# Movies that are ruined by actors from other vehicles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747 "2019-05-09T21:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/41 "2019-05-10T19:24:08Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I was very excited to see _Gone with the Wind_ for the first time as a child because he’s one of the first faces you see on screen. Alas, I learned, 5 minutes later, you’ve pretty much seen the last of him. This knowledge had completely escaped me. Now I have to go watch the first couple of minutes (it’s not one of my all time favorite movies but, still – a Superman cameo!). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/42 "2019-05-10T19:42:27Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > The only time this has affected me was when I was watching a movie that I can’t remember the name to; one of the actors was being played by that guy who hosted “Unsolved Mysteries”. > > I just couldn’t get past it. If you mean Robert Stack, he’ll always be Elliot Ness to me. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/43 "2019-05-10T20:22:18Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > If you mean Robert Stack, he’ll always be Elliot Ness to me. Doctor Ellison. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/44 "2019-05-11T01:20:16Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > This knowledge had completely escaped me. Now I have to go watch the first couple of minutes (it’s not one of my all time favorite movies but, still – a Superman cameo!). “Woaw, Woaw, WOAW!” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/45 "2019-05-11T01:40:20Z")
It’s not ruined for me but every actor in Band of Brothers is always going to be primarily associated with that no matter what else they pop up in. With the exception of David Schwimmer because he will always be Ross. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/46 "2019-05-11T02:15:37Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > OJ Simpson in Naked Gun. Regardless his later baggage, he never could act. Speaking of Naked Gun, it’s really hard watching Leslie Nielsen in his earlier more dramatic roles after watching his later comedic work. Most notably in the sci fi classic _The Forbidden Planet_. ---
**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:** [May 11, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/47 "2019-05-11T02:23:38Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s not ruined for me but every actor in Band of Brothers is always going to be primarily associated with that no matter what else they pop up in. With the exception of David Schwimmer because he will always be Ross. I’ve pretty much gotten past that one. Also, I don’t normally have any problem with British or American actors cropping up all the time. But John Carter is so awful that I almost have to feel sorry for these Shakespearean caliber actors being stuck in a dreadful movie. It’s just. . .jarring. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/48 "2019-05-11T02:29:05Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Speaking of Naked Gun, it’s really hard watching Leslie Nielsen in his earlier more dramatic roles after watching his later comedic work. Most notably in the sci fi classic _The Forbidden Planet_. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/49 "2019-05-11T03:05:40Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Speaking of Naked Gun, it’s really hard watching Leslie Nielsen in his earlier more dramatic roles after watching his later comedic work. Most notably in the sci fi classic _The Forbidden Planet_. Surely you can’t be serious. ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/50 "2019-05-11T03:13:49Z")
Another “not ruined but distracting” answer: Cobie Smulders in the MCU. I just can’t not see Robin from How I Met Your Mother. And Robin isn’t believable as a Shield agent. Hopefully she’s not in the new Spider-man for too long. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/51 "2019-05-11T03:23:44Z")
Just about every big budget animated feature when they started casting A-list stars instead of experienced voice actors. Especially something like Disney’s first _Aladdin_. Sure, Robin Williams’ genie was hilarious, but it had nothing to do with the movie. And before anyone says anything, I’m specifically giving a pass to the entire _Toy Story_ series. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2019, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/52 "2019-05-11T14:56:48Z")
A couple more from The Wire. I now see Wendell Pierce on the show Chicago PD. Everytime I see him I get angry and want to yell “Dammit Bunk, you went and sold out to become a slimy Chicago politician!” And anytime I see Idris Elba in anything I think he’s shady just like Stringer Bell. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/53 "2019-05-13T18:40:01Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > Speaking of Naked Gun, it’s really hard watching Leslie Nielsen in his earlier more dramatic roles after watching his later comedic work. Most notably in the sci fi classic _The Forbidden Planet_. I finally got around to watching_The Forbidden Planet_ and thinking “Oh wow, it’s the same character but he’s playing it straight!” ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/54 "2019-05-13T18:45:28Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > So you think they shouldn’t be used because they’re very good actors capable of multiple roles? How dare they! > > It doesn’t bother me in the slightest if I recognize someone from another role. I say, “Oh, that’s a familiar face,” and then sit back to watch their performance. Their earlier roles have no bearing on how I will enjoy the film. > > “Oh, David Tennant is playing Hamlet. Let’s see how he handles the role.” The first time David Tennant (as Scrooge McDuck) goes into a long rant on _Duck Tales_ I thought it sound like Doctor Who with a Scottish accent. Thankfully I don’t notice it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/55 "2019-05-13T19:23:43Z")
I’ve been watching Robert Fuller in such old Westerns as _Laramie_ and _Wagon Train_, but every time I see him I can’t help humming the theme from _Emergency!_ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/56 "2019-05-13T20:12:57Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Just about every big budget animated feature when they started casting A-list stars instead of experienced voice actors. Especially something like Disney’s first _Aladdin_. Sure, Robin Williams’ genie was hilarious, but it had nothing to do with the movie. > > And before anyone says anything, I’m specifically giving a pass to the entire _Toy Story_ series. You know that this has been going on for quite a while, don’t you? Disney used the voice talents of some famous folk in his films in the 1940s, although they were narrators, not speaking the parts of characters (Edgar Bergen and Dinak Shore in **Fun and Fancy Free** , Robert Benchley (sorta) in **the Reluctant Dragon** ). Peggy Lee got to play multiple voice roles in **Lady and the Tramp** , but all were subsidiary roles. There were also roles played by noted character actors, but no significant famous actors in main roles. The first animated feature I know of to use Big Name Actors to voice leads was the 1962 UPA film **Gay Purr-ee** , which starred Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and Hermione Gingold alongside such experienced cartoon voice actors as Mel Blanc and Paul Frees. Disney started doing more of it by the late 1960s and was into it in a big way by the end of the 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/57 "2019-05-13T20:15:09Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Surely you can’t be serious. I am being serious, and stop calling me Shirley. ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/58 "2019-05-13T20:16:33Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > I finally got around to watching_The Forbidden Planet_ and thinking “Oh wow, it’s the same character but he’s playing it straight!” He shows up in a lot of old TV from the sixties. ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/59 "2019-05-13T20:24:38Z")
I used to see re-runs of the early-seventies show, “Ghost Story”. Sebastian Cabot, as an imaginary host, would start the program saying, “Good evening. I’m Winston Essex”. I would instantly repy, “No you’re not. You’re Mister fucking French”! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747/60 "2019-05-13T21:04:32Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s not ruined for me but every actor in Band of Brothers is always going to be primarily associated with that no matter what else they pop up in. With the exception of David Schwimmer because he will always be Ross. I don’t know… I still see Dexter Fletcher as Soap from “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” more than I see him as John Martin. Similarly, I see Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky in “Mad Max: Fury Road” instead of as Janovec, and I think of Ron Livingston as Peter Gibbons from “Office Space” and not Lewis Nixon. Scott Grimes is either Birdie from “Mystery, Alaska” or Gordon from “The Orville”, not Donald Malarkey. I think some of the actors without other popular roles like those listed above, like say… Ross McCall are tainted like this though; he was a villain on “White Collar” and all I could think of is Liebgott as the villain. Same with Michael Cudlitz in “The Kids are Alright” and “The Walking Dead”- he’s always Bull Randleman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-are-ruined-by-actors-from-other-vehicles/833747.md?page=4)