With his wife's career booming, should we feel sorry for Ryan Phillippe for being left in the shadows?

By Frank Visco
Collegian Editor
April 26, 2006

There seems to be a growing consensus among fans that people should feel sorry for Ryan Phillippe. The thought, which I have encountered in online message boards, as well as in your garden variety, water cooler conversation, posits that people should feel bad for him because his wife’s career is skyrocketing, while his is going nowhere.

I can see the logic in this thinking. After all, Reese Witherspoon is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and just recently took home an Oscar for Walk the Line. However, just because I can see where this sentiment is coming from, doesn’t mean I agree with it.

For starters, his career isn’t “flagging,” as many have said. He was one of the main characters in Crash, which just won Best Picture.

Furthermore, he’s the lead in Clint Eastwood’s upcoming Iwo Jima flick, Flags of Our Fathers. Given Eastwood’s track record, and the fact that the film’s writer, Paul Haggis, has been nominated for an Oscar two years in a row, it’s probably going to be a very well-received film. So how can one possibly say his career is currently “flagging?”

I suppose one could be talking about the path his career has taken since rising to teen poster boy status in the mid to late ’90s. Since they met on the set of Cruel Intentions, Witherspoon’s career has gone through the roof. As a result of hits like Legally Blonde, Election and Sweet Home Alabama, she has wowed both critics and audiences alike on her way to becoming cinema’s golden girl. Meanwhile, Phillippe has flown under the radar in lesser-known films.

Some may see this as a bad thing, but in reality, being married to Witherspoon has been great for Phillippe’s career. She has a wide appeal and fan base, and so he has been able to hone his craft in small, quality ensemble films without having to worry about taking loads of bad movies just for a quick buck (i.e. what most actors do to become superstars and what he did earlier in his career).

In fact, when one looks closely at his career, he’s actually assembling quite an impressive resumé. He’s worked with some great people and has starred in two Best Picture nominees in the past four years, and may add another to that total with Flags of Our Fathers.

Also, while he may not be one of the better actors of his generation, I respect the fact that he has progressively improved during his career. Witness his performances in Studio 54, Cruel Intentions and Antitrust, and then look at how he’s grown with each picture from Way of the Gun to Gosford Park to Igby Goes Down to Crash. It’s a remarkable turnaround, and although he’s no Johnny Depp (and he probably never will be), he still has become a fine actor, and I’m excited to see what a great director like Eastwood will do with him.

It seems like Phillippe’s career has never been better, and so there is no reason to feel any pity for him whatsoever. Plus, he gets to be married to REESE WITHERSPOON. So it seems to be that in lieu of feeling sorry for him, audiences should be happy for (or jealous of) him.

viscof1@lasalle.edu