Photo Source: Getty Images/NBA
Most may not immediately think that actors and basketball players have the same skills, but Huffington Post blogger Rick Schwartz posted a piece on Monday arguing that Carla Gugino is the Jeremy Lin of acting.
Schwartz, who was an executive producer of the Oscar-nominated "Black Swan" and was co-producer of the Oscar-nominated "The Departed," is not saying that Carla Gugino is a talented basketball player working in the entertainment industry. Rather, he believes that Lin and Gugino share a few characteristics, including a very important one: They make everyone around them better in their respective professions.
Though such a quality is supposed to be inherent in actors and basketball players, Schwartz said, "it requires a selflessness not often seen," which makes the two individuals admirable. Gugino has helped countless co-stars, including Jim Carrey, Robert De Niro, David Duchovny, Dwayne Johnson, and Ben Stiller, shine without stealing the limelight.
Gugino has worked in television ("Californication," "Justified"), movies ("Night at the Museum" "Spy Kids" series), and theater ("The Road to Mecca") for decades, demonstrating her range and acting skill. Schwartz argued, "She moves seamlessly from family films to horror to fantasy to comedy to studio blockbusters to tiny independent movies to theatre. That would be like Lin playing all week for the Knicks, suiting up for the Liberty on weekends and hitting the local Y late night just to keep his game sharp."
According to Schwartz, the collective gross for all Gugino's films is $1.4 billion, while Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon's total is $1.1 billion. The average gross of Katherine Heigl's movies in the 2000s is $52 million, whereas Gugino's average in the same time period is $60 million..
Despite her talent, good recent track record, and years of experience, Gugino likely is being paid much less than better-known actors. There are plenty of actors that are, as Schwartz said, "under-appreciated and under-valued," but Gugino stands out.
She apparently can give even Jeremy Lin a run for his money.
