Movies So Bad They Almost Destroyed Actors’ Careers
There are many actors who've made bad films here and there, but for some, one bad movie can ruin their career. Keep reading to learn about movies that were so bad that they destroyed (or at least sidelined) the careers of famous actors.
Vin Diesel Tried His Hand At Babysitting
Vin Diesel made his career by being a buffed-up action star, so when he signed onto the family comedy, The Pacifier, it didn't make sense. Diesel played a U.S. Navy SEAL working undercover, who ends up taking care of five kids. It appears that casting chose him for the role because of the irony: a muscle man on bottle duty. But, the joke was on them, because it was exactly that. It doesn't work.
The film received an average rating of 3 on Rotten Tomatoes. Parents posting their reviews said their kids were bored. One said, "I did not laugh once. Vin Diesel just can't do kid movies." Agreed. We'd rather see him behind the wheel of a fast car. Next!
Alicia Silverstone Was Nominated For A Razzie For Excess Baggage
Alicia Silverstone was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet following the surprise hit Clueless. She decided to follow up that leading lady role with the action-thriller Excess Baggage. The movie, which also starred Benicio Del Toro, was a complete disaster.
From a boring plotline to cliche writing, audiences weren't willing to rely on Silverstone's looks to carry the film. The movie and Silverstone were nominated for Razzie awards, leading to the end of her quickly failed A-list status.
Cuba Gooding Jr. Struggled After Boat Trip
Cuba Gooding Jr. is most-known for his Academy-Award winning role in 1996's box office hit Jerry Maguire (his signature line being, "Show me the money!"). But even though he's appeared in over 30 films, his status in Hollywood dropped tremendously after appearing in 2002's Boat Trip.
The film was awful and definitely one an Oscar winner should have never agreed to do. Only desperate up-and-coming actors appear in films like that. Gooding struggled for years to make a comeback and was marginally successful only recently. He appeared on the TV shows American Horror Story in 2016 and as O.J. Simpson in American Crime Story.
Shaq Flopped On The Big Screen
In 1996, professional basketball player Shaquille O'Neal starred as a 5,000-year-old genie in the film Kazaam. The film was an absolute flop, receiving a 6% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 33 reviews and a 24 out of 100 in Metacritic.
Roger Ebert went on to state that "Shaq has already proven that he can't act from the 1994 film Blue Chips" and that his performance in Kazaam just reinforced it. Although he often gets made fun of for his role in the film, he doesn't have a problem letting people know he made $7 million just from being in a kids movie and that he's also one of the best basketball players of all time.
Mark Hamill's Typecasting Problem
When Mark Hamill was cast in George Lucas' highly successful franchise, he had practically zero acting experience. Even though it's one of history's most celebrated franchises, Hamill was known for nothing else (compared to co-stars Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher). Ford was able to reinvent himself as Indiana Jones and other characters, while Hamill was typecast.
He made up for it with the various voice roles he played in the coming years (and there have been numerous) and had some small parts in the '90s. In 2015, he reprised Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He also starred in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Critics Hated Abduction
After the success of the Twilight saga, Taylor Lautner was one of the most popular Hollywood heartthrobs in show business. He was anticipated to become a breakout star and earned the role starring in the action film Abduction.
Unfortunately, the film was torn apart by the critics and not well received even by Lautner's die-hard fans. The movie did so bad that Lautner had trouble keeping up his reputation and even had to resort to acting in Adam Sandler films such as Grown Ups 2 and The Ridiculous 6 in order to stay afloat.
Chris O'Donnell Struggled Following Batman & Robin
Chris O'Donnell's career was on the upswing when he landed the role of Dick Grayson in Batman Forever. A few years earlier, he'd received a Golden Globe nomination for Scent of a Woman. The superhero film performed well at the box office, yet its sequel, 1997's Batman & Robin, was panned by critics.
While George Clooney managed to rebound without too much trouble, O'Donnell didn't have quite as much luck. He struggled for years to get back on track and appeared in various TV shows. In 2009, 12 long years later, he finally found his groove on NCIS: Los Angeles.
Topher Grace In Spider-Man 3
Tobey Maguire's version of Spider-Man was a big hit when the first one hit theaters. It became popular enough for the franchise to make two more. And in the third one, Spider-Man's biggest villain finally came to the screen, Venom. The evil web-slinger was played by Topher Grace who you may know from That 70's Show.
When the movie came out, it wasn't as great as it was projected to be. How was it that, the biggest Spider-Man villain flopped when the other two films did so well? It was a long while before we saw Grace in a lead role.
