Some Actors That Ruined Their Careers by Playing the Wrong Part
Actors have a long history of ruining their careers by choosing to play a part that is not suitable for them. Here are some examples:
Jim Carrey in Kick Ass 2 (2013). Jim Carrey, who normally plays comedic roles, suddenly decided he wanted to be taken seriously as an actor. He chose to play the role of Colonel Stars and Stripes in the movie Kick Ass 2. This would have worked except that Colonel Stars and Stripes was a villain in this movie. Carrey plays his role well, but his fans did not like him being serious and they did not like the idea of him playing a villain. As a result, his career has gone down hill since then.
Kevin Costner in Waterworld (1995). Kevin Costner’s career as an actor was riding high until he took on the lead role in Waterworld. The plot of this movie was so complicated and confusing that no one could understand what was going on in this film. It looked more like an episode of Lost at Sea than a movie starring Kevin Costner. He had been better off staying with comedies like Tin Cup (1996) and Bull Durham (1988).
James Woods in Any Given Sunday
Some actors ruined their careers by playing the wrong part. The film business is a very tough industry to be in, with many talented people looking for work. There are also many people who worked hard to get where they are with their acting careers, and then lost everything because of one bad movie choice.
Some actors that ruined their careers by playing the wrong part:
Tom Cruise was once a big star in movies like Risky Business and Rain Man. He has starred in many action movies since then, but his career took a turn for the worst with his appearance on Oprah. Many people thought it was strange that he jumped up and down on her couch, and some thought he looked like a nut job. His movie choices after this became more and more bizarre, and his career never recovered.
Jeremy Irons was an accomplished British actor who won an Oscar for his role as Claus von Bülow in Reversal of Fortune. He tried to break into Hollywood movies with Dungeons & Dragons, which bombed at the box office. He starred in Eragon afterwards, which also bombed at the box office. Both of these fantasy films were based on popular books, but failed to connect with audiences. His recent roles have been mostly voice acting for animated movies.
Lisa Kud
Let’s face it, some actors just get in over their heads. They sign on to a movie because they think it will be the next big thing, only to find out that the final product is more like the next “big thing” that happens at the end of a typical night out for girls with fake ID’s.
Some are so embarrassed by their role that they do everything they can to distance themselves from it and hope that no one notices who was actually in the film. Others simply ignore their mistake, and try to move on with their careers as if nothing ever happened.
While either approach has its merits, I’m going to focus on actors who took the latter approach and decided to just “own” their bad movies (not literally of course, because many of these movies did not do well at all). These actors actually became so closely associated with their terrible movies that it ruined any chance for future success for them.
Once you are known for being in a bad movie like “The Postman”, there is really no coming back from that kind of failure. So without further ado, here are some actors who ruined their careers by playing the wrong part:
I have always been fascinated by actors who ruined their careers by making one bad movie choice. Over the last few decades there have been many examples of actors who were on a roll and then had a major career setback by choosing the wrong project.
Often times, it’s not the actor’s fault alone, but rather the combination of poor script choices, poor box office appeal, or other factors that lead to a career stalling.
There is no one that can predict what makes a movie or TV show a hit or flop. You can do polls, surveys and focus groups but in the end you are still guessing. But I think that a lot of the time there are some obvious mistakes made in casting or directing that leads to disaster.
Sometimes an actor chooses to do a project because they feel it will fulfill them as an artist. I’m all for artistic fulfillment but when you are working in Hollywood, you have to play the game if you want to succeed long term.
Even the most talented actors sometimes take roles that they come to regret. Here are a few actors that ruined their careers by playing the wrong part.
Keanu Reeves: Johnny Mnemonic, The Watcher, Chain Reaction, Hardball, The Replacements, Sweet November, The Gift, The Lake House, Henry’s Crime
What on earth were you thinking?
In all fairness to Keanu Reeves, he did earn critical acclaim for his performance in My Own Private Idaho. So much so that many people consider it to be his best performance. Unfortunately since then, he has appeared in numerous critically panned films including the Matrix sequels. Keanu does have some good movies coming out this year including 47 Ronin and Generation Um… but we’re not holding our breath.
Nicolas Cage: Next, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Seeking Justice
It’s been a tough few years for Nic Cage as he has been reduced to starring in low budget thrillers and comic book adaptations. With his recent tax problems and a string of bad investments, Nicolas Cage should probably take a break from acting altogether and focus on getting his finances back on track.
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is best known for his villainous roles in films like Conan the Barbarian and Star Wars. However, he also played the voice of Darth Vader and acted in The Lion King.
Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson started out as a professional wrestler before becoming one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. He can be seen in such films as Fast & Furious 6 and The Scorpion King.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Award-winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch plays the lead role of Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock and has appeared in films like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey began his career as a stand-up comedian before starring in films including Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dumb & Dumber and Bruce Almighty. He also starred in the hit comedy series In Living Color.
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has proved to be a versatile actor, playing various roles including Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. His other notable performances include Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Sleepy Hollow.
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Speed and received critical acclaim for her performance in The Blind Side.
1. Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai
2. David Caruso in Jade
3. Val Kilmer in Batman Forever
4. Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man
5. Michael Caine in Jaws 4: The Revenge
6. Brendan Fraser in Dudley Do-Right
7. Jim Carrey in Kick-Ass 2
8. Will Smith in After Earth
9. Bruce Willis in Cop Out
10. Sylvester Stallone in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot
