He-Man and Adam: Same actor or not?

[Mer-Man's Minion]

Ummm damn ... i think I just voted yes in the poll!!!
But I think he-man and adam should be played by the same actor, yes!



The reason is that the thread title applies yes to my question (yes, he-man and adam should be played by the same actor) ... but then the poll-question is different ( He-Man and Adam played by different actor) ... so if you just quickly vote on this thread you make a mistake... therfor i assume the outcome of this poll could not be represantative if more folks make the same mistake. And reading the reply above apparently "Pig Boy" did too.

Yeah, that's misleading (unintentionally, I'm sure)---I didn't even catch it until I saw it pointed out here. So the poll is probably pretty inaccurate.

If I wanted to see a live action MOTU, I would prefer they go the original thought of Filmation and have two different actors (even though Filmation is animated, but you know what I mean). It's so much more "realistic" for the concept to have weaker Adam and bigger He-Man.

I am just voicing my opinion on it. He-Man was a big part of my childhood and it really hurt me to see how bad it was when I got older.

Like with Transformers, I look back and see that the cartoons were pretty bad.

Why do they have to be "bad" in your mind? Can't they just be "nostalgic"? Fond memories? When I watch any shows from my childhood, even if they're not the best-made shows, I love watching them and get warm fuzzies inside because of the great memories of my childhood. Sure there's cheesiness, but that's part of its charm to me. Maybe I'm just a sentimental fool. (okay, scratch the "maybe", haha).

What really kills me is that Thundercats was actually really good, which feels like He-Man was cheated because they were second-rate He-Man wannabe characters.

I can see what you mean, though I think the characterizations are quite different. I love both shows (and POP too).

I'd like him to go back and forth a couple times during the movie.

Definitely.

[Darth Latveria]

Yeah, that's misleading (unintentionally, I'm sure)---I didn't even catch it until I saw it pointed out here. So the poll is probably pretty inaccurate.

Am I the only person here who reads full sentences before answering? The title of of the thread is "He-Man and Adam: Same actor or not?" -- Answering yes to that doesn't mean anything since both options are there. It's like saying, 'do you want steak or chicken?' and someone says "yes". Sheesh people, you scare me sometimes

Why do they have to be "bad" in your mind? Can't they just be "nostalgic"? Fond memories? When I watch any shows from my childhood, even if they're not the best-made shows, I love watching them and get warm fuzzies inside because of the great memories of my childhood. Sure there's cheesiness, but that's part of its charm to me. Maybe I'm just a sentimental fool. (okay, scratch the "maybe", haha).

For me it depends on how good my memories are of the shows to begin with. In the case of He-Man, I remember loving it but have no memory of it itself. And for various reasons that I don't want to get into, I have large chunks of my childhood blocked from memory, so my memories of a lot of things around that time are pretty spotty to begin with.

So watching it is like watching something entirely new. This is particularly the case with He-Man. I remember some transformers, so i guess i have a better tolerance for it.

[Mer-Man's Minion]

Am I the only person here who reads full sentences before answering? The title of of the thread is "He-Man and Adam: Same actor or not?" -- Answering yes to that doesn't mean anything since both options are there. It's like saying, 'do you want steak or chicken?' and someone says "yes". Sheesh people, you scare me sometimes

What??

Well I guess a lot of us assume the thread title question will be the same as the poll question, so we just go right to the vote; especially if it's something we feel strongly about. I want them to be different actors, so as soon as those of us who do see "Same actor or not?", to us that implies the answer "yes" means same actor, and "no" means different actor. So we're all geared up to hurry up and vote "no" because we want them different, lol.

But then you switch around the question so the answers are the opposite. "Should they use a different actor?" Here "yes" agrees with our initial "no" response that we do want different actors, whereas if the poll question were "Should He-Man and Adam be played by the same actor?", it would match up with how we interpret the thread title question; but now we're all mixed up. lol

For me it depends on how good my memories are of the shows to begin with. In the case of He-Man, I remember loving it but have no memory of it itself. And for various reasons that I don't want to get into, I have large chunks of my childhood blocked from memory, so my memories of a lot of things around that time are pretty spotty to begin with.

So watching it is like watching something entirely new. This is particularly the case with He-Man. I remember some transformers, so i guess i have a better tolerance for it.

Ahh, okay. Gotcha.

[Darth Latveria]

What??

Well I guess a lot of us assume the thread title question will be the same as the poll question, so we just go right to the vote; especially if it's something we feel strongly about. I want them to be different actors, so as soon as those of us who do see "Same actor or not?", to us that implies the answer "yes" means same actor, and "no" means different actor. So we're all geared up to hurry up and vote "no" because we want them different, lol.

But then you switch around the question so the answers are the opposite. "Should they use a different actor?" Here "yes" agrees with our initial "no" response that we do want different actors, but now we're all mixed up. lol

But that's the thing. There is no meaningful answer to the thread title!

When you ask, "same actor or not?" and then someone says "yes", it means nothing. The yes can aply to the first part or the second part!!! Like i said, if you ask someone, "chicken or fish", and they say "yes" that doesn't answer the question!

