- 17/06/2025
Everything was in place to create memorable characters, but these actors missed the mark.
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00:00A character requires several factors to become a cinematic standout.
00:04Compelling writing, clever dialogue, clear and reasonable motivations and narrative impact are just some of the tools needed to turn these archetypes into compelling fully realised roles.
00:15However, all these factors can fall flat if the performance meant to bring them together lacks the skill to do so.
00:22So with that in mind, I'm Ellie for What Culture here with 10 Amazing Movie Roles Ruined by Terrible Actors.
00:3010. Neander Wallace, Jared Leto, Blade Runner 2049
00:34Blade Runner 2049 is one of the few legacy sequels that improves upon what came before.
00:40The 2017 Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi thriller is an atmospheric and visually striking feature that honours and builds upon the original's themes of the value of non-human life and the role of technology in an increasingly bleak future.
00:54The performances match the film's imagery and thematic content, as the likes of Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Ana de Armes are all brilliant and fit with the dystopian Los Angeles setting.
01:05Unfortunately, Jared Leto's villainous Neander Wallace threatens to drag down proceedings due to the actor's unusual performance choices.
01:12Some would argue that Wallace's unnerving sense of self-importance and eccentricity would fit someone like Leto, but the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman comes across as dull and uninvested rather than cold and calculating.
01:24The most egregious instance of his acting hurting the movie's impact is during the reveal that he had a duplicate Rachel designed to win over Deckard's trust.
01:34Here, the Wallace Corporation's CEO should feel like he is on top of things, but due to Leto's performance, he feels woefully detached from the scene's narrative and emotional impact.
01:44Number 9. Balian, Orlando Bloom, Kingdom of Heaven
01:48Just like with a handful of Ridley Scott's features, Kingdom of Heaven is significantly better in its director's cut.
01:55This extended edition of the epic historical feature expands on various narrative events, gives the battle scenes a more visceral feel, and ensures that character motivations and actions have better context behind them.
02:07However, for all of its improvements, the lengthier version of the 2005 film cannot account for Orlando Bloom's unconvincing performance as the Crusader Balian.
02:18Before this feature, Bloom had important, yet ultimately supporting roles in The Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises, as well as another historical epic in Troy.
02:28Prior to its release, Kingdom of Heaven was his chance to prove his mettle as a leading man.
02:33Unfortunately, the actor was woefully miscast, and lacked the grizzled charisma and screen presence to convincingly sell his character's battle-hardened nature and intensity.
02:44As a result, he was outshunned by far more compelling performances from the likes of Jeremy Irons and Edward Norton, and never truly felt like a man capable of leading entire armies into war.
02:55Number 8. Mary Corleone, Sofia Coppola, The Godfather Part 3
03:00In any other franchise, The Godfather Part 3 would have been a solid enough trilogy capper, but it had the misfortune of being the follow-up to two of the greatest filmmaking achievements in the medium.
03:11Good, unfortunately, cannot measure up to great, but despite this, the 1990 crime epic is still an impressive filmmaking endeavour.
03:17One thing that nearly every fan and critic agree upon is that Sofia Coppola's performance as Mary Corleone is easily the worst thing in the trilogy.
03:27Replacing Winona Ryder, who left due to health concerns, the future director's lack of acting chops and experience worked against her in the third Godfather picture,
03:36and she failed to capture Mary's naivety and innocence in a manner that was not grating and eye-rolling.
03:41In the younger Coppola's defence, The Godfather Part 3 was a hellish cinematic undertaking, and she was a last-minute replacement.
03:49But that still does not excuse her from not giving life to a potentially interesting foil to the criminal element of the Corleone family.
03:55Number 7. Rachel Dawes, Katie Holmes, Batman Begins
03:59A notable number of cinephiles have criticised Christopher Nolan's handling of female characters in his movies.
04:06To be fair, there is some merit to this, as features such as The Dark Knight Rises, Tenet, and The Prestige lack compelling women figures.
04:14On the other hand, films such as Interstellar and The Dark Knight fare much better in this regard.
04:20The latter is particularly interesting, as its main female lead, Rachel Dawes, was far from interesting in her trilogy bow.
04:27The assistant district attorney's role in Batman Begins was not particularly layered, and Katie Holmes' portrayal did nothing to help matters.
04:34Holmes lacked the gravitas to convey Dawes' growing resolve in cleaning up Gotham, and her chemistry with Bruce was lacking.
04:42After the Dawson's Creek actress left the role before The Dark Knight, she was replaced by Maggie Gyllenhaal,
04:47and it was clear that the character had a lot more to offer towards the wider story as well as Bruce's own growth as a hero.
04:53Number 6. Jenny Everdeen, Cameron Diaz, Gangs of New York
04:57Though not quite near the top of his incredible filmography, Gangs of New York is still a stunning period epic from the inimitable Martin Scorsese.
05:06From its detailed production design, unrelenting tone, and towering performance from the great Daniel Day-Lewis,
05:12the 2002 feature is a fascinating look at mid-19th century New York.
05:17Despite its numerous positive attributes, there is one aspect of the film that has come in for heavy criticism,
05:22and that is Cameron Diaz's performance as Jenny Everdeen.
05:26On paper, an immigrant who turns to a life of pickpocketing to survive is compelling,
05:31and in the hands of a capable actress would have been a worthwhile addition to the story.
05:36Unfortunately, Diaz does nothing to convey her character's struggles,
05:39and has next to no chemistry with Leonardo DiCaprio.
