# 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:** 2
**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, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/21 "2003-11-28T16:26:03Z")
Actually, Tom Cruise kind of surprised me in a few things. He’s a pretty boy, but he’s not all that bad. I don’t think he’s up there with Laurence Olivier, but he’s certainly better than Ashton Kutcher. Kevin Costner, on the other hand… exactly what acting has this man ever done? I’ve seen nearly everything he’s ever made, at one point or another, usually due to the urgings of a woman, and I have yet to see him actually ACT… ---
**Author:** ![happytrails](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c2a13f/32.png) [@happytrails](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happytrails)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/22 "2003-11-28T19:34:32Z")
Tom Greene, Keanu Reeves and Tom Arnold (I was gonna add Roseanne Barr, but her new TV show tanked). ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/23 "2003-11-28T20:30:39Z")
Kate Hudson, Tara Reid and every other 20something fake blonde. Signed, the bitter 40something redhead. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/24 "2003-11-28T20:44:36Z")
_Tracy Morgan has his own television show!!!_ I’ll second Tobey MacGuire. He has, to borrow a line, the personality of wet bread. ---
**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, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/25 "2003-11-28T21:07:33Z")
I wasn’t aware Tom Arnold WAS still getting work. What’s he been in lately? ---
**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, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/26 "2003-11-28T21:10:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Troy McClure SF \* > \*\*_Tracy Morgan has his own television show!!!_ > \*\* Nyah, nyah, nyah, NO HE DOESN’T, nyah, nyah, nyah… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/27 "2003-11-28T21:14:28Z")
Will Smith. He plays the same role in a lot of his movies, the young bad ass wise talking guy who thinks he’s the funniest person ever. What is even worse is that he is often put up against the same person, a no sense of humor all business character. Compare Wild, Wild West to Men in Black and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Kevin Kline and Tommy Lee Jones had very similar roles so Will Smith could bounce his idiotic comments off of them. Thank you higher being that he turned down the role of Neo to be in Wild, Wild, West. I can imagine The Matrix as a total suck fest with him making wise ass comments to agent Smith. Argh! “Yo, so what you sayin is if I take the red pill, I’ll be all chillin and know the truth? I’m down with that !” The only thing worse would be Martin Lawrence. Can’t…continue…tooo…painful… ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/28 "2003-11-28T21:31:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Long Road \* > **Will Smith. He plays the same role in a lot of his movies, the young bad ass wise talking guy who thinks he’s the funniest person ever.** Yeah, like that predictable action-buddy flick _Six Degrees of Separation_. Smith has major acting talent (and comic talent); he’s just taking run-of-the-mill roles. I can see him becoming another Tom Hanks-type (remember when all Tom Hanks ever did were goofy slapstick movies?). To the list of worthless actors, I’ll add Melanie Griffith; if she’s ever done a good movie, I completely missed it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/29 "2003-11-28T21:40:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*Yeah, like that predictable action-buddy flick _Six Degrees of Separation_. > > Smith has major acting talent (and comic talent); he’s just taking run-of-the-mill roles. I can see him becoming another Tom Hanks-type (remember when all Tom Hanks ever did were goofy slapstick movies?). > > To the list of worthless actors, I’ll add Melanie Griffith; if she’s ever done a good movie, I completely missed it. \*\* As I said, a lot, not all, a lot. ---
**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, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/30 "2003-11-28T21:53:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Master Wang-Ka \* > \*\*I wasn’t aware Tom Arnold WAS still getting work. What’s he been in lately? \*\* He’s been on _The Best Damn Sports Show Period_ where he’s proving he knows as much about sports as he does about comedy. ---
**Author:** ![hanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb8c5e/32.png) [@hanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hanza)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/31 "2003-11-28T21:56:22Z")
Two words: Andy…McDowell ---
**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, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/32 "2003-11-28T22:24:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Julius Henry \* > \*\*He’s been on _The Best Damn Sports Show Period_ where he’s proving he knows as much about sports as he does about comedy. \*\* Ever try watching him on Letterman? It’s like watching a rabid ferret on crack. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/33 "2003-11-28T23:04:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*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. \*\* Richard Gere’s performance quality varies in inverse proportion to the quality of the film he’s in. The worse the film, the better he gets. (And no, it’s not just that he looks good by comparison.) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/34 "2003-11-28T23:46:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Death \* > \*\*Richard Gere’s performance quality varies in inverse proportion to the quality of the film he’s in. The worse the film, the better he gets. (And no, it’s not just that he looks good by comparison.) \*\* Um, excuse me? You seem to be implying that _Chicago_ was a bad movie. _Chicago_ was awesome! The best work Tom Hanks has done in years! Even Richard Gere was OK, tho I fully understand why he wasn’t nominated. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/35 "2003-11-28T23:50:32Z")
David Schwimmer. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/36 "2003-11-28T23:53:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RobuSensei \* > \*\*Alan Alda’s still getting work? \*\* He narrates science shows or something on public tv, as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/37 "2003-11-29T00:26:16Z")
Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence Martin Lawrence ---
**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 29, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/38 "2003-11-29T01:06:45Z")
Speaking of Will Smith, [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/) makes me cry. ---
**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 29, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/39 "2003-11-29T01:09:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Algorithm \* > \*\*Speaking of Will Smith, [this](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343818/) makes me cry. \*\* Listen. You hear that?. It’s Asimov spinning. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700/40 "2003-11-29T01:12:09Z")
Jennifer Love Hewitt Her voice makes my ears bleed and her face is like a poorly drawn caricature of a psychotic elf. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-you-cant-believe-still-get-work/215700.md?page=3)