A/A Subtle Acting Hall of Fame

[Willowlicious]

For those of you, who like I, think Alyson Hannigan and/or Amber Benson are wildly gifted actors: What, if any, are your favorite Aly or Amber SUBTLE acting moments. Not necessarily the ones you think were cute or made you laugh or cry, but the ones that struck you as "real." The tiny little moments that you're sure everyone else missed, but had you clicking the reverse button on the VCR 50x, saying, "Damn, she's GOOD!"

A few moments from my Aly/Willow Subtle Acting Hall of Fame are:

1. When Willow comes out to Buffy in New Moon Rising, she says, "It's complicated because of Tara." Buffy takes a moment to get it, but when she finally puts on her "Eureka!" expression, Willow lifts her eyebrows ever so slightly and looks off to the side. It's kind of a "Well, now you know," expression that shows fear, relief and resignation all at once. Volumey subtext!

2. Way back in whatever episode Willow catches Xander and Cordy kissing, she lets Xander have it in the hall. She's all pissed at him and then, suddenly, her eyes get heavy with pain as she says, "No, it means you'd rather be with someone you hate than be with me." Aly takes Willow from childish rage to genuine, adult devastation in the literal blink of an eye. Brilliant!

3. In Hush, Tara affirms Willow's innate specialness with a simple but effective, "No, you are." Willow takes a careful breath and quickly looks Tara up and down with a sweet awe. You could tell her heart skipped. To me, it was her first, subtle, involuntary pang for Tara. Again, brilliant!

4. When W/T quarrel in Tough Love, Willow delivers her "head on back to Boystown" speech. Off Tara's look, she then makes her tone slightly more pointed in saying, "You think that?" To me that said, "I was just kinda being bitchy with that Boystown comment, but now that I see your expression, I really AM pissed at you!" Just liked the the way Aly delivered that line. Silly me.

My Amber/Tara moments will come tomorrow!

[This message has been edited by Willowlicious (edited March 21, 2002).]

[Scoobiedoo]

Oh golly...i love little subtle acting moments as well. I'm sure i'll think of more later but the one that comes to mind immediately was way back in season 2, i think the episode was called "innocence", just after angel and buffy had sex for the first time. The gang were all in the library having just discovered that angel had lost his soul, and giles asked buffy if she knows what could've caused it, and buffy runs out upset, with giles calling after her. Willow, ever perceptive, whispers "giles, shut up"....

gives me shivers every time...

[BBOvenGuy]

You'd definitely have to throw... well, pretty much all of tonight's episode in there. So much was done without words, and we've talked about a lot of it on other threads, but I'll touch on one area we haven't mentioned as much.

Tonight Aly had to have Willow come out all over again, but at an accelerated pace. I don't blame Willow for thinking Xander was her boyfriend at first. She did have his jacket on, after all, and besides that meant we got to see the above-mentioned re-coming-out. Tara, on the other hand, seems to have figured out that (a) she was gay, and (b) she was attracted to Willow, in very short order - but she never said a word about it. The only way we could see what she was going through was from Amber's expressions.

Pretty nifty, if you ask me.

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Remember the Kitten Board Mantra: "Joss is nuts about Tara, Willow/Tara and Amber!"

"...while i'm here, can I just echo what that other guy said? I think it went something like this: Amber Benson.... Amber Benson..." - Joss Whedon, November 6 2001

[SJ]

In the S5 episode "I Was Made To Love You" the look Tara gives Willow when Willow comments on April not being lonely for long.

[namaste]

There are so many moments to choose from, but one that I am thinking of right now is from Bargaining 1, in the kitchen. When Dawn is explaining to Buffybot that she wants to stay at the Summers home with her and Willow and Tara, and then Buffybot goes, "I want to you to stay too, you're my sister!" and then gives Dawn a spazzy hug, and they do reaction shots of Willow, Tara, and Xander. The pain and grief on Willow's face in that one shot spoke volumes. Aly never ceases to amaze me. She deserves that supporting actress Emmy as much as SMG deserves the lead actress one, IMO.

(I rewatch that scene a lot right now to remind myself that Willow's present actions, while misguided, do come from a good place.)

What impresses me particularly about Amber's acting is Tara's stutter. I have a sister who stutters, and though I know people on other boards have expressed the opinion that Amber's portrayal of Tara stuttering is somehow "fake," I find it quite realistic. Even the choice of words that she stumbles on, and the situations in which the stutter comes out again.