[Mer-Man's Minion]

But that's the thing. There is no meaningful answer to the thread title!

When you ask, "same actor or not?" and then someone says "yes", it means nothing. The yes can aply to the first part or the second part!!! Like i said, if you ask someone, "chicken or fish", and they say "yes" that doesn't answer the question!

Technically you are right, but some of us automatically interpret questions like that as yes = the positive answer ("same"), no = the negative answer ("not"). And since this is a poll, those of us assumed it would be a "yes/no" poll. And "chicken" and "fish" don't carry positive or negative connotations, they're just two different variables.

Isn't it funny and interesting how people interpret things differently?

You're weird. heehee (I know, you'll give that right back to me, LOL )

[Dave-Man]

Personally I'd like Prince Adam to get the power sword and have the Sorceress give him a choice- Defend Eternia with the rest of the Masters as Adam or become He-Man from then on and there is no turning back, i.e. he chooses his path and must follow it.
... the "I have the power" part can be said just before He-Man fights or he gets a boost of power from Grayskull.

Actually, I like this idea a great deal. Like have He-Man be a title, or a derisive nickname given to Adam after he gets his power by Skeletor or something. I remember reading a fan comic like this - everybody knew that He-Man and Adam were the same person and he didn't transform (except for, I am assuming, the intial "power up".)

[JonnyTyler]

First of all, the Superman/He Man comparison is really a horrible idea. Superman is ALWAYS Superman. Regardless of if he's wearing glasses as Clark Kent, or flying around the Daily Planet, he's still Superman. He ALWAYS has his powers!! Prince Adam is a normal, average kid. It's not like all Adam has to do is pull off his shirt, throw on a harness, and BAM, he's He-Man. No. Adam actually BECOMES someone else. Having Adam and He Man played by the same actor is a really bad idea, and i think will be the stake in the heart of this movie. Filmation is not the "Begin all/End all" as far as Masters of the Universe goes. In fact it's probably my least favorite of all the renditions. Maybe a few of the later mini comics are worse, but c'mon, the only reason Adam and He Man looked the EXACT same was because they wanted to keep thier labor and cost down by using stock footage, and line for line charactor design. Let's be realistic here, if this movie has Adam and He Man played by the same actor, it'll get laughed out of theatres in a matter of weeks.

And plus, how would the transformation scene work. It'd be like, "Wow, all his clothes fell off, and his skins darker...Cool" C'mon, really? I don't think so. It'd be so much cooler to see a younger, smaller actor kind of...TRANSFORM into a bigger, muscular, older person. Imagine how cool that would look with all the digital stuff they can do nowdays. To make this movie more than just a nostalgia trip, and to be an actual legitimate, franchise worthy FILM, Adam and He Man should, by all means, be played by seperate actors. C'mon people, common scence will tell you that.

And, sorry if this comes off rather nasty. I truelly don't mean to pick on anybodies opinions. Alot of what I wrote should be read with sarcasm in full swing, and a rather dry secne of humor. Again, sorry, and hope I didn't offend anyone.

[Adam_Prince of Eternia]

Adam actually BECOMES someone else.

He-Man is Prince Adam imbued with the Power of Grayskull; he is not a different person.

[JonnyTyler]

Alright, I see your point, but I still have to disagree. They may be the "same person" mentally, but physically, they are, or should be, a totally different person. where as Superman, no matter what, is always Superman. That was my point in saying that, and also why I feel it will be alot better, and make more sence for Adam and He Man to be played by different actors.

[Adam_Prince of Eternia]

Alright, I see your point, but I still have to disagree. They may be the "same person" mentally, but physically, they are, or should be, a totally different person.

The mind of Prince Adam does not go into the body of He-Man. Rather, the body of Prince Adam is transformed into that of He-Man.

[Lion-O]

Crud, hit the wrong vote.

Anyhow, I would prefer two different actors in the roles: one bigger older guy for He-Man, one younger more average sized guy for Adam in the style of New Adventures and MYP.

[Ulicus]

Alright, I see your point, but I still have to disagree. They may be the "same person" mentally, but physically, they are, or should be, a totally different person.

In the MYP series at least, I always figured that "He-Man" was simply what Adam would look like in ten years time assuming he maintained peak fitness.

Obviously he wouldn't have such power in ten years time (though, actually, I liked the idea that the transformations were conditioning him so that eventually he'd get to the point where the power was a part of him, ala King Grayskull) - but physically? Yeah, he was just an older, buffer, Adam.

I haven't voted on the poll because I'm not sure what I'd like to see.

A part of me thinks that they should scrap the "secret identity" idea altogether and go with the same actor. Introduce us to Prince Adam, then have him given the power of Grayskull and transform in one truly amazing sequence and then leave him as He-Man for the rest of the flick. Perhaps with him briefly losing his powers when he's captured or whatever before he has to transform again. Either way, IU people wouldn't think He-Man and Adam were separate. They'd know full well that Adam had become He-Man.

If they WANT to keep the secret identity and the same actors, the ideal thing would be to film all the Prince Adam scenes very early on - before the actor has bulked up. Then film all the He-Man scenes later.

