Even the most divisive actors can deliver memorable performances. Join us as we explore standout roles that earned praise despite the controversy surrounding these performers. From award-winning dramatic turns to surprising character work, these performances remind us to separate the art from the artist.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're looking at actors who aren't exactly universally
00:14beloved, but even their fiercest detractors have to admit that they were great in these
00:19roles.
00:29Number 10.
00:30Rachel Zegler.
00:31West Side Story In 2022, Rachel Zegler caught some flack
00:41in the media for her comments surrounding the live-action adaptation of Snow White.
00:58This caused many to view the actress as overly woke and dismissive of the classic Disney
01:03source material.
01:04While these comments harmed Zegler's image in the eyes of many, it's hard to forget
01:08the appeal of her truly stunning debut performance as Maria in the 2021 remake of West Side Story.
01:14The film was well-received by critics, especially Zegler's performance, which earned her the
01:19Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the young age
01:23of 20.
01:25Perhaps she could consider her words more carefully in interviews, but her talent definitely
01:29shows promise.
01:42Number 9.
01:43Brie Larson.
01:44Room
01:51Larson is pretty unpopular among Marvel fans for her portrayal of Captain Marvel.
01:56Her comments during press interviews came across as arrogant and misandristic, which
02:00didn't do much to hype people up for what was ultimately considered a middling performance
02:05in film.
02:15While this was a setback in Larson's career, it was far from a typical performance from
02:19the actress.
02:20Her leading role in the drama Room earned Larson an Academy Award for Best Actress,
02:25among several other accolades.
02:28Her performance was incredibly raw and inspired by her own experience growing up with a single
02:33mother.
02:34She truly deserved the praise her performance received.
02:37That said, maybe it's time Larson took a break from Marvel and gave us more indies.
02:49Number 8.
02:53Blake Lively.
02:54The Town
03:00The controversy surrounding It Ends With Us deserves its own dedicated deep dive, but
03:05Blake Lively has been a divisive figure since long before her downplaying of domestic violence.
03:16Ever since her time on Gossip Girl, she's given some people the vibe of a pretty but
03:20entitled mean girl.
03:30Those are the vibes, at least.
03:32Her acting skills haven't always received much praise either, with one notable exception.
03:37Ben Affleck's crime thriller The Town features Lively in a much grittier role as a substance
03:42using single mom with a pretty convincing Boston accent.
04:00Less stereotypically attractive than her usual roles, this gave viewers the chance to see
04:04a messier, less polished side of Lively that showcased some serious and surprising talent.
04:10Number 7.
04:11Armie Hammer – Call Me By Your Name
04:22Out of all the ways an actor has fallen from grace in the past, Armie Hammer's is definitely
04:27one of the strangest.
04:29Known first for his roles in The Social Network and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Hammer gained
04:32critical acclaim for his portrayal of Oliver in the Luca Guadagnino film Call Me By Your
04:37Name.
04:44Hammer's sensitive portrayal of a romantic relationship with his co-star Timothee Chalamet
04:51earned him a Golden Globe nomination and a horde of new fans.
04:56However, in 2021, disturbing text messages from Hammer to various women began coming
05:02out with some even expressing cannibalistic desires.
05:12Former partners have also come out alleging physical abuse by Hammer, totally souring
05:16whatever praise he's received throughout his career.
05:28Number 6.
05:29Amber Heard – Aquaman
05:40After her infamously messy divorce from actor Johnny Depp, in which both parties accused
05:45the other of abuse, it's hard to find any diehard Amber Heard fans.
05:50Depp's highly publicized defamation lawsuit against Heard turned even more people against
05:54her.
05:55Her acting career never reached the heights of her ex-husband's, but by far her biggest
06:00and most positively received role was her portrayal of Mera in Aquaman.
06:11Heard showed genuine promise as the strong, independent superheroine, but her reputation's
06:16swift nosedive led to her being all but cut from the film's sequel, supposedly.
