A Class Act

Apart from keeping his head on his shoulders, Chris O'Donnell has made some smart moves in his career. Whereas other young good-lookers would have been stuck in the teen idol mould, he has consistently chosen films which, though they were not always obvious mass appeal films, were always a cut above the rest, a class apart. What else could explain choices like Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (opposite Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange) and In Love and War (a war film opposite Sandra Bullock)? Such films, along with commercial block-busters like the Batman films, is a rare combination for a relative newcomer. And it makes Chris a class act.

Lady Luck, of course, has rarely left his side, and has given him ample opportunities to work with the most experienced and respected starts in the industry. He was only a senior in high school when he landed the role as Jessica Lange's son in Men Don't Leave. Despite good reviews, Chris was wary about plunging into the movie business. He continued to pursue his marketing degree at college. It was only when the script of Scent of a Woman found its way into his hands, that he decided to give an acting career his best shot. And he landed the role of a nervous young student opposite Al Pacino's rating blind general. The role won Chris a Golden Globe nomination and the Chicago Film Critics Award as Most Promising Actor of the Year. He was only 21 at the time.

In early 1995 Chris saw his chance to move beyond the teen roles he was being offered. He donned a new, more mature look, and started negotiations for John Grisham's The Chamber. Then Batman Forever happened. Landing the role of Robin in the stupendously successful franchise was no joke. His price doubled overnight and he was hounded by agents who offered him every possible action film under the sun. But Chris was vary of being typecast as an action hero. He wanted to do something closer to real life. So, despite Columbia wooing him to star in their big budget sci-fi flick, Afterlife, Chris decided to held out for The Chamber, for which negotiations were underway. His patience paid off, and he signed the movie for $4 million - three times the amount he had originally been offered. The thriller didn't do as well as expected, but Chris had the opportunity to prove his mettle opposite veteran Gene Hackman. His next film, In Love and War, a film based on Ernest Hemingway's life, didn't do too well either. But despite changes in the lead role of Batman, Chris succeeded in retaining his role as Robin in Batman, Chris succeeded in retaining his role as Robin in Batman and Robin. That may turn out to be his smartest move yet, and is more than likely to neutralise the lukewarm response to his last two films.