# Worst working actors who are highly successful **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545 "2009-01-23T00:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/41 "2009-01-23T05:38:12Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Seriously, Caruso is the worst. He is worse than Cruise or Keanu. This is what I just posted this morning. Oh come on, don’t you LOVE the way he takes off his sunglasses dramatically? And it NEVER gets old, no matter how many times he does it per episode. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/42 "2009-01-23T05:39:54Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > I have no clue who David Caruso is. My advice? keep it that way. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2009, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/43 "2009-01-23T05:40:13Z")
Rob Schneider. (I liked Andie MacDowell in _Groundhog Day_.) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/44 "2009-01-23T05:41:52Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Oh come on, don’t you LOVE the way he takes off his sunglasses dramatically? And it NEVER gets old, no matter how many times he does it per episode. It’s good on The Soup. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/45 "2009-01-23T06:48:05Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > Keanu Reeves is great when he’s acting stupid. He can, however, kill a film if it requires him to actually _act_. The Matrix could have been a genuine classic if they’d had a lead actor with more than one facial expression, and have you ever seen him try to do Shakespeare? He probably is a loveable guy, good to have around on set, but he can’t bloody act. > > I have no clue who David Caruso is. Keanu doesn’t play “stupid” well. He plays “emotionally unavailable” and “distant” well. I disagree strongly on **The Matrix**. For two reasons. The first is that _nothing_ could have made it a “genuine classic” because it’s a stupid fucking movie that literally gets worse on each viewing. And that has nothing to do with Keanu. Keanu was playing a guy totally out of his element, confused by this new and unbelievable world, and yet, capable of embracing it all and kicking ass. He really only needed on facial expression–confused and slightly dazed. I saw him in **Much Ado About Nothing**. It was pretty horrible, and it was the only time he made me cringe. And I think it’s unfortunate that his accent kept changing in **The Devil’s Advocate** , but I still enjoyed him in the movie. I just think that he gets a really undeserved bum rap. Not everybody is going to be, say, Gary Oldman, and not every movie needs a Gary Oldman, either. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/46 "2009-01-23T06:56:04Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > The first is that _nothing_ could have made it a “genuine classic” because it’s a stupid fucking movie that literally gets worse on each viewing. And that has nothing to do with Keanu. Wait - - why did you keep watching a movie that you thought was fucking stupid? I’ve got to defend The Matrix here. I think what happened was that a GOOD movie was made, and then a bunch of hipster intellectual-wannabe douches started calling it GREAT and SPIRITUAL (“buddhist undertones” was used in about forty million frat-boy descriptions of the movie), which caused a backlash in people who are otherwise actually smart and made them hate it. For the record I thought it was an ok, slightly confusing movie the first time that got much better with each viewing. _Whew_. Always wanted to say that when people bash The Matrix around here and never bothered until now. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/47 "2009-01-23T08:00:09Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Wait - - why did you keep watching a movie that you thought was fucking stupid? Well, to be fair, I’ve only seen it three times. When it first was released to VHS and my parents rented it, when my husband wanted to watch it once about 7 years ago, and last year when [Michael Nelson recorded a rifftrax commentary for it.](http://www.rifftrax.com) The first time, I thought it was a fine action movie, but not anything worth watching again (even after my parents bought it). The second time, I rolled my eyes and put my foot down about seeing the sequels (and I even let my husband drag me to the Star Wars prequels and my hate for them knows no bounds) and the third time I was utterly shocked by just how bad the movie truly is. Even worse than I remembered. But like I said, I don’t think Keanu has anything to do with why the movie sucks. I think he actually did what was asked of him by the script. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/48 "2009-01-23T08:20:19Z")
I liked David Caruso in the original NYPD Blue. There, I said it. Then he left to become a leading man (ha ha) in Hollywood. Man was that ever a dumb move. I remember seeing one movie in which he was confronted by some badasses and he said something like “you wanna dance with me?” It was freaking hilarious, skinny little carrot top trying to play a tough guy. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/49 "2009-01-23T08:36:04Z")
David Caruso, is the hands down winner. Andie McDowell was tolerable in Groundhog Day even, and she and Kenau are the only other ones getting regular mention. Kenau isn’t anywhere near as bad as Caruso, and neither is McDowell. I sometimes watch CSI: Miami just to see how bad Caruso is going to be that episode: it’s like slowing down to look at bloody five car pileup, except you can laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/50 "2009-01-23T09:52:01Z")
