Kids nowadays don’t remember Laurence Olivier.
It’s hard even for Shatner to top Jonathan Harris as Dr. Smith in Lost in Space.
If you watch Harris in interviews, you realize that he wasn’t actually “overacting” – that’s pretty much his normal level.
I’m sure he was playing the part as intended, but Jim Carey in Batman and Robin. My wife and I had to leave the movie.
To me the best part of that Riddler chapter is the last scene, when he flapped his arms in the asylum to imitate a bat. Very well timed, and really evoked an approaching bat.
I’ve seen hundreds of performances which, shall we say, weren’t exactly subtle and carefully controlled. But I take a bit of issue with lumping both bad and good (or necessary) “over the top” performances all into the same heap. I think that Jim Carrey’s performance in Pet Detective was necessary for the film. I don’t think a more nuanced set of choices would have worked.
I think Tom Cruise has done a lot of BAD over the top performances. Can't think of a great example right now, but basically, some people can do crazy well, and some can't. Anything that Cruise is supposed to go crazy in, he's blown it because he always looks like he's forcing it.
I thought that Johnny Depp was great in the Pirate films, because his over-the-top nonsense fit the whole tone of the films, as were similar performances by the rest of the cast. But he looked like a complete idiot in The Lone Ranger, playing Tonto over the top.
I avoided that show solely because Piven was the main character. Would have watched it otherwise.
mmm
I still maintain that Stanley Tucci and Fiona Shaw were competing at “Best Scenery Chewing” and “Most Outrageous Accent” in Undercover Blues. I also maintain that Tucci won on both counts, but not for a lack of trying by Shaw.
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’s pretty OTT in Pirates of Penzance but so is everyone and it’s the reason the film is so good.
He was way over the top as Artemis Gordon in Wild Wild West.
Nobody did over the top and still great better than Robin Williams. Most of his Genie dialogue in Aladdin was improv.
And he could do subtle dramatic roles better than most. A pure acting genius.
It feels like someone should mention Christopher Lloyd.
Jack Nicholson in The Departed. Love the film, but Nicholson is just…Nicholson, but more cannabalistic.
(Note: Whenever speaking of this movie, it is essential to pronounce the name with a bad Boston accent - The Depahhted.)
Or Faye Dunaway in “Eyes of Laura Mars”.
I’m completely out of control!
I love the scene where he dresses down Tiberius:
DON’T SULK! [Pauses, then smiles.] There, you see? You play fair with me, and I play fair with you!
And he pinches Tiberius’s cheek, just like a fucking Mafia don. One of the coolest moments ever in television! 
I liked Cage in Raising Arizona. But in Moonstruck (especially the scene where he tells Cher how he lost his hand) he almost ruins the whole movie for me.
:: slaps jerseymule ::
Snap out of it!
:smack:
Emily Blunt has claimed that she and Stanley Tucci were competing with each other on ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ to see who could overact the most. Here is an interview where she admits as much.
Bridge On The River Kwai. There’s so much ham in that movie Jews can’t watch it. They started shooting it on a set but the actors chewed up all the scenery. William Holden, Alec Guiness, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa were so over the top they orbited the earth and went over the top again.