SmackDaddy

So, we all have an actor or director who we don't particularly care for, but there always seem to be that one performance or film that can change how they are perceived. This could be for the better or worse.

For me one of the most prominent was Adam Sandler. Although I like The Waterboy/Wedding Singer, the rest of his "comedy" was lost on me. But then came Punch Drunk Love and he was fantastic in it. I couldn't believe it was the same actor. Now I still don't care for most of his comedy projects as a whole, but his dramatic turns get my attention right away. I never would have thought that a guy who shouts his lines to emote would have become such a great actor in serious films.

BobO'Link

John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Changed my entire opinion of his acting ability. Prior to that I considered him to be mostly a joke.

Hulkabrgr

Hollywoodland changed my opinion of Affleck, and have been a fan ever since

JeffTheAlpaca

I did not hate him but I thought maybe Woody Harrelson would only be a guy that was good on TV or played roles similar to Cheers but then he did Natural Born Killers.

Ash Ketchum

Greta Gerwig and LITTLE WOMEN (2019). I was disappointed by LADY BIRD, but I loved LITTLE WOMEN and am a fan of BARBIE as well. I think I need to give LADY BIRD another look.

Crocker Jarmen

Sharon Stone in Casino is a fascinating performance, such a great, honest portrayal of a damaged and unlikable person. Before that I considered her just a cheesy actress in T&A roles.

TomOpus

Tom Hanks in Splash.

Decker

^ Speaking of which :
Ron Howard directing Apollo 13. I liked his previous films, but they were pretty light and superficial. I still consider Apollo 13 to be a masterpiece and just a singular achievement in filmmaking. It works so well on three different level : as a back-at-home drama, as an incredibly tense and smart mission control set -piece, and especially as a space-set suspense film. It works SO well! Such a disgrace that he wasn't even nominated for a Best Director Oscar for it, even though the film picked up a BP nod.

Unfortunately, he never really came close to matching that pinnacle again -- not even with his Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind, which is propped up by a dishonest cinematic cheat.

Mondo Kane

John Heard for me.
All throughout the 90s, I just knew him for playing nothing but one-dimensional father-characters. But a 1st-time viewing of Cutter's Way during the late 2000s GREATLY changed my perception of him as an actor.

Giantrobo

1st person that came to mind, Robin Williams. When i was a kid, Robin and his comedy was great. But as I got older, his "shtick" just became annoying. If I knew he was on a talk show I'd skip it knowing how he was gonna go nuts and be annoying. But then I saw him in "One Hour Photo". Wow....A side of him I had thought I never seen before. But then I remembered, I loved him in "The World According to Garp" back in the early 80's. So it was then I realized I really enjoyed Robin Williams in Dramatic rolls and toned down "dramedy" roles

Count Dooku

I think Brokeback Mountain changed my perception of all four stars: Heath Ledger, Jake G, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway.

I knew them all as pretty actors who had success playing teens (or close to it) in successful projects, but I never thought of any of them as people to take seriously.

GoldenJCJ

Dave Bautista was just another lunkhead ex-professional wrestler turned actor until I saw him in Knock at the Cabin. It’s not a particularly great movie but Bautista’s performance was so restrained and methodical I realized he’s not in the same ilk as Cena or Dwayne Johnson. He’s willing take a role that’s not going to be “look at me!” like the others have to for their ego.

MLBFan24

Tom Hiddleston in Loki Disney+ series.

I hated all his appearances in the MCU movies. Well, I hated his character, not the actor himself.

But the Loki show was great, with some excellent character development.

Excited for Loki season 2 and seeing more of the character’s shenanigans.

ntnon

Will Ferrell in The LEGO Movie.

milo bloom

The first Rian Johnson movie I saw was The Last Jedi, and we all know how that went.

But I took a chance on Knives Out and he blew me away. Watched Glass Onion recently and felt the same. Just a brilliant artist when it comes to murder mysteries, but somehow created a worse Star Wars experience than the Holiday Special.

rw2516

When an actor who is loved by the public and always plays the good guy takes a turn as the villain and pulls it off. They are pure evil and you are really taken aback.
One example off the top of my head is James Garner in Twilight.

Not the same thing but, an actress you're familiar with and seen many times, then you see them in something and suddenly they're drop dead gorgeous. You fall for them in a way. I always thought Jean Arthur was just "ok" looking. Then I saw Only Angels Have Wings" . Now I'll watch her old movies just to look at her. Always thought Jill Clayburgh was a looker. Saw Semi-Tough and fell in love with her. I see her totally different now.

Runaway

After watching The Rover I was able to accept Robert Pattinson as a real actor. I knew that he could do more than Twilight, but Water for Elephants or Remember Me, didn't blew me away. His performance in The Rover was great and so I was open to goving him a chance as Batman.

Superman07

On a similar comedy them, I don’t find Will Ferrell’s comedic roles funny. However, I really enjoy his dramatic films.

Be curious your take of you ever watch Looper.

GoldenJCJ

Taika Waititi never impressed me much with his goofy projects but Jojo Rabbit blew me away enough that I’ll give anything he does a try going forward.

TheBang

It's Adam Sandler for me also. He was really good in Punch-Drunk Love, and he blew me away in Uncut Gems. I think he was robbed for a nomination and maybe even a win for Uncut Gems.

I hated his stupid schtick on SNL so much, so I never watched any of his movies that he did after that. I just double-checked his filmography, and yeah, I never watched any of his films (above 2 excepted). But in the past year, I watched both Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, because they're supposed to be his "classics" or whatever, and they were both dreadful. It was just like his stuff on SNL, and I couldn't stand it. So yeah, in the future, I will watch him if he has a critically-acclaimed dramatic performance.

L. Ron zyzzle

Can't stand Punch-Drunk Love, but he is indeed amazing in Uncut Gems. Also, oddly, I really like him in The Cobbler.

Count Dooku

I always thought Steve Martin was just a great and funny (and wild and crazy) guy until I saw him in Little Shop of Horrors punching that woman in the face and hitting her head with a door.




What a jerk!

JeffTheAlpaca

I like the movie but in some scenes she was overacting

tanman

Jim Carrey in the Truman Show. It was basically just Ace Ventura and Dumb and Dumber before this. This paved the way to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

TheAllPurposeNothing

Hugh Grant in About a Boy. Had previously seen him in Nine Months and the incessant mugging in that film had left such a bad taste in my mouth that I avoided any other movies with him for years.