Most Over The Top Acting Performances of All Time

Cafe Society
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Hope this hasn’t been done before…if it has, you can link to the thread…but here goes:

By Over The Top, I would mean hammy, overwrought…or just bad…performances. Here are my three:

TV Series: Bonnie Franklin in One Day At A Time. Overwrought would be an understatement. The fate of the planet rested on her every syllable.

Movie: Stephen Boyd in “The Oscar”.

TV Movie/Miniseries: Saving the worst for last…Matthew Perry as Senator Ted Kennedy in “The Kennedy’s: After Camelot”. It could be the single worst acting performance I have ever seen.

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Anthony Perkins in Edge of Sanity. It is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on crack. Literally. You have to see it for yourself.

3

Jake Gyllenhaal in Okja

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John Lithgow as Emilio Lizardo/Lord John Whorfin in Buckaroo Banzai. And he was fucking brilliant.

5

The first one I think of (because it is so recent) is Evil Asian Scientist Guy on Gotham. (Not bothering to google for his name, but if you know who I’m talking about, you know who I’m talking about.)

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Shatner. Now and forever, Shatner.

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Here’s a recent one. I stand by my claim that it’s impossible to an exaggerated parody of Burgess Meredith’s performance in the ROCKY movies, but danged if he didn’t deserve that Oscar nomination for it all the same.

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Kevin Kline. Everything he’s done.

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Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Jeremy Irons in Dungeons & Dragons.


Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate.

Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick.

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Thanks for the link…although I’m glad there have been some replies here, too.

Re Burgess, all I can say is: 'HE’LL KNOCK YOU TO TOMORROW ROCK!" and “HE’LL KILL YOU TO DEATH INSIDE OF THREE ROUNDS”. Oscar nom worthy, I agree.:slight_smile:

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I’ll nominate Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest.

NO WIRE HANGERS!

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Amen, amen, amen. “Laugh-a while you can, Monkey Boy!”

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I’m not sure Shatner was even the worst of the Star Trek captains. Cue Avery Brooks:

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Al Pacino, And Justice for All
“You’re out of order, and you’re out of order…”

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Sid Haig as Dragos in Jason of Star Command. I know it was a kid’s show, but you could practically see smoke coming out of Haig’s ears when he is thwarted by Jason.

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[quote=“mbh, post:9, topic:790450”]

Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

Jeremy Irons in Dungeons & Dragons.


Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate.

Jack Nicholson in The Witches of Eastwick.
[/QUOTE]

Pretty much every movie made by the latter three is the definition of “emoting”. I’d nominate Nick Cage’s movies as well.

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Not the bees!

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Anything with Brian Blessed.

GIVE ME THE REMOTE CONTROL!

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From the same movie (which offers so many examples to choose from):

“How’d it get burnt? Howdigaburn?! HADIGABURN HADIGABURN!!!”

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“God damn you all to hell!!!”