Showgirls Was Elizabeth Berkley's Undoing
Elizabeth Berkley charmed tweens in the late '80s and early '90s as Jesse Spano on the much-loved TV series Saved By The Bell. Her co-stars Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar went on to have somewhat successful careers, but Berkley's career was cut short following a risky role.
She made a big mistake when she took the role of an exotic dancer in director Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls in 1995. She spent quite a bit of screen time in the buff and gave a horrible, much-maligned performance that kept casting agents far, far away from her. She resorted to small roles in subsequent years but never fully regained her footing.
Ben Affleck Should Not Have Starred Alongside Jennifer Lopez In Gigli
Ben Affleck had a pretty varied career by the time he appeared in Gigli. He had a few missteps (Pearl Harbor and Daredevil) but also some big hits (Good Will Hunting and Armageddon — the first of which landed him an Oscar before the age of 25). Then he decided to star in a film with his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez.
People hated the project. And while it seemed like the movie should have been a career ender, Affleck managed to rebound. In 2012, he directed and starred in Argo, which won three Oscars. Gone Girl was also great, but his stint as Batman has received mixed reactions.
Jake Lloyd Received Major Fan Backlash Following The Phantom Menace
Jake Lloyd was still a small boy when he was cast in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 1999. Yet, he had appeared in a few other projects beforehand, including Jingle All the Way opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Lloyd had to live up to huge fan expectations and ultimately disappointed moviegoers. His portrayal of a young Darth Vader was panned by fans and critics alike. After the film's release, Lloyd did some voice work but quit acting completely. He was bullied at school and was the target of fan backlash. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2015 and arrested for reckless driving.
Mike Myers' Love Guru Was No Laughing Matter
Mike Myers is known for his incredibly popular franchises Wayne's World, Austin Powers, and Shrek. He was hugely popular in the '90s and early '00s, but his popularity tanked after he made a poor career decision by creating The Love Guru in 2008. It centers on a guy named Pitka who tries to launch a self-help business.
The movie failed to resonate with both moviegoers and critics, and since Myers was also the writer and producer, he was responsible for it all. While he made a cameo in Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, the best he could manage afterward was voicing Shrek in several animated shorts.
Freddy Got Fingered Destroyed Tom Green's Career
Tom Green was a magnet for the absurd when he starred in the MTV series The Tom Green Show in 1999. He followed it up with small roles in films such as Superstar, Road Trip, and Charlie's Angels, but everything went downhill after he made the astonishingly horrible 2001 film Freddy Got Fingered.
Green co-wrote and starred in the film, which featured a variety of tasteless gags. No one went to see it, and the critics who were forced to lambasted it. He struggled to find his place following the flop.
Sean Connery's Final Film Was A "Hot Mess"
Sean Connery will always come to mind when you think of James Bond. But whatever happened to one of the most iconic 007s on the big screen? He also won an Academy Award in 1987 for his role in crime drama The Untouchables.
Yet, his career seemed to disappear without a trace. In 2003, he starred in the film The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, which took place in a fantastical Victorian-era world. It was lambasted by critics, including Roger Ebert, who called it "a mess." It was Connery's final film (and not a good one to end on). It was also Stephen Norrington's last directing gig.
John Travolta Took A Big Hit After Making A Scientology-Inspired Film
John Travolta saw a career resurgence after Quentin Tarantino cast him in Pulp Fiction. Yet, all that hard work was destroyed when the Scientologist starred in Battlefield Earth in 2000. The film was based on the first half of L. Ron Hubbard's 1982 novel of the same name.
Critics hated the film, which did poorly at the box office. It even bankrupted the production company. Travolta spent years trying to get his mojo back by appearing in a string of unmemorable films. He's worked steadily and did receive some attention for his role as Robert Shapiro in the 2015 TV series American Crime Story.
Halle Berry Had To Claw Her Way Up After Catwoman
In 2001, Halle Berry received an Oscar for her role in the film Monster's Ball. She also made a splash in X-Men and Die Another Day. Yet she miscalculated when she appeared in 2004's Catwoman.
Even though she was a beautiful and sexy woman, the movie was terrible, and she didn't have what it takes to embody the character. She was awarded a Razzie for Worst Actress and struggled to claw her way back up the Hollywood ladder. She appeared in multiple films, but few were memorable. She resorted to TV in 2014 by appearing in Extant and starred in 2017's Kidnap, which didn't perform well at the box office.
