# Great actors who've whored themselves out in bad movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2009, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690 "2009-12-10T03:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/81 "2009-12-11T00:41:03Z")
Richard Burton in _Exorcist 2: The Heretic_. (However, that movie’s trivia section at IMDb claims he did it so he could get the psychiatrist role in _Equus_.) As already stated, the usual answer to “Why did they take those terrible parts” is “Money.” Better fodder for accusations of “whoring” is when they do commercials, usually not seen in their own country, which is kind of an admission even they are embarrassed by it. Julia Roberts, Jodi Foster and Richard Gere, among many others, have done this. Olivier did Polaroid camera tv ads, and his contract stipulated they not be shown in England. Many examples here: [Japander.com](http://www.japander.com/japander/) ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/82 "2009-12-11T00:48:58Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > How about Samuel L. Jackson? He’s a good actor and should have enough presence in Hollywood by now to be able to be picky about the roles he takes. But he also enthusiastically did Snakes on a Plane. I think that movie simply appealed to his sense of humor. He did it for kicks. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/83 "2009-12-11T01:56:07Z")
And how about Sir Anthony, more or less playing himself as a fat, naked, drunken **cartoon** in Beowulf? I mean an actuall cartoon, drawn over a live performance. ---
**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:** [December 11, 2009, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/84 "2009-12-11T06:30:43Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Has no one yet mentioned Robert DeNiro, one of the finest actors of his generation (seriously, watch _Raging Bull_) who has proceeded to appear in an almost unbroken string of craptastic movies in the last decade for no reason other than to pad his retirement fund and finance his TriBeCa productions and film festival? I still can’t get used to this. . ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/85 "2009-12-11T12:44:03Z")
> [@](#): > > Hmmm. I’m skeptical: I’m not. If he didn’t understand the original, it’d be that much easier for him to want to change it. By the way, if the “Executive Producer” as perk theory is correct, you’d think he would have taken it for a lot of his recent really bad movies. He hasn’t. See his IMDb page. If there’s any movie I’d expect to require extra perks it’d be **The Avengers** : [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000125/](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000125/) ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/86 "2009-12-11T13:03:27Z")
Dennis Hopper has to be at the top of the list. How about Clint Howard, Jo Don Baker, James Remar, or Michael Pare? I know, they’re not known as great actors whoring but more like street-level hookers! ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/87 "2009-12-11T19:58:07Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > Dennis Hopper has to be at the top of the list. What, you didn’t think \*Space Truckers \*was a classic? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/88 "2009-12-11T20:18:33Z")
Gregory Peck in “The Omen” - rumor had it that he went for a percentage instead of salary, knowing the flick would be on TV forever, and that he could pass it on to his grandkids as an annuity. I’ve seen an interview with Caine in which he admitted a deathly fear of not working, and claimed it’s common among actors. It’s hard enough to break in to the big time, and it’s easy to be forgotten if you take a break from it. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/89 "2009-12-11T20:33:14Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Perhaps Eccleston is an English great, but on shows widely available on my side of the pond, he’s got _Heroes, Doctor Who, The Legend of the Seeker, GI Joe,_ and a few guest appearances. Chris Eccleston is a fantastic actor - for examples if you can track down the British TV mini-series “Our Friends in the North”, or the first ten episodes of “Cracker”. Actually, they are both worth getting hold of anyway, being utterly great. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/90 "2009-12-12T16:41:52Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Jeremy Irons probably has Caine beat for this question. Seriously. Jeremy Irons _and_ John Malcovich in [Eragon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449010/). Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/91 "2009-12-12T16:51:15Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > the script is ten layers of rewrites thick and still shiite What if it’s Sunni? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/92 "2009-12-12T16:53:45Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > I think that movie simply appealed to his sense of humor. He did it for kicks. He has said as much in multiple interviews. And he loved it that fans took an interest in the ridiculousness of it all and helped make it even more ridiculous. It was the studio execs that thought it was going to be a huge hit because of that. Jackson knew exactly what he was getting into. ---
**Author:** ![WomanofScorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@WomanofScorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WomanofScorn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/93 "2009-12-12T19:38:00Z")
I came in here to mention Cuba Gooding Jr. What a shame… ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/94 "2009-12-12T20:52:57Z")
> [@WomanofScorn](#): > > I came in here to mention Cuba Gooding Jr. What a shame… Oh dear god, _Lightening Jack_. I’ll never get it out of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/95 "2009-12-12T21:07:46Z")
Raul Julia in _Streetfighter_ doesn’t really count - he was dying, and needed the money. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/96 "2009-12-12T21:10:13Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Based on what I’ve read, I’m pretty sure that he thought so. He was right. ---
**Author:** ![Docta\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Docta\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Docta_G)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/97 "2009-12-12T21:13:10Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > In America we see acting as art … Yes, Americans have very low standards for that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Reverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Reverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reverse)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/98 "2009-12-12T21:16:47Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Raul Julia in _Streetfighter_ doesn’t really count - he was dying, and needed the money. > > Regards, > Shodan Actually, the way I heard it is he took the role because his kids were fans of the video game. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/99 "2009-12-12T21:17:53Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Raul Julia in _Streetfighter_ doesn’t really count - he was dying, and needed the money. But he elevated what would have been a terrible movie to a “so bad it’s good” movie. I mean, this is just badass… “For you, the day Bison graced your village was the most important day of your life. But for me… it was Tuesday.” ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2009, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690/100 "2009-12-12T22:06:44Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Raul Julia in _Streetfighter_ doesn’t really count - he was dying, and needed the money. > > Regards, > Shodan And before that, it was _Overdrawn at the Memory Bank_ which he did because he wanted to support Public Television. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-actors-whove-whored-themselves-out-in-bad-movies/520690.md?page=6)