Acting isn’t exactly an easy profession. As proof, there’s the fact that there are only a few actors who can be counted among the greatest, most beloved, most influential of all time. FromJudi DenchtoMarlon Brando, there are several thespians who tend to be considered among the best at what they do. As such, they’re typically wise enough to pick the right roles to let their skills shine. On occasion, though, they have severe slip-ups.
It’s one thing for a great actor to deliver an equally great performance in a terrible movie. It’s another thing altogether for this actor, despite their quality,to deliver a performance as bad as the film they’re starring in. This has happened on a few occasions that fans would rather forget: Actors as legendary as Dench and Brando doing some truly awful work, either as a result of bad direction or just because they probably had a bad day. This doesn’t make them any less phenomenal at what they do; it’s just an annoying stain in an otherwise spotless body of work.
10Judi Dench — ‘Artemis Fowl’ (2020)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
The massively acclaimed Dame Judi Dench isan icon of British acting, whether that’s on film, on stage, or on television. She has, however, picked up some pretty lamentable roles, particularly in recent years. The worst of these is perhaps her portrayal of the short-tempered Commander Root in Disney+‘sArtemis Fowl, an adventure film about a young criminal prodigy hunting down a secret society of fairies to find his missing dad.
Artemis Fowlis bad enough as it is, despite being directed by the greatKenneth Branagh, making it one ofthe worst films of the past five years. But what makes it even worse is the fact that it managed to make the renowned Dench look like a bad actress. Aside from a costume that makes her look goofy at best, the actress dons a low, somber Batman-like voice that’s really much more grating than intimidating. In fact, it’s not intimidating at all. It just makes the experience even more unwatchable.
Artemis Fowl
9Tom Hanks — ‘Elvis’ (2022)
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Tom Hanksis a paragon of modern Hollywood acting, the same kind of “everyman” performer thatJimmy Stewartused to be back in the days of Hollywood’s Golden Age (thoughHanks himself has denounced the comparison). Even still, he’s definitely not exempt from mistakes, and his performance inBaz Luhrmann’s portrayal of the life and career ofElvis Presley,Elvis, is definitely one of them.
Luhrmann’s maximalist style works well enough for the tone of this story, andAustin Butleris so uncannily great in his breakout performance as Elvis that he made his way to an Academy Award nomination. Hanks is a different story altogether. The heavy prosthetics make him look silly—which, admittedly, isn’t Hanks’s fault at all. Whatison him is that his attempt at the real ColonelTom Parker’s signature Dutch accent is dodgy at best, and his line delivery and mannerisms are so incredibly exaggerated thatthey almost singlehandedly ruin the movie. Whether this over-the-topness was a matter of direction or Hanks’s own decision is anyone’s guess, but what’s not any kind of mystery is that Hanks is pretty darned funny (and not in a good way) inElvis.
8Robert De Niro — ‘Dirty Grandpa’ (2016)
Directed by Dan Mazer
Praised by many as one of the greatest American actors who have ever lived,Robert De Nirohas delivered timeless performances in films as popular asTaxi DriverandRaging Bull. More recently, however, he’s also made some pretty questionable career choices. Case in point:Dirty Grandpa, one ofhis worst films, where an uptight corporate lawyer is tricked into driving his dirty grandpa to Florida for Spring Break right before his wedding.
Those who enjoy dumb raunchy comedies might have a solid enough time withDirty Grandpa, but those who prefer comedies with at least a bit of thought put into them are better off avoiding it. Another group of people who might want to steer clear of this movie are those who would rather not seethe greatest actor of his generation bring himself down to the level of such a brainless, unfunny, displeasing role. It’s really not a nice sight.
Dirty Grandpa
7Eddie Redmayne — ‘Jupiter Ascending’ (2015)
Directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski
What didEddie Redmaynedo fresh off of winning his Best Actor Oscar forThe Theory of Everything? Star inan abysmal sci-fi film, of course.Jupiter Ascendingwas the return of the Wachowskis to the big screen, butThe Matrixthis is not. It follows a young woman who discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility, and must fight to protect the Earth from an ancient force.
Redmayne is probably the most interesting part of this hot mess of a sci-fi epic, but not in a good way. Earning a Razzie award,his hammy performance features a really strange and unsettling voice, a rather lackluster attempt at camp, and such exaggeration in the way he delivers every single line that every scene he’s in turns out hilarious, just never intentionally. That makes it a memorable performance at least, so there’s that.
Jupiter Ascending
6Marlon Brando — ‘Christopher Columbus: The Discovery’ (1992)
Directed by John Glen
Most people have probably never heard about Warner Bros.‘Christopher Columbus: The Discovery, and that’s perhaps because this ginormous failure of a biopic epic has (perhaps thankfully) been buried in the sands of oblivion. Its story follows the Genoese navigator overcoming intrigue in the court of Spain’s Catholic Monarchs and gaining financing for his expedition to the East Indies.
