# Good Performances from People You Don't Normally Like **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 26, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716 "2017-11-26T01:36:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![golffan1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4af34b/32.png) [@golffan1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/golffan1963)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/1 "2017-11-26T01:36:40Z")
Example…not a fan of Prince…but the song “Purple Rain” is fantastic. Same for John Goodman…don’t like him much…but was great in Argo and also as Acting President Glenallen Walken way back when in “The West Wing”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/2 "2017-11-26T01:42:50Z")
Pretty much anything Meryl Streep does. I acknowledge her greatness as an actor - I just never want to see her in anything. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/3 "2017-11-26T01:48:45Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Pretty much anything Meryl Streep does. I acknowledge her greatness as an actor - I just never want to see her in anything. Ever. Is she great? I’m not even sure I doubt it, but I’ve never seen her be particularly amazing in anything. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/4 "2017-11-26T01:53:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Pretty much anything Meryl Streep does. I acknowledge her greatness as an actor - I just never want to see her in anything. Ever. Thank Og someone else doesn’t like her. I feel like she is a throw back to the 30s in some ways and over-acts. **golffan1963** : I think John Goodman is almost always good. He is like a poor man’s Alan Arkin in that respect so having them play of each other in \*\*Argo \*\*was great. Now Ben Affleck is normally a crappy actor but he impressed me in **Argo**. Other then that I like the way his character worked in **Mallrats**. Tom Cruise occasionally surprises me but over all he plays Tom Cruise and unlike a Jack Nicholson or Samual L. Jackson, his character is not one that is compelling or interesting to me. Top Gun, Top Driver, Top Lawyer, Top Bartender, Top etc. burnt me out on Tom Cruise a long time ago but yet I liked some of his earliest stuff & Mission Impossible. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/5 "2017-11-26T01:55:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is she great? I’m not even sure I doubt it, but I’ve never seen her be particularly amazing in anything. Meryl Streep has the most nominations of all time for an actor. Tied for wins I believe. Her fans are very numerous and usually think I’m nuts when I complain about her. So the 3 of us are missing something about her style that the majority seem to love. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/6 "2017-11-26T01:55:58Z")
Madonna. Not a fan of her pop songs, but I love her ballads. Sean Penn. I’d like to say that I am boycotting him for his lefty politics, but in truth, he just makes movies about subjects that don’t interest me. I will acknowledge that he is a great actor. On the rare occasions when he makes a film with an actor I do want to see, Penn always gives a good performance. (_Carlito’s Way_ and _We’re No Angels_ are the only ones I can think of at the moment.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/7 "2017-11-26T02:22:00Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Meryl Streep has the most nominations of all time for an actor. Tied for wins I believe. Her fans are very numerous and usually think I’m nuts when I complain about her. So the 3 of us are missing something about her style that the majority seem to love. Oh, I know all about her success and acclaim. I even think she is totally fine as an actress. I don’t think it is just us 3. I think she is a good example of “snowball down a hill” acclaim. It just rolls on for no reason. Maybe we need another thread for just this topic. Her popularity fascinates me. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/8 "2017-11-26T02:55:09Z")
I was never impressed by Chris Pine until I saw him in [Hell Or High Water](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582782/). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/9 "2017-11-26T03:18:17Z")
Never cared much for Nicolas Cage, but enjoyed him in “Next” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/10 "2017-11-26T03:23:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Is she great? I’m not even sure I doubt it, but I’ve never seen her be particularly amazing in anything. She can coast for the rest of her career just on Sophie’s Choice in my opinion. > [@mbh](#): > > Sean Penn. I’d like to say that I am boycotting him for his lefty politics, but in truth, he just makes movies about subjects that don’t interest me. I will acknowledge that he is a great actor. On the rare occasions when he makes a film with an actor I do want to see, Penn always gives a good performance. (_Carlito’s Way_ and _We’re No Angels_ are the only ones I can think of at the moment.) Mystic River ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/11 "2017-11-26T03:51:14Z")
