“Acting is acting like you’re not acting” – The Rocketeer
What makes a good actor? Like all art, it’s subjective. Some champion an understated, naturalistic approach; others prefer larger-than-life performers. Either way, there’s clearly more to being a movie star than just good acting, because some of Hollywood’s biggest celebrities have notorious reputations for ruining movies with awkward performances. When you get 19 nominations for the dreaded Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (or Razzie) something is clearly wrong! Today we explore the top 10 worst actors of all time, the worst acting performances of all time, and the worst actors to work with.
RELATED: The 5 Best Aussie Actresses
Top 10 Bad Actors And Actresses
10. Nicolas Cage, 55
Our first entry is a little divisive, because some people claim that the eccentric acting of Nicolas Cage is fantastic. Is he the worst actor in the world, or is he the best? He certainly isn’t anything in between – his outlandish history of bombastic performances from Face/Off to Ghost Rider prove it! Cage has been nominated for a shocking ten Razzies. Check out this infamous scene from The Wicker Man where Nick is tortured with bees!
9. John Travolta, 65
John Travolta is a fascinating showcase in how a limited actor can excel in the right role. His career has died and been resurrected more times than you can count! He was electrifying in Grease, Pulp Fiction and Get Shorty … but then there’s Battlefield Earth and his seven other Razzie-nominated roles which feel more amateur than Hollywood. Check out this amazingly bad scene from Battlefield Earth:
8. Kristen Stewart, 29
Kristen Stewart’s breakout role as Bella Swan in the Twilight franchise made her one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. However, her performance was notoriously dry, monotonous and unconvincing – and she hasn’t succeeded in shedding her uncharismatic image in the decade since. Take a look at her unconvincing debut from 2008:
7. Quentin Tarantino, 56
A masterful writer and director, the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino is one of the greatest working auteurs. Despite acknowledging his acting skills don’t quite rise to the challenge, Quentin occasionally casts himself in his own movies. His awkward performances are exacerbated by the contrasting brilliance of his films. Check out his turn as Jimmie Dimmick in Pulp Fiction for the perfect example.
6. Arnold Schwarzenegger, 72
Who doesn’t love Arnie? His superhuman appearance and effortless charisma catapulted him from unknown Austrian immigrant to the epitome of the American dream. He excelled as an emotionless robot in 1984’s Terminator, but his wooden acting and distinctive accent makes for some hilariously bad performances. Luckily he has enough awesome one-liners and action chops to make up for it. Feast your eyes on this masterpiece and SHUT UUUUUUUP:
5. Hayden Christensen, 38
Is it fair to judge an actor on their delivery of George Lucas’ notoriously horrific dialogue in the Star Wars prequels? Even critically praised actors like Samuel L. Jackson and Natalie Portman couldn’t make it feel natural. But Hayden Christensen’s awkward portrayal of Anakin Skywalker’s transformation into Darth Vader is downright hard to watch. This infamous scene showcases both Lucas’ bizarre dialogue and Christensen’s painful delivery:
4. Adam Sandler, 53
You might think he’s funny in Billy Madison, but with eleven Razzie nominations under his belt, you’ll be hard-pressed to make the case that this SNL alumnus is a good actor. Here’s a taste of his signature imbecilic acting in 2000’s Little Nicky.
3. Jaden Smith, 21
Would Jaden Smith be a Hollywood star if his dad wasn’t Will Smith, one of the most beloved actors of the last few decades? We can’t know for sure … but come on, the answer is no. Jaden’s most famous performance came in 2013, starring alongside his dad in the critical and commercial disaster After Earth. He was ruthlessly panned by critics. Take a look at this ‘emotional’ scene to understand why.
2. Madonna, 61
Madonna is mostly known for being a pop-star … and there’s a reason for that. With 6 Razzie Awards, she holds the record, thanks to her performances in movies like Shanghai Surprise and Who’s That Girl. She might feel like a virgin… but she doesn’t seem like an actress.
1. Sylvester Stallone, 73
The Italian Stallion holds the record for most Razzie nominations with a whopping 19! His acting as Rocky Balboa has been praised – but his trademark wooden drawl has earned him the top spot as the worst actor of all time. Congratulations? Try not to laugh at Sly in 1984’s Rhinestone:
Top 10 Worst Actors To Work With
Now that we’ve looked at some of the worst actors ever, here are the top 10 actors who make life on set a nightmare.
10. Katherine Heigl
Heigl is known for being difficult to work with after publically disparaging the writing on Knocked Up and Gray’s Anatomy.
9. Edward Norton
Edward Norton is renowned for grappling with directors for creative control. He even rewrote the script to The Incredible Hulk shortly before shooting began. No wonder he was recast with the famously nice Mark Ruffalo!
8. Mike Myers
He’s a lot of fun onscreen, but not a lot of fun onset. Myers has a short fuse and allegedly once had a crew member fired for looking him in the eye. An executive on Wayne’s World stated, “I honestly root against him”.
7. Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen’s erratic behaviour was so intense that it got him fired from Two and a Half Men. Drug abuse, missed rehearsals and inflammatory comments turned him from the highest-paid actor on television to an out-of-work has-been.
6. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has a long reputation of being unprofessional, yelling at the cast and crew, and showing up late.
5. Jared Leto
Rock-star turned actor Jared Leto is considered the worst Joker to ever appear on the silver screen. His aggressive method acting in Suicide Squad included harassing cast-members by sending them used condoms and dead animals. That’s a good answer to “why so serious?”
4. Chevy Chase
A lot of Chevy Chase’s old SNL co-stars have reported not getting along with him. He also clashed with Community showrunner Dan Harmon and called the beloved sitcom “f***ing mediocre”.
3. Bruce Willis
Director Kevin Smith said that working with surly Bruce Willis on Cop Out was “soul-crushing” and called him “a f***ing dick.” Sylvester Stallone tweeted about Willis, “GREEDY AND LAZY …… A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE.”
2. Casey Affleck
While making I’m Still Here, Casey Affleck was sued by one of the film’s producers, and the director of photography, for sexual harassment. Hard to work with is an understatement.
1. Kevin Space
This one goes without saying. Spacey’s career appears to be over in the wake of allegations that he sexually abused a young male actor.
RELATED: Top 10 Scorpio Celebrities
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
