Yeah he seems to do that for the majority of his roles on film and TV. I think he's only wore glasses for one character, The Boys Next Door. I wonder if he does it on Stage! At least when you film there is lots of starting and stopping and things tend to get shot in small segments of time. But on stage where you can be out there for an hour or more at a time, or you come on and off stage, and lighting can change from scene to scene is it possible that his vision problem doesn't require contacts? Inquirying minds... :roll:

He doesn't wear them on stage either. And he might not be a good candidate for contact lenses. There are lots of reasons he might wear glasses yet still be able to see well enough without them. Off the top of my head... Maybe his vision (near or far) isn't very bad but he's prone to eyestrain. His other eye could be strong enough that he can function fine without his glasses. My ophthalmologist told me that it's important for me to wear my glasses while reading because, otherwise, my left eye does all the work and never gets a chance to rest. Maybe his glasses are primarily a treatment for the condition and helps improve it (or at least keeps it from getting worse.) He wouldn't need to wear them every waking moment.

That's my only guess, filex is that he may need only minor correction and part of that is the strabismus. Because normally anyone who wears their glasses all the time like he does (as opposed to just when reading or driving etc.) needs major correction (like I do) and couldn't just whip them on and off like that. But if he wears them to correct intermittent strabismus rather than weak vision that could explain the ability to go back and forth. I dunno, anyone else more familiar with strabismus want to take a guess?

That makes sense Poeia & DrSpaceman and now I can rest my weary mind. :)

Because I am both obsessive and have free access to LexisNexis, I like to pop the names of actors or movies, etc. that I like into the database when I'm bored. Tonight it was RSL (boy's rare interview appearances make Hugh seem like Chatty Cathy - indeed I think there are more RSL quotes in Hugh articles than any interviews he's done). Anyway, this I thought was a nice little bookend to the lovely things Hugh said about RSL at that Backstage West Q&A. It's from an interview with the Boston Herald: Leonard's Dr. Wilson is the Watson to Dr. House's (Hugh Laurie) Holmes. ``To me, the most important thing with my character is that he's not subordinate to House and he doesn't have any power over House.'' And Laurie and Leonard had an instant and elementary rapport. ``Hugh and I got along immediately. I met him outside the elevator in Vancouver, where we shot the pilot. We had dinner, and I couldn't decide who was more miserable,'' Leonard said with a laugh. ``We both vie for that position on the set. Who can be the most miserable and self-deprecating? I get him entirely. There have been actors I've met in the past that I've had to kind of create a relationship with, but Hugh isn't one of them.''

Sorry for the double post, but maybe someone will be interested in this review: After reading the interesting comments on A Glimpse of Hell on IMDB I was pleased to see my local "video" store had a copy, and so I rented it. For those who don't know this was the TV movie RSL did in 2001 which aired on the FX network. It's an account of the explosion aboard the Navy battleship USS Iowa in 1989. Despite James Caan having top billing, RSL is really the "star" as he's in almost every scene, and the movie is told basically from his perspective. He plays Naval Lt. Dan Meyer, the son of a legendary submarine captain, who arrives on the Iowa as the new commander of Turret One. He quickly realizes that the ship (which is 50 years old at that point) is in a state of disrepair and as such there is dangerous, faulty equipment. Early on, he's convinced by his master chief to do an experimental shoot during a live fire exercise, which succeeds in his turret setting a distance record for the 16-inch guns. He's happy with the praise but his ultimate goal had been (we're led to believe) to get attention in order to get the much needed repairs. When his master chief wants to do another experimental shoot, Meyer is advised that it is too hazardous and so he declines. The commander of Turret Two, however, sees his chance and goes for the experimental shoot himself, taunting Meyer in the process. On the day of the next live fire exercise, Clayton Hardwig, one of the sailors, is unexpectedly assigned duty in Turret Two despite having that day off. He goes. There's a VIP aboard watching the exercise. Unfortunately, something goes wrong and there's an explosion in Turret Two, killing 46 sailors and injuring many more in the process. Meyer is in charge of immediate cleanup and identifying the bodies. He realizes that he came thisclose to dying himself had he let Turret One do the experimental shoot. He also almost immediately realizes that faulty equipment is to blame for the explosion, but is horrified when right away (like within the hour) sailors are being ordered to destroy evidence by tossing parts into the ocean. When an investigation is eventually started by NIS, Meyer answers the questions honestly. His superiors on the ship basically flip their sh*t and call him a snitch, a rat, and worse. He's told to shut his mouth. Then a letter arrives from Hartwig's sister, contesting his Naval insurance benefits which name another sailor, Kendall Truitt, as his beneficiary. The Navy sees their chance, as rumors aboard ship had Hartwig and Truitt involved in a romantic relationship. The Navy quickly latches on to the story that Hartwig deliberately caused the explosion as a suicide-murder mission. NIS is portrayed as being disgusted with the "f*gs." Meyer is horrified at their homophobia and scapegoating, and maintains under questioning that the explosion was caused by faulty equipment and improperly stored gunpowder. I was particularly excited to see that this movie was directed by Mikael Salomon, who directed the most battle intense ("Carentan") and the most beautifully shot ("Points") episodes of Band of Brothers. His directing on that series was phenomenal so it was interesting to see this film, which he shot right before BoB. It's not quite as flashy as BoB, but I'm sure he had much less money to work with. He does an admirable job particularly with the cramped spaces aboard the ship and the action sequences. My main criticism: I have a bit of background experience with military issues, so I'm a bit more familiar with jargon than the average bear, but not much with Naval and battleship terms. And this is a movie heavy on the jargon. OTOH, I admire that they didn't dumb down the dialogue and take it for granted that the audience, while they may not understand all the terms, is smart enough to be able to follow along. James Caan's main purpose is to look alternately stern and anguished, and he does a good enough job. But the lion's share of acting does fall to RSL as Meyer. I guess Meyer and Wilson could be seen as similar characters (both decent, moral men) but RSL plays them very differently. It made me think, actually, of the physicality of him as Wilson: the crazy hands, the hands on hips, the exasperated looks, etc. Because as Meyer he gives a very...."still" performance. He of course has to have a somewhat rigid bearing as a military officer, but his posture and the way he moves also lets you know that Meyer is somehwat withdrawn and distant. Really, the only hint of Wilson I saw was in a scene where Meyer confronts his captain (James Caan) on the eve of the former's Congressional testimony: think of the closing scene in "Detox" where Wilson confronts House and it's a bit similar to that. But overall it's a very different performance despite being a somewhat similar character. It was kind of fascinating to watch, because with his opening narration I thought, "Oh boy, he's the good guy in this? Here comes Lt. Wilson." Which would not have been bad exactly, but I was pleased that that was not the case. Warning: aside from some brief language there is an about 15 to 20 minute sequence in the middle of the film - the explosion and the aftermath - which contains graphic violence and quite a bit of gore.

but is horrified when right away (like within the hour) sailors are being ordered to destroy evidence by tossing parts into the ocean Sailors who are willing to talk about the explosion wil tell you that they weren't detroying evidence but trying to save the ship Well done capsule review DrSpaceman. That explosion like the Cole Incident in 2000 are still very raw in my hometown and I imagine next year being the 20 year anniversary will mean a lot of stuff will come up

For those that have not yet seen the epic that is Driven, TBS is showing it in the US 3:00am EST Monday, 1/28. Set your recording device after SAG and you'll have a nice companion piece. :lol: It's worth FF thru to see his stuff.

Even though he looks quite yummy in that movie, I can't get myself to sit through it.

Oh I would not recommend that under any circumstances. :blink: As you say he looks very nice and he's quite good & funny isolated away from the rest of the nonsense. But that's it.

I actually watched some of Driven this morning. I thought the special effects were cool... but that's about it. RSL did look divinely pretty. Eyebrows groomed... hair floppy... very matinee idol. He really has so many different looks. It is funny to see him in different roles. As Wilson, lately, he has seemed sort of rumpled and clueless. I keep thinking it is just RSL in a labcoat. Then I see him in his Driven role where he is hard and polished -- a real "smooth operator". Quite a change. Thanks for answering the questions regarding his strabismus. His eyes seemed unfocused at times and I was worried there might be a more serious condition. If the lenses help to correct the issue, it is a shame they don't have Wilson wear them. RSL + glasses = hot in my book. Perhaps they are worried my television will explode.

filex1410, no can do. Asking me to watch even part of a movie with both Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds is beyond the call of duty. As a devoted worshiper of the ectomorph, I suffer tremendously viewing muscle-bound types. RSL is about as far as I can stray from the beloved beanpole physique. Maybe for you filey, I'll Tivo it and try the ff technique. But even with the promise of high polish RSL and at supersonic speed, Sly is one lumpy mother. ETA: babyeinstein, that broke me up! If a bespectacled RSL should show up on my screen, I'd die laughing thinking of your incinerated TV.

I feel your pain warycary, don't do more than you think you can handle. If you start to get queasy should some of the "plot" or "acting" leak in (I can't really remember how much you may be subjected to) turn away. I readily admit this is one gut wrenching autopsy of movie. And keep in mind even I have not watched all of it. But sometime we suffer for the hotness. Any glimpse of the bump boys and some equally squalid unknows I looked at as another gloriously ludicrous invitation to heap ridicule upon them. I'm funny that way and so is this "sausage on parade"*. *thank you Mel Brooks. Just keep telling yourself, "It's only a movie..."

A few of us fans have put together something that we think is pretty cool, and I got the kind permission of the mods to post the info here (x-posted to the RSL and Wilson threads): The Robert Sean Leonard Birthday Charity Drive, in honor of RSL's 39th birthday and to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA). Why we are: What started as a joke between a couple of fans regarding the upcoming birthday of Robert Sean Leonard somehow snowballed into the idea that maybe we should actually combine our meager powers for the forces of good. What we are: We're a group of House fans who decided to show our appreciation for the work of one of our favorite actors in a way we think he would appreciate and, most importantly, in a way that benefits others. Who benefits: This is a fundraising drive for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Why this cause: Robert Sean Leonard is a longtime supporter of BC/EFA and serves on the Artists' Committee for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS program The Actors' Fund, which provides services to all individuals in the entertainment industry affected by critical health issues, including but not limited to HIV/AIDS. How to donate: It's very easy, and you deal directly with the charity. 1. Go to the Robert Sean Leonard Birthday Drive page at BC/EFA. (Or using the site's search engine search for the team "Robert Sean Leonard Birthday Drive," or "robert sean" or any variation thereof, as it's not case sensitive). 2. You can then either "Join Robert Sean Leonard Birthday Drive" (which will prompt you to register for free with the site) or, if you want to enter all your information easily on one page without registering first, click "Make a Gift" next to the RSL Birthday Drive thermometer. 3. You will get a confirmation e-mail from BC/EFA after your donation is processed. Major credit cards accepted. Note: None of us coordinators will have access to your billing information nor will we be handling any funds. Your information and money is going directly to BC/EFA, who are keeping track of the total. The minimum donation is $5. Some questions we've gotten: Donation: If you click on "Make a Gift" next to the thermometer, the form has a place to indicate who your gift is in honor of. Do we put RSL's name there? Is it automatic that the gifts get credited to the team or do we need to enter that info? You do NOT need to fill out the "in honor of" fields. As long as you click the "Make a Gift" link on the RSL Birthday Drive thermometer the gifts are automatically credited to the team. You can fill out only the required fields (personal and billing information) and leave the other fields blank if you wish. Donation: What's the difference between "joining" the team and "making a gift?" If you click on "Join a Team" you will be prompted to register with the BC/EFA site first before you hit the donation page. It's free and gives you your own little profile page with them. If, on the other hand, you just want to make a one-time donation or don't want your own profile with BC/EFA, click "Make a Gift" and all the information you need to fill out will appear on one page. We recommend the "Make a Gift" option simply because it's easier. I don't have a LiveJournal! Can I donate? Of course. Nothing about the donation process is LiveJournal specific. I don't have a credit card, will you take PayPal/check/cold hard cash? Sorry, but BC/EFA is taking the donations, so we have to go by their rules and they only accept credit cards. Opening a PayPal account ourselves to take money from other fans would just open all kinds of sticky and possibly legal issues. Oh no! I screwed up somehow when I entered my billing and/or personal information! That sucks. Thankfully, they have a nice support team at support@bcefa.org. Be sure to include the tracking code of your donation if you have it. Is my gift tax deductible? Yes. BC/EFA E-mails you a receipt for that purpose. Read more atThe FAQ and the site. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask! We're a bit low on graphics and stuff now but we just started. In less than 24 hours, we've already raised over $100!

DrSpaceman - I think you might have set your sights a little low by making your goal $500. It's up to $405 already and his birthday isn't until February 28.