Movie Stars That Are Not Good Actors

[Dennis Taylor 18809]

2 hours ago, sheeeit said:

 

Sandler is a bit of an outlier.  It takes real acting chops to make it on SNL.  Plus he writes so many of his own movies and is clearly playing to a base.  He was pretty solid in Hidden Gems and he never gets over shadowed by other actors.

You sure about that? 

[Guest Lobo]

^

Fair point, there's at least 19 people in that shot who are better actors than Sandler.  Hayek's left tit, her right tit, her ass, Selma herself.  And then the 15 people standing the background.  

[mchookem 16321]

2 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

He crushed the Jessie's Girl scene.

god yes... to this day that scene gets me, that look he got in his eye, it's really hard to describe...i literally still go thru a catalog of what Dirk might be feeling in that moment. 

that and the scene with his mother were incredible. BN is my favorite PTA movie and it's not close.

[mchookem 16321]

3 hours ago, sheeeit said:

... role had little or no range and he could just be this [wise, grisly, tough protagonist] that he is good in.  But watch it critically when he is on screen with other great actors (and his movies have had a shitload of great actors)...but he is a bigger "movie star". 

hmm... with this criteria, i offer...Clint Eastwood. comedy, romance, drama, action, western, heist, war ...he's pretty much done everything. and it's all pretty much one-note Clint.

his movies are great, and he's definitely a movie star... but he's not winning any acting awards. 

literally. i looked it up 😄

[TxTower 650]

Kristen Stewart wins in a landslide.

This. She is truly horrid. Can’t stand to watch anything she’s ever been in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Underdog 28574]

1 hour ago, mchookem said:

hmm... with this criteria, i offer...Clint Eastwood. comedy, romance, drama, action, western, heist, war ...he's pretty much done everything. and it's all pretty much one-note Clint.

his movies are great, and he's definitely a movie star... but he's not winning any acting awards. 

literally. i looked it up 😄

Why you hate Paint Your Wagon? 

But yeah, I had thought of Clint also.  

Edited April 22, 2021 by Underdog

[MoJames 8244]

16 hours ago, sheeeit said:

Sandler is a bit of an outlier.  It takes real acting chops to make it on SNL.  Plus he writes so many of his own movies and is clearly playing to a base.  He was pretty solid in Hidden Gems and he never gets over shadowed by other actors.

You missed my point. Sandler imo is a good actor with range. Reign Over Me and Punch Drunk Love are also good examples of his abilities. He just chooses to mail it in to make tons of money on dogshit movies.

[Neonmoon 38129]

Step in their shoes for a moment. Like any job, it’s a job. Would you rather go be serious and act in a serious role, making probably less money, or fly to Hawaii to hang out with your friends making a stupid comedy for probably more money. Sandler obviously chooses the later. I’m not saying he’s a good actor or anything. 

The same goes for Tom Cruise. He spent years of his career doing the serious actor route. He can act. No sane person thinks he can’t act. Now he likes to have control, play the confident action hero role, and make tons of money. 

Then you take into account that the industry has changed. People are not making as many dramas as before. Dramas beings a box office hit are few. So many writers aren’t writing dramas anymore because they don’t sell as much. 

[MoJames 8244]

Oh don't get me wrong, more power to Adam Sandler, but to decide someone is a bad actor based on the roles they take is a poor metric.

[sheeeit 129]

4 minutes ago, MoJames said:

Oh don't get me wrong, more power to Adam Sandler, but to decide someone is a bad actor based on the roles they take is a poor metric.

Agreed.  Guys like Sandler have at least shown that hey do possess range as an actor but they often choose to take lucrative roles that require less effort.  The actors I am talking about are the ones that also have become big stars and made lots of money by taking safe/easy acting roles.   But unlike guys like Cruise and Sandler, these other guys have never shown any ability to act in difficult roles that require larger ranges.  They have tried and the results are bad.

[Armybrat 40822]

On 4/20/2021 at 2:58 PM, RPM said:

Naa, the Duke had range. He turned out his fair share of formulaic schlock, but he had a few stellar performances.

