Norm Gekko

“Wall Street” is a very well-made movie. (If you get a chance, you should also listen to the commentary track Oliver Stone did for it; it’s a good example of the form.) It’s interesting that Gordon Gekko, the quasi-villian of the piece, is its most charismatic character. I have a theory as to why that is.

Whither Bud Fox?

Michael Douglas says/complains that many broker-types have come up to him over the years, and told him that his portrayal of Gordon Gekko was what motivated them to work on Wall Street. (He doesn’t like this, since Gekko isn’t exactly an admirable guy.) Charlie Sheen, on the other hand, doesn’t tell any similar stories about the impact of his character, Bud Fox (the “good guy”). Pretty clearly, Gekko is attractive in a way Fox is not, despite being a man of dubious character. Why?

Norm Abram

Digressing a bit, let’s consider the PBS show “This Old House”. This show has run through three hosts, but Norm Abram has served as its “Master Carpenter” since its inception. In show biz terms, this is a little like Ed McMahon staying on “The Tonight Show” after not only Carson, but Leno retired. (Abram has also landed his own long-running show, “The New Yankee Workshop”.) What makes Norm Abram an engaging TV personality?

Work

I think the key is that both the Gekko character and the Abram persona (he’s in show biz, so who knows what he’s “really” like) are guys who are good at what they do, and, more importantly, enjoy what they do, and share that enthusiasm with the audience. It seems to me that people enjoy a job well done, and are happy to share in one vicariously. This can be a useful principle, whether you’re creating a character, or just presenting yourself.