Talk about smoldering! New York-based actor PJ Ransone is the definition of indie hotness, but unlike most young actors, he could give a toss ['ello, 'ello, 'ello—Ed.]. You see, he is just too cool to be bothered.
After appearing everywhere from HBO's The Wire to Larry Clark's ultra-controversial Ken Park, what does PJ do? He comes back to New York and just chiiiiills. That is a huge middle finger to the movie industry, and we are fully behind it. Brando? Depp? Are you listening?
"Acting, to me, is the highest form of art," PJ ruminates. "The most important element of it is making a full commitment to it. Acting is my life and I would die for it. I'm not going to appear in just anything. I would never do anything with babies."
And acting is majorly a calling, too. PJ knew he wanted to act from the day he was born. Most people don't know what they want to do with their lives until they are at least 20. "I came out of the womb an actor," confirms PJ. "It isn't something you develop. If you're lucky, you are born with it, and you spend the rest of your life refining your skill like a fucking ninja."
So what is it about sitting in a trailer all day and occasionally repeating a line (verbatim) that a director just told you to say that appeals to PJ so much? That's a serious question. It is like asking, "What is it that compels artists to make art?" There is no choice for the true actor—every pore of his body exudes method and technique, and he can spend as long as a week learning how to do an accent like "Southern" or "British."
PJ positively sizzles. Look at that face, all dark secrets and angles. That torso, cut as if from marble. PJ has the kind of sinewy, rough-trade appeal that makes rich pedophiles want to invite him to their mansion in Vermont or their pied à terre in Montreal. But that kind of attention just isn't for him. "Look, I was born looking the way I do," PJ huffs with arms crossed. "It's not like I choose to be handsome. All I want to do is work on the craft. I've been doing a lot of cold readings and breathing exercises lately. Just trying to get my chops in shape for the next role that I can inhabit."
Hands off, world—PJ Ransone is seriously the real deal!
TEXT: HANK SKIN / PHOTO: TIM BARBER |
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