Bad Actors

A lot of the actors being named here aren't "bad". They're just glorified character actors. They play a particular character in every film they appear in, such as John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. Even Harrison Ford is a character actor. Meaning they have a very limited range and a character they are comfortable in. But what they do with that limited range and the roles they carefully select suit them and they can elevate a film merely by doing their shtick, as we can clearly see especially with the likes of someone like Eastwood or Kevin Kostner. They're really just playing a version of themselves, which is basically par the course for the majority of film actors.

A bad actor is someone who can't act in the role they've been given, such as Keanu Reeves, or in some cases roles they've given themselves, like Neil Breen who has to be seen to be believed.

The reality, though, is that there are few actors that can inhabit a role so completely that they seem to change from film to film. Someone like Daniel Day Lewis throws himself into a part and "becomes" that person for a limited time, so seeing him in 'My Left Foot', 'Lincoln' or 'There Will Be Blood' is like watching very different people. Or looking at Sean Penn in 'Casualties of War' or in 'Carlito's Way'. While both characters are nasty little ****s there are so in very different ways. Or take Meryl Streep in 'The Deer Hunter' or 'The Post' where she plays two vastly different people very convincingly. Each example is an actor who had tried to become the person that is demanded of the role.

On the other hand, someone like Charles Bronson just turns up with his charismatic attributes and says his lines.

As far as I know, none of his children followed him into the profession.

Acting talent isn't necessarily hereditary, although you wouldn't know that from the various mini dynasties of acting families that have sprung up.

I'd have said Morgan Freeman before I'd seen Street Smart. He is a scary man in that.

Joel Kinnaman I know English isn't his first language however he is just awful.

Jai Courtney as well.

I actually agree with Jai Courtney and have always found him horrible but I really like Joel Kinnaman.

He's great in For All Mankind and Altered Carbon.

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

Anyone said Adrian Dunbar yet? Don't know if it's his accent or what, but he always sounds like he's just reading his lines

You shut your whore mouth!

TheRef wrote: »

I'm shocked with so many of the names people are putting out. It seems the tone seems to be that either they are one of the the best actors in the world or they are a bad actor.

The only name I've seen listed in the scan of the thread I would agree with is Steven Segal.

I'll add Jaden Smith, but (adult) Abigail Breslin is top of the list.

Abigail played Little Rock in Zombieland: Double Tap and I think this is the only half decent movie I can recall where a main character shows absolutely zero ability to act.

She's good in Once upon a time in Hollywood

fryup wrote: »

born on the fourth of july was easily his best, and he should have won an oscar for it

It was a great performance and Oscar worthy but he was unfortunate to come up against Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot which was a level above and a deserved winner.

RandomViewer wrote: »

She's good in Once upon a time in Hollywood

Are you thinking of Dakota Fanning?

RandomViewer wrote: »

Might be right, young girl that Pitt takes out to the ranch?

Andie MacDowells young one, Margaret Qualley?

Theworldisy wrote: »

If you can name good cage films happy to listen.

Peggy Sue got Married

RandomViewer wrote: »

Jason Manford turned up in an episode of Death in Paradise, that was bad acting

Dougal, theres another one who sounds like he's just reading lines for the first time... he was brilliant in father Ted, but Death in Paradise, that super-hero one, my family I think it was called, just seemed like an actor reading lines rather than an actual character