Who's the most unlikable character in a movie you've seen? It could be a lead character or even just somebody with one line. I'm not talking about actors/actresses that you hate or anything...I mean what character just bugs the hell out of you?
For me it would probably be Corporal Upham from Saving Private Ryan. That guy was so worthless. It was his fault "Steamboat Willy" was allowed to rejoin the German forces and he, alone, killed at least 4 Allied soldiers during the last battle, including Captain Miller. I think he was also at least partly responsible for Jackson's death because Upham was supposed to bring him .40 cal ammo, but he never made it to him. He spent the whole battle cowering in fear instead of helping his comrades. It was only once the battle was more or less over that he stood up and shot an unarmed man who also had his hands over his head. I actually thought Jeremy Davies did an extremely good job playing Upham and I know that's how the character was supposed to be, but God, he just bugs the almighty piss outta me whenever I watch that movie.
A close second when it comes to unlikable characters would probably be Commodus from Gladiator. Again, Joaquin Phoenix was very good, but Commodus was such a snivelling little shit and every word that came out of his mouth made me want to cut his heart out with a spoon.
DieselsDen
04-30-05, 01:13 AM
Well, of course, the first character that came to mind is Jar Jar Binks, followed closely by Young Anakin (Jake Lloyd).
I found the Robin character from the last two Batmans [Batmen?!?!] to be as deplorable as the films themselves. Where is Burt Ward when you need him?
"Rifki" from MIDNIGHT EXPRESS...
Almost every pathetic character from MAGNOLIA...
And finally, "Rod Tidwell" from JERRY MAGUIRE. Why we should even care about this egomaniac athlete desperately trying to land million dollar commercial deals I have no idea.
PopcornTreeCt
04-30-05, 01:14 AM
Any character Julia Roberts plays.
PopcornTreeCt
04-30-05, 01:16 AM
A close second when it comes to unlikable characters would probably be Commodus from Gladiator. Again, Joaquin Phoenix was very good, but Commodus was such a snivelling little shit and every word that came out of his mouth made me want to cut his heart out with a spoon.
I think then Phoenix in succeeded in what he was trying to pull off. Emperor Commodus, to me anyway, was a character you love to hate.
whoopdido
04-30-05, 01:54 AM
I think then Phoenix in succeeded in what he was trying to pull off. Emperor Commodus, to me anyway, was a character you love to hate.
I agree. From what I've read, the real Commodus was a pathetic excuse for a human being. Phoenix definitely did a great job making you hate the guy.
Elldubtoo
04-30-05, 01:58 AM
Yoda
Mondo Kane
04-30-05, 02:16 AM
Upham grew on me.
Percy from Green Mile still hasn't.
Count Dooku
04-30-05, 04:12 AM
So, for you, the most unlikable character in Saving Private Ryan wasn't one of the Nazis?
Hiro11
04-30-05, 08:52 AM
the killer from "dirty harry"
Mr. Cinema
04-30-05, 09:36 AM
Harlen Maguire - played by Jude Law in "Road to Perdition"
Dr. Chilton - played by Anthony Heald in "Silence of the Lambs"
Private Wilson? from "Tigerland". I hated this guy. What a dick.
Frank Dixon - played by Stanley Tucci in "The Terminal"
Warden Norton and Captain Hadley in "The Shawshank Redemption"
Almost forgot. Frankenstein in "Van Helsing". He made Randy Quaid's Frankenstein seem likeable.
The curly haired troublemaker sneaky bitch girl from "The Girl with the Pearl Earring".
jkberden
04-30-05, 11:54 AM
Chad Piercewell (Aaron Eckhart) from In the Company of Men......In a weird sort of way, I was kinda amused by him although I found him to be the biggest prick EVER.
Drexl
04-30-05, 11:57 AM
Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) in Schindler's List
rw2516
04-30-05, 12:04 PM
Is this a character you're supposed to hate? Or one that you just can't stand? Joe Pesci's character in the Lethal Weapon films.
majorjoe23
04-30-05, 01:14 PM
Jason Patrick's character in "Your Friends and Neighbors."
