“Good” is a really subjective term, and we all have our individual preferences when
we go to the movies.
So when it’s time to decide what to watch, everyone’s criteria is a little different.
Wether it’s because of box office bank, critical acclaim, or a general audience consensus,
here are 10 Famous Actors With Only One Good Movie Performance.
Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
To some people, the proof about if a movie is “good” or not lies in the amount of
money it brings in at the box office.
If that’s true, then Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II is the best movie
Daniel Radcliffe has ever done.
It’s one of the highest grossing movies of all time, and none of his other roles have
gotten anywhere close to the same amount of attention.
We know that fanbase size isn’t the best way to judge quality, but in this case the
masses are actually right.
It’s Radcliffe’s best role.
Even JK Rowling approves, and she invented the character.
Jessica Alba - Sin City The people of Basin City are a rare breed.
Everything about them is just a little more dramatic.
And thanks to Frank Miller, they’re eloquent and tough as hell.
2005’s Sin City brought a huge ensemble cast together and delivered an experience
like we’d never seen.
The movie is visually stunning, and will supply more than enough story to keep you entertained.
It’s a shame we can’t say that about the rest of Jessica Alba’s movies.
The actress isn’t known for her acting chops, but she argues that it’s hard to give a
good performance when the material sucks.
Point: Alba.
Orlando Bloom - The Lord of the Rings franchise When Orlando Bloom came on the scene as Legolas
in 2001, the Lord of the Rings actor got a lot of attention.
But teenage girls weren’t the only ones swooning.
Even the franchise’s diehard fans were pleased with the casting.
Everyone’s favorite woodland elf has some of the most badass moments in the entire series.
And Bloom does it well.
But life after Legolas has been less awesome, and so have the actor’s movie choices.
This doesn’t mean he hasn’t made any money though.
But even in Pirates of the Caribbean, he’s outshined by Johnny Depp at very turn.
Cameron Diaz, The Mask For someone who’s played a range of different
characters, Cameron Diaz’s work has started blending together over the last decade or
so.
The actress has starred in multiple rom-com flops, and been the very recognizable voice
of Princess Fiona in the Shrek franchise.
But there’s one performance that sticks with us until this very day, from her breakout
role in The Mask. 1994 was a long time ago, so if the Jim Carrey classic is a little hazy
in your mind, we recommend that you give it another viewing.
Especially since it’s Diaz’s best.
John Travolta - Pulp Fiction Disco does not have a reputation for being
cool.
And even though John Travolta had all the right moves in Saturday Night Fever, the movie
has some inescapably cheesy elements.
So when Quentin Tarantino offered him the role of Vincent Vega in 1994’s Pulp Fiction,
the actor took the opportunity to shake his dorky disco image for good.
The director must foster a creative environment on set, because Travolta’s at his best.
And while he seemed to be everywhere in the nineties, none of his other work is as memorable
or iconic.
Mila Kunis - Black Swan Mila Kunis has been on television since she
was a kid.
But really grabbed everyone’s attention when she landed the role of Jackie on That
70’s Show, and has been the voice behind Meg on Family Guy.
While small-screen success is powerful in it’s own right, it doesn't guarantee victory
at the box office.
And the actress has talked about how embarrassed she is of some of her roles.
But her turn as Lily in Black Swan is not one of them.
As a supporting character, Kunis totally stole the show, and a lot of critical acclaim.
But then Jupiter Ascending happened, and everyone forgot.
Marlon Wayans - Requiem for a Dream Requiem for a Dream is not an easy movie to
watch.
It’s heavy story and dark atmosphere are specifically designed to throw viewers off
balance.
So obviously Darren Aronofsky is the perfect person to direct it.
And while audiences were confident about the man behind the camera, they were surprised
to see Marlon Wayans in front of it.
Yep, the guy from In Living Color and Scary Movie.
His comedic background made him seem like an odd choice for such a humorless film, but
Wayans nails the performance.
But the accolades end there, since he also starred in White Chicks.
Lindsay Lohan - Mean Girls When a star’s personal life becomes public
knowledge, it has the potential to overshadow their work.
And it’s easy to forget how talented someone is when their mugshot is constantly being
shoved in your face.
Take, for example, Lindsay Lohan.
A string of DUI’s and sub-par career choices have made her a punchline.
But in 2004, the team behind Mean Girls knew what they were doing when they cast Lohan
as the lead.
Working with comedic heavy-hitters Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Tim Meadows, the actress held
her own and brought a lot of genuine innocence to a movie full of backstabbing.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
- Jerry Maguire Another way people measure an actors success
is to look at the trophies on their mantle.
And if you’re one of those people, then as far as you’re concerned, Cuba Gooding
Jr. has only been in one good movie.
But after winning an Oscar for his performance in Jerry Maguire, the actor got in his own
way.
In the afterglow of his win, he turned down a few roles that would have been huge.
When he was ready to come back to showbiz, the offers stopped coming.
Well, not ALL the offers stopped, just the good ones.
Kate Hudson - Almost Famous As the daughter of Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson
knew that if she was going to be an actress, she had some high stilettos to fill.
And when she transformed into Penny Lane for 2000’s Almost Famous, she succeeded.
Her performance was interesting and dynamic.
And even though she’s not the main character, she’s easily the most nuanced.
After, despite her obvious talent, Hudson was cast in a string of fluffy and forgettable
romantic comedies.
Where her characters are reduced to generic tropes.
But hey, if Matthew McConaughey’s career can recover from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,
maybe hers can too.
What do you think of our list?
Did we miss any other famous actors with only one good performance in a movie?
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