Favorite, stupidest, or most hated miscasted acting role

[Blarg]

Who stands out to you as being jarringly inappropriate, whether they eventually worked out okay in the role or didn't?

[Blarg]

I just heard Leonardo DiCaprio is being cast in Hemingway's "For Whom The Bells Tolls." He's a cute kid, but jeez, he's no Hemingway protagonist.

I'm really disappointed that Martin Scorcese seems to have made him his new DeNiro, too, putting him in any and every movie no matter the subject. At least DeNiro was a good fit for the type of films Scorcese used to concentrate on, and an enormous talent, too. DiCaprio is...well...he's a nice boy. *sigh*

Another favorite miscasting: Michael Keaton as Batman. He's great for playing Beteljuice, but how Tim Burton could pick a short, sloppily pudgy, balding Herkimer McJerkimer dude known at that time for his comic performances to play a brooding, twisted, sophisticated upper class vigilante is beyond me -- maybe he lost a bet or something. There was a huge and well-deserved uproar at the casting at the time. Keaton wound up doing better than I thought he would.

Another one is that the guy originally wanted for the lead in Airplane! was Barry Manilow. Damn, that would have destroyed that movie.

Oh and Denise Richards as the nuclear scientist in that James Bond movie stretched credibility more than a little.

[-Skeme-]

Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. They shouldn't even attempt to recreate that classic. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

[Rushmore]

Sofia Coppola in Godfather III.

Fine, since then, she's made her mark. Great.

But she definitely had some amends to make after what she did to that movie. This broad had no business acting at all, much less in a main role in such a highly-anticipated movie. Every single time she was on-screen, she was awful.

She couldn't even die well at the end. When she's shot, and she's bleeding, falling to her knees on the operahouse steps, she looks at Pacino and says "Dad..." as if the rest of the sentence was "...would it be ok if Jennifer stayed over tonight?"

Then Pacino, realizing just how awful she was, goes WAY above and beyond with his grief scene, further adding to the all-around badness.

Funny thing is, if she hadn't been so bad, his uber-emoting might have actually worked.

Anyway, that's my vote.

[twang]

Ralph Fiennes as the bad guy in Red Dragon (Manhunter-remake). He is a fine actor and I love anti-type casting moves like that, but in this case it was just terrible. He did what he could with the part though, he was just not the right guy.

/twang

[maryfield48]

Tom Cruise.

You pick the role.

[heavybody]

I didn't care for Will Smith as James West in the remake of "The Wild Wild West".

[BeerMoney]

Tom Arnold was perfect in one of the Austin Powers movies.

[Uglyowl]

Eric Christian Olsen and Derek Richardson in Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd.

Why bother?

[-Skeme-]

I thought Ralph Fiennes was good in that role, but then again I don't think I've seen his other movies.

[durron597]

Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker.

[Phoenix1010]

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker.

[klagett]

Favorite:

Travolta Cage in Face Off

[gunt]

samuel jackson as a jedi knight... come on people
tara reid in any movie
ashton kutcher in any movie

[twang]

Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca.
Ronald Reagan as himself.
The kid in Liar Liar.

/twang

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
Tom Cruise.

You pick the role.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't much care for Tom Cruise, but I can't think of a movie he was in that was bad.

~D

[Soul Daddy]

Matthew Broderick as Col. Shaw in Glory.

[trying2learn]

keanu reaves in much ado about nothing. he's been bad in movies, but he's god AWFUL in this otherwise decent film adaptation.

[maryfield48]

I think he really sucks as an actor. He's been in some ok movies, but he always appears self-aware to me.

[[censored]]

[ QUOTE ]
Hayden Christiansen as Anakin Skywalker.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also the kid in episode 1 and Jar Jar Binks as himself.

[pokerjo22]

Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind.

I never knew John Nash was one for working out.

[VBM]

Michael Keaton's Batman; but it wasn't as bad as i thought it would be.

[youtalkfunny]

Tim Robbins in "Bull Durham". Couldn't we find someone a little more, um, athletic, to play an athlete?

But what do I know about casting? I always used to think Robert Wuhl was great in every supporting role he played, and wondered why he never got a lead. He has since been awful as a lead in everything he has done since.

I used to think Kelsey Grammar was a horrible choice to play a sub commander in "Down Periscope". But after watching the movie about 20 times, I've changed my mind. I thought the CO should've been more grizzled, but the role certainly needed a talented comic actor, and Grammar is that.

(Wow, when I read the topic, I thought I'd be able to come up with a dozen off the top of my head, but I'm stumped at this point. Maybe I'll try again later.)

[hoopsie44]

Wesley Snipes in White Men Can't Jump. That's one brother who doesn't have game.

[Yeti]

[ QUOTE ]
Wesley Snipes in White Men Can't Jump. That's one brother who doesn't have game.

