# Have you ever seen an actor who never made a good film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** netflix, movies, actor-characters\ **Created:** [March 22, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203 "2024-03-22T13:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/61 "2024-03-22T19:16:32Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’m surprised no one has come up yet with the most obvious answer: Chuck Norris. He once made a good film…just to see how it felt. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/62 "2024-03-22T19:18:19Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Will Farrell and Adam Sandler. _Stranger Than Fiction_ and _Anchorman_ for the former, and _Punch-Drunk Love_ and _Uncut Gems_ for the latter. But the batting average for both of them is pretty terrible, so avoiding them on principle is understandable. > [@DocCathode](#): > > I thought he was great in Horns. I’m very much in the minority, I gather, in that I absolutely despised _Horns_. And I was even at the premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Nothing could redeem that flm for me. _The Woman in Black_ was passable, I suppose, but I haven’t seen anything else non-Potter of Radcliffe’s. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/63 "2024-03-22T19:26:19Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > I’m going to start the betting with Ashton Kucher. **The Butterfly Effect** was probably his highest-ranked movie (according to a few sources), but I consider it be pretty poor myself. Am I one of the only people that liked that movie? The original ending was haunting. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Also, I cite: **22%/42%** I consider that is from people that go to Sylvester Stallone movies expecting Shakespeare. You go to a Stallone movie to see a Stallone movie and you go to a Rob Schneider movie to see Rob Schneider. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/64 "2024-03-22T19:48:28Z")
I was going to suggest Jean-Claude Van Damme, but then I looked him up, and holy cow he’s been in a lot of well-reviewed and commercially successful movies. He’s got 9 movies rated ‘fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes. Some even give him good marks for his acting. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/65 "2024-03-22T20:02:19Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I was going to suggest Jean-Claude Van Damme, I actually brought Van Damme up in the other thread about actors who NEVER made a BAD film. I wouldn’t say they are cinematic masterpieces but I almost always find his films entertaining. To each his own I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/66 "2024-03-22T20:02:42Z")
My personal choice would be Chris Farley, but I know others will disagree. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/67 "2024-03-22T21:01:13Z")
Men in Black, or Men in Black 2? He’s a great straight man to Will Smith in both. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/68 "2024-03-22T21:09:21Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’m surprised no one has come up yet with the most obvious answer: Chuck Norris. Maybe because he’s not an actor, but an “actor”? _Dodgeball_ was good. But Norris only had a cameo in that one. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/69 "2024-03-22T22:50:14Z")
How about [Tom Laughlin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Laughlin#Filmography) of **Billy Jack** fame? Prior to starting that franchise he also did **Born Losers**. Neither of those were horrible, but I never thought they were really very good. And the other movies in the BJ franchise truly sucked/blew. IMHO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![brasstacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d26b3c/32.png) [@brasstacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brasstacks)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/70 "2024-03-22T23:06:57Z")
Maybe Ron Jeremy. He has a degree in acting and has been waiting for his big break in real film but can’t seem to stop making porn in the mean time. References: [Ron Jeremy - Everything2.com](https://everything2.com/title/Ron+Jeremy) ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/71 "2024-03-22T23:17:20Z")
Ron Jeremy was an extra in the original _Ghostbusters_ (1984). - [Ron Jeremy | Ghostbusters Wiki | Fandom](https://ghostbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Ron_Jeremy) He’s also in _The Boondock Saints_ (1999) among a very small number of other mainstream films. I don’t think he’ll be making any more films of any kind ever again. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/72 "2024-03-22T23:22:11Z")
> [@brasstacks](#): > > Maybe Ron Jeremy. He has a degree in acting and has been waiting for his big break in real film but can’t seem to stop making porn in the mean time. Given that: - His career ended in 2020 when he was charged with rape and sexual assault; by the end of 2020, he had been indicted for dozens of such charges, and then incarcerated - In 2023, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial, due to “incurable neurocognitive decline,” and transferred to a mental health facility - Since November of 2023, he has been in a private facility, receiving care for his condition …it’s safe to say that he will not be getting “his big break in real film,” as well as that he has stopped making porn in the meantime. > **[Ron Jeremy | Sexual assault allegations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Jeremy#Sexual_assault_allegations)** > > More than a dozen women have publicly accused Jeremy of sexual assault. Several of the allegations relate to his appearances at fan conventions, alleging that he would grope and insert his fingers into attendees without their consent. The organizers of the Exxxotica national adult conventions permanently banned Jeremy from their shows in October 2017 after a June 2017 social media campaign by webcam model Ginger Banks. Due to the allegations, the Free Speech Coalition, an industry tra In June 202... ---
**Author:** ![brasstacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d26b3c/32.png) [@brasstacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brasstacks)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/73 "2024-03-22T23:27:43Z")
Good Heavens. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/74 "2024-03-22T23:32:37Z")
Brian Dennehy was more of a TV actor, and got 6 Emmy nominations. I saw the movie in which he played John Wayne Gacy, and he did an excellent job. > **[Brian Dennehy | Television Academy](https://www.emmys.com/bios/brian-dennehy)** > > Brian Dennehy: bio, photos, awards, nominations and more at Emmys.com. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/75 "2024-03-22T23:40:40Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The Way of the Dragon. 92% on RT. A good point, though it should be noted that it was Norris’s first significant film role, at a time when he was an unknown outside of the martial arts community. And, while it was an important role as a villain, it’s not huge: Norris really only appears in the last portion of the film, and is Lee’s opponent in the big fight in the Colosseum in Rome. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/76 "2024-03-23T00:28:38Z")
I’m not saying these actors aren’t commercially successful; just that I don’t care for most of the films they’re “big” in. Miller ‘Lite’ is more “popular” commercially than lesser known beers, but I don’t care for it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/77 "2024-03-23T02:50:02Z")
Nah, forget it ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/78 "2024-03-23T03:55:34Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > There are plenty of SNL alum that could fall into this category. I’d say David Spade except _Tommy Boy_ is actually pretty sweet, and he had a small role early in his career as a cokehead in _Light Sleeper_, which is one of my favorite films. You forget the excellent **The Emperor’s New Groove**. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/79 "2024-03-23T04:13:23Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > I’m going to start the betting with Ashton Kucher. He was _very_ good in [Vengeance](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11976532/), the 2022 BJ Novak movie which got a very respectable 8.something on Rotten Tomatoes. But I had no idea he was even in it before viewing - if his name came up in the reviews, I didn’t notice. I enjoyed it, although I think it felt a bit like a very well made student film. Kucher had a significant role. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2024, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203/80 "2024-03-23T04:24:59Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > You go to a Stallone movie to see a Stallone movie and you go to a Rob Schneider movie to see Rob Schneider. And when you want both, you watch _Demolition Man_, one of the cinematic masterpieces of the 20th Century. > [@kitap](#): > > You forget the excellent **The Emperor’s New Groove**. Absolutely; David Spade can be forgiven any number of sins for his portrayal of Kuzco. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-seen-an-actor-who-never-made-a-good-film/999203.md?page=5)