TomOpus
04-30-05, 01:56 PM
Carter BurkeNice choice!
FinkPish
04-30-05, 02:32 PM
Is this a character you're supposed to hate? Or one that you just can't stand?
Yeah, I'm not clear on this either. Upham wasn't supposed to be unlikable, he was just a coward.
DVD King
04-30-05, 02:33 PM
Ellen's character in Finding Nemo.
The Infidel
04-30-05, 02:39 PM
Since I consider unlikable to mean that we are given no opportunity during the movie to have any kind of sympathy for, nor amusement toward the character, my choices would be:
Percy in The Green Mile,
Spivey in Dances With Wolves,
Lieutentant Kendrick in A Few Good Men,
and this one may be arguable, but Salieri in Amadeus.
whoopdido
04-30-05, 04:10 PM
Is this a character you're supposed to hate? Or one that you just can't stand? Joe Pesci's character in the Lethal Weapon films.
Well, my original question had to do with just any character that you, personally, found to be unlikable. You're right I don't think Upham was really supposed to be unlikable, but he was supposed to be a coward and because of the reasons I gave that's why I, personally, found him unlikable. Commodus and Percy are definitely supposed to be unlikable too. So, it could be people that are supposed to be asswipes by design or even a character that is supposed to be the hero, but for whatever reason you just found him/her to be unlikable such as Anakin or Jar Jar. I guess Jar Jar was never meant to be the hero, but I don't think Lucas set out to create a character that so many people hate.
Talkin2Phil
04-30-05, 04:47 PM
http://img153.exs.cx/img153/6581/halp4gi.jpg
PopcornTreeCt
04-30-05, 07:34 PM
Is this a character you're supposed to hate? Or one that you just can't stand? Joe Pesci's character in the Lethal Weapon films.
I think a character that you just can't stand makes the replies infinitely more interesting than the typical villains.
DieselsDen
05-01-05, 01:08 AM
Ellen's character in Finding Nemo.
Yeah! Good call. She almost ruined the film for me.
Percy from the Green Mile
Gary Oldman in Murder in the First
pdinosaur
05-01-05, 11:12 AM
david morse from dancer in the dark
reubs82
05-01-05, 12:56 PM
Nurse Mildred Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
-hated that woman
mikewendt
05-01-05, 02:42 PM
Michele Hicks as Mara (Shane's wife) in The Shield
I know it's TV, but what a bitch.
David Hess as Krug Stillo in Last House on the Left
I've also heard from people that Vince Vaughn's Ricky Slade character in MADE was too annoying to be liked. I found him funny though.
jiffy97
05-01-05, 04:25 PM
Gary Oldman's character in "Leon: The Professional"
BigDaddy
05-01-05, 05:55 PM
The mom and sister of Maggie in Million Dollar Baby. I have never been so pissed off at a movie. Just trash.
LorenzoL
05-01-05, 06:08 PM
I hated Tea Leoni's character in Spanglish. I know she's supposed to be unlikeable but there was no redeeming qualities to her and plus hated Leoni's acting to boot.
Groucho
05-01-05, 06:09 PM
Arthur Dent. He's a jerk, a real kneebiter.
Nick Danger
05-01-05, 07:56 PM
Hank Quinlan in Touch of Evil. Ten minutes into the movie, Mrs Danger said, "Tell me he's gonna die at the end."
John Houston's character in Chinatown.
The all time winner is King Richard III. He murders his brother and proposes to the widow at the funeral.
Mr. Cinema
05-01-05, 09:38 PM
Annie Wilkes in "Misery"
JMLEWIS1
05-01-05, 10:28 PM
along with many of those mentioned, Tracy Glick from Election
PopcornTreeCt
05-01-05, 10:32 PM
Gary Oldman's character in "Leon: The Professional"
I don't think so. I often recall him as one of my favorite characters of all time.
PopcornTreeCt
05-01-05, 10:33 PM
The mom and sister of Maggie in Million Dollar Baby. I have never been so pissed off at a movie. Just trash.
