Are there any actors who are REALLY box office poison?

I remember Ewan MacGregor being quite high on such a list not too long ago, but he doesn't do much these days, supporting your point.

The problem with the phrase is that it's inherently subjective. One could easily call Depp poison, as he hasn't had a non-Pirate hit in six years (even the last Pirates film was five years ago), but continued to be very well compensated for his time and energy. However, you have to wonder if his flops would even have gotten half the numbers they did without him. Even he, seemingly, isn't getting as much non-sequel work these days, so that supports your point about chances being taken away. That being said, I imagine he's got bigger worries today.

Mel Gibson is a good example of someone who seems to actively repel audiences, with the numbers he's pulled since returning to acting making Arnie's return look like a roaring success, in comparison.

Shut it, Love Actually! Do you want me to hole punch your face?

Mel Gibson is actually a great example to suggest that there is such a thing as an actor so repellent people actively stay away. Ewan McGregor is a bit like of other British actors who began as "actors" and then stumbled into being a movie star. His recent work is more character-actor-y and his performances are all the better for it. He's been doing some of his best work since the 90s, same with Jude Law.

Skipping page long posts for over a year now.

But a lot of the movies Mel has done lately have been either pretty low budget or not really depending on him to pull in the numbers. The Beaver, Get the Gringo and Machete Kills were all movies that were never going to be big. Before those he did Edge of Darkness, which had a budget of about 80 milliond dollars, but I don't recall if there was any active buzz around that one. Ex3 was on Stallone and co. more than Mel.

Arnold on the other hand has more actively tried to continue from where he left off with T3, but it hasn't worked out so well yet.

I don't recall if there was any active buzz around that one.

It was treated, and promoted, as Mel's big comeback, if I recall correctly. Given the slot it was released in, I do think the aim was similar numbers to Taken, or an inflation adjusted Payback, and I do recall that it's numbers were seen as incredibly disappointing, all things considered.

Edge of Darkness is likely one of the big reasons he's been in small pictures since then.

Shut it, Love Actually! Do you want me to hole punch your face?

It was a 80 million released ultra wide (over 3000 theater at that time) by a major studio, arguably he actively turned some potential audience away with how he handled the press junket.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PjWVUWlJDo

Maybe that a movie like Get the Gringo, would have find a distributor if Gibson was not considered a box office poison at the time.

I just came here to say Mel Gibson.

Anyone involved in something crazy like Mel is likely to repel audiences.

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I think after November, Mel Gibsons fortunes with people might change significantly.

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has Ewan had a box office hit outside of Star Wars? he's done loads of flops that I can think of