Actors you initially wrote off as horrible who turned out to be talented

[Mike 03]

I can think of a few:

Tom Cruise, who I thought was a joke until I saw THE COLOR OF MONEY
Leonardo DiCaprio, until I saw THE AVIATOR
Josh Brolin, until I saw W.
Nicholas Cage, until I saw BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (although, he has regressed badly)
Patricia Arquette, until I saw BEYOND RANGOON
Sharon Stone, until I saw CASINO
Brad Pitt, until I saw SE7EN (although, he often sucks, I admit)
Diane Lane, until I saw UNFAITHFUL

I'm sure there are others, but I can't of them right now.

[struggle4progress]

1. Charlie Chaplin. I thought, who in their right mind is gonna do that mustache nowadays?

But that guy is seriously funny: he's gonna go places!

[Shell Beau]

2. I was embarrassed for Brad Pitt for his Troy performance.

But he is good in some things.

[siligut]

4. Andrew McCarthy

Oh wait, never mind.

How about James Spader, he really redeemed himself after playing stupid frat boys for years.

[InvisibleTouch]

56. Oddly enough, that was the only thing I really DID like him in.

He's been okay in other stuff. Just not great, IMO.

[mitchum]

3. Dennis Hopper...

I always thought he was horrible until River's Edge, but that was a fine performance.
However, he went back to his normal level of suckitude. And continues to this day.

[Shell Beau]

5. I like him in Easy Rider.

[LostinVA]

6. I think the yummo and talented Diane Lane has been good since "The Outsiders"

[bigwillq]

9. Me too.

And, yes, she is yummy! :)

[old mark]

7. I feel pretty bad about these three:

Farah Fawcett
Johnny Depp
Bruce Willis

I thought they were all just faces, no talent. I was wrong, and I'll admit it.
I do, however remember seeing a story about a movie studio exec who fired 3 contract actors because he thought they would never be worthwhile.
They were: Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, and I believe the third was James Garner. I feel better than that guy must have....

mark

[Celebration]

8. Sean Penn n/t

[Shell Beau]

12. Sean Penn? Say it ain't so.

He was wonderful in many things. Mystic River?? No?

[Mike 03]

20. Sean Penn is actually one actor I believed in ever since day one, which was probably

way back with AT CLOSE RANGE. I don't recall.

He has always chosen art over commerce, and that has been the source of contention between him and Cage.

Old friends, but there is tension between them. Cage is richer, but Penn has more awards, more respect, and I have never seen him sell out.

[Shell Beau]

25. He goes from Spicoli to Deadman Walking guy to Mystic River guy

to Harvey Milk. He has range. He is phenomenal in my mind. He was also great in 21 Grams. And sooo much more.

[Mudoria]

39. I agree.. He hit his peak as Spicoli.. been downhill ever since

[MrsMatt]

WTH - dupe post n/t

[MrsMatt]

10. One good performance does not a talented actor make

Exhibit A: Tom Cruise

Just MHO

[Shell Beau]

13. Some ranted over his Born on the 4th of July performance.

I saw the movie, but it was so long ago that I hardly remember.

[jobycom]

23. No, but he's got a string of them.

Born on the Fourth of July, Magnolia, Collateral, The Vampire Chronicles, The Color of Money, Rain Main...

He was known in Hollywood for a while as an Oscar magnet because he had so many co-stars nominated. Even now he's more respected by other actors than audiences. Since his crash, he's had some of the top names in the industry trying to bring him back, not because they can make money, but because they think he's gotten a bad rack.

He's a complete enigma--a blockbuster actor who audiences don't respect but who is highly regarded by the best in his field. I can't think of anyone else who fits all three descriptions.

[MrsMatt]

28. in rebuttal

Cocktail
Days of Thunder
Top Gun
Far & Away
and . . .
Eyes Wide Shut

I'd argue that his performance in The Vampire Chronicles was average at best.

I'll give you Collateral & The Color of Money - pleasantly surprised

[jobycom]

31. Name an actor who doesn't do a bad roll now and then. Aside from Meryl Streep. nt

[MrsMatt]

33. Let's just agree to disagree

As I find that I simply can't see Tom Cruise as a great leading man - the majority of the roles that I remember seem to be variations on a theme, i.e. Tom Cruise as . . . rather than . . . as portrayed by Tom Cruse.

I'm much more impressed with his work in Tropic Thunder as a character actor than I have been in the majority of his leading man roles.

[jobycom]

35. No fun in that.

:P

[Tangerine LaBamba]

54. See, I was looking forward to seeing his performance,

and when it came and went, I thought, "That was nothing." Actually, I was really disappointed in the movie.

But, his performance in "Magnolia" was brilliant. Outstanding. A lot of his stuff leaves me cold, but "Magnolia" was outstanding, as was his work in "Collateral Damage."

He's a lot like Jane Fonda. No matter what role he plays, you're always aware that he's Tom Cruise, and that's kind of too bad, because I think he's very talented.

Watching "Milk," though, last week, Sean Penn transported me. I saw Harvey Milk, and not Sean Penn. Amazing performance......

[Maccagirl]

34. His performance in Rain Man was his best IMHO

but you know what they say about opinions. That's when I saw what all the fuss was about.

[Ptah]

11. Peter Boyle

Not quite the question you asked, but my feelings about Peter Boyle
changed dramatically over the decades.

I first saw him in a 1970 movie named "Joe."

He played a bigoted working class 'joe.'

He hated the changes that were happening, hates the youth and their drugs, often saying, "I'd love to kill one..I'd love to kill one.."

The last scene in the movie is him shooting a hippie, that is his daughter.