Good one. Sad because they were very realistic characters.
tasha99
05-01-05, 11:33 PM
Several already mentioned, and Jacinto in The Devil's Backbone.
Dudikoff
05-01-05, 11:46 PM
While he was a bad, bad guy, he's one of only a few characters that actually made me feel hate for him.
Jason Isaacs from The Patriot.
http://img220.echo.cx/img220/5083/pat64ej.jpg
Mountain Biker
05-02-05, 12:33 AM
Ralph "Daniel Larusso" Macchio - couldn't stand that wimp.
nightmaster
05-02-05, 08:29 AM
Upham has never grown on me and I've watched SPR several times-what an idiot. Burke, super choice. I'll add Brad Wesley and his ex-con assassin from Road House.
taa455
05-02-05, 10:01 AM
Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) in Schindler's List
This was my immediate thought.
sundog
05-02-05, 10:37 AM
Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) in Altman's 3 Women is so irritating, so pretentious and so clueless that I could not finish watching the movie for over a year. Duvall is perfect in the role and I don't fault her at all. The character of Millie would actually elicit pity if she wasn't so ignorant.
thephantom
05-02-05, 11:09 AM
Haha, Burke was the first person I thought of when I saw this thread. I believe Reiser said somewhere that his own mother cheered at his onscreen death during the premiere. No one likes the company man :)
Also on my list are Carrie-Ann Moss in Memento
QuikSilver
05-02-05, 02:02 PM
The Cop in House of Sand and Fog. The Cop is played by Ron Elderd who is in the tv show Blind Justice and a couple of episodes of ER. I hated his character so much that I refuse to see any movie/tv with Ron Elderd. I know Ron plays a character but his character in House of S&F is so unlikeable and detestable that I can't watch any of Ron's performances.
jfoobar
05-03-05, 03:46 AM
The Cop in House of Sand and Fog. The Cop is played by Ron Elderd who is in the tv show Blind Justice and a couple of episodes of ER. I hated his character so much that I refuse to see any movie/tv with Ron Elderd. I know Ron plays a character but his character in House of S&F is so unlikeable and detestable that I can't watch any of Ron's performances.
Eldard
You don't miss too much by avoiding his work, although he was featutred prominently in Black Hawk Down. I have never personally considered the guy to be much of an actor.
pdinosaur
05-03-05, 08:37 AM
Ralph "Daniel Larusso" Macchio - couldn't stand that wimp.
speaking of luke skywalker..... i got your power converters right here :buford:
Jaymole
05-03-05, 09:52 AM
Ann Savage as "Vera" in Detour.
Quite possibly the meanest & vilest female to appear in films.
LiquidSky
05-03-05, 10:38 AM
Scarlett O'Hara: spoiled, selfish asshole.
taa455
05-03-05, 10:41 AM
I hated Tea Leoni's character in Spanglish. I know she's supposed to be unlikeable but there was no redeeming qualities to her and plus hated Leoni's acting to boot.
Couldn't stand Leoni in Bad Boys or Jurassic Park III either. She has a knack for playing annoying characters.
LiquidSky
05-03-05, 10:41 AM
Millie Lammoreaux (Shelley Duvall) in Altman's 3 Women is so irritating, so pretentious and so clueless that I could not finish watching the movie for over a year. Duvall is perfect in the role and I don't fault her at all. The character of Millie would actually elicit pity if she wasn't so ignorant.
I had great satisfaction in watching the tables being turned on her when Pinkie's personality changed. :)
shtfilter
05-03-05, 11:01 AM
I know this may draw some nay-sayers, but come on...
Was this guy's life that great to make a movie about it? Anyone seen The Pianist?
Let alone for Jamie Fox to win an Academy Award? Again, Adrien Brody?
Ray Charles was a complete jerk, heroin addict and cheated on his wife. I found nothing uplifting about his lame story. I actually found it tragic since he had such a strong mother and he went and pissed it away.
B.A.