[/ QUOTE ]

Were we watching the same film?

[hoopsie44]

I guess you were impressed with his exaggerated, through the legs, around the back dribbles. Every move by him was choreographed to the last step. Woody Harrelson looked like the better ballplayer.

[[censored]]

[ QUOTE ]
Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind.

I never knew John Nash was one for working out.

[/ QUOTE ]

Johnny Depp would have been a good choice for that role IMO.

[gorie]

[ QUOTE ]
Johnny Depp would have been a good choice for that role IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]
the only movie johnny depp belongs in is edward scissorhands.

[Blarg]

Speaking of Wesley Snipes, his enemy in Blade I, Stephen Dorf I guess it was?, was the most unthreatening, wimpy guy imaginable. What a weird climax, to have buff karate student Snipes fighting this guy who looked like he'd be in danger if his yo-yo snapped back up the string too hard during a trick.

I've always thought Pierce Brosnan was way too narrow-shouldered and bony to be James Bond, too. He looks like my grandmother could slap him down and leave him crying. Damn, I miss the Sean Connery type of Bond -- an ape in a suit, who when he threatens to break a girl's arm, you have no doubt that he'll actually do it. That bit of savagery surprisingly close to the polished surface made the character much more watchable, borderline ominous a little.

I thought Spiderman should have been more, well, creepy, too. Lots of Todd McFarlane's stuff made Spiderman look brilliantly insect-like. There was a deleted scene from the Exorcist that was in the book, where Regan crawls around the floor like a spider; it was a tiny passage that was easily one of the creepiest in the book. A little bit of the far corner of the creepiness sneaking into Spiderman like that, just in a quick passing glance, would have been cool and unsettling, too, and would have put just a hint of an edge on things. Just a touch to remind you of his latent power and maybe who knows what other latent things he might be capable of.

[contentless]

Spiderman was just about right, adapted from the original comics. Parker is a pansy, and so is Tobey Maguire.

[stanky]

Keanu Reeves as a lawyer in Devils Advocate

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought Ralph Fiennes was good in that role, but then again I don't think I've seen his other movies.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was pretty good in maid in manhattan

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I thought Ralph Fiennes was good in that role, but then again I don't think I've seen his other movies.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was pretty good in maid in manhattan

[/ QUOTE ]

You saw that movie? hahahhahaha what a loser!

[brassnuts]

I done said it before, and I'll say it again. Ben Affleck in The Sum of all Fears.

[West]

This guy (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350079/) in the most recent remake of Count of Monte Cristo. I liked the movie though.

[jmaltz]

[gorie]

[ QUOTE ]
I loved Michael keaton is Batman. /images/graemlins/heart.gif /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
he was the best batman.

[Phoenix1010]

[ QUOTE ]
Wesley Snipes in White Men Can't Jump. That's one brother who doesn't have game.

[/ QUOTE ]

So true. Also, Omar Epps in Love and Basketball, Denzel Washington in He Got Game, and many others that I can't remember. There are plenty of actors that can play basketball, I don't know why they never seem to get chosen for the basketball player roles.

[ClaytonN]

[ QUOTE ]
Keanu Reeves as a lawyer in Devils Advocate

[/ QUOTE ]

This wins HANDS DOWN

You don't know bad acting until you see Keanu Reeves trying out a southern accent. Holy crap.

[drexah]

[ QUOTE ]
Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. They shouldn't even attempt to recreate that classic. If it aint broke, don't fix it.

[/ QUOTE ]


if it makes money, why not do it?

[fingokra]

Will Smith (who I generally enjoy) in Bagger Vance. Although he did a decent job, I think Morgan Freeman would have been perfect for this role.

[Rearden]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I loved Michael keaton is Batman. /images/graemlins/heart.gif /images/graemlins/spade.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
he was the best batman.

[/ QUOTE ]

Being the best Batman isnt hard though (hopefully this new movie will end up as the pinnacle of caped crusader acting)... Clooney, though great on ER, made Batman movies a joke. As a kid I was an avid reader of the Batman comic books; which always portrayed Bruce Wayne as one dark mofo... a hero yeah but a guy painted in shades of grey not black and white. The only decent acting to come out of the whole series has been the Joker in Keaton's Batman (though they mess up the story by having the Joker be responsible for the Wayne family murders... lies). Bane in the other movies, so weak compared to the thinking uber villian he is in the comics. In short every Batman movie to date < the comic dynasty that is Batman :-(
(Im holding out hope for Batman Begins and Ra's Al Ghul!)

[youtalkfunny]

Oh, God, how could I forget this one?

I waited 20 years for "The Phantom of the Opera" musical to be made into a movie--and when they finally decided to do it, they give the title role to a GUY WHO CAN'T SING!

