# The worst role an actor/actress has on their resume? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259 "2015-06-11T15:38:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/61 "2015-06-12T20:21:49Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > DeNiro is a great choice, but I think his WTF choices started a lot earlier than that one. I read somewhere that DeNiro has gotten to the point in his career where he just takes on roles that he thinks would be interesting as an actor to play. > [@OneCentStamp](#): > > Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield in the eponymous live/animated film. Gah. Is anything associated with Jim Davis & Garfield NOT “just doin’ it for the cash”? ---
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/62 "2015-06-12T20:33:59Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I see why that movie failed, but not because it was all that bad. Just strange. I agree. I have an odd sort of begrudging respect for it, and it occasionally made me laugh, but it really was very weird. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/63 "2015-06-12T21:43:13Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Ben Kingsley in _Bloodrayne_. Ben Kingsley in _The Love Guru_ was worse. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/64 "2015-06-12T21:59:41Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Beat me to it. His “by God, I am going to give them a PERFORMANCE” performance is one of the wonderful things about that film. > > Am I right in remembering that he never actually appears in a scene with anyone else - he’s always on the “holographic link” or some such? Obviously shot on a black set for later compositing? There were a couple of scenes in a set on the bridge of his flagship. I think Monro and Hasselhoff were on the set with him, but for all I know, they might have been bluescreened. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/65 "2015-06-12T22:20:03Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The Boys from Brazil > > That last one is especially notable because it starred Gregory Peck as Dr. Josef Mengele which IMHO, beats\*\* Boyo Jim’s\*\* nomination of _Paint Your Wagon_ for double-plus ungoodness. Are you kidding? Peck was awesome in that role. **Olivier:** Did you kill Wheelock? **Peck:** No, he’s in the kitchen mixing us some cocktails. **Woman:** Get a doctor! **Peck:** I am a doctor, idiot. **Woman:** Don’t you come near him! **Peck:** Shut up, you ugly bitch. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/66 "2015-06-13T02:36:28Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > A rare double play of signature bad roles … > > Both Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood in _Paint Your Wagon_. This is currently running on E-Retro! It is a terrible movie, but an excellent choice for this thread. Nothing like two of the biggest Hollywood tough guys singing in a musical western. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I read somewhere that DeNiro has gotten to the point in his career where he just takes on roles that he thinks would be interesting as an actor to play. This may be true. I don’t know, though. DeNiro always seemed to me like he thought he was funny, and wanted to play comedy roles. But he’s not very funny (to me, anyway). He was a great actor, who played some of the most iconic roles in film history. And then, he tried to go funny. I did think he was pretty good in Midnight Run, but that is the only movie I can think of where he actually made me laugh. Everything else, like “Analyze This” or “Meet The Parents”, he always seems to try too hard. I love the nod to Al Pacino. I didn’t see the movie where he apparently won “worst supporting actor” though. Hell, I didn’t even know he was in a movie with Adam Sandler. That is quite embarrassing. Did Pacino really need the money that badly? I mean, a buck is a buck, but c’mon… The guy has to be set for 50 lifetimes. Was he Madoff’d or something? ---
**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:** [June 13, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/67 "2015-06-13T04:13:34Z")
Donald Sutherland in _Gas_. Definitely a paycheck role. He quite obviously NEVER appears on screen with another performer. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/68 "2015-06-13T04:14:26Z")
I can’t fault Orson Welles for his role in the _Transformers_ movie or Raul Julia in _Street Fighter_. I can still enjoy the former today, and the latter was at least significantly less bad thanks to Raul Julia’s performance. My nomination would be: Everyone in Movie 43 - _Movie 43_ I can’t imagine what sort of blackmail material its perpetrator had on these people, but it was apparently worse than telling the world they were partially responsible for this atrocity. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/69 "2015-06-13T04:17:34Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Raul Julia in _Street Fighter_. I can still enjoy the former today, and the latter was at least significantly less bad thanks to Raul Julia’s performance. For him, it was Tuesday. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/70 "2015-06-13T05:31:44Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > From ASCAP - Who licences music for use in Film and TV. I bet Jack and Jill was the top gross for films using all ASCAP artists. ASCAP gives this award away like candy. If my count is correct, 28 films won the award for Top Box Office Films in the same year as _Jack and Jill_: [ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (2012) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000044/2012) Some of the other winners include: [ul] [li]_Cars 2_[/li][li]_Hugo_[/li][li]_Justin Bieber: Never Say Never_[/li][li]_The Muppets_[/li][li]_Thor_[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/71 "2015-06-13T06:26:29Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I can’t fault Orson Welles for his role in the _Transformers_ movie … 😕 :eek: Wait a minute! What? Is this for real? I’m off to check google. Edit: Jesus! It killed him! ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/72 "2015-06-13T07:15:46Z")
