Hollywood might seem like it knows what it’s doing when it comes to movies, but certain casting choices have left us baffled. Take a perfect script, a fantastic producer, an award-winning director, and an A-list actor, and what do you get? Sometimes, it’s a terrible casting choice.
Angelina Jolie as Mariane Pearl in A Mighty Heart
Despite her unwavering talent and ability to portray pretty much any role she’s given, Jolie’s casting as a woman of Afro-Cuban and Dutch descent raised eyebrows and drew accusations of whitewashing in this gritty biographical drama.
Kevin Costner as Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Costner’s lackluster attempt at an English accent and wooden delivery of lines made this medieval adventure unintentionally hilarious. All we could say was thank God for Alan Rickman.
Mark Wahlberg as Elliot Moore in The Happening
He’s been the action hero, the villain; he’s even given us the funny guy. In The Happening, we didn’t believe he was a nerdish science teacher fighting for survival. It wasn’t happening.
Halle Berry as Catwoman in Catwoman
Many will recall her catsuit more than the movie; we don’t blame you for that. In a twist of fate, Halle Berry was considered too good for this movie, having previously shown viewers her onscreen charisma and unshaken acting ability. The film flopped, and Halle Berry took a hit.
John Travolta as Terl in Battlefield Earth
John Travolta rarely gets it wrong, but it’s awful when he does. His hammy performance as the alien villain in this sci-fi flop was so bad that even the producer regretted making it.
Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Reeves’ stiff performance and questionable British accent in this Gothic horror classic had audiences wondering if he got lost on his way to The Matrix. We appreciate that he’s a great guy and a megastar, but his performance was too distracting and not in a good way.
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher in Jack Reacher
While Cruise brings his trademark intensity, fans of Lee Child’s towering literary hero couldn’t help but feel shortchanged by this casting choice. Reacher is described as being six feet five inches tall and having a fifty-inch chest. Let’s just leave that there.
Emma Stone as Allison Ng in Aloha
When Emma Stone portrayed a character of Hawaiian and Asian descent in this ill-conceived romantic comedy, it sparked controversy and accusations of whitewashing. She’s since regretted the move, but surely, she should have seen it coming.
Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider
Cage’s over-the-top performance as the demonic motorcycle-riding antihero was the biggest cringe-fest known. The truth is that Nicolas Cage was probably doing what was asked of him. Reviews were terrible, but can we blame him for this disaster?
Cameron Diaz as Malkina in The Counselor
We all have a place in our hearts for Cameron Diaz. While she’s tremendous at the girl-next-door roles, her casting as a femme fatale with a cheetah tattoo felt more like a miscast than a stroke of genius. What she possesses in comedy timing is that she lacks character depth.
Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince of Persia in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Despite his best efforts, Gyllenhaal’s whitewashed casting as a Persian prince was terrible. Just really bad. Disney was seemingly hopeful that the movie would launch the franchise similarly to Pirates Of The Caribbean with Gyllenhaal in the realm. It didn’t end well for them.
Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Rooney’s cringe-worthy portrayal of a Japanese landlord in this classic romantic comedy is a glaring example of outdated and offensive racial stereotypes in Hollywood. However, the instructions came from the top, so we can’t blame Rooney.
Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci in House Of Gucci
In light of his previous movie choices, no one can quite believe that this movie was ever made. Jared Leto’s Gucci looked more like Mario than a believable human being, adding an unintended humor element to the picture.
John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror
It was hard to take the Duke seriously as the legendary Mongol warrior, especially when he wore a questionable wig and tried to disguise his Western drawl with a Mongolian accent.
Madonna as Eva Perón in Evita
Despite her pop icon status, Madonna’s stiff acting and stilted singing in this biographical musical left fans of the real Eva Perón rolling in their graves. We knew she was keen to take on the role, but she didn’t have the acting talent to pull it off.
Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell
Hollywood can’t seem to help themselves with their offensive casting choices, and this time, it’s Scarlett Johansson whose head is on the line. Johansson’s casting as a character initially depicted as Japanese in the beloved anime series led to accusations of whitewashing. Again.
Sofia Coppola as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III
While Coppola is an undeniably talented director, her wooden acting in this iconic mob saga left many wondering if a touch of nepotism was at play. The harsh remarks struck a chord with her, despite her famous father, Francis Ford Coppola, admitting that he pushed her into the role. After the success of his previous movies, you’d have thought he’d know better.
Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeane, Gangs Of New York
Poor Cameron features again, but this time, it was for being cast alongside two of the generation’s greatest actors. When you’re thrown into a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis, your acting skills must be impeccably polished. Sadly, she was outshone, and she looked out of place.
