Even the greatest actors can deliver shockingly bad performances! Join us as we count down the most disappointing acting jobs from Hollywood's elite talents. These acclaimed performers may have Oscars on their shelves, but they also have some serious cinematic missteps on their resumes that left audiences and critics stunned.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Gentlemen, I'm sure you're all aware that the Solons of the state of Mississippi, to wit its legislature,
00:05have decreed that no gaming establishment shall be erected within its borders upon dry land.
00:10Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our pick for the worst performances from the best actors.
00:16Dunka-dunka-dunka-chino!
00:20Number 10. Jared Leto, Suicide Squad.
00:24Since the early 90s, Jared Leto has been well-known for method acting.
00:28He took the technique to a whole new level for Suicide Squad, and it didn't work in his favor.
00:41Giving gifts like bullets, live rats, and dead pigs to his co-stars garnered a lot of media attention during filming.
00:48On top of that, co-stars Viola Davis and Will Smith did not have nice things to say about working with him.
00:53When Suicide Squad finally came out, after $22 million in reshoots, many noted that Leto's Joker was hardly in the film.
01:01Really, really bad.
01:05It's not like it was a well-received movie anyway, but Leto only gained notoriety for it.
01:102022 wasn't too kind to him either, with all the negative Morbius reviews and memes.
01:15Intriguing.
01:16Number 9. Eddie Redmayne, Jupiter Ascending
01:19Eddie Redmayne followed up his Academy Award-winning performance with a Razzie.
01:29His Oscar-winning portrayal of Stephen Hawking was brilliantly nuanced, but his Razzie-winning turn in Jupiter Ascending was stunningly absurd.
01:37Understand this, Mr. Knight.
01:40I will harvest that planet tomorrow.
01:44Redmayne turned on the camp in all his scenes, making the film an unintentional comedy.
01:49His over-the-top performance didn't resonate with audiences or with critics.
01:53His lines were all delivered either in gravelly whispers or jarringly loud screeches.
01:58Remember why you are here.
02:01He was also criticized for being too silly, which didn't go with the rest of the movie's self-serious tone.
02:07Number 8. Colin Farrell, Alexander
02:10Since the early 2000s, Colin Farrell has been a well-loved leading man in blockbusters and indie projects.
02:17There was a huge misstep in 2004, when he played Alexander the Great.
02:21You no longer serve the purpose of this march!
02:24Get it from my sight!
02:25I don't stand your promise!
02:27The theatrical cut of the film ran for nearly three hours, with little payoff to earn high praise.
02:33Farrell's performance lacked emotional depth and appeal, failing to engage audiences for the long run time.
02:39Tell me. Tell me, or shall I put you on trial for his murder?
02:44What's that, Nancy?
02:44He had help!
02:46Interestingly, three additional cuts of the movie have been released for home viewing.
02:50The shortest of these has only eight minutes less footage.
02:53All of them keep Farrell's dry performance firmly in the spotlight.
02:56Why have I become so arrogant that I am blind?
03:01Number 7. Russell Crowe, Les Miserables
03:04Despite winning many acting awards since the 1990s, and having a background in theatre and music,
03:19Russell Crowe just wasn't up to snuff when he played Javert in Les Miserables.
03:22As the film's primary antagonist, Javert needs to be intense, nuanced, and a strong baritone.
03:29Crowe may have proved intensity and nuance in movies like 2000's Gladiator and 2001's A Beautiful Mind,
03:35but something was lacking in Les Mis.
03:37His voice, more suited to rock music like his band 30-odd foot of grunts played, simply couldn't hold up to the dramatic score.
03:54He paled a comparison to Hugh Jackman, who has extensive experience in many musical theatre classics.
04:00Every schoolboy to his sport, death to each and every traitor, I renounce your people's court.
04:07Number 6. Johnny Depp, Mordecai
04:11Johnny Depp is known for being a huge box office draw, and for taking on a variety of eccentric roles.
04:17His well-loved characters range from Edward Scissorhands to Captain Jack Sparrow.
04:21Much less appreciated is his performance as the title character in the unsuccessful 2015 comedy, Mordecai.
04:27Give me the gun, please, sir.
04:29Ah, yes, boss.
04:30No, no, no.
04:32Oh, I am poor Spinoza.
04:34With an unconvincing British accent, a stilted script, and a particularly unappealing mustache,
04:40Depp did not endear himself to any fans or critics with this one.
04:47Sir!
04:48I'm on the bonnet!
04:50Get in the car, sir!
04:52He was even nominated for two Razzie Awards, one for Worst Actor, and one for Worst Screen Combo, featuring his mustache.
04:59Oh, that is a superb police on the side, I must say.
05:04I was admiring your friends, Joseph.
05:06Oh, thank you very much.