05-03-05, 01:55 PM
I've also heard from people that Vince Vaughn's Ricky Slade character in MADE was too annoying to be liked. I found him funny though.
First thing that came to my mind. Vaughn was awesome in that role.
devilshalo
05-03-05, 02:12 PM
Couldn't stand Leoni in Bad Boys or Jurassic Park III either. She has a knack for playing annoying characters.
Which is why I was glad to see her go in Deep Impact. But she was ok in Family Man.
Giles
05-03-05, 02:13 PM
I found literally every character in Nick Gomez' 1992 film Laws of Gravity grating and unsympathic.
Ruderic
05-03-05, 02:38 PM
While he was a bad, bad guy, he's one of only a few characters that actually made me feel hate for him.
Jason Isaacs from The Patriot.
http://img220.echo.cx/img220/5083/pat64ej.jpg
I agree. He was a true villain and I hated him in that movie.Sometimes you see a movie and do not hate the villain at all.
But for a character you just dislike...I hated Keanu Reeves in Point Break.
animalmystic
05-03-05, 03:17 PM
Chet from Weird Science, what a douchebag.
That yuppie, coke snorting prick that tried to negotiate with Rickman in Die Hard, that guy is an asshole.
nodeerforamonth
05-03-05, 03:18 PM
Jar Jar
the big train
05-03-05, 08:30 PM
http://img161.echo.cx/img161/7026/quentin7vd.jpg in any role
Maybe it's intentional.
Breakfast with Girls
05-03-05, 09:30 PM
I found literally every character in Nick Gomez' 1992 film Laws of Gravity grating and unsympathic.I feel the same, but about the movie <b>Very Bad Things</b>.
and this one may be arguable, but Salieri in Amadeus.I think that's probably debatable. He's sympathetic up to a point. In the film his jealousy of Mozart utterly consumes him when all he wanted to do was please God. Salieri's belief that Mozart was created as some sort of divine torture illustrates his narcissism, which is his critical flaw. I do think the idea of striving as hard as you can to be a fraction as good as someone who has natural talent is profoundly sad, though.
cmatherne
05-03-05, 09:50 PM
Mine would have to be Rodney Dangerfield playing Mallory's father in Natural Born Killers. When I first saw this movie hischaracter was so dead on, I knew he had to be a creep in real life. Even when I saw Wally Sparks or Ladybugs down the road all I could see was him as one twisted f**k.
Rad14
05-04-05, 09:03 AM
Amon Goethe (Powerful, unforgettable performance by Ralph Fiennes)
Commodus (ditto Joaquin Phoenix)
I suppose the point is, these actors are so good at their job that they make these characters so hateful and yet mesmerising at the same time.
Mind you, I don't know what to say about Jar Jar Binks! :rolleyes:
Toad
05-04-05, 09:20 AM
Diane Lane's character in "Unfaithful."
Joe Pesci's character in "Casino."
sundog
05-04-05, 09:52 AM
Another one, Stephen Glass from Shattered Glass. Hayden Christensen did a wonderful job portraying a very annoying and transparent ingratiating twerp. Again, it's a character that comes close to being pitiful, but his very believable actions in the film remove any sympathy from his "plight".
Also, Glass being from Highland Park, Illinois, I cannot give the character any benefit of a doubt . . .
devilshalo
05-04-05, 10:11 AM
Saffron Burrows in Deep Blue Sea. Nothing redeeming about her character. Didn't care that she was looking for a cure for Alzheimer's, she was a first rate bitch. Her character was so unlikeable that the original ending had her surviving and it was changed so the she would die in the released cut of the film.
Rad14
05-04-05, 12:41 PM
Joe Pesci's character in "Casino."
Oh yeah, I forgot about him.
Ncky Santoro - Completely obnoxious!
kcbrett5
05-04-05, 04:29 PM
Again, Joaquin Phoenix was very good, but Commodus was such a snivelling little shit and every word that came out of his mouth made me want to cut his heart out with a spoon.