That's not just my opinion. He never sang a role in his life. He was taking voice lessons ON THE SET, WHILE THEY WERE SHOOTING.

I was so shocked when I heard him sing on the trailer, that I didn't believe my ears. "I'm just being too hard on the lad," I thought. "I expected to hear Michael Crawford's voice to come out of his mouth, and no one should be expected to meet that standard. I'll watch the trailer again, and give the kid another chance." He sounded even WORSE the second time.

And another problem with giving the "kid" another chance: the Phantom is supposed to be a father-figure to young Christine. They cast an 18-year-old as Christine. And this kid STILL isn't old enough to resemble a father-figure.

This was THE casting gaffe of the century. There is no other that comes close.

[youtalkfunny]

[ QUOTE ]
Will Smith (who I generally enjoy) in Bagger Vance. Although he did a decent job, I think Morgan Freeman would have been perfect for this role.

[/ QUOTE ]

I can picture Freeman reading the script, looking up, and saying, "Man, I'm too old for all that walking."

[youtalkfunny]

I know I'm alone on this, but I like Affleck. I thought "TSOAF" was a so-so film, but he was good.

[oreogod]

Tom Hanks as the main character in the to be released The DaVinci Code movie. God, that is just bad bad casting. In the book the character, in his 50s, is described as Harrison Ford looking.

[Charlemagne]

I hated that little bratt playing young anakin in Episode I. He totally sucked!! Actually I get the feeling acting in general is not the most important thing in Episodes I and II. (III is a little better imo, and no offence to Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson intended) So maybe they casted this irritating boy on purpose.

I totally agree on Coppola's daughter by the way. She sucked big time!

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind.

I never knew John Nash was one for working out.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, that was pretty accurate. Nash was strong, and was known for physically abusing his fellow graduate students.

[twang]

[ QUOTE ]
Damn, I miss the Sean Connery type of Bond -- an ape in a suit, who when he threatens to break a girl's arm, you have no doubt that he'll actually do it. That bit of savagery surprisingly close to the polished surface made the character much more watchable, borderline ominous a little.

[/ QUOTE ]
NH, I couldn't agree more. This whole british gentleman thing has been terribly exaggerated post-Connery.

/twang

[-Skeme-]

[ QUOTE ]
No, that was pretty accurate. Nash was strong, and was known for physically abusing his fellow graduate students.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was also a [censored].

[Wozza]

John Wayne as Ghengis Khan...nuff said.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
Spiderman was just about right, adapted from the original comics. Parker is a pansy, and so is Tobey Maguire.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't go so far as to say Parker was a pansy, but he was decidely average. Tobey Maguire does a great job in the films, and I like them better than any superhero films I've seen, which is all of them but Hulk and Daredevil and Elektra I guess, and nobody puts those in the running for the best ones.

I thought Maguire was very much in keeping with the original Steve Ditko's Spiderman look, so he wasn't miscast, but I was very much hoping that some of the real incredibleness of having a spider-like nature would come through, like McFarlane's fantastic artwork gave a feeling of. I think you could have had your cake and eaten it too, in this case, and that the "spider" theme of the character was a richness that was unfortunately cast aside completely. It's not really part of the original vision of Spiderman, but that's the thing that made McFarlane's visual take on Spiderman so startling and cool, and it would definitely lend a powerful visual interest to the film to see Spiderman not just walk up a wall, but scrabble over it, just once, in a disturbingly insect-like fashion. Imagine a shot from the bad-guy's point of view of Spiderman scrabbling down a wall toward him in an inhuman looking way, or Mary Jane's seeing Peter through a crack in the door casually doing something humans don't do and that looks vaguely disturbing -- like instead of walking around the corner into the next room to do it, leaping to the near wall and reaching around to turn on the lightswitch with one foot. Or, in a humorous way, washing the dishes with his hand and stacking them in the countertop drainer with his toes. "They're clean -- look!", he could say bring his toes up in front of his face and turning them around for her inspection. Imagine her reaction shots through that sequence! Or buttering his toast with his feet while he's reading the morning newspaper. Silly stuff, ominous, whichever ... more could be done besides CGI swinging sequences to give the impression that this power was truly extraordinary -- not just in terms of atom-smashing power, but just plain remarkable, unearthly curiousness.

Now it seems Parker might as well keep his powers separately in a box; they're divorced from him and play no part in his life until it's time to hunt bad guys. That seems unlikely, but more, it's less interesting, and provides no sense of the utter strangeness and wonderfulness of his powers. It would be cool if your moments with either Parker or Spiderman could at least always carry the small hint of something strange and wonderful -- who knows, perhaps borderline disturbing -- being always around the next corner, ready to pop up strangely in a scene in a way that would be entirely appropriate for a spider-man, though pretty damn weird for a man.