05:07Number 5. Kevin Costner, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves
05:11Although this adaptation of Robin Hood was technically a box office success,
05:15Kevin Costner's performance was generally received as half-hearted and subpar.
05:19Part of the criticism came from Costner's quasi-transatlantic accent.
05:24Tell the sheriff for every harm he does to these people, I will visit it back on him tenfold.
05:29Robin Hood is a classic British story, but Costner noticeably lacked a British inflection.
05:34When paired on screen with talented Brits such as Alan Rickman,
05:37a vaguely American-sounding Robin Hood felt out of place.
05:41Appropriate, don't you think, that I now use it to send you to meet him?
05:46I shall never fear my father's sword.
05:48Moreover, the accent sounded forced, inconsistent, and unconvincing.
05:54Costner was clearly the weakest link in this otherwise average big-budget movie.
05:58He even won the notorious Golden Raspberry for Worst Actor for this role.
06:05If I must, I will take you a piece at a time.
06:08Number 4. Robert De Niro, Dirty Grandpa
06:11Robert De Niro has been a big name since the 1970s, impressing critics from the start and winning plenty of awards.
06:19Many of his films have been inducted into the U.S. National Film Registry, and several are on the AFI's list of 100 Greatest American Movies.
06:27Starring in Dirty Grandpa was not the way to show that he still had immense talent after 40 years.
06:31No, no, this is his father, so that's what I'm saying. Keep him heavily sedated, but don't be afraid to pull the plug if you have to. Thank you, Doc.
06:39Heavy on gross-outs, jokes that mock minorities, and shock humor, the movie placed on many critics' lists of the worst of 2016.
06:47Hey.
06:48Hi, Professor.
06:49Well, there's the prettiest little girl on the beach.
06:52De Niro playing a crude, raunchy old man with a lousy script and lazy direction seemed like a huge waste of potential.
07:05So, that's it.
07:09Number 3. Al Pacino, Jack and Jill
07:12Adam Sandler has made his share of bad movies, but he managed to rope Al Pacino into what is possibly his worst, Jack and Jill.
07:20Pacino's performance as himself is forced, unnatural, and not at all funny.
07:25Rapping for a Dunkin' Donuts commercial, the usually talented actor seems to degrade himself in such a terrible movie.
07:32What's my name?
07:33Dunk-A-C-C-C-C-O!
07:34I'll dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-dunk-a-chino!
07:37Unsurprisingly, Pacino didn't sign on for Jack and Jill because he thought the script was good.
07:42According to his autobiography, he just took the gig because he needed the money.
07:46Yeah, listen, you get me this girl.
07:48Oh, you don't get that Don Caccino commercial, you understand?
07:51Don't you know me?
07:53Pacino enjoyed working with Sandler, but was winning two Razzies really worth the paycheck?
07:57We are getting there.
08:00Burn this.
08:01Number 2, Judi Dench, Cats.
08:05An acclaimed actress since the late 1950s, Judi Dench must have seen potential in this film adaptation of one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time.
08:13However, when the movie was released, critics and audiences were blown away by the terrible quality.
08:30Cats had a large ensemble cast of A-list actors and singers, including Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, and Taylor Swift.
08:37No one could save it from poor direction, disturbing special effects, and muddled aesthetics.
08:42Oh, poor thing. Would you like to see me make the Jellicle choice?
08:49As old Deuteronomy, the leader of the Cats, Dench seems lackluster and even confused by the script.
08:55At least she was pleased by the novelty of a Razzie nomination.
08:58A Jellicle Cat.
09:00Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:05You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:09If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:16Number 1. Marlon Brando. The Island of Dr. Moreau.
09:20I think that, yes, my caloric inverter is empty.
09:25Would you fill it too?
09:27Yes, that's much better.
09:28Legendary method actor Marlon Brando gives a bizarrely half-hearted performance in this adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel.
09:37As the titular Dr. Moreau, you'd expect a barely-contained mad scientist, but Brando seems uninterested in the story.
09:43He even used an earpiece to have his lines read to him while filming.
09:46Don't you feel the heat?
09:50As I do. I can't tolerate the sun.
09:54The troubled production of the film couldn't have helped.
09:56With changing directors, constant script changes, lead actors dropping out, and personal tragedy for Brando himself,
10:03The Island of Dr. Moreau is infamous for being a production nightmare.
10:07I think perhaps this is not the time to continue.
10:10We will have dinner at 8 o'clock.
10:11I hope that you will be in another state of mind that will be slightly more receptive.
10:15Have any of your favorite actors shocked you with appalling performances?
10:19Let us know in the comments.
10:21So that's it?
10:22What, we some kind of suicide squad?
10:25Did you enjoy this video?
10:27Check out these other clips from WatchMojo.
10:29And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.