Worst big-name actor working

[bigpern23]

Simple enough question: Who is the worst big-name Hollywood actor working today?

I know my vote, but in order to get a clean sampling of the public's opinion, I will abstain for awhile.

Please list your reasons for your vote. These threads get dull if people just post a name. And if I've left someone off who deserves mention, feel free to kick me in my virtual nuts.

 

[sportschick]

I think Wahlberg can act, for the record, but Nic Cage . . . good lord. I cringe at the mere sight of his picture, remembering the $6 my starving college student ass wasted on Con Air.

 

[DanOregon]

An interesting list of nominees. I'd say all of them are pretty much one-note actors, but I think Wahlberg's work in Boogie Nights and Rock Star showed he had more range than he normally shows.
All three have a really bad habit of playing the same character over and over and over again.
Travolta was good in Primary Colors and A Civil Action as for Reaves, he seems miscast in just about everything he's in and Cage always seems to be playing Nic Cage.

 

[jlee]

I'd have to go with Matthew McConaughey. He plays himself in every role more than Cage. Is Paul Walker still a big name?

 

[DanOregon]

Jeez - looking at MM's credits I'm not going to disagree. I'd say everyone on the list would probably do themselves some good doing an independent film playing a sensitive artist with a handicap or some socially stigmatic issue (as long as it isn't a manic disorder for Cage, or a chronic charisma deficiency).
It doesn't even have to be good - but it would be a decent change of pace.

It's amazing how many clunkers these guys can put out in a row and still be considered big time actors. They must do okay overseas.

 

[schiezainc]

I'm going to go with Cuba Gooding Jr. only for one reason... the guy doesn't know how to say "No Thanks" when offered a script.

 

[bigpern23]

Same could be said for Samuel L. Jackson. Fortunately, every now and then he puts out movies like 'Black Snake Moan' to remind us he can actually act.

 

[buckweaver]

I'm going to go with Keanu Reeves, with Cage a close second. For the record, I think Wahlberg can act, too. As can Travolta.

Cage might actually be a worse actor than Reeves, but "Leaving Las Vegas" makes up for it (even though I refuse to watch it a second time, because it's so damn depressing. Plus, "The Rock," "Face/Off" and the "National Treasures" all remain guilty pleasures for me.)

 

[BYH]

Travolta turned overacting into high art in Broken Arrow. "**** 'em if they can't take a joke." He was so awful in that movie, he crossed the line into awesome.

He's another overexposed guy, but considering how far in the ****ter he was before Pulp Fiction, I can't blame him for taking anything he's offered. And he was so awesome in Pulp, he can act in anything he wants and I'll forgive it.

My choice: Tom Cruise. Just ****ing awful. No range and never ever brings any layer of believability to his roles. It's just Tom Cruise up there on the screen pretending. I didn't even like his turn in Tropic Thunder, precisely b/c it felt like a calculated attempt to get people talking about how un-Cruise a turn it was.

 

[Double J]

As much as I really don't like Nicolas Cage, who peaked with "Valley Girl" and especially with "Fast Times" where he didn't speak, I'll go with Keanu Reeves, whose only believable role was Ted Theodore Logan.....but only the first time he played it.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

Tom Cruise was robbed of an Oscar for Born on the Fourth of July. More recently, he was good in Minority Report and Magnolia.

He was once a pretty solid actor. Now . . . everything he does seems too calculated, yes.

Worst actor working today is probably Kevin Costner. Is he still working? So bad in so many roles. So overwrought in so many vanity projects.

Worst actress is Hayden Panettiere.

 

[waterytart]

Jeez - looking at MM's credits I'm not going to disagree. I'd say everyone on the list would probably do themselves some good doing an independent film playing a sensitive artist with a handicap or some socially stigmatic issue (as long as it isn't a manic disorder for Cage, or a chronic charisma deficiency).
It doesn't even have to be good - but it would be a decent change of pace.

(some language NSFW)

 

[waterytart]

Gotta go with Reeves. Each of the others has the (very?) occasional interesting piece of work.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I'd have to go with Matthew McConaughey. He plays himself in every role more than Cage.

BINGO.
I watched We are Marshall last night and I wanted to punch him the face for his performance.

Is Wahlberg a big-name actor? Really?

 

[playthrough]

I'm going to go with Keanu Reeves, with Cage a close second. For the record, I think Wahlberg can act, too. As can Travolta.

Cage might actually be a worse actor than Reeves, but "Leaving Las Vegas" makes up for it (even though I refuse to watch it a second time, because it's so damn depressing. Plus, "The Rock," "Face/Off" and the "National Treasures" all remain guilty pleasures for me.)

Agree, "Leaving Las Vegas" saves Cage on this list. Strange as it might sound (alcoholism death, yeehaw!), it's one of my favorite movies. I fire it up every year or two.

 

[Songbird]

I'm going to go with Keanu Reeves, with Cage a close second. For the record, I think Wahlberg can act, too. As can Travolta.

Cage might actually be a worse actor than Reeves, but "Leaving Las Vegas" makes up for it (even though I refuse to watch it a second time, because it's so damn depressing. Plus, "The Rock," "Face/Off" and the "National Treasures" all remain guilty pleasures for me.)

Agree, "Leaving Las Vegas" saves Cage on this list.

So do "Raising Arizona" and "Wild at Heart."

 

[RickStain]

Christian Bale.

 

[huntsie]

Haven't seen his last couple of offerings, but Adam Sandler in a variety of juvenile rules with baby talk...

 

[Songbird]

Well, Rick, this is where we disagree.

Other than DiCaprio, there's not a better actor working than Bale. And I say that having hated him in "Public Enemies" and "The Dark Knight."

But I also say that having watched 4 top-shelf films within a few days of each other:

American Psycho
3:10 to Yuma
Harsh Times
Rescue Dawn

Bale was tremendous in each of them.

I didn't like The Machinist, but not because of Bale.

 

[Trey Beamon]

I doubt he's still considered a big name, but I've never been wowed by any Kevin Costner performance.