Why a spoon?
kcbrett5
05-04-05, 04:31 PM
I saw the movie Downfall about Hitler's last days in the bunker, the dude who played Goebbels was seriously unlikable. His wife too. I cringed every time they showed his face.
Cartload
05-04-05, 04:51 PM
I didn't like the guy who screamed "Batman killed the ice princess!!!" in Batman Returns. Francis from Pee Wee's Big Adventure was probably one of the most hated characters from my childhood.
thephantom
05-04-05, 04:54 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot about him.
Ncky Santoro - Completely obnoxious!
Much like Nicky was said to be in real life if I recall.
whoopdido
05-04-05, 05:27 PM
Why a spoon?
Because it's dull, you twit, it'll hurt more.
There's another one. Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Notthingham in Prince of Thieves was a jerk.
thephantom
05-04-05, 05:37 PM
Jerk yes, but unlikable? I thought Rickman was the best part of the movie.
Rockmjd23
05-04-05, 05:43 PM
Jerk yes, but unlikable? I thought Rickman was the best part of the movie.
:thumbsup: He's actually one of my most likeable characters. I wanted him to kick the crap out of that non-accented Costner.
SuprVgeta
05-04-05, 05:52 PM
Hmm.. just off the top of my head: Jar-Jar Binks, The Merovingian, and Link.
Daytrip
05-05-05, 10:52 AM
William Tavington - The Patriot
the abusive father and sick mother from Friday Night Lights. all they could do was break down their kids and try to live through them by making them play football
Casper and Telly - Kids
scott1598
05-05-05, 11:06 AM
Kevin Bacon's reform school guard in "Sleepers".
DVD King
05-05-05, 12:31 PM
Much like Nicky was said to be in real life if I recall.
That reminds me-- Adam Sandler in Little Nicky, and just about every other character in that horrific, utter crapfest of a movie.
Kudama
05-05-05, 07:09 PM
http://www.surfview.com/solitaire10.jpg
I couldn't take it. Why does this character exist?
Breakfast with Girls
05-05-05, 07:48 PM
Because it's dull, you twit, it'll hurt more.Nice. You're a class act. :up:
whaaat
05-06-05, 11:39 AM
I'll go with George Minafer from The Magnificent Ambersons
The Bus
02-26-06, 10:57 PM
Was going to start this thread but through the miracles of search saw this was being discussed.
While a lot of the characters mentioned here I didn't like, I could understand why they did what they did. They were unlikeable, but mostly they arre unlikeable because they were cowards.
Last night, I got a chance to finish seeing Man Bites Dog. And man, I hate Ben. Just outright dislike him. Not because he murders and rapes so much (that's part of it), but he has this huge ego and he thinks he knows everything about anything. Just couldn't stand him.
Byron_T
02-26-06, 11:41 PM
Every time I watch Fargo I can't help but think how unlikable William H Macy's character, Jerry Lundergaard, was in that movie.
whoopdido
02-26-06, 11:53 PM
I saw that this thread got resurrected, so I'll add another one if you want to count tv shows. How bout Sherry Palmer from 24? That woman was the defintion of detestable.
I so hate him, even in Harry Potter. He's (Jason Issacs) great at villians.
big e
02-27-06, 12:47 AM
The psychic girl from Friday the 13th pt 7. She's the reason I hate that movie.
mongoco
02-27-06, 01:18 AM
Jim Cavaziel's character in The Passion of the Christ :)
Christina Ricci's character DeeDee in The Opposite of Sex
bballing
02-27-06, 01:59 AM
Who's the most unlikable character in a movie you've seen? It could be a lead character or even just somebody with one line. I'm not talking about actors/actresses that you hate or anything...I mean what character just bugs the hell out of you?
For me it would probably be Corporal Upham from Saving Private Ryan. That guy was so worthless. It was his fault "Steamboat Willy" was allowed to rejoin the German forces and he, alone, killed at least 4 Allied soldiers during the last battle, including Captain Miller. I think he was also at least partly responsible for Jackson's death because Upham was supposed to bring him .40 cal ammo, but he never made it to him. He spent the whole battle cowering in fear instead of helping his comrades. It was only once the battle was more or less over that he stood up and shot an unarmed man who also had his hands over his head. I actually thought Jeremy Davies did an extremely good job playing Upham and I know that's how the character was supposed to be, but God, he just bugs the almighty piss outta me whenever I watch that movie.
