Bad scripts or bad actors? That’s the age-old question when it comes to some of the worst acting performances in film history. In Watchmojo’s latest video titled “Top 30 Worst Acting Performances of All Time,” they count down the most bland, cringy, or just plain awful performances ever put to screen.
From Eddie Redmayne’s over-the-top performance in “Jupiter Ascending” to Hilary Duff’s lackluster turn in “The Haunting of Sharon Tate,” the list covers a wide range of actors and films that have left audiences scratching their heads. But perhaps no performance is as infamous as Tommy Wiseau’s lead role in “The Room,” a film that has become a cult classic for all the wrong reasons.
Whether it’s Jaden Smith in “After Earth” or Madonna in “Swept Away,” these performances showcase the fine line between good acting and cringe-inducing moments on screen. And it’s not just the actors themselves who take the fall, but also the directors, scripts, and overall production choices that contribute to these lackluster performances.
So, which of these performances do you love to hate? Let Watchmojo know in the comments as you dive into the world of the Top 30 Worst Acting Performances of All Time. And be sure to check out their other “worst” videos for a dose of entertainment and cringe-worthy moments on the big screen.
Watch the video by WatchMojo.com
It’s time for you to stop doing this welcome to watch Mojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 30 most Bland cringy or just plain awful acting performances ever put to screen me part number 30 Eddie redm Jupiter Ascending apparently no one ever told
This English actor that less is more it’s better to accept this than to pretend it isn’t true so after establishing himself as a serious dramatic actor red M turned in a performance completely out of this world now presenting BM abasic a bizarre hodgepodge of flamboyant mannerisms and exaggerated reactions oh and lots of
Random screaming I create life and I destroy yeah calling this over the top does not do it justice he’d go on to win the Razzy for worst supporting actor for this role which is a bit mindboggling since only a year before he won the Oscar for best actor
For his performance in The Theory of Everything call it an off year I came here to try to protect my family seal that Chief and you and your family will return home safely number 29 Hillary Duff The Haunting of Sharon Tate let’s get one thing straight this movie
Is at a fundamental level but even Beyond its tasteless narrative perhaps its biggest sin is that it tried to pass off Hillary de as a compelling Sharon Tate and as I moved closer I realized it was my friend Jay Sebring and me and both of us had been cut open in the
Throat in a far cry from her Disney Channel days Duff’s attempts at emulating scream queens of the past fail in every regard at best her delivery is mindlessly lethargic and at worst it’s downright disrespectful to the real life victims plus her scared face is totally hilarious which is a pretty big issue
Considering this is supposed to be a horror film since Sharon Tate was an actress herself you’d think they would have found a better one to play her I guess all kinds even satanic messages satanic number 28 Jared Leto Suicide Squad after Heath Ledger took the Joker all the way to Oscar gold
Hopes were high that the next iteration of the character would be just as popular unfortunately Leto’s stint in Gotham earned him a very different kind of Honor that being a golden raspberry nomination for worst supporting actor there is something you could do for me doctor anything I mean yeah I need a
Machine gun in fact most of his scenes were allegedly cut from the theatrical version of the film and and it’s easy to see why from his questionable line readings to the inane facial expressions each of Leto’s artistic choices is more baffling than the last at a certain
Point it makes you wonder if he knew he was in a big budget Blockbuster and not a cringy music video oh I’m not going to kill you I’m just going to hurt you really really bad number 27 Tom Cruz The Mummy it’s movies like this that make
You wonder just what goes on in an actor’s head because surely at some point in production Cruz would have realized that brooding around the screen for 2 hours wasn’t going to cut it Sorge you’re not going down there you’re right I’m not we are I’m at least calling an air strike air
Strike bad idea especially for a franchise like the mummy alas Cruz isn’t funny enough to sell the camp and not committed enough to do the horror scenes Justice either so audiences are left with a frustratingly ridiculous performance that is isn’t even good enough to pass as a parody after a
Showing like this Tom Cruz’s tenure with the mummy deserves to go back to a tomb for a very very long time I’m sorry we’re just never going to happen number 26 Tyler Perry Alex Cross there’s nothing wrong with an actor stepping out of their comfort zone but leaping from absurdest tumor to self-serious
Detective is simply too great a leap for someone with Tyler Perry’s range well confucious said when setting off on the path of Revenge Dig Two grav that’s fine with me as long as you one of them or should we say lack of range he only has one tone of voice and one facial
Expression that’s it for the entire duration of the film anytime he attempts to do more than that it comes off as unintentionally funny instead Perry’s dramatic shortcomings are especially glaring since he’s surrounded by a slate of pretty great supporting performances unfortunately all they do is underline
