Hank Moody actor Californication
Published 2023-01-01, by ,
Table of contents:
Character History
Hank Moody is the protagonist of the American television series Prodigal California. A talented writer, an attractive man and an obnoxious lover, he finds himself at times incredibly popular, then falls into alcoholic oblivion amidst an artistic crisis. At the same time, he tries to mend his relationship with his "eternal beloved".
Story of the character's creation
Tom Capinosa's Californication series was broadcast from 2007-2014 and consisted of 7 seasons. The project got such a name thanks to the merger of two English words - California and fornication (extramarital affair). In the Russian dubbing of the film appeared in different periods with the splash screens: "Playboy from California", "Californication" and "Prodigal California".
David Duchovny was invited to play the title role in the erotic comedy film. The actor himself had planned to star in a similar project. However, he worried that viewers will not accept the image of his movie hero. After all, David for many associated with Agent Fox Mulder.
The actor shared: he was attracted to the Kapinos series by the fact that the storyline is about adults trying to solve problems, which they themselves persistently create. Duchovny understood Moody as an anchor man trying to balance all the madness going on around him. And yet still getting into ridiculous adventures.
Tom allowed the X-Files star to improvise in the frame. The director wanted to achieve naturalness in the replicas. The reception turned out to be advantageous - Hank's quotes could not be censored, but it only added the right shades to the overall characterisation of the character.
Marilyn Manson, who played himself in the show (season 6), said that Kapinos planned to combine a writer and a rock star in Moody. And so it turned out: the California womanizer's noble profession didn't mix well with his eccentric demeanour and lust for life.
David Duchovny, on the other hand, hoped for the death of his movie character at the end of the series. Thus, he wanted to show that you can not smoke, drink and daily defy fate with impunity.
The actor's performance received high marks from critics. Many noted: the disgusting behavior of an outrageous womanizer he managed to make "excusable". And at first glance repulsive role in the course of the plot acquired charming features. David received a Golden Globe Award for the role of Don Juan in 2008.
The prototype character was Charles Bukowski. The name of the American writer, for which fixed the image of a drunkard, scandalist and philanderer, often slipped into the phrase Hank. By the way, the film hero considered Charles as his idol.
Image and biography of Hank Moody
The creative man, suffering from alcohol and sexual addiction, was born in the Bronx in the late 1960s. He soon moved with his parents to Levittown. From an early age, the boy envisioned a career as a writer. Finally, his talent was appreciated by the literary community.
Quite early on, he meets the love of his life, Karen van der Beek, an art student. The hero's exact age when he became a dad is not specified. His daughter Rebecca was born in 1994, although Hank never got around to marrying her.
The man is starting to publish books. His third novel, God Hates Us All, becomes a bestseller. Moody soon receives an offer to film the work and of course agrees. However, it entails a family move to Los Angeles. Karen is so in love with her husband that she leaves everything and rushes with her daughter to the City of Angels.
But her dreams of marital bliss are dashed because of Hank's excessive workload. The woman is frankly bored in loneliness, and then decides to get a job with Bill Lewis, a well-known publisher. A relationship begins between them and soon Karen leaves the successful writer.
In the meantime, Moody learns of his father's death from his sister and begins to drink heavily. After his novel was adapted into a Hollywood movie, the attractive ladies' man has more admirers than ever before. One day he meets a charming fan of his work Mia and becomes intimate with a girl.
The man discovers two shocking facts: Mia is 16 and her father is Bill Lewis, Karen's fiancé. The situation Moody has gotten himself into because of his excessive lovemaking becomes the beginning of a prolonged creative crisis for him. He gives an underage mistress his new manuscript and she passes it off as her own book.
The character, who is in his fifth decade, behaves like a 20-year-old boy. The profits from his novel-writing allow him to think of no problems and live comfortably. It also becomes a factor in stunted development in other areas, including his personal life.
No matter how many women Hank has had, he has never forgotten the one - the true and only love. He is also troubled by his teenage daughter, who has already come to terms with her father's behaviour and even copies his attitudes.
Above all, the hero is prevented from taking a sober look at himself by his skill at attracting the weaker sex. Female readers, as seen in the series, believe they are already connected to Hank through books. And the writer doesn't have to try very hard to charm the next groupie.
In matters of seduction, both his attractive appearance and his chosen style help. So, he is used to dress casually - disheveled hair, jeans, leather jacket and boots, Ray-Ban glasses. The rock-star entourage is added to his accessories - a ring and a bracelet (later exact replicas of this jewellery were put up for sale on the Internet).
Another reason for the character's personal tragedy is his spending time with his friends. Every meeting is unthinkable without alcohol, drugs and debauchery. And a fun evening can turn into an unplanned shoplifting or a visit to a tattoo parlour.
Hank is a respected writer, adept at using witty phrases and striking out with directness and candour. As the soul of the company, Moody obviously suffers from depression, which entails excessive use of illicit drugs. Basically, it is his way of numbing the pain of a broken relationship with his wife, tired of living in dreams of marital bliss.
But even in his attempts to escape from himself, the hero has not ceased to be a loving father and a man deeply aware of the mistakes he has made and regretting them. The worst thing for the character is to hear fair criticism from his daughter. Although he takes other people's opinions coldly. Only Rebecca manages to get through to his soul.
Hank's character undergoes a change. Over time, his worst traits begin to soften. This is the main idea of the series - to show the difficult, thorny path of a man trying to find and believe in himself, to redeem himself. It also shows the ambiguity of the character, who writes unimaginably romantic letters to his wife and yet easily cheats on her.
Interesting facts
A clear indication that Moody stubbornly stuck to the familiar is his typewriter, which the writer never changed to a computer.
Three of the character's novels were titled in the same way as albums by the American metal band Slayer .
David Duchovny had an affinity for his cinematic imagery. The actor also favoured old rock bands, was a graduate student at Yale University, did some writing and was treated for a rare sexual addiction.
Hank Moody quotes
- "I love you so much that all my words would sound terribly trite..."
- "You're a real man. You've got heart, balls and style."
- "It's okay. I'm sick of my life and myself, but I'm not upset."
- "Being able to feed a man makes a woman half as good-looking and increases her breast size by one size."
Films
- 2007 - "Californication".