It's been said: "Life is a comedy for those who think, and a tragedy for those who feel."



And the more you study drama and film, the more you begin to realize that there is little or no difference between a comic or tragic story... it all boils down to how you LOOK at that story... It's as though we have a Comic Lens and a Tragic Lens with which to view life. The truth of the matter is, comedies are about the pain of being alive, and tragedies are about the pain of being alive. But one you feel directly and intensely (tragedy) and the other (comedy), you sort of stand back at a remove and only think about... most comedies have a fast pace and do not insist that the viewer feel too much pain... at least, not in a realistic way. In fact, if you're like me, you've found yourself laughing at parts of a tragic film... and shedding a tear at aspects of a preposterously funny film.



SO..... Let's say that two separate, major movies are being made of your life. One is: Your Life as a Tragedy. The other is: Your Life as a Comedy.



Who plays you in each movie? (Amongst actors living or dead).

rasputin . . . how about my life, as a tragi-comedy?? Is that, allowed? That's really how I view my own existence. Trying to think . . . Kirk Douglas??

For my life as a tragedy, Naomi Watts. Not because I look anything like her, but because she's great at playing that "I don't know what the heck is going on, but I'm going to keep trying to bluff my way through" sort of person. Remember her in Mulholland Drive? On bad days I feel completely at sea, so I figure she's my girl.

For comedy, Parker Posey. Ever see Best in Show? That character is me in overdrive, much as I hate to admit it.

Oh, this is a great topic, Dave, very interesting. As I tend always to emphasize the happy, positive moments of life, I would choose Susan Sarandon (a la "Thelma and Louise") to play the lighthearted role. And Sigourney Weaver to play the dark side. That would be a perfect pairing of the Two Suz.

Comedy Marge Simpson............or Homer


Trajedy Holly HUnter




oops "tragedy"

OK, my turn: Kevin Spacey to play the serious/dramatic side of me; Christopher Guest to play the risible side of me.

The funny parts of my life...are screwball -- pure corn...and I can't think of a better comedic actress than Anna Faris, of "Scary Movie" fame...to do me up right.
Plus, I think she's as cute as a bug's ear!

Anna Faris



For that tragic story, I choose Kate Winslet.
She does tragedy oh-so-well, she has a fabulous natural sneer, which could come in handy in such a film, and, finally, she does look like I did when I was younger, thinner, and firmer.

Kate Winslet

Well the comic me would have to be Eve Arden and the tragic - oooh thats the difficult one , maybe Stockard Channing.

Hmmm, tragedy - Great Garbo or Olivia de Haviland ... comedy - Helen Hunt or Jill Clayburgh.

Tragedy: Barbara Stanwyck. Comedy: Irene Dunne.

The comedy me: Andrea Martin, who makes me laugh so hard I squeak. If she weren't available, I'd take Jennifer Coolidge, who's also hysterical. (She was married to the old geezer in "Best in Show.")

The tragedy me ... Meryl Streep or Kathy Bates. They're both wonderful at comedy too, which I think just adds to their poignancy when they play more tragic figures. If I wanted to go for unremitting bleakness, I'd go for Liv Ullman.

I think Liza Minelli could play both.

The comic side of me, the very unheard gay actor, till this day, silent and sound star, William Haines. I loved how he just got out the biz and made a career for himself in Interior Design and was so successful at it. He made lemonade out of lemons when he realized he couldn't put up the charade he was gay and couldn't hide it any longer to the Hollywood Press. That takes a lot of ######. A good book on him is called, "Wisecracker". A good read to check out.

The tragic side of me, Well, that would be most likely be someone like Woody Allen(Always had some of the best one-liners like Groucho Marx, whom I love dearly too) from his flick, "Manhattan". Great film. I know he has a bad rap now cause of all that Soon Yi stuff and his ex, Mia. But the man was brilliant in that film portraying a man that loved the wrong woman and finally realized the right one was right under his nose all along at the end of the film.

Comic me: Lisa Kudrow or Jenna Elfman

Tragic me: Simone Signoret

ras, you post some tought questions!!! Lemme see....

The comic me would be played by Molly Shannon because she cracks me up.

The tragic me would be Cate Blanchett because she's so cool and controlled in her pain, and I wish I could be like that.