# Actors who were only good in one movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466 "2005-03-14T15:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/1 "2005-03-14T15:04:45Z")
I’d like to nominate **Jack Black**. The first substantial role I saw him in (_Bob Roberts_ was too small a part to judge) was _High Fidelity_, and man he rocked in that film. So I’ve been keeping my eye on him, and I’ve seen _School of Rock_, _Orange County_, and _Saving Silverman_, and he failed to impress me in any of those movies, which were turkeys in their own right. Any other nominations? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/2 "2005-03-14T15:08:14Z")
Stephen Baldwin in The Usual Suspects. ---
**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/3 "2005-03-14T15:43:50Z")
In the same vein, although he did achieve mediocrity in The Hunt for Red October, **Alec Baldwin** was fantastic in Glengarry Glenn Ross. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/4 "2005-03-14T15:45:59Z")
Nicolas Cage in _Bringing Out the Dead_. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/5 "2005-03-14T15:54:15Z")
I’m sure people will hate me for saying this, but there is one movie I thought Keanu Reeves was good in, and it wasn’t one of the Bill and Ted movies. I thought he was good in **The Devil’s Advocate.** ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/6 "2005-03-14T16:12:02Z")
I thought Keanu was good in \*\* A Walk in the Clouds \*\*, mostly because his bland emotionless style was perfect for the character. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/7 "2005-03-14T16:18:26Z")
Keanu was also good in **Little Buddha, Tune in Tomorrow** and **Leaving Minnesota**. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/8 "2005-03-14T16:22:29Z")
I thought Alec Baldwin was good in The Shadow, but he’s always surprisingly great as the host of Saturday Night Live. ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/9 "2005-03-14T16:28:27Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Nicolas Cage in _Bringing Out the Dead_. I have to say that I thought Nicolas Cage was fantastic in **Raising Arizona**. And I nominate Ray Liotta for **Goodfellas**. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/10 "2005-03-14T16:33:46Z")
> [@bclouse](#): > > I have to say that I thought Nicolas Cage was fantastic in **Raising Arizona**. [Sideshow Bob] Cheerfully withdrawn. [/Sideshow Bob] I’d forgotten all about _Raising Arizona_. Oh, and **RealityChuck**? Not to nitpick, but it’s _Feeling Minnesota_. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/11 "2005-03-14T16:36:37Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Keanu was also good in **Little Buddha, Tune in Tomorrow** and **Leaving Minnesota**. The man was born for **Bill and Ted**. He’s been in a lot of other good movies, but most of them were good for reasons not related to his acting. **Pulp Fiction** is the only thing I’ve liked John Trovolta in. Now, when I see he’s in a film, I take it as a reliable indicator that not only will his acting be annoying, but that the film itself will suck. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/12 "2005-03-14T16:47:34Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > The man was born for **Bill and Ted**. He’s been in a lot of other good movies, but most of them were good for reasons not related to his acting. > > **Pulp Fiction** is the only thing I’ve liked John Trovolta in. Now, when I see he’s in a film, I take it as a reliable indicator that not only will his acting be annoying, but that the film itself will suck. Travolta was good in Get Shorty. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/13 "2005-03-14T17:31:13Z")
_Anthony Perkins_ in _Psycho_. Granted, I haven’t seen every one of his roles, but I’ve seen him in a couple of films where he was perfectly underwhelming. In fact, he always ticked me off in a Wesley Crusher kind of way. However, he was _perfect_ as Norman Bates. Maybe his talent for making the viewer uncomfortable came to his aid in his portrayal of Norman. ---
**Author:** ![Kaspar\_Hauser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b3f665/32.png) [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/14 "2005-03-14T18:11:21Z")
Kevin Costner in _Silverado_. He was almost good in _A Perfect World_, but not quite. ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/15 "2005-03-14T18:14:57Z")
Vince Vaughn in **Swingers.** Tim Matheson in **Animal House.** Cindy Morgan in **Caddyshack.** ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/16 "2005-03-14T18:15:32Z")
In the “Keany Reeves was only good in ‘X’ and sucked in everything else” catagory, I nominate **River’s Edge** Ray Liotta was also good in **Something Wild** and was the only good thing in **Blow** Going back further, Lon Chaney, Jr. was good in **Of Mice and Men** and silly in everything else. Tony Curtis likewise in **The Outsider** Assuming this is a thread about limited actors who turn in one good role. Not to be confused with actors like Robert Ryan or Scott Wilson who are always good in anything but only stand out once or twice. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/17 "2005-03-14T18:43:35Z")
> [@Slithy Tove](#): > > Tony Curtis likewise in **The Outsider** Haven’t seen a lot of Tony Curtis’ movies, but I thought he was excellent in _The Sweet Smell of Success_. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/18 "2005-03-14T18:57:30Z")
\*\*Casper Van Dien \*\* was decently good in Starship Troopers. Everything he has done since – and I mean **every** movie, and **every** acting project – has bar-none been suck-assidy awful. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/19 "2005-03-14T18:59:47Z")
> [@Kaspar Hauser](#): > > Kevin Costner in _Silverado_. I dunno; the dude rocked in _The Big Chill._ How about Sting in _Dune?_ ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466/20 "2005-03-14T19:28:27Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I dunno; the dude rocked in _The Big Chill._ > > How about Sting in _Dune?_ I second Kevin Costner in **The Bill Chill**. His finest performance indeed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-were-only-good-in-one-movie/294466.md?page=2)