8 Actors That Were So Bad They Had To Quit Movies

[@chamlo11]

The title is somewhat deceving. In most cases, there weren't "bad actors," but they bombed in a film (or starred in a film that bombed), resulting in a career drought. One bomb does not a "bad actor" make.

[@WhyNot-xt7qi]

And by the end of the list it was just actors who left one particular role. This doesn’t seem to be a very consistent list or accurate to the title.

[@yohannbiimu]

I totally agree. Many fine and even great actors had poor film performances that didn't end their careers. I know in the case of Greta Garbo that she's regarded as one of the best film actresses of all time, and "Two-Faced Woman" was an aberration out of many of her highly successful films. By 1942 she had grown tired of filmmaking and either rejected roles or movies she agreed to fell through. By the 1950s she had completely retired from films.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

While I would normally say Maggie Gyllenhaal acts circles around Katie Holmes, I don't think her Rachel performance was any stronger in the Dark Knight. Maybe it was just a poorly developed character.

[@theravyneffect3610]

I think Rachel had even less character in Dark Knight than in Batman Begins. Her whole arc in that movie was about which guy she's going to be with, whereas at least in Batman Begins she had autonomy as a character and affected the actual development of Bruce.

[@Luciphell]

@@theravyneffect3610 Exactly. Her arc and purpose were complete in the first film. Her character was lucky to have one last use to justify bringing her back. Otherwise, she easily could have been written out of The Dark Knight and nothing would have been lost.

[@carastone3473]

I agree. Rachel just wasn’t a compelling character and neither actress had any chemistry with Christian Bale. 🤷‍♀️

[@TheMpo1986]

She was simply a filler character. A sympathetic female to give the movie emotion and a "message".

[@milesforman]

Kattie Holmes was destroyed by her marriage to Tom Cruise. She was forbidden to take the role.

[@tavo7465]

no, she sucked

[@btothekfromg5973]

And even that is not really the case... it is true her marriage did her no favors, but it was her will to exit because she wasn't a fan of the Script... Officially the dark knight was too dark for her taste. If you ask me (and this is pure speculation) she didn't like the fact her role was to die.

[@st.anselmsfire3547]

Switching Ed Harris in for Dennis Hopper was a good idea for The Truman Show. Ed Harris gave Christoph that perfect mix of sociopathy and mystery that very few actors could pull off.

[@MichaelJohnson-kq7qg]

Halfway through the first actor and I've already realized the title was bullshit, since High Grant didn't quit movies... And it was the movie that was bad, not his performance.

[@Josh-g1h9n]

I can't believe Ed Harris has never been nominated for an academy award unbelievable

[@briano6115]

Also of note, sidelining Ron Perlman from the Hellboy franchise was the dumbest move in film history since killing off Carrie Henn from furthering Alien 3. ( in my opinion :)

[@stormcry8202]

I remember going to see Alien 3 in the theatre, and I hated so much of it. Killing off Newt and Hicks was a terrible idea. It invalidated all the struggle from Aliens to make us care about them and keep them alive. Then to have Ripley die at the end, just sucked.

[@Ken-n1h]

Alien 3 made you hate Riley. At least that’s how I felt

[@stormcry8202]

@@Ken-n1h Ripley in Alien: Resurrection was fun at least. I didn't mind that one, and it did wash the fetid aftertaste of Alien 3 out of my mouth. I saw that one in the theatre a few times.

[@wyldhowl2821]

Wasn't even a point in remaking Hellboy, but of course trying telling the studio that. Still not half the abomination that the remade Conan The Barbarian was.

[@TheDaviesCR]

Your opinion is unreasonable. Carrie Henn had chosen to quit acting before Alien 3 was made.

[@YouLousyKids]

I actually loved Katie Holmes' performance in Batman Begins. I don't know if people brought preconceptions from her previous roles (which I never watched) and were giving a dim view of her. I love their confrontation in the car when he reveals the gun. And Maggie may be a better actress but I found her less charming.

[@carastone3473]

I didn’t find either of them great in the role. I think the character just wasn’t well written.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

I felt that myself - in fact, I actually liked Katie Holmes' version better than Maggie Gyllenhaal's.

[@rgmusicom]

Why TF would they have an American playing a Scot when there are so many Scottish actors? Also Merida doesn’t speak a word of Gaidhlig in the film. It’s a broad Glaswegian accent - nothing Gaidhlig about it

[@saunga1]

Reese Witherspoon shouldn't have been on this list, at least not for that specific reason. It's actually commendible that she admitted her limitations and chose to hand the part over to someone else, rather than push forward and give a bad performance. Audiences have lashed out for less so I'd say she might have dodged a bullet there.

[@MsJaytee1975]

I didn’t know you could actually stop Hollywood stars doing really terrible Scottish accents. Someone go back in time and stop Mel Gibson please.

[@brucelucasjr5856]

You can take our lives but you can never take OUR FAKE SCOTTISH ACCENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TabbyLavalamp]

It requires one to have a sense of shame.

[@SpamEggSausage]

just stop him for being a bigoted asshat.

[@onionbubs386]

It's like they forgot they can just cast actual Scottish people

[@james_9190]

Scottish actress in better at being Scottish shock

[@themayhemofmadness7038]

The title of this list is incorrect. The actors themselves weren’t so bad, nor did all of them give up acting. If anything, it should be something like “Ten acting roles so bad that they nearly destroyed actors’ careers.”

[@leviathan8215]

I appreciate that Hugh Grant realized the heartthrob thing was not working anymore and now is leaning into his weird error

[@josephoswald2292]

I just saw Heretic in theaters Saturday. He did pretty good

[@christophersnyder1532]

And remember Eric Stoltz, who was replaced by, Michael J. Fox, in Back To The Future? Take care, and all the best.

[@SpamEggSausage]

what is, with, all the, commas?

[@moondragon3535]

What do you mean? Eric Stoltz did a fantastic job as Marty McFly! in the Flashpoint.

[@drongobum2037]

Strange how Witherspoon was ousted for struggling with the Scottish accent, yet it seems as if every movie Hollywood ever makes is jam packed with Australian actors speaking their lines with laughably bad American accents. _"Arrrrrrrrm garrrrrrrrnarrrrrrrr drrrrrrrrrrarrrrrrrrve marrrrrrrrrrrrrrr carrrrrrrrrrrrrrr to the barrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....."_

[@jimnasium452]

Not sure the '99 flop trashed Grant's career much worse than his '95 arrest with a prostitute.

[@patrickdoyle6201]

I will say, my brothers didn't know WTF he was when we saw PADDINGTON 2 so

[@gabetelevisiononline]

Katie Holmes can only play Joey Potter, no range whatsoever… she could have been talking to Dawson or Pasey in Batman Begins. I loved Katie in Dawson’s Creek and seems nice as a person but can’t play anything else IMHO

[@Aacire]

I had to stop watching and write this comment. 1) Eddie Murphy made his comeback with Dreamgirls. There was even debates on if he should get an oscar with that role. 2) Hugh Grant, even though Cloud Atlas wasn't a great movie, it showcased he he had more range then what people thought. That's usually the performance people talk about when they speak about that movie.

[@wyldhowl2821]

I'm still waiting for how all but one of these examples actually quit movies.

[@onionbubs386]

Why didn't Pixar cast a Scottish VA in the first place

[@christophersnyder1532]

Katie Holmes looked very much like, Jackie Kennedy, in the mini series The Kennedys. Take care, and all the best.

[@gaelicprincess4937]

Where’s the part where he says, “And that’s our list, if you like this video, please like and subscribe.”? Why has that been taken out of EVERY WhatCulture video now?

[@369frequencyandvibration]

It's offensive to Santa Claus

[@gaelicprincess4937]

@ WAIT, WHAT?!

[@TheMpo1986]

@@369frequencyandvibration you know who also had a list and checked it twice and made sure people "subscribed" to it? Hitler. Just saying, we have never seen What Culture do a list of Hitlers favorite Deserts or fun things Hitler did when he wasn't being a Fuhrer.

[@scottfowler1506]

I always found that part annoying, I don't mind not seeing it.

[@kromus1]

Do you need to be told every time?

[@teemax1809]

wait... is hugh grant not currently in a film, for which he is being roundly applauded for?! you lot really do love a reach on these lists huh!

[@MartynJamieson9]

Yeah I believe it's Heretic

[@chrislair6832]

Yeah supposedly he kills it

[@TobsterV]

Gene Hackman straight up quit acting because Welcome To Mooseport was so bad.

[@josephoswald2292]

He wrote a few books since he retired

[@christopherregister2838]

I don't see not being able to fake an accident as being a terrible actor.

[@DickDiamond74]

True, but a bad enough accent can hurt careers so it's better to not commit it to the final product. Comedy and dark comedy get an exception.

[@ChaoticYak1]

Honestly, this list is a weird one and the order of things is weird. Why is being unable to fake an accent somehow worse than doing so poorly in multiple movies that you have to quit acting altogether for a few years?

[@kylerogers6811]

Katie Holmes was in the first Batman and it was sort of a flop. She leaves and it blows up. Then she does mad money and that flops. lol idk I think I see what the problem is

[@carlosalonsor.4670]

So they quit but they didn't really quit... Ok

[@peachysbaby3088]

Maggie gyllenhaal (whatever) playing a love interest id what i find hilarious

[@giorgiopalmas7934]

Greta Garbo had the charisma of a turnip.

[@readstorieskids]

why would Huge Grant do a movie with the repulsive Sara Parker?! Huge mistake! Huge!

[@dearthditch]

No one should. It’s the kiss of death 💀

[@LenHazell]

Didn't Ellie do this video a couple of days ago with a different title

[@kromus1]

Controversial opinion - I don't rate the Nolan Bat movies at all. I'm not a fan of Christian Bale (except as Gorr the God Butcher - he was amazing in that Thor movie). And let's not forget it was the Nolanverse that gave birth, if indirectly, to the pretentious blind alley that was the Snyderverse. This will probably trigger some people, but I'm happy for you if you see something in all this stuff I don't. Each to their own etc.

[@p.d.l7023]

I remember hating Batman Begins. I saw it on my birthday....what a crumby birthday it was. 😢

[@lordofthereels6790]

Eddie Murphy should play the next Trek captain. Hes mentioned his love for Trek before and was going to be in 4. Giving him a ship could give his career resurgence a very varied role he's yet to do seriously (Pluto Nash and Meet Dave seemed more studio then passion). His name would also potentially draw a lot of non Trekies to the show ironically like Voyage Home's broader mainstream appeal outside of Trek IMO

[@Wheres_the_money_lebowski]

I'd love to see Murphy do a serious role, I reckon he could smash it out of the park. I remember years ago when there were rumours that he was being considered as the Riddler in Nolan's batman verse. I think that could have been interesting.

[@yohannbiimu]

Greta Garbo was a tippy-of-the-top casting film star for over a decade before "Two-Faced Woman", so that film was an aberration. Also, she was 36 when she quit movies, had been cast as a romantic leading lady for the past 16 years, beginning in 1925, and perhaps felt like she couldn't keep doing what she had been typecast to do anymore. Her last film flopped (one out of so many), and perhaps she was convinced she should move on from movies.

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Greta Garbo had other worse problems outside her film career to contend with.

[@AngellusRavenix]

That was only 7. Unless I miscounted, that was only 7...

[@christophersnyder1532]

Reese Witherspoon must be related to, Kevin Costner.

[@AudreyC379]

Why you say that?

[@christophersnyder1532]

@AudreyC379 He was in Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives, and also decided against an English accent. Take care, and all the best.

[@josephoswald2292]

​@christophersnyder1532 as Cary Elwes pointed out in Men In Tights 😂

[@CaseyWinehouse]

I've watched 1,000 Words twice and I don't think it's that bad. Not a great script for the message it was trying to deliver, but Eddie Murphy did his part well.

[@DennisAlexis]

Garbo wasn't bad in anything. Period.

[@SwamiraiJack]

I hate rom-coms. "Ninotchka" is a rom-com. I love the movie "Ninotchka." I am confused.

[@Otokichi786]

Hugh Grant Greta Garbo Eddie Murphy Thomas Kretschmann Katie Holmes Dennis Hopper Kel O'Neil Reese Witherspoon

[@raypsychodad]

Most of these DIDN'T quit movies. At least don't post deceiving headings

[@philipmorrissey9142]

But they didn't really did they?

[@Jamal-bl7yh]

Jim Cavizel In Passion Of The Christ Sure Person Of Interest kept him acting for a good while until Mel Gibson's Passion Of The Christ 2 Jesus Strikes Back not the actual title but after Passion he kinda was a Martyr resorting to Person Of Interest on CBS like I previously stated and then Mel Gibson announced The sequel to Passion Of The Christ and he was announced to reprise the role of Jesus Christ now If anyone can name a project he starred In after his Jesus role sound off In the Reply's

[@Blech-h9z]

Weird MAGA movies

[@JacobPaul-ix7oc]

@@Blech-h9z So you think a movie (_Sound of Freedom_) about saving children from human traffickers is a "weird MAGA movie"? You would think that would be something both sides of the political aisle would agree on. If you think that is "weird", I highly suggest you seek professional help from a psychiatrist and also stay far, far away from children.

[@chefdean7257]

There's a Scottish Pixar movie ??

[@cafeabasedecinema]

Brave

[@jafar_snaids6047]

The title of this one is so dumb 😅

[@pattinello]

Very exaggerated title...

[@mikryan6567]

Oh married tom cruise and turned down the dark knight , wow

[@vicdavjfo8614]

In fact, Hugh Grant shouldn't even be considered an actor. Katie Holmes is pretty but she can't act. The best of Eddie Murphy before his return after years away is Beverly Hills Cop.

[@laquitacollins5147]

Heyyy Leave Norbit alone that is one my favorites of his movie. He had all of those Comedians in that movie.

[@Lrbearclaw]

Just because you enjoy it or it is fun doesn't make it good. Everyone has something they love despite it being bad. Anyone who claims otherwise is a liar.

[@billcox8870]

If they were that bad, how did they get the jobs in the first place?

[@saafewolf69]

Why do y'all do 90% negative stories about movies and actors. Come up with positive stories .;

[@Reqboi]

This is why American remakes of movies suck cause we always need a happy ending and can’t except bad things happen in reality as the originals are trying to portray just like making a movie isn’t always a fun activity it’s a job I’m sure there are good things that happen in sets but that’s for blooper reels

[@alexius23]

🎬🍿🎞🎥🧙‍♂

[@TheNaturalPatHarris]

Enough with the Norbit slander, the movie isn’t Bad at all.

[@AkaManah45]

Yeah it is just cause u like it doesn't mean it's not a bad movie

[@JacobPaul-ix7oc]

Some of us unironically love bad movies, but that does not mean our opinion is the standard. For instance, as a kid I loved _Howard the Duck_ , one of George Lucas' worst films, but I can see why others wouldn't like it.

[@p.d.l7023]

Your one flop away from being shit-canned from Hollyweird.