Caruso just might top my hate for Reeves but it would be pretty damn close, I think if Reeves had a weekly show and was always up in peoples faces the way Caruso is he would probably be the winner in this fight. cant say much about McDowel other than I love groundhog day and she was perfectly cute in it…it was a Bill Murray movie though so thats all that was really needed from the female lead. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/51 "2009-01-23T10:00:30Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Thank you. I like Keanu Reeves. I grew up seeing him in both Bill & Ted movies, Dracula, Really? I just saw Dracula in English for the first time, and I was astonished by how bad Keanu delivers his lines – up to that point, I had him on my ‘take or leave’ list, but that was just like a fifth grader reading an unknown text in a competition without actually understanding what he’s reading. It was comically bad at times. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/52 "2009-01-23T10:07:35Z")
I like Caruso in CSI, but I think several things affect that. One thing is I don’t see if very often. When I do though, it’s specifically to see Caruso say something snide, tough, and totally cliched while squinting and toggling his sunglasses. (Removing them if they were on, or putting them on if they were off.) It’s nice having something that you can always count on and Caruso’s character never disappoints. I agree about Keanu though. He just sucks the life out of every scene he’s in. He was comically bad in “Much Ado About Nothing”, but that actually worked since his character, Don John, was supposed to be something of an aberration, and Keanu has natural talent going for him in playing aberrations. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/53 "2009-01-23T15:08:31Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > Really? I just saw Dracula in English for the first time, and I was astonished by how bad Keanu delivers his lines – up to that point, I had him on my ‘take or leave’ list, but that was just like a fifth grader reading an unknown text in a competition without actually understanding what he’s reading. It was comically bad at times. I was 11 when I saw Dracula in the theatre. I wouldn’t have known bad acting if it had kicked me in the balls and stole my Stone Temple Pilots tape. ---
**Author:** ![Mitijea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mitijea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mitijea)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/54 "2009-01-23T15:46:21Z")
I don’t know what it says about me, but I like pretty much everyone mentioned so far. But then I can’t really think of any actors acting that I don’t like. My suspension of belief must be WAY up there. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/55 "2009-01-23T15:50:44Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > I assume you mean besides Tom Cruise right? I think Cruise is a decent actor. It’s just his fame gets in the way of his performances. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/56 "2009-01-23T15:54:26Z")
Most of the actors here aren’t good but none of them are enough to make a movie unwatchable for me on their own. I mean, Keanu Reeves can’t act, but I’ll still watch movies with him in them, because they’re good movies regardless. However, as much as I love CSI, I can’t watch Miami. Which pains me, because I otherwise love the show. But I just can’t stand Caruso. I always want to strangle him by the first commercial break. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/57 "2009-01-23T16:00:50Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I didn’t realize she had done anything in the last 3 years. She hasn’t done anything in the last 10 years. But even Andie MacDowell is pleasant to look at with the sound turned off. Bonnie Franklin is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of bad acting. _"Ohhhh, Julie . . . "_:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/58 "2009-01-23T16:05:24Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I think Cruise is a decent actor. It’s just his fame gets in the way of his performances. Yeah, I meant to comment on this too. I think Tom Cruise is batballs insane, but I’ve never heard anyone call him a bad actor. He’s actually one of the better big names out there. More respected than average among those who study acting. I would think, if not for the whole scientology thing, that he’d be around the same level as a Johnny Depp. . . . On second thought, _higher_ than Johnny Depp. Seriously, now that I’m thinking about this I’m mad (:p) and need some justification for “Tom Cruise = ridiculously bad.” Look at the guy’s resume. He’s been nominated for Best Actor 3 times for fuck’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![ThePylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ThePylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThePylon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/59 "2009-01-23T16:25:39Z")
Four Weddings and a Funeral minus Andie MacDowell and her vapid, cruel, waste of space character, was a pretty good film. I would really like to see it with her, and her character completely removed - just thinking about that scene in the rain at the end makes my molars hurt. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545/60 "2009-01-23T17:33:51Z")
I think a porno with Andie MacDowell and Keanu Reeves would be hysterically funny. The wooden deliveries would be perfect for the medium. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-working-actors-who-are-highly-successful/482545.md?page=4)