No matter how many Oscars they have in their display case, every actor on the planet will
give a bad performance sooner or later.
Perhaps a critically beloved actress will pick up a lousy screenplay, or maybe a respected
star is having a particularly bad day on set.
Whatever the reason, even the best actors have given truly awful performances that will
live forever in Hollywood infamy.
Here, we're celebrating some of the worst.
Matthew McConaughey – The Dark Tower
After years of embarrassing himself with box office flops, Matthew McConaughey finally
broke free from his rom-com curse by sleazing it up in Magic Mike, nailing Interstellar,
and winning Best Actor for Dallas Buyers Club.
With all that under his belt, McConaughey seemed like the perfect choice to play the
villain in The Dark Tower.
"You are like a dog fetching a stick over and over."
But sadly, the 2017 Stephen King adaptation bombed with critics, flopped at the box office,
and earned McConaughey some pretty dark reviews.
Slate's Sam Adams wrote,
"McConaughey's matter-of-fact evil […] reads more like the indifference of a check-cashing
movie star."
And Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post said the actor's performance was: "Unlikely
to evoke deathly shivers so much as a terminal case of the giggles."
But Alison Willmore of Buzzfeed had the best burn of all when she wrote,
"Matthew McConaughey offers up what's basically a more evil version of whatever he's doing
in those Lincoln car commercials."
"1,800 pounds and do whatever the heck I want."
"I can respect that."
Cate Blanchett – Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Screen legend Cate Blanchett won Best Actress for Blue Jasmine, wowed critics with Carol,
and hammed it up to everyone's delight in Thor: Ragnarok.
But hey, nobody's perfect—something she learned with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull.
"I want to know.
I want to know.
Tell me.
I'm ready.
I want to know!"
Blanchett came off as silly and forgettable in a part that Peter Travers described as:
"A one-note villain role with an accent that conjures up Rocky and Bullwinkle more than
the desired red menace."
If any other actress had played the part, we wouldn't care as much, but this is Cate
Blanchett.
She's capable of so much more.
Eddie Redmayne – Jupiter Ascending
In 2015 Eddie Redmayne won the Worst Supporting Actor Razzie for his performance in Jupiter
Ascending — which ironically hit theaters just a few days before Redmayne won his Best
Actor Oscar for The Theory of Everything.
But while his performance as the disabled physicist was flawless, we can't say the same
for his turn as the space titan, who wildly modulates between murmuring and shouting.
"I create life."
Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post wrote,
"Redmayne raises his voice to epic soprano levels when reaming out his otherworldly lackeys.
If he's capable of inflicting damage, it's to eardrums alone."
In an over-the-top movie, Redmayne sticks out as the most outrageous thing in the film.
Natalie Portman – Star Wars
When Natalie Portman is on her game, she's an absolute phenom.
That's why she won Best Actress for Black Swan.
But of course, not every performance deserves a little gold statue—witness the horrors
of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
"Anakin all I want is your love."
"Love won't save you, Padme."
Maybe it was the corny dialogue, or the zero chemistry she had with her leading man.
Whatever the reason, Portman was one of the worst parts of the trilogy, which is really
saying something.
Jake Gyllenhaal – Okja
It's fair to say Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the best actors in Hollywood today, starring
in fan favorites like Stronger, Donnie Darko, and End of Watch...and that's what makes Okja
so utterly baffling.
This Korean sci-fi flick follows a little girl trying to rescue an oversized swine from
the clutches of a meat-crazed corporation.
And the most annoying character she runs across is Gyllenhaal's.
"Well f---ing film me, Jennifer.
Can't fake these emotions."
Dana Stevens of Slate wrote, "There are performances said to be 'as broad as a barn,' and then
there's Gyllenhaal's performance."
And Kyle Buchanan of Vulture said Gyllenhaal was...
"So flamboyant, you can see it from space."
Gyllenhaal responded to the criticism by saying he loved the reactions and that his performance
was meant to be polarizing.
Well then that's the one thing he totally nailed.
Johnny Depp – Mortdecai
Alright — It's been a long time since anyone called Johnny Depp a great actor.
Sure, he won some praise for Black Mass, but for the most part, he's been wearing silly
disguises, using ridiculous accents, and slumming it in movies like Alice Through the Looking
Glass.
But once upon a time, Depp was a living, breathing masterclass in playing weirdos and screwballs.
He even delivered solid performances in more realistic films like Donnie Brasco and What's
Eating Gilbert Grape?
Therefore, Mortdecai perfectly sums up what's become of Depp's once-impressive career.
"Have we taken a wrong turn and arrived on the set of an adult film?"
It's a performance based solely on physical tics, funny voices, and absolutely no substance.
"Run I shall like a bloody gazelle.
Mortdecai…
I've always been in tip top shape."
As film critic Peter Sobczynski put it, Depp's performance was…
"On the level of a below-average knock-knock joke."
And the Razzies agreed, nominating him for Worst Actor in 2016.
Domestic audiences weren't impressed either, as Mortdecai grossed just $7.6 million at
home against a $60 million budget.
"I'll make it up to you Jacques-y."
"Oh, I know you will, sir, you always do."
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