Sometimes, even the best actors fall short, with dull performances that fail to connect with audiences, eventually driving their films to box-office failure. Here are 18 of the worst acting performances of all time.
Mike Myers in The Love Guru
Another box-office flop, The Love Guru, is not one to add to your watchlist anytime soon. Myers’ performance most definitely contributed to the film’s failure. It was deemed so bad that it essentially ruined his career. The film won three Golden Raspberries, including Worst Actor for Myers.
Hilary Duff in The Haunting of Sharon Tate
The movie failed for several reasons, one being its offensive and paranormal take on Sharon Tate’s murder. The film itself was pretty awful, but Duff made it an unbearable watch, particularly when you compare her performance with other takes on the actress, such as Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Tom Cruise in The Mummy
Some movies are better left alone, and this remake proved just that. An overall flop at the box office, the film was nominated for eight Golden Raspberry Awards and won Worst Actor for Tom Cruise’s dull performance.
Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey
Based on E.L. James’ novel of the same name, Fifty Shades of Grey won five Golden Raspberry awards, including Worst Actor for Dornan. Critics felt that Dornan and co-star Dakota Johnson lacked chemistry, leading to dry performances that fell flatter than the Twilight fan-fiction the film was based on.
Adam Sandler in That’s My Boy
Let’s face it: Adam Sandler has spun out some pretty terrible performances over the years, and That’s My Boy is no exception. The film was nominated for seven Golden Raspberries and won Worst Actor for Sandler’s stereotypical and predictable performance.
Adam Sandler in Jack and Jill
Another Sandler flop, the film was nominated for 12 Golden Raspberries and won in every category it was nominated for, including Worst Actor for Sandler’s portrayal as both titular characters.
Eddie Murphy in Norbit
Murphy’s performances in Norbit were so bad that he received Golden Raspberries for Worst Actor as Norbit and Worst Supporting Actress as Rasputia. Critics felt that Murphy failed to commit to any of his characters beyond superficial stereotypes.
Bruce Willis in Armageddon
While Armageddon has since become a fan-favorite in the disaster subgenre, Bruce Willis was only cast as part of a three-picture deal with Touchstone Pictures. And it’s evident by his dull performance that he didn’t want to be there. He won the Worst Actor Golden Raspberry for his performance.
Kevin Costner in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Although the film was a box-office success and grossed $390 million worldwide, Costner’s performance failed miserably. His performance was poor on his own, let alone next to Alan Rickman’s strong performance as the Sherriff of Nottingham. Costner won a Worst Actor Golden Raspberry for his portrayal of Robin Hood.
Sylvester Stallone in Rhinestone
Rhinestone bombed at the box office and was panned by critics for Stallone’s uncomfortable performance in this comedy musical. This performance earned him a Worst Actor Golden Raspberry.
Robert Downey Jr. in Dolittle
For most of the film, Downey Jr. appears to be half asleep, almost as if the usually magnetic actor can’t decide whether Dolittle is a vulgar comedy or an honest drama. As a result, his performance falls short of both.
Jamie Kennedy in Son of the Mask
Let’s face it: no one was ever going to live up to Jim Carrey’s performance in 1994’s The Mask, but Jamie Kennedy was too far off the mark to even enjoy the film. Carey’s original wit is replaced by Kennedy’s weak delivery and cringe-worthy jokes.
Megan Fox in Transformers
The Transformers franchise has been an overall box-office success, and for the most part, solid performances have made the franchise what it is today, except for Megan Fox. The actress took what appears to be an intriguing character and drained her of personality.
Halle Berry in Catwoman
Halle Berry is an outstanding actress, but talent can only take you so far. Berry contributes to the film’s confusing tone as the lead by playing the titular character in various ways, from cartoonishly timid to overly sexual to simply bizarre.
Jaden Smith in After Earth
Nepotism rears its ugly head in After Earth, where Smith lacks his father’s formidable charm and instead delivers an overacted and unnatural performance.
Taylor Lautner in Abduction
By 2011, this teen heartthrob was adored by fans for his portrayal of Jacob Black in the Twilight Saga. So it’s no surprise that fans were excited to see Lautner’s star turn in this action thriller. Unfortunately, his one-note performance led to the film’s failure, and watching Lautner try to force tears at a rather pivotal moment in the film was just painful.
Jennifer Lopez in Gigli
J Lo’s may not have been the only panned performance in this comedy crime thriller, but it still deserves a spot on this list. Lopez appears to sleepwalk through the entire film, demonstrating little acting range. Inevitably, she won a Worst Actor Gold Raspberry for her dull performance.
Jared Leto in Morbius
Despite its promising premise, this Marvel flick was a huge box-office flop and received five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Actor for