Tank Girl Tanked Lori Petty's Career
Lori Petty gained popularity in films such as Point Break, A League of Their Own and Free Willy, but her decision to star in 1995's post-apocalyptic comedy Tank Girl was her undoing. It was the first time she led a film, which centered on Tank Girl, who battled a huge corporation that controlled the planet's water supply. The film failed to impress and cost $21 million to make.
Petty struggled to make a mark in the industry in the years following, appearing in films and TV shows here in there. In 2014, she had a memorable role in Netflix's Orange Is The New Black.
Hayden Christensen's Character In Star Wars Wasn't A Fan Favorite
Hayden Christensen had a few films under his belt when he starred in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. He'd even received a Golden Globe nomination for Life as a House.
Yet when he joined the franchise there were many complaints about his whiny character. Everybody hated him. After he appeared in Revenge of the Sith, his (and the director's) career stalled. He's appeared in a few films since, such as Jumper and American Heist, but it appears like casting directors can't get his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker out of their minds. Still, he has two films in post-production for 2018.
Chris Kattan's Corky Romano Was A Total Failure
Many Saturday Night Live alum have transitioned from the show to successful careers. The most popular ones are often given the opportunities to become big stars (or at least talk show hosts, such as Jimmy Fallon). Chris Kattan was still featured on SNL when he landed the lead role in 2001's Corky Romano.
Yet, he was not the next Adam Sandler by a long shot. Audiences hated the film, which essentially prevented Kattan from launching a successful movie career. He appeared in a few forgetful films and also concentrated on some voice acting after leaving SNL, but he's largely disappeared from the public's eye.
Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio Has A Zero Percent Rating On Rotten Tomatoes
Audiences fell in love with Italian actor/director Roberto Benigni after he won an Academy Award for his Holocaust drama Life is Beautiful in 1997. Fans waited five years for Benigni to return with a project; unfortunately, they were sorely disappointed.
The 2002 live-action adaptation of Pinnochio didn't deliver. It's always bad news when screenings aren't released to the press in advance. The film received a zero percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. He's directed only one film since, The Tiger and the Snow, which he also starred in. He also appeared in Woody Allen's To Rome With Love — but that's it.
Son Of The Mask Didn't Work In Jamie Kennedy's Favor
Jamie Kennedy appeared in a string of films in the '90s and '00s, including three Scream films, Malibu's Most Wanted and Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Then someone decided to make a sequel to Jim Carrey's The Mask, titled Son of the Mask, starring Kennedy.
While the actor was funny in small doses, it was impossible for him to make the film work. The visual effects were awful, and the screenplay wasn't good either. The project pretty much ruined his career. However, he landed a reoccurring role in the show Ghost Whisperer and later voiced a role on The Cleveland Show.
Brandon Routh's Portrayal As Superman Was Mediocre At Best
Brandon Routh had a strong resume before he was cast as Clark Kent in 2006's Superman Returns. He had appeared in several TV shows and was a good looking guy. He had nowhere to go but up. Yet, comic book fans were less than impressed with the movie.
While it did rather well at the box office, and Routh won a Saturn Award for his role, his wooden acting was criticized by many. The star had trouble finding work following its release. He appeared in a few short-lived TV series before settling as Ray Palmer/The Atom in Arrow and Legends Of Tomorrow.
Rollerball Was A Bad Decision For Chris Klein
Chris Klein charmed moviegoers in Election, co-starring Reese Witherspoon, and the American Pie franchise. His mistake was taking a lead role in 2002's Rollerball. He probably should have saved his first starring role for a film that had a bit more to it instead of wasting it on such a bad film (it only received 3 percent on Rotten Tomatoes).
Klein's career stalled following the film. He managed to land bit parts in several movies, but he never seemed to hit his stride.
Cutthroat Island Cost Geena Davis Her Marriage & Nearly Her Career
Geena Davis made an impact in the late '80s and early '90s with films such as The Fly, Beetlejuice,and Thelma and Louise. Yet, she made a bad decision by appearing in pirate action-adventure film Cutthroat Island in 1995. The movie is widely considered one of the biggest flops in film history.
It was produced by Carolco Pictures, which later declared bankruptcy. It led to her divorce from the film's director, Renny Harlin, and kept casting agents away for years. She appeared in a couple of TV shows, including Commander in Chief, and a few films here and there but has generally remained under the radar.
