SUCCESS IN FILM AND TELEVISION can bring seats at the priciest restaurants and entry to the fussiest clubs, but there is one coterie so exclusive that even the most well-known and successful are unable to gain entry, try as they might. Yes, we here at AdditiveRich hold that the true measure of a star’s greatness is their membership in this particularly elite group – THE PANTHEON OF PLASTIC.
The criteria for membership is quite quite simple: the performer must have played at least two different roles for which his or her likeness has been immortalized, in molded plastic, as an action figure.
(An action figure. NOT a doll.)
Note that it has to be an action figure of the actor as the character. Those James Bond figures that used the same mold regardless of movie don’t win a prize for Roger Moore or Sean Connery. Or George Lazenby even. Animated characters also don’t count, even if the animation is based on the performer. These are our rules! They are carefully-considered and cannot be violated!
This is a 2001 draft of the Pantheon of Plastic intro. It shows its age – in fact the whole concept of the PoP shows its age. As plastic molding tech has improved and action figure markets have matured, the PoP has lost its exclusivity. There are now action figures of all sorts of folk. The barricades have been thrown down! The Pantheon has been debased!
Here’s a screenshot showing the first inductee into the PoP… from 1978, it’s… Lorne Green!
“There are now action figures of all sorts of folk.”
Really? Maybe I’m out of touch since no longer working an a toy department (and that was back in the mid 90’s). But I didn’t realise they were bringing out heaps of action figures. I mean, I know there are still GI Joes and Star Wars figures, super hero du jour (Spidey, Supes, Hulk, Bats, etc.) . But I guess I thought a lot of the figures were now of animated characters (Ben 10).
Are you sure it’s not just a case that, with the passage of time the actual variety of figures that are out there has increased so much that it’s much harder to track the pantheon?
I’m very keen to hear who made the pantheon (other than Lorne Green). My guess would be Dirk Benedict (Face from A-Team, Starbuck from original BSG). Not sure who else…
Lorne Green! Superb. I think my friend Derek may have had that one.
I wonder if there’s a Legendarum of Lead for those actors who make a promotion from polymers to 28mm base metal?