The "teenage Adam/adult He-Man" thing could work providing they cast a Prince Adam who actually looks like a younger version of He-Man. In Superman Returns, I thought the actor playing a sixteen year old Clark Kent was convincing as a younger Brandon Routh. If they managed to get two actors who looked similarly convincing as younger and older versions of each other, I'd be pleased.

What I don't want is for Prince Adam to not exist at all. There HAS to be a transformation sequence. Whether it's just a change of wardrobe and a tan or added muscle mass and age... I want to see something.

[Burning Ember]

They should film a guy in his late teens for all the Adam parts, then give him 4-5 years to grow and bulk up for the He-Man scenes. That's only only way to solve this

[phantom1592]

Bahh...... I don't think all of Eternia was blind. I figured that out LONG ago!

I figure He-man is just the biggest hero and rolemodel on Eternia, therefore EVERYONE wants to look like him! I figure all the cool kids would have the He-man Haircut, and that power sword probably had replicas floating all around. If anyone asked Man at arms made one for him.

I think the "tan" was the best disguise of them all. That's tough to fake at the drop of a hat!

All that said, I think MYP did a good job showing Weak kid into mighty warrior, and I voted for two actors. I don't even need them to be brothers, or twins or any other goofy things. Lets be honest. With the kind of Build they need He-man to have, we're probably going to be stuck with a wrestler. If they can find some with the muscles who can actually ACT then I'll be Happy. I don't need him to look EXACTLY like Adam.

Nor do I think people are going to be "confused" by different actors. People ARE generally stupid.... but not THAT stupid It will just be less Superman, and more Hulk. Show adam raising the sword, getting hit by lightning, physically growing, and then make some comment about how much more powerful he is NOW. People will get it

[hhhelmsley]

Yeah, I would love to have both Grace and Prepon in it. I loved their interaction on That 70's Show. While I can see people thinking too much about the show because of them both being in it, I think that the chemistry that they have is perfect for it.

I'd like it to start out as them having a sibling'y kind of relationship, like Donna and Eric. Then over time, Teela falls for He-Man and Adam gets the hots for Teela. By the time the third movie comes along, we get Adam and Teela finally hooked up.

and then do the circle.

I think the answer depend on wish version of Prince Adam they use, 80's or 200x.

[Uki]

I debated a bit, as there is the point that a measure of character development could be lost as we switch between actors. (At least non-fans might not be able to "adapt" to this...)
Still, Adam does in fact change into He-Man, and while it worked for Filmation (which I love to death), the MYP had it right. I believe that we should definately have two actors. Once upon a time, I disagreed and thought that Heath Ledger could pull off both roles-perhaps filmed with an expanse of time between, during which he would've bulked up considerably.
Now, I very much like the notion of Topher Grace as Adam. He-man is...trickier.
For that matter, if Toper was Adam, I might renege on my support for Prepon as Teela... I don't know.

[Midwinter]

I think that new watchers would have a hard time with different actors playing Adam and He-Man. I think it also alienates most people in general. People enjoy He-Man and characters that hide their identities (batman, superman).

Making it so that Adam turns in to a whole different person is awkward and strange. I can no longer relate to that as a viewer personally.

[Mirage]

Actually, I like this idea a great deal. Like have He-Man be a title, or a derisive nickname given to Adam after he gets his power by Skeletor or something.

I've always seen that as a Teela line ("WOW! What a He-Man!")

Anyhow, I would prefer two different actors in the roles: one bigger older guy for He-Man, one younger more average sized guy for Adam in the style of New Adventures and MYP.

You would have Topher Grace transform into The Rock?

[PaoloKr]

For a MOTU fan it would be normal but for the others it may sound ridiculous...
So no!

[Evil_Horde]

For me two actor different!

[fantombe]

Same actor would be better I think. It's not too difficult. Bodybuilders (not the ridiculous looking caricatures making up the Olympia line-up these days) look just like everyone else in normal clothes. They only stand out as having an exceptional physique when wearing clothes that are specifically designed to show off the fact, i.e. tight, or revealing.

It certainly wouldn't be difficult to make the two look different enough (as we know in the mini-comics and then the original cartoon they looked identical, but they don't have to go this far) through costume, hair, and make-up.

You want to feel like there's some kind of connection between the two, and I think it would distance the two characters (rather than just the superficial) too much if you separated the actors, unless of course they were both exceptional actors!

[Teela-Na]

I'm against having Adam, but since he is part of the mythology, the best way to go would be to cast an unknown set of brothers, one older, taller and bigger built, and the other younger and skinnier. Then the two would bear some resemblance but one would look like a more adult and beefed up version of the other.

[MegaGearMax]

Different actor.

Opinion is SHARPLY divided on this topic.

[Battle_Brak]

If they want to go with the transformation/alter ego scenario then two different actors is a necessity. I don't think we can expect general audiences to suspend their disbelief for something line that. Heck, I'm a fan and I know I can't suspend my disbelief for that. If, however, they do an "Adam grows into He-man" scenario (which in my opinion is a far better idea) then one actor would be preferable.

[King Tycho]

I'm surprised this is so evenly divided. I can't imagine how they could pass off Adam and He-Man convincingly as the same actor.