A close second when it comes to unlikable characters would probably be Commodus from Gladiator. Again, Joaquin Phoenix was very good, but Commodus was such a snivelling little shit and every word that came out of his mouth made me want to cut his heart out with a spoon.
^These would be two of my first choices.
Would also have to go with Joe Pesci's character in "Casino."
And just about every character played by Kiefer Sutherland.
The Infidel
02-27-06, 02:06 AM
Denethor, steward of Gondor in the LOTR movies. I just watched TT again tonight, and it always stuns me as to what a huge prick that character is.
I say we grease this rat fuck son of a bitch right now!
Good choice.
Rockmjd23
02-27-06, 04:33 AM
Tea Leoni in everything.
The entire cast of Kids.
fmian
02-27-06, 04:57 AM
4 pages in and no one has mentioned Ruby (Chris Tucker) from The Fifth Element.
Also, the reporter from the Die Hard movies (he was also that asshole guy from Ghostbusters.(
And.. Also.. the school headmasters from Ferris Buellers Day Off and The Breakfast Club.
If anyone can show screen grabs of these guys you'll all know who I mean.
I so hate him, even in Harry Potter. He's (Jason Issacs) great at villians.
It's the eyes. Issacs has some of the most expressive eyes in the biz.
Ephemeral_Life
02-27-06, 08:00 AM
She only had a few seconds of screen time, but I'd have to say the girl in Schindler's List making the trainside throat slashing gesture.
Quite honestly, Jar Jar Binks and Anakin Skywalker are also near the top my list, because not only were the characters not at all likable, they were also exceedingly poorly acted (whether by Lloyd or Christensen). Some others I can think of are the ear cutting guy from Reservoir Dogs, Carter Burke from Aliens and the Christian fundamentalist terrorist from Contact - he just freaks me out each time I see that movie.
Mr. Cinema
02-27-06, 08:42 AM
Ike Clanton from Tombstone. Such a coward.
UAIOE
02-27-06, 04:15 PM
There's another one. Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Notthingham in Prince of Thieves was a jerk.
Jerk, yup. Unlikeable? Hardly. Him getting pissed off whenever things screw up is hilarious.
He's almost as funny as Sheriff "Mervin" in "Men in Tights".
Fincher Fan
02-28-06, 03:59 AM
Bill Lumbergh from Office Space.
thegingerbreadm
02-28-06, 04:25 AM
the bully, from "Bully"...actually almost everyone from Bully...actually, almost everyone from a Larry Clark film
Giantrobo
02-28-06, 07:35 AM
Kraven: Underworld I and II
Johnny Boy
02-28-06, 01:35 PM
Kevin Costner
The woman who played Claire Huxtable on the Cosby Show
Kurt Russell
Anna Nicole Smith
Russell Crowe
Women with beards and other types of body hair
Jason
02-28-06, 06:57 PM
Dakota Fanning in War of the Worlds
Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four
Every single fucking character in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
chente
02-28-06, 07:46 PM
Ann Savage as "Vera" in Detour.
Quite possibly the meanest & vilest female to appear in films.
My first choice too. Great movie, though.
I also don't like the grocer from Amelie. "Even Artichokes have hearts"
Groucho
02-28-06, 08:00 PM
#1:
George W. Bush in Fahrenheit 9/11
#2:
Michael Moore in Fahrenheit 9/11
Robert
02-28-06, 11:33 PM
Ethan Suplee in <b>American History X</b>
TheStoicPaisano
03-01-06, 12:22 AM
I hate Busfield's character in "Field of Dreams."
Also, Jonathan Hyde and Tom Berenger in "Titanic" and "Platoon," respectively. In large part because Garber and Dafoe were awesome as their opposition.
Buy: