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Bad actors who gave great performances


Quite an interesting topic I think, most bad actors have at least one film or series where they actually stepped up to the plate and delivered.

For me it’s Stephen Baldwin in The Usual Suspects, the guy is absolutely terrible in everything else he’s ever been in but for one film and one film only he delivered a great performance.

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Temuera Morrison - Once Were Warriors

John Heard - Cutter’s Way

Whilst these two are by no means bad actors they’ve never come close to the potential they showed in those two performances

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OH MY GOD...CUTTER'S WAY...THE HOME ALONE DAD IS SO AWESOME IN THAT...AND ALMOST NOTHING ELSE AFTER.

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The home alone dad is amazing in it, I can’t believe he never got no great meaty roles after that, Jeff Bridges has had an amazing career whereas the man who blew him off the screen in That film went on to ditch Macauley culkin in two films

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YEAH...I RECENTLY SAW CUTTER'S WAY FOR THE FIRST TIME AND HAD THAT EXACT SAME THOUGHT.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator.

Prior to that he was considered a bad actor with a strong German accent. The role was perfect for him.

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He’d done Conan the Barbarian before that which was also perfect casting

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He had the look, but I doubt that critics considered Conan to be serious acting. Terminator was a backhanded compliment by them since he barely spoke and played a semi-robot.

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Another one I’d mention is Paul Walker in Running Scared

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He has a lot of good movies, including 8 Below and Joy Ride.

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Everyone knocks Keanu in Dracula but I think he did well in it and is not so great in other films. His wooden acting suits the character in Dracula.

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Keanu was really good in The Gift as the wife beating redneck, I didn’t know he had that in him

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I don't think I've seen that one I'll look it up.

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Casting Keanu Reeves in Dracula and Much Ado About Nothing was.... a choice. Attempts at studios trying to be more relevant, but then you have an actor that sounds like he's going to break into his Bill and Ted character and go "Dude!" right after "Thou art."

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True. I felt the same when I watched Matthew Broderick in "Glory" (1989) where he plays a Union Officer during the American Civil War. He does a decent job but sometimes he comes across as Ferris Bueller playing soldier.

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I liked that movie. I don't remember thinking that, but it was a while ago.

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I like it too, he just has some moments especially earlier on in the film where you can see his previous naughty boy characters coming through. He does however look a lot like the man he plays in the film. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Gould_Shaw

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Haha!

I'll have to rewatch Glory, I haven't seen it in years.

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Jean-Claude Van Damme - JCVD

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