# Why do Americans like really awful actors so much in films. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2013, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409 "2013-03-31T10:54:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/21 "2013-04-01T04:22:07Z")
I’m going to quote myself on this one and show you just how bad of an actor US audiences will provide ratings / ticket sales for. Check out the guy’s IMDb page. He’s been working as an actor for nearly a quarter of a century. And not in just garbage either. He had a central role in Cop Land in which he “acted” against De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Stallone, and Ray Liotta. From [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15296768) thread: > [@Who's the worst actor on tv?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-worst-actor-on-tv/628422/38): > > [Michael Rapaport](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001650/). > > [I win](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zcj6eqkzjY). You can just watch the first 10 seconds in which his direction is to enter and remark on the pleasant smell in the kitchen. What a natural. Or you can watch him in literally anything else. He’s the only bad thing in True Romance 'fer instance. ETA: Damn, that clip was pulled, but I can link to anything else in his career, so here’s this: https://www.youtube.com/embed/FJz5ZYNaYDA?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/22 "2013-04-01T11:33:01Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Cite? Can’t be bothered looking through all his movies to find the names, but the one where he was a chef and was enamoured of a Latin American ( I think ) lady, and the one where he was a golfer wasn’t too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/23 "2013-04-01T11:35:15Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Y’know, people like to pick on their least favorite actors by saying they “can’t act,” and I’ve just never found it to be true. Some are better than others, sure. But all mainstream A list movies have people that can act. If you want to see true “can’t act,” go support your local high school and see a show. College and many community theaters as well. It’s really, truly not their fault, they’re still learning, and some of them may indeed go on to learn how to act, and there may even be a kid or three there who can act. But you will most likely see at least one who, god love them, truly can’t act. Stilted line readings, corpsing, no variance in tone or pitch, incongruent body language, stiff movements, people who just turn off when it’s not their turn to speak… It’s a whole different ballgame from, “that actor made some odd choices that I just don’t agree with,” or “he’s just playing himself over and over,” or “this script is…unfortunate.” Even the most irritating vapid starlet Hollywood shoves down our throat can act. > > [These are people who “can’t act”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s6PhgcegH8&list=UU6la4YsTXTJZe5LJAfsVYmw&index=6). And they’re actually quite good for high school kids. I couldn’t bear to be mean enough to link to the worse ones. You seem to be misreading my post. Steve Martin and Adam Sandler are very good actors. Unfortunately, they make films in which their characters are very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/24 "2013-04-01T11:37:21Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Yes, OP, there are many such. And they are found in every country. How about Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean and Johnny English? There are French and Italian comedians who are more famous in their countries than Adam Sandler is in America for playing the same kind of character. I’ll bet more money than Romney that you can find the equivalent in every country’s film history. > > The real question is: how can you possibly think this is something limited to Americans? I think it must be a cultural thing. I love Atkinson in almost anything, but I guess he’s an aquired taste. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/25 "2013-04-01T11:40:10Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I didn’t realize Ricky Gervais was American. See my last reply. Gervais is a genius- just see the one in “The Office” where he does THAT dance. I guess a British sense of humour is required. ---
**Author:** ![Doggo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/87869e/32.png) [@Doggo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doggo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/26 "2013-04-01T11:41:49Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Don’t _even_ get me started on the astronomical popularity of talentless Thai “actors” and the shit movies made here. Don’t be too hard on Thai films. I’ve seen some really excellent ones, and the Ong Bak fims are are as good as anything Bruce did. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/27 "2013-04-01T11:59:10Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > You seem to be misreading my post. Steve Martin and Adam Sandler are very good actors. Unfortunately, they make films in which their characters are very annoying. Actually, I was responding to the title, and the question posed in post 2 and the response given in post 15. I realize you changed the meaning of what you were asking earlier, but since it was already brought up, I tossed my two pennies into the pile. Sorry for not quoting posts to make it clearer what I was responding to. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/28 "2013-04-01T16:16:30Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > Don’t be too hard on Thai films. I’ve seen some really excellent ones, and the Ong Bak fims are are as good as anything Bruce did. There’s no accounting for taste, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/29 "2013-04-01T16:46:27Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > You seem to be misreading my post. Steve Martin and Adam Sandler are very good actors. Unfortunately, they make films in which their characters are very annoying. Your post was completely vague about what you meant, check the title you didn’t say awful _characters_, you said awful _actors._ ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/30 "2013-04-01T17:46:13Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > I think it must be a cultural thing. I love Atkinson in almost anything, but I guess he’s an aquired taste. Then why aren’t Adam Sandler and the others also acquired tastes? ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/31 "2013-04-01T18:15:04Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > See my last reply. Gervais is a genius- just see the one in “The Office” where he does THAT dance. I guess a British sense of humour is required. You seem to be misreading your own post. If Rowan Atkinson or Ricky Gervaise don’t play annoying characters, then nobody does. Seriously, you’re flip-flopping back and forth. Gervaise’s characters are okay, because he’a a genius, but Steve Martin’s characters are annoying, because… what? Because he’s American? I give this thread a D-. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/32 "2013-04-01T18:32:12Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > You seem to be misreading your own post. If Rowan Atkinson or Ricky Gervaise don’t play annoying characters, then nobody does. > > Seriously, you’re flip-flopping back and forth. Gervaise’s characters are okay, because he’a a genius, but Steve Martin’s characters are annoying, because… what? Because he’s American? > > I give this thread a D-. Yup. Let the rest of the world make their own god damn movies and you’ll see plenty of awful shit from them too. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/33 "2013-04-01T19:46:11Z")
I didn’t realize that Monty Python was an American company and that Absolutely Fabulous was an American TV show. Seriously every time one of these threads comes up I’m sure all the non-Americans reading this are laughing their asses off at this bizarre variation on American exceptionalism. Not that it’s limited strictly too this board. A few months ago, I was talking to a friend of mine enamored of Dowton Abbey who kept going on and on about how superior British TV was who said: “People in Britain don’t watch crap like Big Brother.” It took every ounce of willpower not to fall out of my chair laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/34 "2013-04-01T22:19:46Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > Adam Sandler makes such awful films, like Grownups, where all I want to do is punch out the entire cast for being such horrid people, and those like Steve Martin and Steve Carell which specialise in being annoying wimps. Yet they are very popular, and make lots of movies. > It must be an American thing, but can anyone explain it to me? > [@Doggo](#): > > I think it must be a cultural thing. I love Atkinson in almost anything, but I guess he’s an aquired taste. Why _must_ it be an American thing? Why _must_ it be a cultural thing? Do you write those sentences because you think posts need to have a minimum number of words? What can you tell us about culture or America that would support your (pretty vague) point? FYI - [The Voice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(TV_series)) and [Big Brother](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(TV_series)) - two of the more successful shows to be foisted on the States in recent years, were first conceived and produced in Europe (The Netherlands, to be exact). BB especially was ground breaking in terms of reality TV - and it was all brought to you by Europeans. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/35 "2013-04-02T00:03:15Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > Why _must_ it be an American thing? Why _must_ it be a cultural thing? Do you write those sentences because you think posts need to have a minimum number of words? What can you tell us about culture or America that would support your (pretty vague) point? > > FYI - [The Voice](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(TV_series)) and [Big Brother](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(TV_series)) - two of the more successful shows to be foisted on the States in recent years, were first conceived and produced in Europe (The Netherlands, to be exact). BB especially was ground breaking in terms of reality TV - and it was all brought to you by Europeans. I thought Big Brother originally came from the UK. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/36 "2013-04-02T02:02:19Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > Can’t be bothered looking through all his movies to find the names, but the one where he was a chef and was enamoured of a Latin American ( I think ) lady, and the one where he was a golfer wasn’t too bad. _Spanglish_ and _Happy Gilmore_, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/37 "2013-04-02T05:09:19Z")
> [@Doggo](#): > > Adam Sandler makes such awful films, like Grownups, where all I want to do is punch out the entire cast for being such horrid people, and those like Steve Martin and Steve Carell which specialise in being annoying wimps. Yet they are very popular, and make lots of movies. > It must be an American thing, but can anyone explain it to me? Why does the rest of the world spend so much money to watch this crap, then? Have you seen the international gross receipts of American movies? It’s obscene. If you’re not an American, then you only have your fellow countryfolk to blame. Granted, a lot of what comes out of Hollywood is crap. But from what I’ve seen, the rest of the world doesn’t do much better.\* \*on average ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/38 "2013-04-02T08:58:59Z")
I always say nothing gets made in Hollywood that a 12-year-old shoe shine boy in Singapore couldn’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/39 "2013-04-02T09:27:03Z")
you should stop saying that then, since you obviously know nothing about Singapore. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409/40 "2013-04-02T09:34:50Z")
OK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-americans-like-really-awful-actors-so-much-in-films/654409.md?page=3)