In Case You Didn't Know, Scarlett Johansson Is Not Japanese
An ongoing problem in Hollywood seems to be casting white actors for the roles of people of a different race. That's exactly what happened when Scarlett Johansson was cast as Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell. Many critics pointed out the poor casting choice when the film was released.
Media Action Network for Asian Americans was furious when Johansson said in a Good Morning America interview that she didn't think she was playing a Japanese role and she "would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously." Clearly, Johansson's interviews after the film didn't help her career either.
Will Smith In After Earth
One of Will Smith's most forgettable performances, After Earth was more of a Jaden Smith film. Will was forced to sit out the majority of the adventure as he tried to direct his son remotely after crashlanding on a desolate future Earth. The formula of father-son for these two seemed to work in the past, but this film was a huge flop.
As a result, we didn't see Will nor his son Jaden in any films for a while. It took two years for Will to make it back on the big screen when he played in the movie Concussion.
Bruce Willis in Precious Cargo
Bruce Willis is another actor that we know has the chops but maybe doesn't want to throw himself into a role anymore. His portrayal of Eddie in Precious Cargo didn't pass muster, as the entire audience was bored with his flat performance.
Film critic Roger Ebert's website gave the film just one star, describing the film "forgettable" and accusing the production team of probably accepting the first take in all of Willis' scenes. Ouch.
Charlie Hunnam Shouldn't Have Pulled The Sword From The Stone
We don't want to jump too far ahead of ourselves but King Arthur: Legend of the Sword could very well be the undoing of Charlie Hunnam. Following his hugely successful run as the star on Sons Of Anarchy, Hunnam signed on to place the role of King Arthur in a retelling of the popular story.
Despite some special effects, the storyline never really resonated with audiences and Hunnam wasn't able to prove he could hold up a blockbuster movie on his own. His remake of the 1973 classic Papillon also failed to score with critics, landing a 63% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
The Beautician And The Beast
Fran Drescher was hot off the heels of the hit TV show, The Nanny when she decided to make the leap over to the big screen. Her first leading lady role would quickly be her last. Drescher chose to star in The Beautician And The Beast.
The move was pretty much universally panned by critics and it failed to draw a large audience at the box office. Maybe her voice just didn't carry over to loud movie speakers or perhaps it was the horribly written movie script and the lousy acting that led to her undoing.
Swept Away Definitely Swept Away Madonna's Acting Career
In 1996, Madonna proved she could hold her own in a musical when she appeared in the hit movie Evita. In 2002, she wanted to prove she was big screen material for the second time and she chose the Guy Ritchie directed film Swept Away.
Critics despised the film and it completely flopped at the box office. Madonna quickly threw in the towel on her movie career and stuck to constant touring. She is still one of the highest paid musicians in the world so really everyone from audiences to music lovers won with her choice.
'I Know Who Killed Me' Killed Lindsay Lohan's Career
Lindsay Lohan seemed to do no wrong at the start of her career. With blockbuster hits like Parent Trap and Mean Girls, Lohan was on top of the world. Then she started partying too hard, dating the wrong people, and choosing the wrong movie roles.
After she appeared in the horrible I Know Who Killed Me, her roles started to thin out. We can't blame only the movie on her downward spiral, her crappy attitude and constant run-ins with the law didn't help her move forward as an A-list actress.
Biodome Destroyed Pauly Shore's Rising Star
Pauly Shore proved he could carry a movie after starring in the surprisingly successful movies, Encino Man, Son-in-Law, and In The Army Now. He was a regular guest appearance on MTV's Spring Break specials and his standup routinely sold out theaters all over the United States.
In the mid-1990s he starred in Bio-Dome, the type of movie that proves even the biggest stars on the planet can end up as B-list actors because of a single misstep. Pauly Shore is still around but no longer starring in blockbuster movies.
Woo That Was A Bad Decision For Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith was finding incredible success in the 1990s but suddenly hit a brick wall with a leading role in the critically panned movie Woo. The movie's script was atrocious, her character was unlikeable and the entire plotline was unbelievable.
After her leading role in Woo she continued to work but A-list leading lady roles on the big screen seemed completely out of reach. She eventually earned some long overdue respect for her turn in Hawthorne. She's also married to Will Smith so she wins regardless of which movie roles she takes.
Charlie Chaplin In The Great Dictator (It Was Not Such A Great Idea)
In Charlie Chaplin's final major motion picture in America, he parodied Adolf Hitler in the movie, The Great Dictator. At the end of the film, he broke from his character to deliver a 5-minute dialogue that broke down the fourth wall by talking directly to the audience.