He played that part so well, I hated, HATED him.

I thawed when I started watching 'Everybody Loves Raymond.'

Now I know some of his friends were Jane Fonda and Yoko Ono.

[Shell Beau]

14. My husband watches the reruns of Raymond, so, I watch them at times.

He and Doris Roberts were the glue of that show.

[Ptah]

15. It is a remarkable ensemble.

I think Brad Garrett is the star.

:hi:

[Shell Beau]

17. He does have his moments for sure!!

:)

[jobycom]

24. I think it was a great cast. Romano was probably the weakest of the bunch.

Not saying he was bad, but considering the show was named for him, it's funny that he couldn't have carried the show on his own. That was a rare, golden cast, and I agree that Boyle and Roberts made it work. They were just annoying enough to be funny but not so annoying you hated watching them. MHO.

[KittyWampus]

21. He lived around here. Nicest, salt-of-the-earth guy.

[leeroysphitz]

16. Marky Mark comes immediately to mind...

[Wapsie B]

43. Yes from Dirk Diggler on he's been a nice surprise.

[KamaAina]

18. Jim Carrey. No one breakout role, but he's slowly grown on me.

I do so wish he and the missus would zip it about the anti-vax :tinfoilhat: ery, though.

[Shell Beau]

19. Yeah, but I believe Jenny McCarthy firmly believes that.

Bella still gets her vaccinations for sure.

[Celebration]

36. Man in the Moon and The Truman Show

GREAT acting.

[Forkboy]

22. Brad Pitt was my first thought. Now I love him.

Between 7even and Snatch I have no choice.

[driver8]

49. He was great in "Snatch" -- one of my favorite characters! n/t

[jobycom]

26. I agree on Brolin. Never gave him a second glance. Denzel Washington

I thought of as overrated, too. I didn't like "Glory"--thought it lacked depth and honesty. Now I think he's one of the top five actors in Hollywood.

I'm tempted to add Will Smith, but that was when he was on television, so that's not completely fair.

[Shell Beau]

27. I have not seen Ali, Pursuit of Happiness, or Seven Pounds.

He had good reviews as an actor for those. HAve you seen any of those? If so, what did you think?


I like Will Smith. He seems like a likable guy, and his movies are pretty entertaining. Bad Boys did make me laugh a lot.

[jobycom]

30. I saw Pursuit of Happyness.

Average script, but he was very good. His kid was good in it, too, athough mostly he just acted like What impresses me, though, is how easy he plays a role, and how commanding he can be without all the posturing most actors go through to look tough. I liked "I am Legend" just because of his acting. He's always been funny and charasmatic, but he's grown beyond just being cute on screen, I think. Apparently, the Academy is beginning to think so, too.

[sammythecat]

29. Nicole Kidman

I haven't seen everything she's done, but I like her as an actress better each time I see her. The Others, and Cold Mountain come to mind right now.

I'm still waiting for Brad Pitt to turn out to be talented. I think he has zero range and expression as an actor. He was an absolute statue in Seven Years in Tibet.

[astral]

38. Nicole Kidman was what I was going to say!

Now what was the name of that movie, I finally saw this year, oh yeah, the Stepford Wives!

She really can put her heart and soul into acting after all.

[sammythecat]

44. Yeah, I agree.

I underestimated her. I thought she was just a pretty face married to Tom Cruise.

I haven't seen The Stepford Wives yet but I saw a few of her movies last year and was impressed.

[DU GrovelBot]

32. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

This week is our second quarter 2009 fund drive.
Donate and you'll be automatically entered into our daily contest.
New prizes daily!



No purchase or donation necessary. Void where prohibited. Click here for more information.

[Vidar]

37. Farrah Fawcett, Jessica Lange (asking King Kong, "What's your sign?")

[sarge43]

40. Heath Ledger started off as just another pretty boy.

He sure didn't leave as one. What a waste. If he grew that much as an actor in a few years, what he would have been in another ten.

[nuxvomica]

42. I was about to post about Ledger, too

I couldn't get through that anachronistic medieval movie he made but when I saw him in "The Brothers Grimm" I was amazed how much he did with such a sketchily written part. He stole the movie. And then Brokeback... well what more can be said that hasn't been said already? Yeah, what a waste.

[driver8]

48. I watched "Brokeback Mountain" last week..., he was amazing!

A very talented actor, for sure.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

55. I had no idea who he was,

and then I saw a movie on TV about a young priest and some creatures from the dead, or something like that, and the kid playing the young priest was spellbinding. I couldn't take my eyes off him, and it wasn't because he was good-looking. Nope. He had an irresistible charisma, that something that just draws you in.

The movie was "The Order," and the young man was Heath Ledger.

It's so sad that he died. Have you seen photos of his daughter? She looks exactly like her father............

[Moondog]

41. Johnny Depp

until I saw The Ninth Gate. Couldn't take the guy in whatever TV role he used to be in. Much better as a film actor.

[Name removed]

45. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PBS Poll-435]

46. Phillip Seymour Hoffman

:-)

[deucemagnet]

47. Jamie Foxx

He did some cringe-worthy comedy early in his career, but he emerged as quite a talented actor.

[BlueIris]

50. Hilary Swank. Her "90210" days are sick-making. But "Boys Don't Cry" is possibly

the most powerful film I've ever seen.

[blondeatlast]

51. Lisa Kudrow. nt

[stewartcolbert08]

52. Natalie Portman

[Critters2]

53. Tom Hanks. I think all the good work he's done has mostly been an effort

to wipe "Bosom Buddies" from our collective memory.