Greg Kinnear in Mystery Men. Something about someone not taking themselves too seriously makes me like them more.
When I was a kid, I didn’t like Humphrey Bogart at all. Go figure.
I used to strongly dislike like Brad Pitt, thinking he was just another pretty-boy actor. Then I saw Fight Club and Snatch, and I realized that he is a really good, compelling actor. Now I enjoy him a lot in everything I see him in.
I’m not sure what the turning point was for me with Matt Damon, but I also like him more than I expected to (enough to think he should totally play James T. Kirk in the Star Trek prequel).
I can also tolerate Adam Sandler because of The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates. I know a lot of people don’t like the latter movie, but I don’t care, I think it’s cute.
The ego and bravado that was shown by Captain Kirk and T.J. Hooker had me disliking William Shatner. Since then his guest appearances and his role on Boston Legal have changed my mind.
Will Ferrell. Stranger than Fiction is a surprisingly good movie, and Ferrell manages to play a likable and interesting character. From now on I won’t immediately dismiss a movie because he’s in it.
[Dr. Peter Venkman]
This chick is toast!
[/Dr. PV)
Adam Sandler until Punch-Drunk Love.
Jim Carrey until The Truman Show.
I hated hated hated Will Farrel. And then I realized that he was the voice of Bob on The Oblongs…and all of a sudden I really really liked him.
My husband claims to hate Drew Barrymore, but I’ll catch him watching 50 First Dates, or admiring her in Donnie Darko, or laughing at her character in The Family Guy…he’s coming around.
I avoided The Butterfly Effect because of Ashton Kutcher. After seeing it, I don’t mind him at all.
As for Bill Murray, I am a HUGE Ghostbusters fan and loved him as Venkman and thought he was great in Scrooged and *What About Bob?, * but I’m not a fan of him as a person.
I too didn’t care for Len DiCaprio until “The Aviator”. But he blew me away there with that one.
I always considered Wally Beery a hack until “The Champ”.
I was unimpressed with Drew Barrymore until I saw her playing an adult in Donnie Darko. Now I think she has more acting skills than the average person in fornt of the camera.
I didn’t exactly dislike Brad Pitt, but I didn’t think much of him as an actor until I saw Kalifornia. He did an amazing job in that movie.
I have gone the other way on Cage. Liked him in Raising Arizona and Moonstruck, then got tired of him in everything after that.
I am the same way; love his dramatic roles, hate his comedies. I liked him in The Majestic for the same reason.