A while ago I heard that David Jason felt haunted by his role of Del Trotter in Only Fools and Horses feeling the character has followed him around for decades and overshadowed all the other work he's done.
I personally disagree with David. Those of us in the UK who know David's work will remember him for Open All Hours, A Touch of Frost, The Darling Buds of May, The Wind in the Willows, and so much more. The guy's been acting since the sixties for goodness sake so that's a lot of work.
True, maybe Del Trotter is the role that instantly comes to mind when you think of David Jason but is that really such a bad thing? To create such a phenomenal character, loved by generations takes a lot of talent and it's proof that he's got it in spades.
But I've noticed that other actors have said the same thing about roles that made them famous and that the public still love. It always feels a bit disappointing to me that the actors who played these much-loved roles don't always feel the same way the public does.
What's that all about?
I work in the arts industry so I totally understand. In this industry, you're only as good as your last work. If you're the hottest thing in entertainment, you have o continue to be the hottest thing in entertainment or you risk not getting hired if you're just 'old news.'
I'm sorry but I think it's silly when they react like that. To portray a character who the nation or the world even regards as 'iconic' is something they ought to be proud of not moan about.
As someone who grew up in the days of Kylie mania, it irritates me the way she sometimes speaks so negatively of that time in her life and her role in Neighbours. Would she be as famous as she is now if it wasn't for Charlene? It was great to see her and Jason back for the Neighbours finale but it was so obvious that she thought she was too good to be there.
Honestly, guys get over yourselves!
I can't recall off the top of my head any artists or celebrities who get offended because they keep being associated with past work. But if they feel like that maybe it's because they feel that something was not quite right with it. Maybe it wasn't their best work or something. Or at least that's what they feel. Or maybe as everyone has said, they're just bored of being asked the same old things time and time again. Personally I don't think anyone should get uptight about the work that got people noticed and made them who they are.
I agree with Sherbette and I can see it from both sides. To us fans, certain roles, characters, and works are very dear to us. But to the artist, they want all the work they've done to be equally acknowledged. There has to be a compromise so everyone is happy.
I remember when New Kids made their comeback in 1994. They seemed eager to distance themselves from their old look and style of music. When asked about the hits that made them famous, they very unenthusiastically stated that they'd do them all in one big medley when on tour. They were joking (in part) but it was clear that they wanted to get away from their former life and focus on their current album (Face the Music) which is understandable but it was very disappointing to us fans that they didn't think their old stuff had the right stuff. I'm glad that since their return in 2008, they've got the balance right between old and new material. So everyone's happy!
I suppose when you have this huge back catalogue of work and everyone just keeps going on about this one role, it probably gets a bit boring. I don't think it's necessarily that they want to get away from certain characters but they're just fed up of answering the same questions.