Chaplin pleaded for everyone to stand up against war and fascism. His career soon turned political and a series of accusations from the FBI mixed with personal scandals and a movie that was not well received led to Chaplin's ultimate undoing. When Monsieur Verdoux debuted it was met with a chorus of boos. Chaplin left the United States in 1952 and only returned in 1972 to receive an honorary Academy Award.
Thomas C. Howell Went Straight To DVD
Thomas C. Howel is an actor and director that was best known for his acting in films such as The Outsiders, The Hitcher, Red Dawn, and others in his teens. However, when he took the role in the film Soul Man, it almost ended his career entirely.
The 1986 film was about Howell, who stars as a white student that pretends to be black in order to receive a scholarship. The film was horribly received, and Howell ended up acting in straight-to-DVD action films for the next 15 years. However, Howell stated that he did not regret making the film because it had an important message.
Imagine That, A Movie Killed Eddie Murphy's A-List Career
Eddie Murphy helped movie studios earn billions of dollars thanks to massive hits such as Beverly Hills Cop and the Doctor Doolittle franchise. For years he was heralded as one of the funniest men on the planet. That changed when Murphy attempted to bring laughter to the movie Imagine That.
Critics hated the movie and so did many of his loyal fans. Years later and Murphy hasn't been able to land an A-list type role for a major blockbuster. He may have stepped away on his own but this movie didn't do him any favors with casting agents.
Rebecca Gayheart in Jawbreaker
Rebecca Gayheart made a name for herself in the 1990s with slasher films such asScream 2 and Urban legends. She also jumped into television drama when she was on Beverly Hills, and 90210, which built up her fanbase.
Eventually, she went back to making films and acted in the dark comedy Jawbreaker. The film was not the smashing success that Gayheart wanted and her career paid for it. Since the film's failure, she hasn't had much luck with anything else, and it looks like she had reached her peak back in the 90s.
Justin Chatwin in Dragonball: Evolution
Justin Chatwin is a Canadian actor, that is best known for his role in the film War of the Worlds, The Invisible, and the Showtime series Shameless. However, in 2009, he made the horrible mistake of taking the lead role in the film Dragonball: Evolution.
The film was ripped apart by fans and critics alike and even Chatwin's involvement in the film put him in a precarious situation. It is considered to be the worst adaptation of anime and comics of all time and is now it is used as a comparison for the definition of a terrible movie. Luckily, Chatwin wasn't all to blame for its failure and he eventually got back on his feet after the film.
Chris Klein in Rollerball
Chris Klein came into popularity in for playing the role of a sensitive jock in the films Election and American Pie. He then went on to act in a few romantic comedies until he thought it would be a good idea to act in the film Rollerball with LL Cool J. Needless to say, the film was an absolute disaster, and is one of the costliest box office bombs of all time.
After this, Klein didn't get much work except for Mel Gibson's We Were Soldiers and another movie The United States of Iceland. Unfortunately, Klein's acting career kind of fell apart after that.
Seann William Scott Movie 43
Seann William Scott is best known for his role of Steve Stiffler in the American Pie franchise and other comedy roles such as Goon, Road Trip, Dude Where's My Car, Role Models and more.
However, his involvement in the film Movie 43 seriously ended up hurting his acting career and put him at the bottom of the audition list for the years to follow. Now, he's doing voiceovers for the Ice Age films in order to stay in the industry and maybe have an opportunity to redeem himself and prove that he's better than Movie 43.
Nicholas Cage in Bangkok Dangerous
Although Nicholas Cage is no stranger to putting out horribly reviewed films or straight-to-DVD movies, it's hard to ignore the success he has also had in the past. Nonetheless, in 2008, Cage came out with a film that actually almost ended his career for good.
Even after The Wicker Man and Ghost Rider, the movie Bangkok Dangerous is considered to be his worst of all time. It received a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and is described as having "murky cinematography, meandering pace, a dull storyline, and rather wooden performances."
Neve Campbell in Wild Things
During the 1990s, Neve Campbell was a hit actress. She is best known for her work in the Golden Globe-winning series Party of Five, and also in Scream and Scream 2, which won here two consecutive MTV Movie Awards.Yet, for the film Wild Things, Campbell changed up her typical good girl character and got down and dirty (and basically naked) in order to make the thriller happen.
Although the reviews were mixed, and any criticism wasn't necessarily directed at Campbell, her performance and actions in the film are still discussed this day. Since, she has made less than impressive films, with her biggest role being in House of Cards in 2016.