The fact that Alex Cross is by far the weakest link of the Alex Cross movie want somebody to pay wants them to suffer I don’t know who maybe his his mother his father himself number 25 Coulson Baker also known as Machine Gun Kelly good morning after watching
This movie the best piece of advice to give to Coulson Baker is to stick to rapping where is your phone it’s in rice um please don’t move out his acting isn’t just bad it’s even worse completely forgettable he looks confused most of the time and even when he does
Stumble through lines it’s with a blank expression that makes even mannequins seem passionate the movie itself is filled with a glutton of star studded cameos and confusing cutaway gags seemingly to distract from the fact that its lead doesn’t know the first thing about acting but there’s no smoke thick
Enough to hide Baker’s complete inability to convey emotion this isn’t his first onscreen role but for everyone’s sake hopefully it’s his [Applause] last yo what was that one it’s like Game of Thrones or something I’m trying to get on one of those shows oh yeah I can
See that number 24 Justin Chatwin Dragon Ball Evolution it takes some genuine skill to turn one of anime’s most iconic characters into a bland Teen Movie protagonist I heard about your grandfather’s accident I’m so sorry the house collapsed uh yeah something like that but somehow Justin Chatwin made it look
Easy he has no Charisma no heart and certainly no screen presence quite frankly this kind of lifeless delivery wouldn’t fly in any kind of movie let alone one with such legendary Source material Chatwin just comes across as flat in every single scene no matter if he’s spouting cringy quips or fighting
For the fate of Earth he doesn’t even commit to the PowerUp screams which is pretty much Dragon Ball 101 suffice it to say this is Goku in name alone come on baby show me what you got just like I thought nothing number 23 Robert Downey Jr do little hot off
The wheels of his star making tenure as Iron Man RDJ cashed in all that Goodwill with a movie where he sticks his hand into a dragon’s you know what we wish we were kidding if you don’t feel better you could fry us all stop talking just get on with
It we have to get you on your side we need to perform an emergency extraction the worst part he doesn’t seem phased by it at all in fact for most of the runtime Downey Jr looks half asleep the usually charismatic actor can’t seem to decide whether dittle is a crude comedy
Or a heartfelt drama and the result is a performance that fails to satisfy either that’s all without even mentioning his distracting and inconsistent Welsh accent clearly instead of talking to animals he should have been speaking to an accent coach simply more leafy greens and less armor in your a diet number 22 Jamie
Kennedy Son of the Mask no one was ever going to live up to Jim car’s star making turn in 1994 is the mask but surely they could have found someone better than Jamie Kennedy don’t you just love Halloween trick or treat all of car’s original wit is lost in this soulless
Reinterpretation where Kennedy reduces the Brand’s irreverent humor to its lowest common denominator the jokes come off as cringy and mean-spirited and that’s if they land at all most of the time Kennedy’s delivery just Falls completely flat to the point where you aren’t sure if you’re supposed to be
Laughing in the first place in the end Son of the Mask fails because it’s leading man can’t seem to decide if he’s in on the joke or not there is nothing more important in this entire universe than your relationship with your family number 21 Colin frell Alexander the Great King’s biopic
Completely failed to live up to its character’s nickname and that’s putting it lightly conquer your fear and I promise you you will conquer death the movie is overly serious emotionally distant and lacks any of the depth it so desperately FS unfortunately all of that criticism also applies to
Leading man Colin Ferell even though the film has been officially recut four separate times no amount of editing can hide the fact that he’s woefully miscast here as a result all his attempts at drama come across about as convincing as his absurd wig but I’ve seen the future
Of feistan I’ve seen it now thousand times on a thousand faces these people want need change number 20 Sophia Copa The Godfather Part three the third time is not always the charm as the final Godfather film is universally seen as a step down from its predecessors what is this really
For why are you doing this why am I doing this although it has its share of flaws one of the most glaring is the poor performance by Sophia Copa as Mary Corleone Tony says that I’m a front for the foundation that you’re using me just to pull the
Strings the daughter of the film’s director Copa had no training as an actor and was a last minute replacement when Winona Rider dropped out her delivery Jarred with the tone of the rest of the film and has been an example of the dangers of nepotism for decades
Even if her performance does have a few Defenders dad why are you doing this to me thankfully she made a better director than she did an actress only in America okay that’s it number 19 Dennis Hopper Super Mario Brothers King Koopa here oh yes sir I’d like the Koopa special
Although a seasoned actor Dennis Hopper’s performance as the villainous Koopa in this video game adaptation is more over the toop than the overgrown Turtle his character is based on Yoshi is a pet of the royal family you may pet him just uh don’t move your hands around like a small wounded