Bob Hoskins in Mario Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/73 "2015-06-13T07:30:15Z")
> [@Purd\_Werfect](#): > > Bob Hoskins in Mario Brothers. I’m gonna give Hoskins a pass for Mario Brothers. I think it was a movie that swung for the fences and missed by a mile. The Mario Brothers movie producers tried damn hard to put the pace and zaniness into movie form, but didn’t succeed. I’m always willing to give cred to a failure that at least tried. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/74 "2015-06-13T08:27:15Z")
Sylvester Stallone, “Stud,” [_The Party at Kitty and Stud’s_ (aka _Italian Stallion_)(1970).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Party_at_Kitty_and_Stud%27s) Other contender: [William T. Orr](http://articles.latimes.com/2002/dec/28/local/me-orr28), in the military training film [_Three Cadets_ (1943)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0175240/), as “that guy with the clap.” (As he was recognized in public, on at least one occasion.) ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2015, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/75 "2015-06-13T09:11:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Virtuosity” was not the best movie but how did either Washington or Crowe ill-choose their roles? Denzel Washington played a cop chasing a bad guy, hardly a risky role or something he can’t do. Crowe played the villain, which seems well within his scope of capabilities. Both men did very well with what they were given. Not the best movie, but they have nothing to be ashamed of. They elevated that movie to watchable. Also, I’d never heard of Russell Crowe prior to that movie, but I actively looked for his performances after that. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/76 "2015-06-15T10:16:18Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > DeNiro always seemed to me like he thought he was funny, and wanted to play comedy roles. But he’s not very funny (to me, anyway). He was a great actor, who played some of the most iconic roles in film history. And then, he tried to go funny. > > I did think he was pretty good in Midnight Run, but that is the only movie I can think of where he actually made me laugh. Everything else, like “Analyze This” or “Meet The Parents”, he always seems to try too hard. “The King of Comedy” was far better than it had a right to be. However, there’s no excuse for “Mad Dog and Glory”. So you’ve got a film with an ordinary schlub who accidentally saves the life of a gangster, starring Bill Murray and Robert De Niro…and the gangster is played by _Bill Murray_ and the schlub by De Niro. Because that totally makes sense. > [@Ranchoth](#): > > Sylvester Stallone, “Stud,” [_The Party at Kitty and Stud’s_ (aka _Italian Stallion_)(1970).](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Party_at_Kitty_and_Stud%27s) Early role, so it doesn’t count. A better choice is his attempt at a zany farce “Oscar”. It’s a remake of a 1960s French film and has all the traditional hallmarks of a competent French farce…except that Stallone really doesn’t have the comedy chops to pull off farce, and the rest of the cast wasn’t spectacular either. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/77 "2015-06-15T16:20:37Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Robert DeNiro - Focker F-I-L. And Barbra Streisand in the same. She has genuine comedic talents that were totally wasted in this flick. Between her and DeNiro - an unlikely pairing at best - I have to ask “Are they really that desperate for money these days?” ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/78 "2015-06-15T17:01:40Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > An actor doing a job for the check, based on a “comic” strip developed from scratch to be a paycheck, by an “artist” so cynical he studied marketing more than art in launching the strip… and promptly hired a boiler room of drones to churn the stuff out… following rigid “amusing but not too funny” guidelines. > > Sounds about right. I worked training his people on an animation program, and yeah - Jim Davis is the most mercenary person to ever be involved in comics. I’m confident that Davis took his two characters from a _National Lampoon_ strip called “Famous Comic Artists School” by Bruce Cochran back in the 1970s. It was meta-humor about what you need to be a comic artist, and one strip was about characters. “Every comic artist needs characters. Here are three you can use for free…” And they were\* Dipshit Dog\*, _Cocksucker Cat_ and _Badass Bunny_. And the first two very obviously became Odie and Garfield. The thing that is so awful and offensive about Garfield, beyond being invented solely for marketing purposes, is the man has no understanding of cats. I’m pretty sure he’s never had a pet cat. B. Kliban understood cats, as did Gilbert Shelton with the _Fat Freddy’s Cat_ side strips from his _Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers_ comics. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/79 "2015-06-15T17:06:51Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > “Every comic artist needs characters. Here are three you can use for free…” And they were\* Dipshit Dog\*, _Cocksucker Cat_ and _Badass Bunny_. And the first two very obviously became Odie and Garfield. [And the third…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characters_of_Sluggy_Freelance#Bun-bun) Or maybe [this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usagi_Yojimbo). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259/80 "2015-06-16T02:38:45Z")
I also thought _Virtuosity_ wasn’t that bad. Here’s more by The Perfect Master on John Wayne, _The Conqueror_ and its tragic aftermath: [Did John Wayne die of cancer caused by a radioactive movie set? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/374/did-john-wayne-die-of-cancer-caused-by-a-radioactive-movie-set) And for another embarrassing role, how about the late Christopher Lee as a supervillain singing about… booze?: [Flick Attack - The Return of Captain Invincible "Name Your Poison" - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ntGVb_wgx0) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-worst-role-an-actor-actress-has-on-their-resume/722259.md?page=5)