We expect reputation and credentials to deliver. Past success is thought of as an indicator of future success. When the vehicle isn’t good enough for the driver, we expect too much.
Robert De Niro’s super stardom is legend. Trained to act as a child, he’s a two-time academy award winner with a history of great movies and big stature in the industry. I’m a big fan.
Good and bad movies need him. Good movies because they require good actors to deliver on a good screen play that is well-directed (Godfather 2, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The Deer Hunter etc). Bad movies because they hope some of the greatness might rub off on the movie, or that the name alone will draw moviegoers.
Sometimes the movie is so bad that even De Niro can’t make it good (Mistress, Righteous Kill, and the movie that prompted this post, Machete). But then again, maybe he’s just fooling or having some fun sometimes.
Bad script, poor direction, weak supporting cast sabotage the best talent in the movies and in businesses. Looking to hire a superstar? Think about what you need to do to get the greatest value from their capability.
Super stars and potential superstars have a few failures in their history and that’s not a bad thing. I’m the Outsider and that’s what I think.