Animal Hopper plays Koopa with all maniacal corporate evil of the worst snake or in his case dinosaur in a suit crossed with Dr Evil really I am very disappointed in you cousins fashist oppressor of the proletarian guy in charge granted it would be hard for anyone to make the kind of lines Koopa
Says believable but Hopper’s delivery is just so strange and Goofy that it can’t be called Good different he’s still entertaining but not as as intended are the Goombas training with the handheld de Evolution gun number 18 Steven Seagal half past dead Steven Seagal doesn’t exactly have a lot of range as an actor to begin with and his usual stoic whispery performance would actually be preferable to his lack
Of effort in this action flick yeah I’m russan you got a problem with that Seagal hurries through his lines and despite the film nominally being a buddy movie he has very little chemistry with co-star J Rule hey s you know you’re crazy right co co crazy even sagal’s signature fight scenes feel
Unenthusiastic and tepid it’s a sad thing when a title like half past dead can just as easily apply to the performance of the star of the movie yeah what am I doing here rning your trust maintaining my cover you already screwed that up number 17 Mariah Carey glitter all we want for
Christmas is an actress who can actually well act sure the song birds Supreme can strut a stage like no other but that didn’t translate to a committed film performance at all wo is me what the hell is that in fact calling car’s acting chops amateur is a major insult
To all the aspiring thespians out there she basically has one facial expression in her repertoire and since she’s the film star you’ll be seeing a lot of it the fact that the movie’s soundtrack is genuinely great just speaks to glitter’s fundamental flaw it’s not a film at all
It’s a glorified music video and car’s lifeless acting failed to convince critics or audiences otherwise Timothy was here today what in our house yes in our house what’ he say he said you have a deal with him you owe money what is going on with you number 16 Megan Fox
Transformers franchise the Transformers franchise has gained a reputation for having shallow female characters who are only cast for their appearance and not their acting ability which began with Megan Fox oh God I can’t even tell you how much I’m not your little bunny the actress takes what is on paper a fairly
Interesting character and drains her of much personality I could take it all apart clean it put it back together that’s weird I just wouldn’t Peg you for mechanical well you know I don’t really broadcast it guys don’t like it when you know more about cars than they do even
With the notorious director Michael Bay framing her on screen like a sex object Fox herself has coped to acting poorly in the movies and we can see how being new to film and working under a director like ba would lead to a bad performance you think I’m shallow huh you think
You’re should no no no no no I think um I think there’s a lot more than meets the eye with you okay number 15 Kirk Cameron saving Christmas Christian movies aren’t exactly known for their Stellar acting they’re more Echo Chambers for beliefs than actual entertainment I think to my myself this cannot
Be what God wants such is the case with its outspoken star Kirk Cameron nope not here Cameron’s acting here makes the actors in local commercials or adult films look masterful by comparison you you you you drank the Kool-Aid you you you took the bait hook Li and sinker
You swallowed the whole thing his stilted delivery earned him a well-deserved golden raspberry award and he proved in Good Company since many other aspects of the critically derided film won some as well he can put the blame on an atheist conspiracy all he wants the fact is he just sucks here are
We seeing the same everything that’s going on in there yeah number 14 Arnold Schwarzenegger Batman and Robin I saw this coming did you very few of the actors involved in this infamously campy superhero film come off well but Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terri performance stands out even among the draw of Batman and Robin
Mery I’m afraid that my conditioners left me cold to your please of Mercy Schwarzenegger ham it up to the extreme delivering his terrible ice pun Laden dialogue with the kind of manic Glee you only see in an actor who knows his part is terrible but is going to
Have as much fun as he can with what he has what killed the dinosaurs the I AG and while we wouldn’t recommend watching him if you hate puns let’s kick some ice schwarzeneger is still surprisingly entertaining in such an awful role first Gotham and then the world number 13 hi Berry
Catwoman hi Berry is a very talented actress but Talent will only get you so far in some cases I mean George hadir isn’t the nicest guy in the world you know he fired me as the lead in another reviled superhero film Barry helped set the tone of the movie at
Incomprehensible with her interpretation of the title superheroine ranging from cartoonishly meek to needlessly sexual to the just plain bizarre what even is that basketball scene granted there’s plenty to criticize about Catwoman but Barry is at the Forefront of it all at least she was a good sport and accepted
Her Razzy in person thank you guys thank you so much number 12 Madonna Swept Away Madonna has proven herself to be a great actress most notably in her Golden Globe winning turn as Ava Peron in Avita on the other hand she’s been nominated for 16 golden raspberry Awards the gold