[fell]

quote:

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Originally posted by SJ:
In the S5 episode "I Was Made To Love You" the look Tara gives Willow when Willow comments on April not being lonely for long.

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when i was reading willowlicious' (i gotta luv that name) post above i was thinking about the same exact scene, only the "who me?" look of guilt/embarrassment/innocence that willow gives tara in reply. there was so much in that glance! she is just amazing.

quote:

[Web Warlock]

One of my favs.

In "OMWF" where Xander sings "It must be witches, evil witches..." and the look that Willow and especially Tara give him. Cracked me up.

course I am like on my 10th viewing of OMWF so the subtle scenes now seem overt to me...

Related: I think Aly and Amber are two of the best actresses on the show. Not to disparage the others in any way, but these two are amazing.

Warlock.

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Web Warlock
web.warlock@home.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/~theotherside/
The DnD Community Council: http://www.dndcommunitycouncil.org/nbownw
--
The d20 writer's mantra, "If it's not OGC, let it be."

[Prairiegirl]

The best was from Family when Tara tells her father "Just go." Completely dead eyes. Completely closed. Done. It was great.

[Shaniezak]

Mmm.

My vote still has to go to the confrontation with Glory on the park bench in "Tough Love." (Another Rebecca Rand Kirshner ep--the woman gives Amber and Aly fabulous material to show off their talent!) Amber's body language is fantastic at showing the pain that Tara doesn't dare verbally express, as well as conveying her terror. And oh, that moment where she clenches her jaw and refuses to tell Glory who the Key is . . .

Incidentally, the ScoopMe.com review of "Tabula Rasa" notes that Amber was a standout among the actors.

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"But if I weren't leaving you, I don't know what I would do. But the more I go, the less I know: will the fire still burn on my return? To keep the path lit on the only road I know, honey, all I know to do is go . . ." -- Indigo Girls

"I know we're dying and there's no sign of a parachute in this chapel, little chapel of love, can't we get a little grace and some elegance? Why can't it be beautiful? Why does there gotta be a sacrifice?" -- Tori Amos

[Hemiola]

My own favorite subtle Alyson Hannigan acting moment is in "Doppelgangland" during the Vampwillow (dressed as Willow and locked in the book cage) and Cordelia--

Cordelia: Is there something on my neck?
VampWillow: Not yet.

Both the inflection of Vampwillow's reply and the "I-just-can't-wait-to-chomp-on-you" look on her face tell us (without giving Cordy a clue!!) that we're dealing with a ravenously hungry demon.

[Bunny]

I love Aly's eating/acting moments, my favourite was when Xander and Willow were playing poker with Anya in Xanders basment and Anya tells about spanking.

Oh thats another favourite Aly moment the "everyone's getting spanked but me"

But have you noticed how Willow is always eating?
she even fell asleep eating a chip in "Restless", it's a wonder she's not as big as a house! But she always manages to eat and act so naturally, that's got to take skill because food can be unpredictable...is this sounding weird?

[RomanceJunky]

Maybe its just because Tabula Rasa is so fresh on my mind, but I can think of "stand out" subtle moment for both that had a "thump-me-on-the-head" impact on yours truly:
S
P
O
I
L
E
R

F
O
R

T
R...Just To Be Safe....

Tara: The totally enraptured look on her face, even in profile, when her and Willow are about to kiss in the Tunnel. The way she was delicately playing with a single lock of Willow's hair...The moment was ELECTRIC.

Willow: The utter despair on her face as she sat on the floor in the bathroom with Tara packing to leave her in the next room. Unable to speak; knowing there was nothing she could say...we all know noboby can cry like Aly, but damn! I think its was the barely visable quivering of her chin that got to me the most. Her face said it all.

These Young Women Are Really Speacial.

The Junky...thanks for a great topic!

[This message has been edited by RomanceJunky (edited November 14, 2001).]

[TheFire]

Did anyone else notice the expression on Tara's face when she was folding that red dress in Tabula Rasa? She had this little sad smile...kinda like she was thinking 'guess I won't be wearing this any time soon' all the while remembering all the times she did wear it

[The Rose]

Amber is also on the top of my list for the best criers.

RE: NMR, Family, TL and TR.

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Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.

Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Tara: Nobody messes with my girl!