My impression of Kirsten Dunst was that she always looked like a dead halibut. Then I saw her in _Fargo_, Season 2. Holy shit, that was impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Lickety\_Split\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lickety\_Split\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lickety_Split_1)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/12 "2017-11-26T04:04:20Z")
I always detested James Spader, but admit he was funny and good in the TV series "_Boston Legal."_ Ditto for William Shatner in the same series. I still think Keanu Reeves is the worst actor in Hollywood, but he did OK in the movie “_The Replacements_” as the QB. Leo DiCaprio really won me over and proved his acting skills when he played Howard Hughes in\* The Aviator.\* ---
**Author:** ![Lickety\_Split\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lickety\_Split\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lickety_Split_1)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/13 "2017-11-26T04:06:48Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Thank Og someone else doesn’t like her. I feel like she is a throw back to the 30s in some ways and over-acts. > > **golffan1963** : I think John Goodman is almost always good. He is like a poor man’s Alan Arkin in that respect so having them play of each other in \*\*Argo \*\*was great. Now Ben Affleck is normally a crappy actor but he impressed me in **Argo**. Other then that I like the way his character worked in **Mallrats**. > > Tom Cruise occasionally surprises me but over all he plays Tom Cruise and unlike a Jack Nicholson or Samual L. Jackson, his character is not one that is compelling or interesting to me. Top Gun, Top Driver, Top Lawyer, Top Bartender, Top etc. burnt me out on Tom Cruise a long time ago but yet I liked some of his earliest stuff & Mission Impossible. Don’t forget Cruise in “Top Samurai!” LOL. I was never a big fan and thought he could never pull that roll off convincingly, but he did. (“_The Last Samurai_”). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/14 "2017-11-26T04:27:14Z")
I think Heather Graham has shown how bad an actor she is in just about everything. Her weaknesses were perfectly in line with her character in Boogie Nights. Similarly Hayden Christensen is terribly wooden in everything he does. His weaknesses worked perfectly for his character in Shattered Glass. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/15 "2017-11-26T04:53:44Z")
Nicolas Cage. Terrible actor, period. However, he hit it in City of Angels. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/16 "2017-11-26T08:17:25Z")
Whatever merits she may have as an actress, when I watch Meryl Streep I always think “Oh! That’s Meryl Streep pretending she’s \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.” I’m never conscious of the character. Tom Cruise was outstanding in _ **Rain Man** _. I also enjoyed _ **Top Gun** _, as a guilty pleasure. But what he’s done with _ **Mission: Impossible** _ leaves me absolutely cold. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/17 "2017-11-26T08:53:51Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Tom Cruise was outstanding in _ **Rain Man** _. A critic I read once said something like, “Someone deserved a Best Actor Oscar for Rain Man - but it wasn’t Dustin Hoffman.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/18 "2017-11-26T13:51:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Whatever merits she may have as an actress, when I watch Meryl Streep I always think “Oh! That’s Meryl Streep pretending she’s \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.” I’m never conscious of the character. > > Tom Cruise was outstanding in _ **Rain Man** _. I also enjoyed _ **Top Gun** _, as a guilty pleasure. But what he’s done with _ **Mission: Impossible** _ leaves me absolutely cold. I think _Edge of Tomorrow_ was made with Cruise’s anti-fans in mind. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/19 "2017-11-26T14:53:31Z")
John Goodman is a freakin’ chameleon, I swear. My BF is always saying “look, it’s John Goodman!” and I say Naaah, but it is. Tom Cruise for his turn in Interview With a Vampire. The only time I ever felt he wasn’t Tom Cruising. Not an Affleck fan either, but recently watched the Accountant, and that performance has really stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716/20 "2017-11-26T15:24:33Z")
Never was a fan of Ray Romano, but he was great in “The Big Sick” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-performances-from-people-you-dont-normally-like/802716.md?page=2)