Match Point (USA - UK, 2005)
Mark March - Day 19 “Favourite scene/bit of acting?”
Mark has done far too many things to make a proper judgement about a favourite piece of acting. Off the top of my head some really great ones include the ‘Dear me Mr Holmes’ moment in ASiB, his League monologues as Mick and Owen, his entire final scene in Coriolanus, the moment his secret comes out in Midsomer Murders, the ‘breakup’ sketch in the League live show, wooing Hal back over to the dark side in Being Human, being so cheerily affable with just a hint of dark mischief throughout most of Crooked House… see I’m just going to list most of his work given half a chance.
So I’ve gone for an off-the-wall choice of Mark’s appearance in the 2005 Woody Allen film Match Point as “Ping-Pong Player”. There he has a grand total of absolutely no lines, and is on-screen for less than six seconds trying (and failing) to play ping pong against Scarlett Johansson. You can see it in full here.
I would argue that this role may not have given Mark much opportunity to flex his acting muscles, but it’s a joy for people like me because a) look at that floof and that jumper he’s adorable and b) this chap is a blank slate upon which to impose any and all headcanons. Who is he? What’s he like? What does he get up to when he’s not losing at table tennis? Does that hair get even floofier when he’s hot and bothered?
Would that table tennis table support our combined weight?(but I digress….)Unlike some of his other roles Ping-Pong Player may not have netted him any acting award nominations or dozens of columns of glowing reviews, but it’s another important stitch in the tapestry of his acting career and one that I believe should receive greater appreciation. For the floof and adorable failing-at-table-tennis bashfulness if nothing more!
