# 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:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**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 6, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/61 "2017-07-06T13:45:07Z")
Of course, _literally the whole point_ of FACE/OFF was for Nicolas Cage to really throw himself into a scenery-chewing performance – and for John Travolta to then do his best impression of “Nicolas Cage, doing a scenery-chewing performance.” (My favorite scene in the movie: during a prison brawl, it’s as if Cage has to work at doing an impression of Travolta doing an impression of a scenery-chewing Cage.) ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/62 "2017-07-06T19:36:16Z")
[quote=“ReticulatingSplines, post:13, topic:790450”] I’m not sure Shatner was even the worst of the Star Trek captains. Cue Avery Brooks: [/QUOTE] Yeah, but over-the-top emotion when the character is literally having a break-down and collapsing on the floor seems appropriate. (Sorry, I can’t resist defending my favorite Star Fleet captain. :)) That said, your link led me to this, which is delightful: [It's a FAAAKE!! no... ITS REAAAL!!!!! - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lHgbbM9pu4) ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/63 "2017-07-09T00:44:12Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Yeah, but over-the-top emotion when the character is literally having a break-down and collapsing on the floor seems appropriate. (Sorry, I can’t resist defending my favorite Star Fleet captain. :)) Well, it still seemed a little bit…off, but I take your point. I retract that submission and replace it with this one: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IjvYiSDJujA/maxresdefault.jpg "Supercut - Benjamin Sisko Yelling at Everyone") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjvYiSDJujA&t=1m40s) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/64 "2017-07-09T07:49:28Z")
This one almost makes me feel guilty, like I’m taking the _really_ low-hanging fruit: Joe Spinell as Count Zarth Arn in _Starcrash_. He’s not even the guy with the line ordering the Imperial Battleship to stop the flow of time. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/65 "2017-07-09T16:06:21Z")
Just released on Netflix, [Okja](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3967856/?ref_=nv_sr_1), features a performance by [Jake Gyllenhaal](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350453/?ref_=tt_cl_t8) that redefines the bar for over the top. It is definitely intended to be cartoonish, and I’m sure Jim Carrey would give it a “bra-vo!”. [Just a little taste on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbZOgdlxLk) ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2017, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/66 "2017-07-09T21:46:09Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Just released on Netflix, [Okja](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3967856/?ref_=nv_sr_1), features a performance by [Jake Gyllenhaal](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350453/?ref_=tt_cl_t8) that redefines the bar for over the top. It is definitely intended to be cartoonish, and I’m sure Jim Carrey would give it a “bra-vo!”. > [Just a little taste on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mbZOgdlxLk) That was suggested in post #3. I know _I_ don’t always read every post, but it was post number freaking 3! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2017, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/67 "2017-07-10T02:42:05Z")
Much of Nickelodeon and Disney’s TV offerings, including iCarly, Jesse, Good Luck Charlie, and especially Drake and Josh. Caused my wife all kinds of grief when she was teaching drama. A lot of her students seemed to think that mugging and shouting were good alternatives to learning and delivering their lines. ---
**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 12, 2017, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/68 "2017-07-12T11:11:44Z")
> [@tim314](#): > > Yeah, but over-the-top emotion when the character is literally having a break-down and collapsing on the floor seems appropriate. (Sorry, I can’t resist defending my favorite Star Fleet captain. :)) Coming back around, Shatner was great on **Columbo** as – well, a hammy TV star playing a mannered sleuth who solves Columbo-style cases. So it’s a good enough episode when he’s playing a murderer playing an innocent and Peter Falk is playing a great detective playing a simpleton; but there’s a point where each has obviously seen through the other, yet they still keep up the act even while they’re doing You-Know-That-I-Know-That-You-Know-That-I-Know stuff: it sounds unconvincing – and, well, it _is_ – and Shatner seems playful, or ludicrously confident, or possibly just so deep in character that he’s _in fact crazy,_ it’s hard to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/69 "2017-07-12T13:33:14Z")
I nominate the entire cast of _Three’s Company_ – the original and the latter episodes when Chrissie/the Ropers/et al were replaced. My second place nomination is Charlotte Rae in _The Facts of Life_: “Gurrrrrrlllllssss” (said in her quavery late-stage Katherine Hepburn voice). ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/70 "2017-07-12T14:09:48Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > 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. The first time I ever came across the phrase “chewing the scenery,” it was an article about Burgess Meredith. To me they are inexorably linked. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2017, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450/71 "2017-07-12T14:43:23Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Kevin Kline seems an odd choice— even his broadest roles aren’t what I’d consider “over the top.” Maybe he stole **Gatopescado’s** girlfriend? He just about ruined Sophies Choice with his hammishness. And Steve Martin in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels…a horrible over the top performance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-over-the-top-acting-performances-of-all-time/790450.md?page=3)