Sometimes we tend to forget that, as good as they are, actors are only human beings like ourselves. They can make mistakes, and even the best in the business can have their bad days at acting. Some movie roles they played are hilariously awful that it's fun to look at and can be easily forgiven. But others can be straight-up awful that could damage their reputation, and sometimes can even cost their whole careers, which has happened to a lot of young breakout stars. The reasons can vary, from bad scriptwriting to lousy character development, or maybe they just got up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.
That being said, let's take a look at some notoriously bad roles that famous actors have taken (and failed miserably), and decide for yourself if they really deserve the backlashes.
#1 Jared Leto - Morbius
Source: IMDb
Jared Leto's acting career has its ups and downs, with some good and bad movies, and then there is Morbius. Although there weren't much expectation in the first place, Morbius is still deemed by fans as one of the worst
Marvel movies ever, and Leto's subpar acting as the main character is the final straw. It seems like the American actor and superhero roles are just not made for each other, especially after his disastrous performance as Joker in Suicide Squad back in 2016.
#2 Anne Hathaway - The Witches
Source: HBO Max
One's got to admit, Anne Hathaway is one of the best actress in the world, but not every role she played is a memorable one, and The Witches is a perfect example. The movie itself was so bad, and the fact that the actress got to publicly apologize to the audience for the disability potrayal in the movie didn't save it from being a box office disaster.
#3 Adam Sandler - Jack & Jill
Source: HBO Max
Adam Sandler is known for his goofy, wacky comedy movies that are not very well-loved by critics but still attract a lot of fans who want a good laugh to the theater. Until Jack and Jill, that is. The movie sweeps the Razzies in 2012 with a record-breaking 12 awards and even got his own fanbase to turn against him at some point. It took a while after for Sandler to win his audience back after the Jack and Jill catastrophe.
#4 Halle Berry - Catwoman
Source: Warner Bros
The Oscar curse strikes again, this time with Halle Berry as its victim. After her excellent acting in Monster Ball, the former model chose Catwoman as her next big role, and her career started going downhill from there. The movie was a complete flop, and Halle Berry earned herself a Razzie for her lackluster purr-formance.
#5 Taylor Lautner - Abduction
Source: IMDb
Despite its controversies, The Twilight was still a massive hit in the 2010s and became the perfect launchpad for some breakout stars, including Taylor Lautner. Being considered one of the best stars in the show as Jacob, Lautner took the main role in Abduction (2011) with a lot of expectations. Unfortunately, the movie was completely underwhelming, and the young actor's career took a deep dive after this.
#6 LeBron James - Space Jam: A New Legacy
Source: Warner Bros
Being the sequel to its 1996 predecessor, Space Jam: A New Legacy has once again proven that basketball players and good actors should not be in the same sentence. Lebron James's stiff and clumsy acting has been heavily criticized by not only the critics but also the audience who absolutely loves the prequel. But at least, now King James got another trophy to put in his glorious cabinet, the Golden Raspberry.
#7 Idris Elba - Cats
Source: Universal Pictures
You don't need to wait until Cats hit the box office to know it's going to be the flop of the year. The haunting CGI, the cursed character design, and the actor's performances, all of them spelled disaster. Idris Elba didn't even perform that badly, but his character, Macavity, is an absolutely creepy mess that he wouldn't want to remember for the rest of his life.
#8 Robert Downey Jr - Dolittle
Source: Karwai Tang/Gettyimage
Despite having a gigantic cast role with a lot of big names, led by Robert Downey Jr, Dolittle is still a disappointing mess, having received only 16% freshness on Rotten Tomatoes. The sloppy writing, lack-of-personality characters, and Dolittle's dull animal jokes couldn't save the film from failure. After finishing his contract with Marvel, it seems that the American actor is still struggling to get out of Iron Man's prominent shadow casted over his career.
#9 Will Smith -Gemini Man
Source: Skydance and Paramount
Sometimes, even an acting powerhouse like Will Smith cannot avoid a blooper performance, and that is what happened with Gemini Man. His acting as Henry Brogan was unbelievably corny for an experienced killer, and the movie fell flat, with the only saving point being his CGI-created younger self. However, Gemini Man's failure barely put a dent on Will Smith's glorious career, and he quickly bounced back to the top afterwards.
Source: IMDb
Following his father's footsteps into the
Entertainment industry, Jaden Smith was once considered one of the biggest breakout stars in Hollywood. After The Karate Kid's success, he took the lead role in the movie After Earth along with his father Will Smith. Needless to say, the movie wasn't as successful as expected, and Jaden slowly stepped away from the industry to focus on his music career.
Which movie role is the worst you can think of? Do they deserve the critics? Let us know in the comments below.