True Grit was a shitty flick and his Rooster Cogburn was as corny as a can of Niblets.

Red River was really good, but he saved his best for the last... The Shootist.

 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

13 hours ago, mchookem said:

hmm... with this criteria, i offer...Clint Eastwood. comedy, romance, drama, action, western, heist, war ...he's pretty much done everything. and it's all pretty much one-note Clint.

his movies are great, and he's definitely a movie star... but he's not winning any acting awards. 

literally. i looked it up 😄

[Armybrat 40822]

Ahnold.

[Trey3216 15344]

14 hours ago, Dennis Taylor said:

You sure about that? 

Fairly easy to have a shadow cast over you when standing next to Salma, especially if it's profile Salma.  

[Frank The Tank 1496]

I nominate Michael B. Jordan. The guy is becoming a pretty big movie star and he just can’t act. He was ok as a kid in The Wire, but in any other role I’ve seen him attempt...he always just seems to be himself. Nothing more. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

37 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Ahnold.

We have a new leader in the clubhouse...

[C-Man 27187]

On 4/20/2021 at 2:49 PM, Lobo said:

Yep, he's not funny.  Doesn't have any range either.  I know he's a Longhorn, but he's not funny.  Even in best comedy films, he's stolen the humor scene maybe 2 or 3 times in each picture...at best.  Edward Norton does a funnier Owen Wilson than Owen Wilson.  

Also, does he have a fucking clause in his studio contracts that no matter the location, or the character, or the wardrobe, or the appropriateness of the gimmick that he gets to film multiple scenes with his hands inside the ends of his sleeves?  

His brother's cool though.

I like Luke Wilson quite a bit but he's got even less acting range than Owen, who has actually had a much bigger reach in co-writing Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore with Wes Anderson.

[lateshow 1304]

35 minutes ago, Frank The Tank said:

I nominate Michael B. Jordan. The guy is becoming a pretty big movie star and he just can’t act. He was ok as a kid in The Wire, but in any other role I’ve seen him attempt...he always just seems to be himself. Nothing more. 

F*cking this ^. 

[lateshow 1304]

20 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

I nominate:

Ashton Kutcher 

Hayden Christiansen 

Zach Braff

Seth Rogen

Cameron Diaz 

Channing Tatum 

 

 

Is Ashton Kutcher really a movie star, though? 

His biggest hits have been That 70s Show, The Ranch, and Punk'd. 

[RPM 26316]

1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

True Grit was a shitty flick and his Rooster Cogburn was as corny as a can of Niblets.

Red River was really good, but he saved his best for the last... The Shootist.

 

I thought he was great as Rockwell Torrey In Harm's Way. I think it's among his best.

[lateshow 1304]

1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

True Grit was a shitty flick and his Rooster Cogburn was as corny as a can of Niblets.

Red River was really good, but he saved his best for the last... The Shootist.

 

But....The Searchers.

[Armybrat 40822]

2 minutes ago, lateshow said:

But....The Searchers.

Top five in his career, even though some of the film’s portrayals are laughably inaccurate.

[Wanker Bob 379]

22 hours ago, mchookem said:

 

i submit...Johnny Depp. he excels at over-the-top caricature/cartoonish and period pieces...but i can't really recall any other dramatic roles...Donnie Brasco i guess, but he was pretty dull next to Pacino and Madsen. i don't do chick-flicks tho, i guess he also has a bunch of those, he is pretty to look at. i suppose he has a niche that i just don't 'get'.

Anyone who can nail Hunter S Thompson like that while also pulling off Sleepy Hollow/From Hell/Nick of Time/Cry Baby/Gilbert Grape isn't a bad actor. 

Edited April 22, 2021 by Wanker Bob

[Wanker Bob 379]

23 hours ago, 83Horn said:

Not only did I not see any of the movies you mentioned in your second paragraph, I have never heard of them. 

 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

18 minutes ago, Wanker Bob said:

Anyone who can nail Hunter S Thompson like that while also pulling off Sleepy Hollow/From Hell/Nick of Time/Cry Baby/Gilbert Grape isn't a bad actor. 