05:42Even more egregiously, her attempt at an Irish accent was laughable to say the least,
05:47and served to derail an already iffy performance.
05:515. Jonathan Harker
05:53Keanu Reeves
05:54Bram Stoker's Dracula
05:56Another film on this list from the legendary Francis Ford Coppola,
06:00Bram Stoker's Dracula does justice by its legendary titular character,
06:04and true to form features stunning production values befitting of the lavishness of the story's setting and era.
06:10It features stellar performances from the likes of Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, and Winona Ryder,
06:15and its thematic ambitions are admirably executed.
06:19However, for all its winning qualities, it has one flaw that unfortunately some people remember it for.
06:25Now, Keanu Reeves' acting style works best for minimalist and stoic roles,
06:29but for a character as ever-changing and expressive as Jonathan Harker, his abilities fall flat.
06:35The actor cannot convey Harker's response to the events he experiences,
06:39nor can he effectively showcase his woes after his capture and that of his lover.
06:43Furthermore, while Reeves has never been known for his range, especially as far as accents go,
06:49his English cadence leaves a lot to be desired and undercuts any kind of drama or tension that could be mined from the story.
06:564. Diana Prince slash Wonder Woman
06:58Gal Gadot
06:59DCEU
07:01The DCEU unfortunately mishandled many of its characters, but there were diamonds in the rough,
07:06from Harley Quinn to Peacemaker and Billy Batson, not Shazam, to be clear.
07:11There were a few bright spots in the beleaguered saga.
07:14However, the case of Wonder Woman is an interesting one.
07:17The Amazon demigod is undeniably likeable and goes through an interesting arc, for the most part,
07:23but whatever potential the iconic hero has is immediately undermined by Gal Gadot's increasingly bland performance.
07:29Despite a charming enough start in films like Batman v Superman and Wonder Woman,
07:34Gadot's turn in both versions of Justice League, Wonder Woman 84, and her baffling cameo in Shazam 2 and The Flash
07:41made it clear that she lacked the range and depth to embody Diana's storied life
07:46as well as her status as a premier DCEU hero and godly powerhouse.
07:503. James Bond, George Lazenby on Her Majesty's Secret Service
07:55Replacing a beloved actor in an iconic role these days is a daunting prospect for nearly any performer,
08:02and it was no different in the 1960s.
08:04After Sean Connery left his career-defining role as 007 following salary disagreements,
08:09he was replaced by Australian model and upcoming actor George Lazenby
08:13in the sixth franchise entry on Her Majesty's Secret Service.
08:17The 1969 actioner initially received mixed reviews upon its release,
08:21but with the passing of time, has been fortunate to experience an appraisal of sorts among Bond lovers.
08:27Many agree that it ticks all the franchise beats and features a level of emotional depth
08:31rarely seen in the series up until that point.
08:34Unfortunately, Lazenby is also what audiences agree upon as the one factor holding the film back from greatness.
08:40While he is not as bad as older reviews would suggest,
08:44his lack of acting experience at the time placed him in Connery's shadow
08:48and held some of the story's pathos from really hitting its stride.
08:52Ultimately, this is a case of a perfectly average performance being overshadowed
08:56by appearing in a franchise-defining movie and by following a genre-defining performance.
09:022. Dina Jones, Beyonce, Dreamgirls
09:05There are a few contemporary musicians who are as influential as Beyonce.
09:09The former Destiny's Child member has gone from strength to strength in the decade since her debut
09:15and is renowned the world over for her vocals and performance abilities.
09:20Unfortunately, this talent does not extend to her acting abilities,
09:23as the drunken love singer has repeatedly shown that the discipline does not come naturally to her.
09:29This is especially true in 2006's Dreamgirls,
09:32where the musical powerhouse falls flat while going against the likes of Jamie Foxx,
09:36Eddie Murphy and an Oscar-winning Jennifer Hudson.
09:40The Dream's lead singer's journey from a shy upcoming singer to a jaded music idol was compelling,
09:45but the iconic singer lacked the acting chops to effectively convey Jones' growth,
09:50internal and external turmoil,
09:52and relationships with characters such as Effie White and Curtis Taylor.
09:56Her scenes with these two in particular serve to highlight her limitations as an actress,
10:00as she comes across as wooden compared to the fiery presence of Foxx and Hudson.
10:04Fortunately, Beyonce is far from reliant on her acting career,
10:08and if her work on Black is King is any indication, she might have a promising career as a director.
10:131. Johnny Wilcox, Jake Gyllenhaal, Okja
10:16Bong Joon-ho's 2017 sci-fi adventure dramedy Okja is a stunning balancing act between various tones and ideas.
10:24Part body horror, part social commentary, and part heartwarming tale between a young girl and her unusual pet,
10:30the Netflix feature is another strong offering from the outstanding South Korean filmmaker.
10:35The performances are just as good as the material they were given to work with.
10:39However, one actor in the list took the eccentric nature of the story a bit too seriously,
10:44and as a result gave a resoundingly awful performance.
10:48Jake Gyllenhaal's deranged zoologist was supposed to be over the top and disconcerting,
10:53but the Nightcrawler actor is too all over the place to bring his character's tics, grating voice,
10:58and hyperactive persona into a believable hole.
11:01And while that may have been the point of the writing behind Wilcox,
11:04Gyllenhaal should have reined things in a bit
11:06to avoid being so distracting in an otherwise well-crafted picture.
Recommended
10:09
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