# Worst unknown actor to be given a starring role in a big budget movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135 "2005-04-07T00:44:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/21 "2005-04-07T04:29:22Z")
I’d say most of the cast of Clerks falls into this catagory. The screenplay was great, but most of the acting was painful, especially Randall and his girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/22 "2005-04-07T04:30:59Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > I’m surprised you brought up Star Wars without mentioning Mark Hamill. So I’m mentioning him. Consider him mentioned :). Naw, Jake Lloyd in Ep I is worse than Luke. At least we can mock the Luke-whininess (_But I wanted to go to Toshi station to pick up some power converteeeeeeeeeeeeeeers_), whereas Jake Lloyd just makes us weep. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/23 "2005-04-07T05:13:21Z")
> [@LordVor](#): > > I’d say most of the cast of Clerks falls into this catagory. The screenplay was great, but most of the acting was painful, especially Randall and his girlfriend. Do you mean _Dante_ and his girlfriend? Randall was the Video Clerk, and at least in my opinion, the best actor in the cast. except for Snowball ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/24 "2005-04-07T06:00:55Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > No mention of George Lazenby? I came in specifically to defend George. He’s my favorite Bond. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/25 "2005-04-07T06:47:17Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > James Toback who has claims as the worst director to make movies regularly . . . :mad: I will not stand idly by while you mock the man who showed us a naked, a _very_ naked (a very _very_ naked), Neve Campbell. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/26 "2005-04-07T11:16:52Z")
That pouty blonde swimsuit model in Tim Burton’s remake of **Planet Of The Apes** : OK, the movie was pretty bad, but surely Burton could have afforded eye-candy who could actually voice her lines. She made Natasha Henstridge look like Meryl Streep. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/27 "2005-04-07T12:21:38Z")
Suzanne Somers in _American Graffiti_. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/28 "2005-04-07T12:27:20Z")
**Edward Furlong** in **Terminator II**. He’s given shitty performances in every movie in which I ever saw him. A few of the movies, **T2** for example, managed to be good despite his presence. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/29 "2005-04-07T12:30:39Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Which to me has always begged the question, why the hell did they cast him? How can you _not_ know that somebody has a voice so wrong for the part it will have to be redubbed, or that he can’t act for beans, during the audition process? I’d assume that Spilsbury’s voice sounded fine, but once he started acting, it turned into Mr. Robot: “Hi. Yo. Sil. ver. A. way.” They went through all the PR for a talent search that they were stuck with him once they announced the name. Of course, judging by the final result, the movie would have been terrible no matter who played the part. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/30 "2005-04-07T12:34:00Z")
I would like to nominate the puppet they used to play the lead in “King Arthur”, Clive Owen. Oh, wait, do you mean that was a living person? I have never seen such a lack of charisma before. It was just like watching a black hole. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/31 "2005-04-07T13:14:14Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > :mad: > I will not stand idly by while you mock the man who showed us a naked, a _very_ naked (a very _very_ naked), > Neve Campbell. 🙂 _::Scurries off to IMDB::_ ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/32 "2005-04-07T14:19:47Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > I would like to nominate the puppet they used to play the lead in “King Arthur”, Clive Owen. > Oh, wait, do you mean that was a living person? > I have never seen such a lack of charisma before. > It was just like watching a black hole. He was good in _Gosford Park_ a few years ago, not to mention his more recent work in _Closer_ and _Sin City_. _King Arthur_ just had a crappy script. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/33 "2005-04-07T15:16:54Z")
All this and no mention of Kevis Cosner? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/34 "2005-04-07T15:54:40Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Doesn’t the all-time champ in this department have to be Klinton Spilsbury in 1981’s _The Legend of the Lone Ranger_? He never acted before, and he never acted again! And he didn’t act during either. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/35 "2005-04-07T16:00:11Z")
> [@Orual](#): > > He was good in _Gosford Park_ a few years ago, not to mention his more recent work in _Closer_ and _Sin City_. > > _King Arthur_ just had a crappy script. Not to mention his smoldering performance in _Croupier_. I thought \*King Arthur \* was an awful movie - but I think Clive Owen is wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/36 "2005-04-07T16:40:08Z")
Milla Jovovich in The Messenger. But the entire movie sucked, so I can’t entirely blame her. I only blame her for the parts she was actually in. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/37 "2005-04-07T16:46:21Z")
> [@picker](#): > > Do you mean _Dante_ and his girlfriend? Randall was the Video Clerk, and at least in my opinion, the best actor in the cast. except for Snowball :smack: #1 for missing “big budget movie” :smack: #2 for getting the wrong clerk. Randall, Jay and Silent Bob were acceptible, the rest of the major characters just blew. How about I try to redeam myself by mentioning Estella Warren in Planet of the Apes? -lv ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/38 "2005-04-07T16:50:46Z")
I give you Miles O’Keefe in [_ **Tarzan, the Ape Man** _](http://imdb.com/title/tt0083170/)! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/39 "2005-04-07T17:02:51Z")
She wasn’t exactly unknown ( thought I am not sure why she is known at all) **Denise Richards** in The World Is Not Enough. She singlehanded ruined the film. Turned me off to Bond for good. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135/40 "2005-04-07T17:08:33Z")
Don’t think I’ve heard of him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-unknown-actor-to-be-given-a-starring-role-in-a-big-budget-movie/298135.md?page=3)