[Willowlicious]

Oh, dear! It occurs to me that I said I would post some Tara/Amber moments and never did. I have one subtle one and two not so subtle ones:

Subtle:

1) In NMR, when Oz walks in, Willow says, "Oz," and then Tara says, "Oz." As she does, her whole body caves in and she kind of bites/licks her lips. Amber made Tara look like someone who just got stabbed and felt like she DESERVED it. There were a lot of ways to play that scene and I think Amber chose an interesting one. Broke my heart.

Not so subtle, but great:

1) Anytime Tara smiled at Willow when they first started getting together. Amber imbues each smile with such a terrific combination of joy, innocense, flirtation, and pleasure at the sight of her dear Willow that ya just melt. Or you should, anyway. If you have a heart.

2) I don't think I've ever resonded to a purely sexual look (on TV that is ) as much as I did to Tara's piercing stare as she sang the line, "I can feel you inside," in Once More, With Feeling. Again, if you didn't feel that, you're dead!

Amy

[This message has been edited by Willowlicious (edited November 18, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Willowlicious (edited November 18, 2001).]

[Fuzz]

I love them in New moon rising

when Willow was in Tara room and they talking about Oz's came back

Tara: It's okay.
Willow: It's not okay. I mean, Tara, the time we spend together is...
Tara: What?
Willow: I don't know. It's just - life was starting to get so good again, and you're a big part of that. And here comes the thing I wanted most of all. And I don't know what to do. I want to know. But I don't.
Tara: Do what makes you h-h-happy.

I just love Amber's expression whe she said " What? " It's like " What?What we have?Willow just tell me.If you feel it too " And all that hurts,confusions and love combined into one word.
Hmmmmm....what a great scene.

And all through the Brain-suck times.A/A did really great.We can even still feeling their hurt and sorrow until these days.

Hell! I could go on and on.

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Willow: Oh I'm not ... I don't have much in the way of power. really, I mean most of my potions come out soup. Besides... spells going awry, friends in danger...I'm definitely nothing special.
Tara: No, you are.

It's okay. I can do this. I'm gonna take care of her. Even if she never... She's my girl. ~ Willow ~

*spread beneath my willow tree* ~Tara~

[AmberBensonFan]

This is a great thread... and I have an idea. I'm looking to put some multimedia on my site, but I don't want it to be pretty much the same old things everyone else has. Would it be okay if I took these posts and put them on my site with the scenes each one discribes next to it so people can play them and share in your experiences?

If so, please email me and let me know if it's okay to use your post and, of course, if you can think of any others to add too, let me know.

AmberBensonFan@hotmail.com

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Mega Willow and Tara site:
www.kingproduction.net/buffy.html
Enlightened Member #243, BHS Member #70, Fragile member #308
"Nothing I can do, you took my soul with you." AB OMWF
"Suffer for the Tomato" Alyson (AOL)
"I love playing with Jello. I like to squish it up in my teeth and smile at people." Alyson

[JackieS]

Glances and looks are all major in the subtle department......did that make sense?

Anyway - my point......? oh, yeah! The holding of the hands, whenever T and W are holding hands, Tara always rubs her thumb over willow's knuckles and Willow returns the caresses, now in most cases 2 actresses could merely hold hands, but Amber and Aly do the caressing thing, as for example in the tummy-rubbing-thanks giving scene when they're holding hands at the table you can see it, and at the beginning of NMR and soooooo many other times - can't list 'em all now - but u guys get the gist....

just adding my 2 cents....

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"If I met a woman who was amazing, that's a different thing entirely. You never know! I'm open to whatever comes. But right now I like guys."
-Amber

[AmberBensonFan]

Okay - I posted a request to see if I could borrow the posts from this board and put vid clips of them up on my site. I haven't heard back from anyone, but I played around over the weekend and came up with the following page. I'd really appreciate it if the previous posters can take a look and see if they like it - if so, please let me know and I will put up a link to it from the main part of my site so everyone can check it out whenever they're at the site. If you don't want your post there please let me know and I'll remove it. If you have other moments, I can add them to the page.

