Successful Actors in Bad Films-Overlooked Actors

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Have you ever watched a movie and wondered why one or more successful actors ever took a role in the film because the movie was so bad? Here are my picks actors that took part in a few bombs provoking me to ask the question, what were you thinking?!

The Player

I'm in the minority on this one, but this movie had every decent actor under the sun at the time and it was absolutely dull. There are films with uninteresting plots that have become hits because of the actors' ability to make the movie interesting but there was nothing fun to work with in The Player. The actors could only do so much because the whole thing just stunk! The Player was honored with awards for directing, editing and Tim Robbins' acting performance and that makes sense because everything around the dull story line was excellent.

There were cameos by famous actors and most of them popped onto the Hollywood set for free and improvised their lines. There was a total of 61 famous actors including John Cusack, Cher, Dennis Franz, Jeff Goldblum, Jack Lemmon, Andie MacDowell, Nick Nolte, Burt Reynolds, Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Lily Tomlin, Robert Wagner and Bruce Willis. What were you all thinking?

Al Pacino

What were you thinking? It's almost impossible to beat The Godfather but why did you have to go in the opposite direction with films like 88 Minutes, Two for the Money, S1m0ne, Righteous Kill and Gigli?

Robert DeNiro
I also question why Robert De Niro would want to star in the cheesy 80's type mystery Righteous Kill! There was nothing suspenseful or smart about this film. I would recommend it for 12-year-olds if it didn't include violence. Bobby also played a role in other not-so-great movies like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Showtime- far cries from The Godfather, Taxi Driver and every blockbuster film DeNiro has starred in!

Batman & Robin
You have to try to spoil a Batman movie, especially when you have a cast drenched with decent actors like George Clooney, Uma Thurman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O'Donnell and Alicia Silverstone. This was the worst Batman film to date. Aside from the first Batman, for nostalgic purposes, The Dark Knight was certainly the best.

Battlefield Earth
What were you thinking, Forest Whitaker? It's amazing that he took this role after making such hits as The Crying Game and Panic Room as well as award-winning independent films.

Catwoman
As gorgeous as Halle Berry is in black leather, her acting ability and good looks weren't enough to turn this flop into a box office hit.

I Know Who Killed Me
Lindsay Lohan and Julia Ormond? There's a unique combination. Someone should have "killed" this movie. Julia Ormond what were you thinking? She starred in this film after knowing what it's like to be a part of the amazing hit film Legends of the Fall. At least she redeemed herself with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!

Bruce Almighty
I saw this movie on an airplane as if my fear of flying wasn't enough to conquer; I also had to search for a funny or interesting moment in this goofy movie. I love Jim Carrey, Steve Carrell and Morgan Freeman but the hilarious personalities and the award-winning acting ability of Freeman was not enough to carry this film past the first five minutes.

War of the Worlds
This film cost a pretty penny and it was all a big waste. Tom Cruise may not be the world's most flexible actor but I've enjoyed many of the movies he's been in. Dakota Fanning is a little superstar. I thought this movie would be believable because they spent some serious money on decent actors. If another director like M. Night Shayamalan made this film, perhaps it would have contained one iota of suspense.

The Haunting
I'm a little tougher on horror movies because I've become quite the connoisseur over the years but this movie bit the dust. What were you thinking Liam Neeson, Katherine Zeta-Jones, Virginia Madsen and Owen Wilson? There wasn't a splash of suspense or terror in this film. All I did was wait for something surprising to happen and it didn't. The plot was too simple and the ending was over done.

My list could go on forever, but you get the idea. To end things on a positive note, let's go with a top 20 list of overlooked actors. These are some of the actors I feel are so much greater than the parts they have played. Some of the actors mentioned are already popular and have been seen in a few blockbusters but never received the kudos they should have for their acting ability.

Mike Meyers
You might be laughing, but if you've seen his performance in the movie 54, you'll know that Meyer's acting can extend well past the comedy world.

Virginia Madsen
The last movie I saw with Madsen was A Haunting in Connecticut and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't recall the last movie I saw her in. Madsen should have many more leading roles in film. I have noticed that she is in the movie Amelia and look forward to seeing it soon.

Gary Oldman
Where has this guy been? He was great as Beethoven in Immortal Beloved and in the films Dracula, Romeo's Bleeding and much more. Many of these movies would have sunk if it weren't for his acting. It seems that Oldman is usually placed in supporting roles, which is a rip off. If you were thinking of making a character study that takes place in one room with only one actor, this guy can make it work.

Ralph Fiennes
This is one of the best actors ever to grace Hollywood and I hardly ever get to see him! The last film I saw with Ralph was The Reader. This actor can play everything from an SS officer at a German concentration camp in Schindler's List to a genius in Quiz Show and a lead role in love stories like The Constant Gardener and The English Patient.

Philip Seymour Hoffman
This is an actor that we will see in many lead roles to come. I find it hard to believe that it took until he starred in the film Capote to really be noticed. Hoffman has shown us nothing but perfection since the day he starred in his first blockbuster, Scent of a Woman. I cannot imagine Hoffman in a role that he can't handle. His performance along with Meryl Streep in Doubt was acting at its finest.