Standard for movie awfulness you are so going to regret this for swept away she received the Razzi for worst actress and shared worst screen couple with Adriano janini please M what’s the matter don’t you want to dance with me I don’t want to dance with people I
Don’t like Madonna had a lot working against her Swept Away was a remake of a critically acclaimed 1974 film her spoiled brat rich girl character wasn’t easily likable and it was a high-profile collaboration with her then director/ hubby guy Richie oh and peee I want it cold understand not cool
Cold but her performance like the film is arguably her worst are we being punished because we’re rich is that the problem no no M number 11 Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan the 50 Shades franchise this entry isn’t going to be just one actor but two because the leads of all
Three movies are Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan seriously yes though each film has made hundreds of millions in box office receipts each film has also received biting reviews with many criticizing Johnson and doran’s lack of chemistry what happened to learning to walk before we run well that’s just one of the many things
That we can talk about over breakfast while the actors admittedly had poor Source material to work with considering the screenplays were based on novels spun-off of Twilight fanfiction it’s not like Hollywood couldn’t have taken Liberties to improve the dialogue with Christian greay coming off as a total creeper and Anastasia steel decidedly
One note is it any Wonder both Dornan and Johnson won worst actor and worst actress razis for their roles some of us like to get toite the first time bro number 10 Jaden Smith After Earth nepotism rears its head again Jaden Smith plays Kai a boy who becomes stranded on a post-apocalyptic Earth
With his father played by his real life dad Will Smith after their ship crashes Jaden lacks his father’s formidable Charisma though and following him as the film’s lead is rough given his stilted overacted unnatural performance Dad please come help me I can’t see I can’t do this myself bad please go
Forgive me Will Smith has worked with the son before in other films but their chemistry here is non-existent no Dad we I can do it and while that’s not entirely Jaden’s fault the Elder Smith’s uncharacteristically wooden performance creates a jarring contrast I take full responsibility you did your best you
Have nothing more to prove we can’t say that his acting is very good what was I supposed to do what did you want me to do number nine Mike Myers The Love Guru some times a performance is a career killer exhibit a Mike Myers in The Love Guru let’s make
Like a baby and head out his portrayal of pitka the world’s number two Guru received the exact opposite reaction of his universally loved Austin Powers character maybe it’s the stereotype heavy portrayal of Hinduism maybe it’s the barrage of little person jokes heaped on Vern troyer’s character that
Totally fall flat well how do you do shrimp what’ you call me Jago I’m sorry I didn’t catch your gnome name maybe it’s the distracting asides that don’t ever seem to produce laughs it’s hard to gauge how badly audiences disliked Mike Meyer’s performance but one thing’s for certain Studios haven’t been knocking
Each other out of the way to Star Meyers in a liveaction film what does deepo choer have that I don’t have number eight Taylor lner abduction in 2011 lner had reached heartthrob status playing Jacob in the Twilight films when Along Came abduction a John Singleton directed action thriller the film features lner’s
Star turn is Nathan Harper a young man who might not be who he thinks he is so why didn’t this profitable film produce any big budget leading man opportunities for lner I don’t know I just thought summer was summer perhaps because his performance could be described as one note and that one note
Is a vacant eyed stare and in a scene where Nathan’s parents are killed watching lner’s struggle to Wrangle up tears is painful in his review of abduction New York Post post critic Kyle Smith compared lner’s acting chaps to Bert from Sesame Street you know what’s messed
Up I never knew either one of my mothers and it’s kind of hard to disagree why do you not trust me number seven the whole cast The Last Airbender this one might hold the record for the most bad performances in a single film although performance implies that there was any
Acting happening in the first place it’s time for you to stop doing this the Avatar would have to be an airbender are you an airbender boy leave him alone in leure of any real emoting the main cast just frowned a lot and recited their lines like they were
Reading them from a teleprompter though it shouldn’t be all that surprising considering its leads had never professionally acted before and it showed Avatar deserved better especially considering the characters had already been brought to light by a Sublime voice cast in the original series when animated characters are more expressive
Than a liveaction cast you know you’ve done something horribly wrong leave him alone you’re not taking him anywhere no one is taking anybody away number six Jennifer Lopez jeie we’re filing this performance’s inclusion under collateral damage sure it wasn’t JLo’s finest hour but jie was an alltime
Stinker of course part of the reason it’s so bad is her performance you know this may be a good time to suggest that you not allow the seeds of cruel hope to sprout in your soul I don’t know what that means but it sounds beautiful Lopez seemingly sleepwalks through the film showing very
Little acting range you want to Cloud your adversary’s ability to reason thus gaining the upper hand yourself in the end Jayla received a Razzi for worst actress and she gave us a squirm inducing seduction scene with a line so bad it may have ruined Thanksgiving it’s turkey time
Huh Goble Goble ew number five Eddie Murphy Norbit this takes the idea of a oneman show to new heights in a big push for the actor Norbit Stars Eddie Murphy Eddie Murphy again and also Eddie Murphy nobody touch your old stupid seat then why full come all wed up like this then
Well you know RC you’ve been eating so much lately it’s a very strong Poss ability that the car is shrinking except it soon becomes painfully obvious that in an ensemble of just yourself there’s nowhere to hide Murphy’s shtick becomes grading in record time especially since he doesn’t commit to any of his three
Characters beyond their superficial stereotypes instead the makeup and Prosthetics do most of the heavy lifting while Murphy himself is content making the same jokes with a slightly different inflection even for a 3in1 special this unfunny perform performance still isn’t worth the price of admission I don’t we
No damn 300b I weigh 165 number four John Travolta Battlefield Earth I’m a little pressed for time why don’t you save the going away jokes for later old jokes sir I swear based on Scientologist elron huard’s 1982 novel Travolta plays Terell a giant humanoid alien in the
Year 3000 who stuck on a wasteland called Earth it is a pleasure to see you your Excellency and I would be honored to expedite your clearance through security please call me Z does all the earth look like this oh I’m afraid so sir Travolta’s performance has been
Called hammy weird over the top and just plain awful there must be some mistake the most scathing review may have come from Washington post’s Rita kempley who calls Travolta acting God awful and describes him as prancing around like a peacock at an egg roll ouch never underestimate what a little leverage can
Do rat brain number three Adam Sandler Jack and Jill stop us if you’ve heard this one before Adam Sandler gives a horrible performance in a misguided crass unfunny comedy but what sets Jack and Jill apart from the cannon of crappy Sandler roles this film gives us not one
But two awful Sandler performances are you going bald huh no no no no you’re getting fatter and your hair doesn’t realize it needs to cover more face okay so bad Sandler earned razes for worst actor and worst actress Sandler’s Jack is nothing new a somewhat goofy uncomfortable Manchild with percolating [Applause]
Anger Jill however is something else Sandler’s screechy voice twin sister is whiny needy and totally annoying and his portrayal of a woman is even less convincing than Tyler Perry’s media maybe God wouldn’t have given you a rat face if you believed in him I don’t have
A rat face yes you do have a rat face it’s scary can Jack and Jill go up the hill and never come back hey Jill can I talk to you for a second no my bags are packed and there’s nothing left to say number two Nicholas Cage the wickerman cag’s frenetic eccentric
Over-the-top style can be electric like his Oscar winning turn as an alcoholic screenwriter in Leaving Las Vegas what do you say we finish these and we go back to my apartment on the beach we’re torn when it comes to his performances Edward mlles and wickerman is there uh some church near here
Yep down the hill hey didn’t I just speak with you Miss Rose sister uh Rose no you didn’t it was number two on watch Mojo’s list of Oscar winners who sucked in other movies but it was number one in best freakouts in movies this this murder murder you all be
Guilty and you’re doing it for nothing killing me won’t bring back your goddamn honey so all that’s left to do is pay homage to one of Cage’s most memorable performan es and ask if a bunch of crazy women make you wear an enclosed bee helmet when you’re allergic
To bees wouldn’t your reaction sort of be like cages we think so what is that what is that what is it oh no not of be not of be I love my eyes my eyes before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the
Bell to get notified about our latest videos you have have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you’re on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one Tommy wio the room you know what they say love is
Blind few performances can equal the unparalleled Badness of Tommy wiso’s lead role as Johnny in the room it’s I did not hit her I did not oh hi Mark the European actor writer director of this zgrade called classic plays a man betrayed by his fiance sorry
Future wife and his best friend yet despite their betrayal wiso’s acting swings wildly between monotone disinterest and vague Amusement chicken Peter you just a little chicken ch ch ch ch chip CH every one of his choices as an actor is so strange so inappropriate for the situation that people have theorized
That wiso is acting badly on purpose you must be kidding aren’t you or that he’s an alien what a story Mark yeah you can say that again but as wrong and as inexplicable as his performance is it remains incredibly watchable and has to be seen to be believed it’ll tear you apart
Which of these performances do you love to hate let us know in the comments okay see you did you enjoy this video check out these other clips from watch Mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos
Video “Top 30 Worst Acting Performances of All Time” was uploaded on 03/10/2024 to Youtube Channel WatchMojo.com