The link directly to the page is: http://www.kingproduction.net/subtle.html

Feedback please - Thanks

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Mega Willow and Tara site:
www.kingproduction.net/buffy.html
Enlightened Member #243, BHS Member #70, Fragile member #308
"Nothing I can do, you took my soul with you." AB OMWF
"Suffer for the Tomato" Alyson (AOL)
"I love playing with Jello. I like to squish it up in my teeth and smile at people." Alyson

[tommo]

quote:

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Originally posted by Shaniezak:
My vote still has to go to the confrontation with Glory on the park bench in "Tough Love." And oh, that moment where she clenches her jaw and refuses to tell Glory who the Key is . . .

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Yes yes friggin' yes! I loved that scene. Amber said so much by saying...well, nothing. Perfect. One of my favourites. A defining moment.

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"Welcome to the nancy tribe."quote:

[snippygal]

Longtime lurker, first time poster. HI EVERYONE!
Saw this thread and had to post, having just watched Graduation Day Part 1 today. As much as I love W/T, we can't deny Willow her past and I think my favorite subtle piece of acting Aly's done is in this episode after she and OZ have slept together. She's doing the hacker thing in the library and Oz puts his hand behind her head and kind of strokes her hair and she closes her eyes, has a private little moment and has to shake off the feeling so she can get back to work. A beautiful little moment.

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Don't give me songs.
Give me somthing to sing
about.

[This message has been edited by snippygal (edited November 21, 2001).]

[EvilAnya]

I can't remember who did the actually mouthing of the words (shame on me!) But i think it was Willow, in The Body, when she mouths "I love you" to Tara. It was such a real thing.

[Dr.G]

Looks very nice AmberBensonFan, but I think you should credit the Kitten Board, I do not see that.

[xita]

I think the best thing to do would be to email the people who made them and ask their permission off the board. Not everyone reads all the posts and it would be impolite to put them up before you have permission.

[SJ]

AmberBensonFan you can use my post on your site if you want.

[Hanki]

quote:

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Originally posted by EvilAnya:
I can't remember who did the actually mouthing of the words (shame on me!) But i think it was Willow, in The Body, when she mouths "I love you" to Tara. It was such a real thing.

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it was willow to tara. i can't think of nay moments now but i love them all, they are such good actresses.

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Me: And before you say anything i is not drinking!
My friend:You is not is you?
Me: You know my grammer does not resemble Earth grammer.
My Friend: Right, cuz on Earth it's spelt 'grammar.'quote:

[AmberBensonFan]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hanki:

Originally posted by EvilAnya:
I can't remember who did the actually mouthing of the words (shame on me!) But i think it was Willow, in The Body, when she mouths "I love you" to Tara. It was such a real thing.

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it was willow to tara. i can't think of nay moments now but i love them all, they are such good actresses.

[Dr.G]

Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya are in Willow's dorm room, Tara has just returned after looking for Willow's sweater and Xander's hand is hurt because he knocked it through a wall in frustration. The scene goes like this (thanks again to Rayne and her shooting scripts):

quote:

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Anya gets them, applies a couple after Xander rinses off the wound.

Tara turns meanwhile to Willow.

TARA
I couldn't find it.

WILLOW
It doesn't matter.

Her attitude is different -- Xander's slight crisis has both relieved and focused them all.

WILLOW (cont'd)
We should get there.

TARA
Yes.

WILLOW
I wanna be there for Buffy.

Tara smiles reassuringly at her. Squeezes her hand.

XANDER
You're right. Avengers got to get
with the assembling.

As he speaks, Willow mouths soundlessly at Tara: "I love you".

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quote:

[Hanki]

yeah that was it, it's really sweet.

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Me: And before you say anything i is not drinking!
My friend:You is not is you?
Me: You know my grammer does not resemble Earth grammer.
My Friend: Right, cuz on Earth it's spelt 'grammar.'

[AmberBensonFan]

::macks self upside head::: Doh!! What a bad lesbian/BtVs-W/T-fan I am. Not only did I not catch that the first 18-million times I've watched this ep but even after it was pretty much spelled out for me I had to watch it twice to just catch. Wonderful eyes on everyone elses part :-) Okay, this clip really has to go up on the subtle clips page. Wow! How sweet that was.

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Mega Willow and Tara site:
www.kingproduction.net/buffy.html
Enlightened Member #243, BHS Member #70, Fragile member #308
"Nothing I can do, you took my soul with you." AB OMWF
"Suffer for the Tomato" Alyson (AOL)
"I love playing with Jello. I like to squish it up in my teeth and smile at people." Alyson