@mickey wrote:
For me he is exceptional as an over the top Rumple and convincing while conveying emotions.
One of the most emotionally powerful moments in the series, to me, is the moment in “Skin Deep” right after Belle walks out. Rumple is standing alone in the dungeon, the camera moves in and RC makes two tiny gestures: a muscle in his cheek twitches twice, and then he slowly closes his eyes. The eloquence of this moment is stunning. The range of his performance, from the cabinet-smashing to this moment, amazes me. As a film history major, I studied hundreds of films, and more often than not I’ve felt that acting lost a poignant subtlety when sound was introduced to film, but it’s performances like this that change my mind.
I would encourage anyone who enjoyed this moment to see Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School, where RC plays a character on the opposite end of the spectrum from Rumple.
And by the way, I think over-the-top is exactly how Rumple should be played. It’s part of his Dark One act, scares people a bit, throws them off-kilter; it gives Rumple an advantage in his deal-making and keeps people at a distance. Watch how he is with Snow: much quieter, more genuine. It makes him vulnerable, but he trusts her not to take advantage of that, and he comes to trust Charming in the same way. He vowed he would love no one else until he found Bae, but Snow and Charming are winning him over.