors, the opportunity to take part in a more sophisticated, literate project can be equally appealing.
Hoffman has said the filming of “Luck” was not very different from feature film work. It’s not like shooting a movie on speed, as he feared. In fact, the use of three cameras, all digital, means less reshooting time for actors.
The list of award-winning hours in recent years confirms the high level of serious work occuring in cable dramas, from “The Sopranos” and “The Wire” to “Mad Men” and “Justified.”
While in Britain the line between stage, movie and TV has always been more porous (Helen Mirren has moved back and forth for decades), in the American entertainment industry the idea of big-name movie actors deigning to do cable TV is still cause for comment.
Perhaps there’s one person who can change that.
Meryl Streep, who was also nominated for an Oscar last week for “The Iron Lady,” is often identified as America’s greatest living actress. She hasn’t ventured into ongoing small-screen roles yet, although she did appear in the TV miniseries “Angels in America.” Maybe when she’s Hoffman’s age, 74, headlining a cable series will hold more appeal for her. It’s just possible she could bridge the prestige gap for good.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
