# Good performances by otherwise "bad" actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212 "2012-10-09T14:12:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/41 "2012-10-11T04:59:43Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Keanu Reeves was also fantastic in _River’s Edge_. > > Why does everybody judge Keanu by his Bill and Ted movies? I even think those were pretty good for silly comedies. Agreed- people also lambast his performance in Coppola’s DRACULA. Let’s see- Jonathan Harker is an unimaginative solicitor who soon finds himself overwhelmed when confronted with undead monsters who threaten his beloved & his homeland. How was he not perfect for that role? ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/42 "2012-10-11T05:52:23Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > People think Bill Paxton is a bad actor? I mean, he’s not Daniel Day-Lewis or anything, but he’s perfectly decent: > > **One False Move > Apollo 13 > A Simple Plan > Tombstone > Frailty** > > And of course… > > **Aliens** Also, “Near Dark”. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/43 "2012-10-11T07:12:11Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Agreed- people also lambast his performance in Coppola’s DRACULA. > > Let’s see- Jonathan Harker is an unimaginative solicitor who soon finds himself overwhelmed when confronted with undead monsters who threaten his beloved & his homeland. > > How was he not perfect for that role? He couldn’t do a consistent accent. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/44 "2012-10-11T07:14:45Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Bruce Willis- **Twelve Monkeys** he was really, really good As was Brad Pitt, playing a role well outside of his usual range. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/45 "2012-10-11T09:57:58Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Agreed- people also lambast his performance in Coppola’s DRACULA. > > Let’s see- Jonathan Harker is an unimaginative solicitor who soon finds himself overwhelmed when confronted with undead monsters who threaten his beloved & his homeland. > > How was he not perfect for that role? Monica Belluci was seducing him and he seemed upset at the prospect? Seriously, I did not think his performance was poor. Not great, but got the job done. I thought he was the least good thing about the Matrix. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/46 "2012-10-11T15:27:41Z")
Adam Sandler in \*Hotel Transylvania \*(I know, not exactly high art, but I can’t _stand_ Sandler, I think he’s a terrible and highly annoying actor, and I thought he did a great job in this one) Jim Carrey in _The Truman Show_ ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/47 "2012-10-11T16:15:27Z")
Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis are bad actors? ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/48 "2012-10-11T16:29:59Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Brad Pitt and Bruce Willis are bad actors? Yeah, there’s a big difference between limited range (although Pitt has gotten notably more versatile over the years) and bad acting. Pitt and Willis both have plenty of good performances under their belts. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/49 "2012-10-11T16:34:56Z")
Adam Sandler in **Spanglish**. And I wouldln’t say he was _good_ in it, but Rob Snyder was the best thing in Judge Dredd. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212/50 "2012-10-11T18:50:38Z")
> [@Rollo\_Tomasi](#): > > Yeah, there’s a big difference between limited range (although Pitt has gotten notably more versatile over the years) and bad acting. Pitt and Willis both have plenty of good performances under their belts. I should have been clearer when I mentioned him. I think Twelve Monkeys was Willis’ _first_ great performance, and was the movie that let people see how good an actor he could be. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-by-otherwise-bad-actors/637212.md?page=2)