# Actors you can't believe still get work **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700 "2003-11-28T08:01:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/1 "2003-11-28T08:01:24Z")
What actors are you surprised to see working today because, in your eyes, they add nothing to a movie? I’m talking about major Hollywood movies, not small indie films or obscure B movies. Television is not included also because there are too many talentless clods on the tube to mention. Right off the top of my head: Matthew Broderick–the guy has zero personality and still looks like a teenager. I thought it was a prank years ago when I read he was going to star in the American **Godzilla** movie. Richard Gere–What a boring, wooden actor! I don’t understand how this guy gets roles in big movies. I couldn’t understand people on Academy Award preview shows who were stunned that he was the only star of **Chicago** not to get an Oscar nomination (Zeta-Jones, Zellwegger and Latifah all got nominations–hey, two actresses with last names beginning with “Z” in the same movie! That’s gotta be a first!). I don’t even get Gere’s appeal as a sex symbol because he’s got those tiny little weasel eyes, plus the gerbil myth doesn’t help. Liam Neeson–Like Gere, a very boring actor who brings down anything he’s in. Plus he always looks like he’s on the verge of tears. He was just awful in **Rob Roy**! There are several others that I can’t think of at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/2 "2003-11-28T08:14:47Z")
Demi Moore and Kevin Costner. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/3 "2003-11-28T08:17:08Z")
I actually really liked Gere in _Chicago_. I thought he was perfect in the part and it really needed someone willing to play up to their own celebrity to make it work. Prior to actually watching the movie I thought he was a very dodgy casting choice. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/4 "2003-11-28T08:18:22Z")
Ashton Kutcher. Where did they find this guy, and what does he have hidden in a safe somewhere that compels Hollywood producers to give him shitloads of money to appear in movies? More than once, I have wondered the same thing about Adam Sandler and Steve Guttenberg… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/5 "2003-11-28T08:22:07Z")
I meant to add Eddy Murphy - started off so good and now everything is a stinker. Billy Zane - he just gives me the creeps, for some reason his negative charisma will stop me watching anything. Don’t know what it is it’s not rational. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/6 "2003-11-28T08:50:58Z")
Ben Affleck Jim Carrey Adam Sandler anything named “Culkin” Courtney Love David Spade Chris Rock Tobey Maguire (how the hell did THIS guy get famous???) Drew Barrymore Mary Steenburgen ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/7 "2003-11-28T08:57:31Z")
I second the vote for Ashton Kutcher. And anyone from the “American Pie” series. And Molly Shannon. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/8 "2003-11-28T11:19:13Z")
**KGS** , your list made me realize that there are far more shitty comic actors then dramatic ones. David Spade must be the godson of a very powerful mob boss to continue working in movies because he’s the biggest pile of crap ever to appear in one. Ben Affleck also makes no sense to me. **Armaggedon** was awful for many reasons, but the male half of Bennifer was tops in my book. I think Eddy Murphy still gets big bucks because studios hope that maybe they’ll get lucky and he’ll become funny again. I think it’s been too many years to consider it a mere slump ---
**Author:** ![Short\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Short\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/9 "2003-11-28T11:34:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KGS \* > \*\*Ben Affleck > Jim Carrey > Adam Sandler > anything named “Culkin” > Courtney Love > David Spade > Chris Rock > Tobey Maguire (how the hell did THIS guy get famous???) > Drew Barrymore > Mary Steenburgen \*\* I have to disagree with some of these. Carrey, while grating as a comedian, is a good to very good “serious” actor, and has a great onscreen personality when kept in check by the right kind of director. Tobey Maguire gets points just for not being your typical Hollywood prettyboy, and I’ve always liked the adult Drew Barrymore for reasons that are, I fear, entirely hormonal.😉 And Mary Steenburgen? Sweet lord, you must be kidding. I’ve had the hots for her ever since Back to the Future, Part III, and even besides that, she’s a fine actress. Good call on Sandler and Rock, though. I’ll see that and raise you a Keanu Reeves. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/10 "2003-11-28T12:22:50Z")
One more: Ethan Hawke. What a pompous, pretentious ass! ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/11 "2003-11-28T12:47:53Z")
I’ll second Sandler and Reeves and I’ll add Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Tom Green and Vin Diesel. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/12 "2003-11-28T13:33:22Z")
**KGS** , that’s a good list. I like Chris Rock, but he hasn’t done much as an actor so far. That’s the closest I can come to making an exception. Costner is an excellent choice. If he has to do an accent, it’s comically bad. He makes terrible decisions in his films (mostly casting himself, and making the movies). He just never does anything but suck; something is always horribly wrong with the movie, and it’s generally him. Okay, I should be fair: _Untouchables_ is a good movie, and I haven’t seen _Field of Dreams_. Even if that’s great, he’s been making nothing but crap for a long time. (Speaking of which, I’m sometimes amazed people cast Sean Connery and expect him to act like anything but Sean Connery. Are their heads in the sand or what?) No argument about the American Pie gang. A few additions: Stallone. And Schwarzenegger. Both of them were just about finished forever, then Sly had a minor hit in that racing movie and Arnie had T3 and the recall election. John Travolta is in another ‘terrible’ phase, but he seems to be on the decline. Hopefully there isn’t another comeback in store. Bruce Willis also. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/13 "2003-11-28T13:41:00Z")
Ted McGinley. I win!! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/14 "2003-11-28T13:59:11Z")
Tom Cruise - I’m still waiting for him to START acting. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/15 "2003-11-28T14:09:41Z")
Bette Midler-she is terrible! (and foul-mouthed to booot!) ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/16 "2003-11-28T15:34:57Z")
I will never understand why Tom Arnold isn’t an assistant manager at a Dairy Queen. ---
**Author:** ![Uvula\_Donor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e19adc/32.png) [@Uvula\_Donor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uvula_Donor)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/17 "2003-11-28T15:37:34Z")
I have to agree with most of the choices made so far. And I add **Alan Alda** to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/18 "2003-11-28T16:01:45Z")
It seems to me that Keanu Reeves has the greatest agent in the history of Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/19 "2003-11-28T16:02:46Z")
Martin Lawrence, Heather Graham, Adam Sandler, Keanu Reeves, Jet Li (Poor mans Jackie Chan) Christian Slater, Sandra Bullock…all of them play themselves (maybe Jets an exception) film after film. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/20 "2003-11-28T16:22:38Z")
Alan Alda’s still getting work? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700.md?page=2)