ACTING UP – Episode #12: Diana Silvers & Douglas Smith

Welcome to the twelfth installment of ACTING UP, a regular Casting Networks feature designed to call attention to standout roles and performances in television/streaming and film. Each entry spotlights work in projects that have recently been released as well as work in projects being released that same week. The column also covers how those actors and actresses got to where you see them now. Read up and watch these performances as your weekly in-home acting class.

Twelfth up: Diana Silvers, who portrays Maggie in the creepy feature “Ma,” currently in theaters; and Douglas Smith, a supporting player joining season two of the star-studded HBO series Big Little Lies, which premiered on June 9 and runs Sunday nights at 9.

Diana Silvers

THE PERFORMER: Diana Silvers

THE FILM: Ma

THE PERFORMANCE: Silvers is terrific portraying Maggie, a teen on whom it slowly dawns that she’s in the regular presence of evil (in the person of Ma, played with creepy menace by Octavia Spencer). After Maggie approaches her outside a liquor store with “Excuse me, can you buy some booze for my friends and I?”, a reluctant Ma quickly warms to the idea of having a bunch of high school kids partying in her basement.

At first, it’s a dream come true. Watching her carrying bottles of alcohol out of the store for she and her mates, Maggie exults, “This is so sick!” (In this case, “sick” is, of course, a positive.) Straightaway, the gang is getting pleasantly toasted in the magic basement, with Maggie hanging and spending quality time with her boyfriend. Even her own mother (Juliette Lewis) seems to approve.

And then, the worm turns. Ma starts acting erratic then threatening then downright dangerous then … well, this is a horror movie so you can pretty much guess what’s in store. Maggie travels the road from “Whoa, this is amazing” to “How did she get our numbers” to “What happened last night?” to “There’s something off about Ma” to “I don’t want to hang out at Ma’s anymore.”

Unfortunately, by then it’s too late to stop the wheels of malevolence from spinning out of control. Through it all, the abundantly talented Silvers acquits herself well in something of a thankless role.

THE CAREER: A genuine newcomer on the scene, Silvers started out as a model (and a very successful one), appearing in editorials for magazines like Vogue India, Marie Claire and Elle UK. She also modeled for the clothing brand Brandy Melville. Then came acting, first last year in an episode of the Hulu thriller series “Into the Dark” and then four more substantial roles in quick succession:

• Portraying a cheerleader in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller sequel “Glass” early this year.
• Playing schoolmate Hope in the SXSW sensation “Booksmart.”
• The role in “Ma.”
• Finally, coming up later this year, a supporting part in “Eve,“ starring Jessica Chastain as a black ops assassin and co-starring Geena Davis, John Malkovich and Colin Farrell.

Douglas Smith

THE PERFORMER: Douglas Smith

THE SERIES: Big Little Lies

THE PERFORMANCE: Smith joins the mega-popular HBO drama in season two (along with some actress named Meryl Streep) as Corey Brockfield, who is pretty much as pretty-boy entitled as his name implies. Corey is the new hire at the Monterey Bay Aquarium alongside Jane (Shailene Woodley), and it’s clear from the get-go that the dude’s gonna be trouble.

For example, while Jane is telling a schoolkid that she has no idea why certain fish have bright colors, Corey immediately chimes in, “Pretty colors are to give a fair warning so other animals know they need to keep a safe distance.” Thanks for that, know-it-all.

Later, Corey gives Jane this charming piece of unsolicited advice: “You probably don’t want to act weird in public. We do have a lot of kids events at The Aquarium, and parents have a thing about entrusting kids to psychos.” Yikes. Clearly a strange one himself, he adds to Jane, “You know that one of the last socially acceptable bigotries is the one against weirdos.”

And then: “You know, for what it’s worth, I’m emotionally intuitive. I get a feeling about people sometimes.”

The feeling we get about Corey is that he’s quite the jackass. But as played by Smith, he’s also quite a fascinating one, and the actor deserves kudos for standing out alongside such a stellar cast that also includes Woodley, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Adam Scott. Oh, and that Streep lady.

THE CAREER: Though he looks 21, the Canadian-born Smith, in fact, turns 34 on June 22 and has a resume that boasts 55 entries on IMDB going back to an “X-Files” appearance that dates back to 1996. More prominently, he portrayed eldest son/young hunk Ben Henrickson throughout the run of HBO’s polygamy soap “Big Love” (2006-11) and lent support in the big-screen horror thriller “Ouija” in 2014. He also had a cameo in “Terminator Genisys” in 2015.

Smith has also done numerous TV guest spots, including episodes of “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “Family Law,” “Crossing Jordan” and “Cold Case.“ More recently, he was part of the cast of the 2018 TNT drama “The Alienist” (the tale of a late-19th-century serial killer).

Looking to get your big break? Sign up or login to Casting Networks and land your next acting role today!

Related articles:
Acting Up: Ayo Edebiri
Acting Up: Walker Scobell
Acting Up – Episode #41: Hannah Waddingham

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for breaking industry news and exclusive offers!