I'd submit his Hunter S portayal was a cartoon caricature, even if it was amazingly great. He's pretty forgettable in Whats Eating Gilbert Grape IMO.

[mchookem 16321]

20 minutes ago, Wanker Bob said:

Anyone who can nail Hunter S Thompson like that while also pulling off Sleepy Hollow/From Hell/Nick of Time/Cry Baby/Gilbert Grape isn't a bad actor. 

ohhh i forgot about Gilbert Grape! good movie, but he was still pretty one-note. Leo was the breakout star of that one. 

i don't recall Nick of Time

 you kind of prove my point with the others...over-the-top/caricatures. but i will concede it takes a particular kind of talent to pull off HST, Willie Wonka, the Mad Hatter and Jack Sparrow. point taken.

[MoJames 8244]

20 minutes ago, mchookem said:

ohhh i forgot about Gilbert Grape! good movie, but he was still pretty one-note. Leo was the breakout star of that one. 

i don't recall Nick of Time

 you kind of prove my point with the others...over-the-top/caricatures. but i will concede it takes a particular kind of talent to pull off HST, Willie Wonka, the Mad Hatter and Jack Sparrow. point taken.

I enjoyed him in Benny and Joon

[Neonmoon 38129]

1 hour ago, lateshow said:

Is Ashton Kutcher really a movie star, though? 

His biggest hits have been That 70s Show, The Ranch, and Punk'd. 

He was a movie star, or tried to be during and after that 70s show, but his career was severely limited due to his lack of acting ability. He eventually returned to TV comedy. 

[MoJames 8244]

I remember enjoying the Butterfly Effect granted that was in 2004, curious if it holds up.

[Capt. Squints 176]

3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

True Grit was a shitty flick and his Rooster Cogburn was as corny as a can of Niblets.

Red River was really good, but he saved his best for the last... The Shootist.

 

The Searchers? Sands of Iwo Jima? They were Expendable? C'mon man.

[Capt. Squints 176]

I submit Michael J. fucking Fox. Shaky little fucker.

[PilotsError 2286]

Also, The Rock. 

Terrible actor who's good guy shtick is cringey as fuck.  

Biggest movie star in the world if you go by money made.

[Armybrat 40822]

31 minutes ago, Capt. Squints said:

The Searchers? Sands of Iwo Jima? They were Expendable? C'mon man.

Already addressed The Searchers, the others were ok.... about like In Harm’s Way.

His early B pictures were terrible. The 1960s flicks with Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Fabian, were entertaining, but pedestrian.

[RPM 26316]

Just now, Armybrat said:

Already addressed The Searchers, the others were ok.... about like In Harm’s Way.

His early B pictures were terrible. The 1960s flicks with Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Fabian, were entertaining, but pedestrian.

He sandwiched Big Jim McLain between The Quiet Man and Trouble Along the Way. Go figure.

[Beau Vine 54207]

4 hours ago, sheeeit said:

Agreed.  Guys like Sandler have at least shown that hey do possess range as an actor but they often choose to take lucrative roles that require less effort.  The actors I am talking about are the ones that also have become big stars and made lots of money by taking safe/easy acting roles.   But unlike guys like Cruise and Sandler, these other guys have never shown any ability to act in difficult roles that require larger ranges.  They have tried and the results are bad.

I really don't get this "range" argument.

I almost think you're giving people credit for overcoming bad casting decisions. 

There's a reason why you cast Danny Trejo in a movie.  If someone casts Danny Trejo in a musical and he doesn't bomb, that's nice, but that doesn't mean he's a better actor than Tom Cruise because Cruise has never shown "the range" to do musicals. 

In every facet of life, it's advantageous for society for everyone to exploit his/her own comparative advantage.  You seem to want to throw that out the window?

Do you also want AC/DC to put out a Tejano album to show that they possess range?

[sheeeit 129]

8 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

I really don't get this "range" argument.

I almost think you're giving people credit for overcoming bad casting decisions. 

