# Most Stunning Miscasts Of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644 "2003-05-26T22:20:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/121 "2003-05-28T15:42:20Z")
Shelly Duval in _The Shining_. Very possibly the only mistake in Stanley Kubrick’s career, until _Eyes Wide Shut_. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/122 "2003-05-28T15:43:34Z")
Call me crazy, but I think RuPaul could have brought off Storm in the X-Men movies. But the moviegoing public probably wouldn’t have accepted him in the role. Given that, I think Angela Bassett would have been terrific. Much better than Halle Berry. She would’ve cost a lot less, too. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/123 "2003-05-28T16:12:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Engywook \* > \*\*Shelly Duval in _The Shining_. > > Very possibly the only mistake in Stanley Kubrick’s career, until _Eyes Wide Shut_. \*\* While I’ll agree that there were some, uh, issues with Shelley Duvall’s performance in _The Shining_, I’m not convinced it was a clear case of mis-casting. On the other hand, Tim Carey in the role of Pvt. Ferol in _Paths of Glory_ just seems bizarre to me. Why did Kubrick think that this '50s beatnik type would be a good choice to play the role of a condemned WWI soldier? It’s not like Kubrick didn’t know what he’d be getting by casting Carey. Kubrick had used him before in _The Killing_ (and Carey was a reasonably good fit for that role). ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/124 "2003-05-28T16:33:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fiver \* > \*\*Call me crazy, but I think RuPaul could have brought off Storm in the X-Men movies. But the moviegoing public probably wouldn’t have accepted him in the role. > > Given that, I think Angela Bassett would have been terrific. Much better than Halle Berry. She would’ve cost a lot less, too. \*\* Grace Jones would have been perfect physically, if she weren’t such an incredibly bad actress. ---
**Author:** ![NailBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/125 "2003-05-28T16:55:50Z")
Molly Ringwald as Frannie Goldsmith in _The Stand_. That’s just…wrong. But they got so many other characters like Tom, Stu and Glen so totally right that I forgave them. And the actress cast as Beverly in _It_ was also a million miles off the mark. First of all there was the whole matter of the fact that **Beverly had red hair** , and the actress had flat mousy brown hair, yet mysteriously still received the haiku from Ben about her hair “like winter fire”. And Bill Denbrough, who in the book was bald, but in the movie had a sensitive new-agey _ponytail_?! ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/126 "2003-05-28T17:15:39Z")
I didn’t like Clint Eastwood in _The Bridges of Madison County_ but that could just be my personal opinion. Wilford Brimley in _The Firm_ , sorry but to me, he’ll always be the oatmeal guy. “The right thing to do and a tasty way to do it.” Sharon Stone in _The Quick and The Dead_, she was just so bad in it, spent the whole movie trying to growl and staring down. Julia Roberts _Ocean’s Eleven_ , I just couldn’t buy her in this role. John Travolta _The General’s Daughter_ He just didn’t fit what was described, and he jaw clenching through the whole movie was getting to me, not to mention that crappy accent at the beginning, he’s better than that! ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/127 "2003-05-28T17:52:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RikWriter \* > \*\*Why? Hugh Jackman was PERFECTLY cast as Wolverine. No one else could have pulled it off the way he did. Whenever I think of Wolverine since the first movie, I think of Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of him. In fact, I think it’s not a stretch to say that there has never been as perfect a casting of an actor in the role of a superhero. \*\* wow… you either triple posted (not easy to do) or youre really passionate about Hugh Jackman. I will agree that its pretty hard to cast a superhero especially if the director had never seen a comic book before. If you look at the X-men lineup you’ll find that Storm is the tallest (except when Piotr is in metal mode) followed by Cyclops then Jean and Wolverine would be in the runty end. He weighs about 300 some odd pounds tho due to the adamantium. He’s hardy taller than kitty pride when she was young. The acting was almost right. needed to be more brooding and much more feral. Wolverine wasnt the sensitive type until way much later. Wolverine wasnt not the type of person who would let a cop get the drop on him or let 6 feet of space stop him from “disarming” anyone with a gun. Professor X was perfectly cast with Patrick Stewart and I liked Tobey as Spider-man. Howie Long wouldve been perfect for Batman, all the super villains were the all star roles anyway. well, back to the OP: How about Ving Rhames as the Kingpin? My sincerest apologies to the black community but the Kingpin is white. As much as I do not like white people dressing up as asian lead characters, I really dont like switching races for the movie roles. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/128 "2003-05-28T20:40:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by X~Slayer(ALE) \* > \*\*How about Ving Rhames as the Kingpin? My sincerest apologies to the black community but the Kingpin is white. As much as I do not like white people dressing up as asian lead characters, I really dont like switching races for the movie roles. \*\* Actually, that was not Ving Rhames in _Daredevil_, that was **Michael Clarke Duncan** as Kingpin. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/129 "2003-05-28T21:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Julia Roberts Ocean’s Eleven , I just couldn’t buy her in this role. Me neither. I just kept thinking “He’s going to all this trouble to get _her_ back. Color me 😕” ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/130 "2003-05-28T21:20:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by X~Slayer(ALE) \* > … I will agree that its pretty hard to cast a superhero especially if the director had never seen a comic book before. If you look at the X-men lineup you’ll find that Storm is the tallest (except when Piotr is in metal mode) followed by Cyclops then Jean and Wolverine would be in the runty end. He weighs about 300 some odd pounds tho due to the adamantium. He’s hardy taller than kitty pride when she was young. A lot of comments in this thread deal with preconceived notions of characters. Your main problem with the casting of _X-Men_ seems to be that the height of many of the characters doesn’t match the comic book. I have never read (or seen) the comic book versions but have watched the movie a few times. I have never noticed anything in the movie that indicates they were out of character. The question is since Wolverine was an established character prior to the movie, is it a miscast if the actor isn’t true to the character type. This of course brings up a massive dilemma, on the one hand you could argue than _any_ deviation from the source media (be it book, drawing, or previous movie) is, by definition, a miscast. On the other hand you _could_ argue that even the casting mentioned in the OP was fine: “In _The Conqueror_ Genghis Kahn was _meant_ to be a Texas-Cowboy-With-A-Drawl type of portrayal.” I for one thought that Hugh Jackman did an excellent job in _X-Men_. I also would maintain that John Wayne was the wrong guy to play Genghis Kahn ([Cecil thinks so too](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_016.html)) It’s all subjective anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/131 "2003-05-28T21:28:19Z")
I don’t think this one has been mentioned yet, but how ‘bout 22-year-old Nicole Kidman as a frickin’ brain surgeon in ‘Days of Thunder?’ ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/132 "2003-05-28T21:43:33Z")
Malcolm McDowell, Peter O’Toole, and John Gielgud in _Caligula_? What a blemish on their bodies of work. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/133 "2003-05-28T23:36:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by X~Slayer(ALE) \* > \*\*wow… you either triple posted (not easy to do) or youre really passionate about Hugh Jackman. > \*\* > > As I indicated, my browser hung up and I wound up accidentally triple-tapping the post. > > \*\* > I will agree that its pretty hard to cast a superhero especially if the director had never seen a comic book before. > \*\* > > Except of course Singer had seen the X Men comic books. > > \*\* > If you look at the X-men lineup you’ll find that Storm is the tallest (except when Piotr is in metal mode) followed by Cyclops then Jean and Wolverine would be in the runty end. He weighs about 300 some odd pounds tho due to the adamantium. He’s hardy taller than kitty pride when she was young. > \*\* > > The height issue is so trivial to be immaterial. Wolverine’s height has no bearing on him as a character. Neither does Orroro’s. > > \*\* > The acting was almost right. needed to be more brooding and much more feral. Wolverine wasnt the sensitive type until way much later. Wolverine wasnt not the type of person who would let a cop get the drop on him or let 6 feet of space stop him from “disarming” anyone with a gun. > \*\* > > No, you ignore the fact that they don’t have 200 issues to let Wolverine mellow out. He had to mellow out faster than that. And as for the cop thing: he was doing that for the benefit of the kids, not for the cops. > > \*\* > Howie Long wouldve been perfect for Batman,\*\* You’re joking right? Howie Long would have been perfect as one of the statues in Gotham. That’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/134 "2003-05-29T00:31:30Z")
Aaron Eckhardt in Possession. A guy names Roland is an American? Aaron Eckhardt is a PhD candidate in Romance Poetry? This one was right up there with Ms. Richards the nuclear scientist - but at least we all knew the plot of a Bond movie sucks and the girls are eye candy. If Neil LaBute could have gotten over using Eckhardt in a single damn picture, this movie MIGHT have held a candle to the book. He was fun to look at though. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/135 "2003-05-29T00:32:55Z")
I’ll try and add some ones that haven’t been mentioned yet. FTR, my vote is a toss-up between Wayne as Genghis Kahn or Rooney’s offensive, embarrassing “Asian” comedy routine. • Michelle Pfeiffer in _Dangerous Minds_. • Winona Ryder in _Alien: Resurrection_. • Will Smith in _The Legend of Bagger Vance_. • Mark Wahlberg in everything except _Boogie Nights_. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/136 "2003-05-29T01:54:37Z")
I was disappointed when Richard Chamberlain was cast as Blackthorne in the TV miniseries of _Shogun_. As I read the book, I visualized Robert Shaw in the role. In the alternative, Michael Caine would have been excellent, too. But the effete Mr. Chamberlain ruined it for me. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/137 "2003-05-29T07:22:34Z")
I thought whoever played Nightcrawler in X2 was a bad choice, and not just for Nightcrawler, but for ANY superhero. Why?? He has a _weak chin_!!! Superheroes do **not** have weak chins. It goes without saying!! Nightcrawler could have been sexy and strong to go along with his dignified air, instead of coming off meek, which is what that actor accomplished. Yet another good character ruined by a bad chin!! ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/138 "2003-05-29T11:42:11Z")
About the on superhero I could see Howie Long playing would be Wonder Man. If they wrote character like during his struggling actor/stunt man days in _The Avengers_, since Wonder Man never seemed very bright. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/139 "2003-05-29T15:47:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\* > • Mark Wahlberg in everything except _Boogie Nights_. \*\* He is often miscast but I really liked him in \*Three Kings[/]. Can’t quite figure out why - He plays a good “confused.” ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644/140 "2003-05-29T16:13:12Z")
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before, but the recent Disney version of _The Music Man_ missed the mark in several places, the most glaring being the casting of Matthew Broderick as Harold Hill. I know he _is_ old enough for the part, but he looks like a little boy of the time wearing re-buckled Knickerbockers. He was completely unbelievable as the worldly-wise roue. He would have been better cast as Tommy Gelis (sp?). Harold had already been done to perfection by Robert Preston. The Disney remake (like most remakes) was a waste of film. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-stunning-miscasts-of-all-time/177644.md?page=8)