# Most Over The Top Acting Performances of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450 "2017-07-03T17:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/21 "2017-07-03T22:26:29Z")
Everything what’s his face did in Mr. Selfridge. Ruined the show, he did. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/22 "2017-07-03T22:34:18Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Anything with Brian Blessed. > > GIVE ME THE REMOTE CONTROL! [Brian Blessed does snooker commentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP11L9jRW94) ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/23 "2017-07-03T22:47:01Z")
Al Pacino in almost anything, but especially Scent of a Woman. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/24 "2017-07-03T22:49:53Z")
If it’s not Jim Carrey in Ace Ventura Pet Detective I don’t have a clue what this topic is about. > [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > [Brian Blessed does snooker commentary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP11L9jRW94) Flying blind on a rocket cycle!?! Bless Brian Blessed ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/25 "2017-07-03T23:10:00Z")
[QUOTE=mbh;20321637 Jack Nicholson in _The Witches of Eastwick_. > **[are women God's mistake ?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHO_jv2m3XY%5B%2FQUOTE%5D)** > > jack nicholson's mysoginous tirade from "the witches of eastwick" I’m not going to comment on the others, but Nicholson’s acting was exactly as scripted. It’s not an example of an “over the top” performance. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/26 "2017-07-03T23:17:59Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I’m not going to comment on the others, but Nicholson’s acting was exactly as scripted. It’s not an example of an “over the top” performance. I bet the script said “over the top.” ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/27 "2017-07-04T02:06:40Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > Flying blind on a rocket cycle!?! > Bless Brian Blessed Oh well, who wants to live forever? _DIVE!!!_ Does anyone remember his performance as Augustus in _I, Claudius_? In particular the scene where he questions the men accused of sleepling with his daughter. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/28 "2017-07-04T02:12:10Z")
[Brace yourself:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptlkw49o-54) ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/29 "2017-07-04T02:19:55Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Oh well, who wants to live forever? _DIVE!!!_ > > Does anyone remember his performance as Augustus in _I, Claudius_? In particular the scene where he questions the men accused of sleepling with his daughter. He was brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/30 "2017-07-04T02:38:33Z")
Ben Stiller as Alex the Lion. Just can’t take him seriously, compared with the Chris Rock, Jadda P. Smith and David Zwimmer characters. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/31 "2017-07-04T04:31:59Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Kevin Kline. Everything he’s done. I thought he was pretty good in **The January Man** and **The Big Chill**? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/32 "2017-07-04T05:31:02Z")
Raul Julia, in both the Addams family movies, and most especially in the awful _Street Fighter_. ---
**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:** [July 4, 2017, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/33 "2017-07-04T15:01:53Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Everything what’s his face did in Mr. Selfridge. Ruined the show, he did. Ugh. Jeremy Piven was completely miscast for that role. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/34 "2017-07-04T16:13:07Z")
my Pacino choice is Heat ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/35 "2017-07-04T17:09:53Z")
Cristoph Walz in _Big Eyes_. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/36 "2017-07-04T18:57:36Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > 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.) That’s BD Wong, playing it pretty much as written, I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/37 "2017-07-04T19:11:07Z")
> [@Tinker\_Grey](#): > > “God damn you all to hell!!!” My Heston impression, even though misquoted, “Gettttttt your filthy pawwwwwwwws offa meeee you dahmmmmmmm durty aihppppppppppppppp” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/38 "2017-07-04T19:54:31Z")
John Schuck in almost everything, but most especially (and jarringly) when he took over as Draal in Babylon 5. The very first time I saw him I wondered why the director and the entire cast didn’t just stop and tell him to dial it back. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/39 "2017-07-04T20:16:31Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Cristoph Walz in _Big Eyes_. He’s great in _Inglourious Basterds_, as a Nazi who genuinely enjoys good strudel just as much as he enjoys hunting Jews. I mean, that’s a _damned_ thankless role, but the thing is that he truly seems delighted by everyone he meets: he’s upbeat, he’s laughing, he’s playful – and, sure, all of that’s in the service of cold-blooded murder, but that’s not going to stop him from embodying, uh, joie de vivre. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/40 "2017-07-04T20:19:22Z")
Richard Burton in _Hammersmith Is Out!_ and _Exorcist II-The Heritic_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450.md?page=3)