Dr. DVD

Let me say this is not a thread about who sucks as an actor and shouldn't be offered anything anymore because they aren't good at anything they try. This is about roles where actors who may or may not be good in other movies just didn't have what it took to pull off the part they had at one time.

Examples to me:

Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York: She's a decent actress, but she was in over her head with this one. She wasn't horrific, but it was obvious her acting chops weren't where they needed to be when she made this.

Elizabeth Berkley in Showgirls: Okay, given the script there isn't much that could have been done to salvage this one. However, she was clearly not ready to headline a major motion picture.

Keanu Reeves in Dracula: I am not in the camp of someone who thinks Keanu should be banned from ever making a movie again. I thought he pulled off Neo very well and had a dash of authentic talent in "The Gift." But I swear his presence almost ruins the first act of this movie.

Malin Akerman in Watchmen: While she has yet to take on many other lead roles, I think her talent lies in comedy. She was not abhorrent in this role as many tried to say, but she wasn't the right choice.

Vince Vaughn in his early career: I appreciate he was trying to grow as an actor after Swingers, but trying to make him a serious dramatic actor didn't seem to work. Not to mention having him play "threatening" villains.

Sessa17

Keanu as Contantine. Doesn't get any worse than that.

riotinmyskull

renee zellweger in APPALOOSA

Boba Fett

Most recently, Benecio Del Toro in "The Wolf Man"

OldBoy

Superman Returns...just about the entire cast.

TGM

Kate Bosworth in Superman Returns

Dr Mabuse

That's one of the two or three performances from her I can actually stand.

She was perfect in the role of a stupid, conceited, vapid, selfish slut who knows how to 'work it' for her own benefit in any situation, and isn't near the 'actress' she thinks she is while doing it, but gets results anyway.

I have to suspect her career in film mirrors this closely.

JumpCutz

RichC2

^^ Actually both that and in Chicago, where she also played a second rate singer/actress/slut that couldn't make it big without a sensational murder to back it up.

Her two best suited roles

JumpCutz, do you actually think different casting would have helped? Lucas made the acting, seemingly intentionally, as wooden as he could.

gmanca

An obscure one is Robbie Benson in Harry and Son; his performance really detracts from the overall mood and ruins the movie for me.

The Cow

Keanu Reeves in everything beyond 'Bill and Ted'.

I disagree with Jake Lloyd as Anakin. For the role given and the age, he did decent. That one was not a problem with the actor. I don't see any other kid actor doing better with what he was given, that's not a miscast.

Solid Snake

Even in Point Break?

PopcornTreeCt

I think that's because of how the movie turned out. But I think Del Toro is a dream choice for playing the Wolf Man.

Coral

I'm not really a fan of Diaz, but I'm not sure it was entirely the fault of miscasting. I found her character's inclusion in the film to be pretty pointless and underwritten. The only reason she existed was to give the movie a romance-angle to sell to women, like other epics that force romances down the audiences throats.

The Cow

Yes.. to a point.. He's a good surfer 'dude' but anything that involves him thinking and beyond was a miscast for me.

(but I think Nicholas Cage does work pretty good in those mindless roles, so take that for what it's worth, prolly nothin')

Solid Snake

I dunno. Who in their right mind would think it'd be good to have her act against Daniel Day-Lewis? DiCaprio even had trouble but I'd be ok w/ him acting against DDL cuz he can act pretty well.

JumpCutz

Yeah good point, though I do think Lucas should never have cast Jake Lloyd as his delivery/line readings and phrasing is just dreadful. Even for a 7 year old.

Mr. Cinema

Ben Affleck in Daredevil. This is one reboot I'm all for. I like Affleck in stuff like Changing Lanes, but not as a superhero.

Jason

Imagine how miscast it would have been if Nicholas Cage had been given the role.

GoldenJCJ

Since there was a thread bouncing around here just a day or two ago, I'll say Jack Black and Adrien Brody in King Kong.

Brody's acting in everything else I've ever seen him in has been above average and while I'm not a huge Jack Black fan I have started to enjoy his work more in the last few years since I immensely enjoyed both Kung Fu Panda and Tropic Thunder.

There was nothing wrong with their characters or their performances in King Kong aside from the fact that neither of them belonged in the film in the first place.

Hokeyboy

Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker's Dracula and The Age of Innocence. So out of her element, I half expected the scenery to swallow her hole.

Ethan Hawke in Training Day. Tough and streetwise? Yeah... Stephen Hawking could so kick his ass.

Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man. Drab, unattractive sourpuss. Should have gone to Bryce Dallas Howard from the get-go, and it should have been Gwen Stacey anyhow.

Groucho

What movie did you see? He wasn't supposed to be tough and streetwise.

riotinmyskull

uh, i thought that was the point.

Mrs. Danger

John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

Epic miscasting.

JumpCutz

Jack Nicholson in The Departed.