Inspired by me - Actors/actresses who CANNOT act

[rcyannacci]

First person who comes to mind is Ben Affleck. He's this generation's Kevin Costner.

That really made me giggle. Yes, Ben Affleck needs a better manager or someone to pick his scripts. Matt Damon has done much better in this regard. Acting though...I just watched Shakespeare in Love again and he was really good in this role. Granted, he was an actor playing an actor , but the comic timing was impecable. In the same vein, I thought he was great on SNL when he hosted. I guess I can't help but like him a little bit and just wished he'd do better movies altogether.

 

[snoopy]

That really made me giggle. Yes, Ben Affleck needs a better manager or someone to pick his scripts. Matt Damon has done much better in this regard. Acting though...I just watched Shakespeare in Love again and he was really good in this role. Granted, he was an actor playing an actor , but the comic timing was impecable. In the same vein, I thought he was great on SNL when he hosted. I guess I can't help but like him a little bit and just wished he'd do better movies altogether.

He's just very stiff.....perhaps that stiffness was an asset to Shakespeare in Love? (a film I have never seen, isn't that odd? I consider myself a movie buff, and I really love Gwyenth Paltrow, but for some reason its never on my radar when I go to rent movies.....might just have to put it in my netflix queue right now!)

I rented Jersey Girl a few months ago and found that if it weren't for J-Lo and George Carlin, I would have never been able to make it through that film. Ben was just awful....it was just painful to watch.

 

[ericamanda01]

The first actor I thought of was Mario Van Peoples. I haven't seen him in anything lately but man when I see some of the movies from the 80's with him, I change the channel. I really don't like his acting style or lack there of!

 

[rcyannacci]

Yes, definitely Netflix Shakespeare in Love! It's so well written and the comedy is so smart. Gwyenth is wonderful, as is Joseph Feinnes (sp?) and Rupret Everett in a cameo role as Christopher Marlowe.

My least favorite actors are those typically found in the "kill em fast" movies, i.e. Sylvester Stallone, Claude Van Damm, and, of course, Arnold S.

 

[Planogirl]

I've said this before and I know it's not a popular answer....but imho the WORST actor around is Tom Cruise. No matter what role he takes, he's still just Tom Cruise. Tom in a race car, Tom doing karate, Tom as a lawyer, Tom on a horse....they are all the same person! There is no "character" with him, it's just Tom Cruise in different clothes.

I would have agreed until I saw Interview With A Vampire. Tom Cruise was totally out of character in that movie and very impressive IMO. It shows that he can be someone besides Tom Cruise but then he is probably rarely asked to be anyone else.

The same holds true for Jack Nicholson. He is so familiar and has had such a long successful run, why should he be any different now? I was extremely impressed with his work in Finding Schmidt though and I think that he has range when he needs it.

As for someone who can't act, I nominate Keanu Reeves. He has two expressions: bland and seriously bland.

 

[septbride2002]

Gotta agree about Brad Pitt. I remember seeing him in Interview with the Vampire, and thinking of how truly terrible he was. They could have replaced him with a cardboard cutout and it wouldn't have made any difference.

Did you read the book? I thought Brad Pitt nailed the Louie that I read in the books - uncomfortable as a human and uncomfortable in his vampire form. Never really fitting in either of the worlds and therefore always alone.

~Amanda

 

[jrydberg]

Ones that immediately come to mind are Keanu Reeves, Nicholas Cage and Hayden Christiansen -- no actor has ever made me cringe so much as he did in that Star Wars movie.

 

[septbride2002]

You ane NOT kidding! There was a REASON she never got a Daytime Emmy!

Her daughter, who is on Passions and plays Gwen isn't too much better and nowhere near as attractive!

I think there is a distinction though... there are actors who can't act and actors who can only act one part... that would be a LONG list including:
Brad Pitt
Tom Cruise
Harrison Ford
Meg Ryan
Bert Reynolds'
the cast of Friends
Ben Affleck


Those who can't act:
Jennifer Lopez
Loni Anderson
Brittany Spears
Pam Anderson
Penelope Cruz
Susan Lucci, of course

I have to disagree with some on your first list. Most people who don't like Ben Affleck have probably not seen "Chasing Amy" which he is absolutely AWESOME in! And really is what established him as an actor then any other film. The character he played in "Chasing Amy" and "Good Will Hunting" are completely different from any of the "usual" characters that he gets involved in. I also really liked him in "Jersey Girl" which not many people saw because of the whole Jen/Ben thing. But really was a great fllick!

Tom Cruise - I think this is true of 80's and early 90's Tom Cruise but he has taken on many different roles as of late. "Magnolia" comes to mind as does "Collaterol (sp?)" Which he played the bad guy in and was very good at it. I also really enjoyed his perfornace in "The Last Samuri" which was a very different character then most that he has played.

Harrison Ford - his popular movies are almost always the same character but his less popular movies are the ones where he really shows his chops. "The Mosquito Coast" was a great film! I also loved him in "Regarding Henry" where it was a bit more on the dramatic side and also was the comedy of the piece as well. "Fugitive" was another one where I thought he really displayed some great acting. He had a supporing role in "Working Girl" where he was the comic relief and he was great in it.

~Amanda

 

[septbride2002]

Ones that immediately come to mind are Keanu Reeves, Nicholas Cage and Hayden Christiansen -- no actor has ever made me cringe so much as he did in that Star Wars movie.

Agree with you on Kanu Reeves and Hayden Christiansen. Through the entire film of "The Clone War" I cringed every time he had a line. All I could think was "Is this the best that Lucas could do?" I mean come on!!!!

~Amanda

 

[septbride2002]

He's just very stiff.....perhaps that stiffness was an asset to Shakespeare in Love? (a film I have never seen, isn't that odd? I consider myself a movie buff, and I really love Gwyenth Paltrow, but for some reason its never on my radar when I go to rent movies.....might just have to put it in my netflix queue right now!)

I rented Jersey Girl a few months ago and found that if it weren't for J-Lo and George Carlin, I would have never been able to make it through that film. Ben was just awful....it was just painful to watch.

See and I LOVED Jersey Girl. My friend and I have a theory that Ben Affleck acts better when it is a script and director that he is comfortable with. "Chasing Amy" and "Jersey Girl" were both done by Kevin Smith who I adore! I thought he did a great job w/Jersey Girl especially when him and the little girl get into 'the fight' - that could not have been easy to do. I also thought George Carlin was the best I've ever seen him as well.

~Amanda

 

[lucky_bunni]

Kirsten Dunst, I cannot STAND her! Make her go away!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I don't think Nicolas Cage can act.

 

[Squem]

Oh my! How could we forget the Olsen twins?! Yes....I did have to sit through their latest disaster, New York Minute.

Ali

I completely agree! I've personally hated all their movies to date

It seems to me that most teenage actors today can't act well either. For example, Hillary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and the Olsen twins. Hillary and Lindsay should just stick to the singing...but wait, they can't even do that! (JMO; I apologize if I offend any of their fans.)

 

[Amberle3]

Did you read the book? I thought Brad Pitt nailed the Louie that I read in the books - uncomfortable as a human and uncomfortable in his vampire form. Never really fitting in either of the worlds and therefore always alone.

Yep, I think I've read almost all her books.

I didn't think he portrayed "alone". I thought he didn't actually portray anything. Someone else said that watching him in Troy was like he was reading off the script - I felt the same way with Interview. I mean I know he was playing the undead, but his performance was just plain... dead. There are ways to portray uncomfortable and alone that don't come across as wooden.

As for totally mis-cast parts: I have to say Antonio Banderas is NOT who I would have picked for Armand!

 

[septbride2002]

Yep, I think I've read almost all her books.

I didn't think he portrayed "alone". I thought he didn't actually portray anything. Someone else said that watching him in Troy was like he was reading off the script - I felt the same way with Interview. I mean I know he was playing the undead, but his performance was just plain... dead. There are ways to portray uncomfortable and alone that don't come across as wooden.

As for totally mis-cast parts: I have to say Antonio Banderas is NOT who I would have picked for Armand!

That was the first time I had ever seen Antonio Banderas - not sure if it was the long hair but he looked GOOD! Of course after that I couldn't stand him. When reading the books that isn't who I would have cast as Armand either. Also did you see the awful moved "Queen of the Damned?" I don't know who any of those people were but none of them fit the descriptions I had in my head.

~Amanda

 

[cheyita]

Wow - so many different opinions.

First, some of the worst acting I think I've ever seen has been on soap operas. Guiding Light a couple of years ago had some terrible younger actors and actresses on it. I don't watch anymore, so I can't comment on the current cast.

There have been a few mentions for Hayden Christiansen, but - honestly - I was no big fan of Mark Hamill.

I actually enjoy Brad Pitt's acting - particularly in Legend of the Fall.

I agree about Tom Cruise. I've enjoyed a fair amount of his movies, but he just seems like the same character over and over in most of them.

 

[Tasha+Scott]

Well, I would say that I think Tom Cruise is a very bad actor, but I did think he was great in Collateral, so I suppose even he has his moments!

 

[goofygirl]

Wanna see overacting and bad acting?? Watch an old Elizabeth Taylor film!

I like Ms. "White Diamonds" though, I find her personal life more interesting than her films!

 

[Dennis O'Dell]

See and I LOVED Jersey Girl. My friend and I have a theory that Ben Affleck acts better when it is a script and director that he is comfortable with. "Chasing Amy" and "Jersey Girl" were both done by Kevin Smith who I adore! I thought he did a great job w/Jersey Girl especially when him and the little girl get into 'the fight' - that could not have been easy to do. I also thought George Carlin was the best I've ever seen him as well.

~Amanda

I agree that Affleck was decent in Jersey Girl. I remember watching it and thinking "is this the same Ben Affleck I saw in Pearl Harbor and The Sum of All Fears that was so awful?"

He does have more failures than successes. Maybe you are right that he's and actor that needs a lot of direction.

 

[Amberle3]

Also did you see the awful moved "Queen of the Damned?" I don't know who any of those people were but none of them fit the descriptions I had in my head.

I hadn't even known they had made a Queen of the Damned movie until I saw it listed on the movie channel! I think I watched about 5 minutes of and then turned the channel.

There are some things that just aren't worth wasting time on. It's one thing to be stuck in a theatre for a movie and wish you had those 93 minutes back after, it's quite another to be at home with remote in hand and still not change the channel!

I think you can put that one in "movies that shouldn't have been made" column.

Now Tom Cruise in Interview, well I was impressed with that. I was not looking forward to seeing his performance before the movie, I didn't think he could pull it off. He still doesn't fit my idea of the perfect Lestat, but he did a darn good job with it.