# Name actors utterly, and I mean UTTERLY wasted in theatrical movies
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 3, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111 "2002-06-03T07:41:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Kang\_and\_Kodos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kang_and_Kodos)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/1 "2002-06-03T07:41:47Z")
Wow, Karen Allen. What a powerhouse performance in A PERFECT STORM.
Wow, Levar Burton & Paul Rodriguez. What powerhouse performances in ALI.
Wow, Yaphet Kotto. What a powerhouse performance in THE PUPPETMASTERS.
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/2 "2002-06-03T11:47:11Z")
Samuel L. Jackson in _Episode II_
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### Author:  [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/3 "2002-06-03T12:12:58Z")
Margaret Cho and Parker Posey did absolutely stunning performances in **Doom Generation**. They did such a wonderful job playing horrible actors, I couldn’t even tell it was them.
Steven Segal in **Executive Decision**. Of course, it was great to see a big named action hero like he was at the time, die in the first ten minutes of a film. Kinda like Drew Barrymore and Jada Pinket in **Scream** and **Scream 2** respectively.
Jean Reno in **Godzilla**.
Christopher Walken in **The Prophecy 3** (Two sucked as well, but I think the first one was Great).
I know, all the movies I’ve chosen so far are all shit, but that’s what amazes me most about horrible, shitty films. The fact that many of them have big name actors, yet they all suck in the production for some reason. Like every big name actor in **The Phantom Menace**.
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/4 "2002-06-03T12:28:04Z")
Terence Stamp
Liam Neeson
Ewan McGregor
Pernilla August
Samuel L. Jackson
Jimmy Smits
Jack Thompson
Temuera Morrison
If you were to tell anybody that these actors were all capable of truly exceptional performances and then submitted the last _SW_ movies as evidence, nobody would believe you.
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### Author:  [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/5 "2002-06-03T13:17:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by spooje \*
> \*\*Samuel L. Jackson in _Episode II_ \*\*
I’ll have to disagree with this one. Yeah, Sam Jackson is usually phenominal, but his performance in Episode 2 was completely phoned in. I never bought for a second that he was Mace Windu. I just kept thinking, “Hey, there’s Sam Jackson!”
As for the OP, let’s see here… How 'bout **Julia Stiles** in about everything she’s been in. Seems like a promising young actress (or are we supposed to say ‘actor’ now), but I haven’t seen her in a good movie yet.
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### Author:  [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/6 "2002-06-03T14:14:53Z")
**Bad Lieutenant** was completely unworthy of Harvey Keitel’s performance.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/7 "2002-06-03T14:29:43Z")
I’ve heard rumors that Kris Kristofferson was utterly wasted during the entire filming of _A Star is Born_ . . .
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/8 "2002-06-03T15:48:48Z")
Guy Pearce in every movie he’s been in since _Memento_. Prior to that he was in several good films, now he seems to do nothing but schlocky Hollywood blockbuster wannabes.
I’m not even sure that they’re paying him well…the poor man looks like he hasn’t eaten since _Memento_ either.
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### Author:  [@Leifsmama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leifsmama)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/9 "2002-06-03T16:54:16Z")
I opened this thread thinking about Robert Downey Jr. Wrong kind of wasted.
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### Author:  [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-actors-utterly-and-i-mean-utterly-wasted-in-theatrical-movies/112111/10 "2002-06-03T17:35:34Z")
Gerard Depardieu in _102 Dalmatians_. Glenn Close in same. Normally I enjoy kid’s movies, especially when seen with the kid, but even the kid couldn’t stomach this one. Even with some talent involved.
_sigh_