06:21In any case, we don't think her limited screen time was a coincidence.
06:33Number 5.
06:34Ezra Miller – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
06:37In recent years, Ezra Miller has been the subject of significant controversy regarding
06:42several incidents of dangerous behavior, including several allegations of inappropriate conduct
06:47with minors.
06:56These events shocked fans who were first introduced to Miller in their breakout role as Patrick
07:01in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the popular young adult novel of the same
07:05name.
07:06Miller's character in the coming of age film resonated with many young fans, as Patrick
07:10struggles with coming to terms with his sexuality.
07:23Their performance was strong and faithful to the original source material, showing promise
07:27of a bright career.
07:28Miller's behavior in the years since has disappointed fans, but a representative of
07:33Miller has stated they are receiving help for their mental health issues.
07:45Number 4.
07:46Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
07:55Although Jared Leto primarily built his following as the frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars, a widely
08:01popular and famously experimental rock band, he's also had a successful run as an actor.
08:06His roles have received mixed reviews, however.
08:09He's particularly notorious for method acting, committing hardcore to every role, from Suicide
08:14Squad's Joker to Dallas Buyers Club's Rayon.
08:26While his antics as the former earned eye rolls from castmates and fans alike, the latter
08:31earned Leto an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
08:34While members of the LGBTQ community rightfully pointed out the role should have gone to an
08:39actual trans woman, Leto's performance was inspired by extensive research that involved
08:44meeting and talking with transgender people.
08:55Number 3.
08:56Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers
09:04Few stars have received as much love and hate as Jennifer Lopez, especially since her recent
09:09album and film, This Is Me, Now, public opinion has been pretty anti-JLo.
09:15The album, film, and related documentary all came across as quite self-absorbed.
09:19At times, they were downright weird, making the internet meme her cringeworthy Bronx stories
09:35into oblivion.
09:36It's hard to believe that just a few years ago in 2019, Lopez was receiving praise for
09:42what critics called a career-best performance in Hustlers.
09:46Lopez has demonstrated some serious acting chops before, notably her 1997 portrayal of
09:51Selena Quintanilla in Selena.
09:53She left an even stronger impression as Ramona in Hustlers, proving she should maybe stick
09:58to scripts she didn't write.
10:08Number 2.
10:09Steven Seagal – Under Siege
10:23Getting into all of Steven Seagal's controversies would take far too long, but they include
10:28his rubbing elbows with multiple dictators, sexual harassment allegations, and mistreatment
10:33of stunt performers.
10:35While these actions are completely inexcusable, his performance as former Navy SEAL Casey
10:40Ryback in Under Siege was genuinely good.
10:48Under Siege is one of the only films Seagal starred in to receive a fresh rating on Rotten
10:52Tomatoes.
10:53Considering most of Seagal's films were panned for his wooden acting that doesn't
10:58demonstrate much emotional range beyond being a tough action movie guy, his strong performance
11:02in Under Siege feels like either a total fluke or some seriously miraculous directing
11:08work.
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11:30Number 1.
11:31The Grizzly Chase – National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
11:38This 80s comedy giant has been exposed in recent years for being a total nightmare to
11:44work with, from crude and offensive remarks to entitled behavior that would put most divas
11:49to shame.
11:59From his SNL co-star Bill Murray to community showrunner Dan Harmon, Chase has made enemies
12:05on nearly every project he's worked on.
12:14That being said, come the holidays, it's hard to imagine not sitting down for the traditional
12:19viewing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
12:22Knowing the lead isn't the nicest guy sours the experience a bit, but the film evokes
12:27such strong memories of the holidays and captures the insanity of having family visiting so
12:32well.
12:33Not even Chase's behavior could kill this holiday tradition.
12:43Does seeing these actors on screen make your blood boil or do you give credit where credit
12:47is due?
12:48Let us know in the comments down below.