There's a reason why you cast Danny Trejo in a movie.  If someone casts Danny Trejo in a musical and he doesn't bomb, that's nice, but that doesn't mean he's a better actor than Tom Cruise because Cruise has never shown "the range" to do musicals. 

In every facet of life, it's advantageous for society for everyone to exploit his/her own comparative advantage.  You seem to want to throw that out the window?

Do you also want AC/DC to put out a Tejano album to show that they possess range?

I think this discussion might be over your head.   

[Armybrat 40822]

24 minutes ago, RPM said:

He sandwiched Big Jim McLain between The Quiet Man and Trouble Along the Way. Go figure.

The Quiet man is a favorite and he was pretty good in it, but Victor McLaglen, Barry Fitzgerald, & Maureen O’Hara really made that film for me.

[RPM 26316]

6 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

The Quiet man is a favorite and he was pretty good in it, but Victor McLaglen, Barry Fitzgerald, & Maureen O’Hara really made that film for me.

John Ford troupe. You know the story of how it was made, right?

[Armybrat 40822]

Just now, RPM said:

John Ford troupe. You know the story of how it was made, right?

Enlighten me please.

[Beau Vine 54207]

14 minutes ago, sheeeit said:

I think this discussion might be over your head.   

Go fuck yourself.  I get why showing range is evidence of talent.  I don't get why not showing range is a demerit.

Tom Brady would definitely be a better football player if he could return punts and play defense, but Tom Brady not returning punts does not change his status as one of the greatest football players ever. 

[RPM 26316]

 

2 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Enlighten me please.

When Ford went to the studio with The Quiet Man they weren't that hot about the idea. In order to finance the film Ford had to agree to do a western that was a guaranteed money maker. So he made Rio Grande, the first of his cavalry trilogy. It was a hit, made the studio money and they greenlit TQM.

[Deej 76755]

31 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Do you also want AC/DC to put out a Tejano album to show that they possess range?

[Armybrat 40822]

9 minutes ago, RPM said:

 

When Ford went to the studio with The Quiet Man they weren't that hot about the idea. In order to finance the film Ford had to agree to do a western that was a guaranteed money maker. So he made Rio Grande, the first of his cavalry trilogy. It was a hit, made the studio money and they greenlit TQM.

I did not know that. Thanks.

yeah, westerns were moneymakers in the 1940s, 50s & 60s.

[RPM 26316]

1 minute ago, Armybrat said:

I did not know that. Thanks.

I'm not Robert Osborne, but I watched him on TCM.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

20 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

I did not know that. Thanks.

yeah, westerns were moneymakers in the 1940s, 50s & 60s.

There's a great TMC short narrated by Maureen O'Hara, Hubba hubba hubba she's talks about the the quiet man, the  process, and how difficult it was to get the movie produced. How long they had to wait, what promises made were, and how Ford directed, and ran his sets, and production company.

Edited April 22, 2021 by Onboard 2.0

[Armybrat 40822]

Uh, ok?

Edited April 22, 2021 by Armybrat
Wut?

[Don Johnson 4752]

3 hours ago, C-Man said:

I like Luke Wilson quite a bit but he's got even less acting range than Owen, who has actually had a much bigger reach in co-writing Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore with Wes Anderson.

I'll say this for Owen, I remember Behind Enemy Lines being a decent action flick and never would've imagined he could pull that off.

[Scooter Monzingo 820]

33 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

Go fuck yourself.  I get why showing range is evidence of talent.  I don't get why not showing range is a demerit.

Tom Brady would definitely be a better football player if he could return punts and play defense, but Tom Brady not returning punts does not change his status as one of the greatest football players ever. 

I had to read that twice. But damn, that was a brilliant example 

[Armybrat 40822]

19 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

There's a great TMC short narrated by Maureen O'Hara, Hubba hubba hubba she's talks about the the quiet man, the  process, and how difficult it was to get the movie produced. How long they had to wait, what promises made were, and how Ford directed, and ran his sets, and production company.

Grias, ahora yo comprende.

[Don Johnson 4752]

Has Vince Vaughn been mentioned?