Perhaps one ofthe worst historical epics of all time,Christopher Columbus: The Discoverypaints its titular protagonist as a hero (he was not), pretends to be grand and epic (it is not), and may even convince those who have never seen Marlon Brando act in anything before that he was actually a pretty terrible performer (he definitely was not). At this late point in his career, Brando had recurred to phoning in, frankly, most of his performances. But this one, having him playTomás de Torquemeda, the first Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition, is particularly bad. He looks so horribly bored here, delivering every single one of his lines with the lowest energy and the same moody expression, that it’s honestly admirable that he doesn’t fall asleep right then and there in every scene he shows up in.
Christopher Columbus: The Discoveryis currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
5George Clooney — ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
Directed by Joel Schumacher
Readers will have to pardon the reminder of the existence ofGeorge Clooney’s Batman, but the mention of this atrocious film and portrayal is entirely necessary in light of the circumstances.Batman & Robin, the fourth installment in theBatmanfranchise started byTim BurtonandJoel Schumacher’s second go at the Caped Crusader, is typically remembered as one of the worst comic book movies of all time. In it, Batman and Robin must work together to stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy from freezing Gotham City.
It’s actually a real shame that everyone in the cast does so poorly, becauseUma Thurmanis genuinely greatas Poison Ivy; but such is the brutal nature of bad superhero movies.Clooney’s portrayal of the Dark Knight is particularly egregious, andClooney would actually agree. Though effectively charismatic as Bruce Wayne, the actor offered zero intimidation, zero gravitas, and zero depth as either Wayne or Batman, qualities that are absolutely crucial for both roles. With a better script and director, he probably could have done a solid job. Alas, this is what the world will be left with forever.
Batman & Robin
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4John Travolta — ‘Battlefield Earth’ (2000)
Directed by Roger Christian
Following a solid string of great movies and great performances in the ’90s,John Travoltasquandered his comeback by starring in an adaptation of a novel byL. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology.Battlefield Earthis set in the year 3000 A.D., the Earth having been lost to an alien race. Humanity has been enslaved by them, but the tyrants are unaware that their slaves are about to ignite the rebellion of a lifetime.
With its horrible visuals, horrible script,and even worse action sequences,Battlefield Earthis a real juggernaut of a disaster, and it’s still remembered as such over two decades later. As for Travolta, despite having spent the past six years (sinceQuentin Tarantino’sPulp Fiction) proving that he was a phenomenal actor, he brought that concept into question here.His line delivery is laughable, his reactions are cartoonish at best, and he simply doesn’t look or feel imposing.Battlefield Earthand Travolta’s lead performance may be a hilarious disaster, but they are a disaster nonetheless.
Battlefield Earth
3Adam Sandler — ‘The Ridiculous 6’ (2015)
Directed by Frank Coraci
Adam Sandlertends to be pretty divisive.For everyUncut GemsorPunch-Drunk Lovethat he delivers, he makes something as atrocious asThe Ridiculous 6. Ridiculously racist, this Western comedy is about an outlaw who was raised by Native Americans. After discovering that he has five half-brothers, the men go on a mission to find their wayward dad.
Divisive though he may be, Sandler has delivered more than enough incredible performances to solidify the statement that he’s a great actor as a fact, not a weak argument.The Ridiculous 6is by far one ofthe worst Westerns ever made, however, and his performance in it is just as bad. His horrible attempt at a Native American accent (which he sometimes drops for no reason at all) is just sad, and he never even comes close to being remotely funny. He’s most certainly capable of good comedy, so whatever happened here is just a tragedy.
The Ridiculous 6
2Marlon Brando — ‘The Teahouse of the August Moon’ (1956)
Directed by Daniel Mann
Although it was the latter part of Marlon Brando’s career that was known for phony performances,he wasn’t incapable of slip-ups at his peak, either. One such mistake came when he starred inThe Teahouse of the August Moon. This is actually a pretty okay political drama, where an American captain in post-WWII Japan is brought in to help build a school, though the locals want a teahouse instead.
Brando’s yellowface casting as the protagonist’s interpreter, Sakini, didn’t raise any red flags at the time. Needless to say, though, it has aged like milk. The actor is actually making an effort here—the issue is where that effort is going: Into playing a racial caricature that is nothing short of painful to watch today. Brando may just have been the greatest male actor in the history of motion pictures, which makes it even more of a shame that he could make such poor role choices sometimes.
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1Nicolas Cage — ‘The Wicker Man’ (2006)
Directed by Neil LaBute
Yes,Nicolas Cageis a great actor. End of discussion. Known for the almost surreal exaggeration and over-the-top nature of his acting style,Cage is in a category of his own when it comes to the way he portrays roles. However, the main thing that’s made him have a semi-bad reputation with both audiences and critics is how often he delivers terrible performances in terrible films. His worst is undoubtedly in 2006’sThe Wicker Man, a remake of the 1973 British folk horror film of the same title. He plays a sheriff investigating the disappearance of a young girl from a small island, where he discovers a larger mystery among the place’s secretive pagan community.
Folk horror films tend to have great acting, but not this one. To be perfectly fair to Cage, the movie’s direction and script are unbelievably bad, too;but he doesn’t really make any kind of effort to elevate them. Cage always needs a director who can bring his feet down to Earth and urge him to channel his unique style in fruitful directions.Neil LaButeis no such director. The actor is explosively over-the-top in this role, throwing all subtlety and subtext out the window in favor of a loud, obnoxious performance which shows that even the greats aren’t exempt from making mistakes.
