In Hollywood, sometimes, actors may look back on certain roles that they took throughout their careers and think they shouldn’t have taken them. Many actors in the film industry have spoken about past negative choices they made in terms of movie roles. Some have been critical of particular roles and have even poked fun at the decisions that they made in their career.
An actor may regret taking on a particular role if the movie isn’t well received by audiences and critics. On other occasions, a movie may achieve success, but some actors are critical of their performances and feel that things could have been handled better. In the film industry, not every role is going to be liked by its performer, and several actors have been honest and critical about the choices they made throughout their careers.
10Kelly Clarkson – From Justin to Kelly
This 2003 musical drama was released to capitalize on the success of the first season of American Idol. From Justin to Kelly stars contestants Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini playing fictionalized versions and falling in love during spring break in Florida. The movie was slandered by critics and audiences, and it has often been regarded as one of the worst musical movies ever made.
In the years since the movie’s release, Kelly Clarkson has expressed deep regret for taking part in the movie. She admitted that she had no intentions of becoming an actress, but she was forced to be in the movie due to a contract that she had signed (via Today). Clarkson also feared that the failure of From Justin to Kelly would negatively impact her singing career; fortunately, she was able to move past the movie and establish a successful career in both singing and television.
9Mariah Carey – Glitter
Directed by Vondie Curtis Hall, Glitter tells the story of aspiring singer Billie Frank, whose talent is discovered by a nightclub DJ. He helps her launch a solo career and she soon becomes a national success. They slowly fall in love, but jealousy and paranoia threaten their relationship.
Mariah Carey has called Glitter the biggest regret of her career and, for years, has refused to talk about the movie to anybody.
Glitter was created to launch an acting career for Mariah Carey, but, the movie failed both critically and financially; it lost nearly $17 million at the box office and Carey received the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress in 2002. She has called Glitter the biggest regret of her career and, for years, she refused to talk about the movie to anybody (via US Magazine). However, in the years since the release, she has embraced and thanked her fans for their support for the movie’s soundtrack.
8Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl
The film was criticized for the decision to cast Eddie Redmayne, who identified as a cisgender man, as a transgender woman.
Tom Hopper’s 2015 film, The Danish Girl depicts the life of Lili Elbe, a transgender woman who was one of the early recipients of gender-affirming surgery in the 20th century. The movie looks at Lili’s life with her partner Gerda Wegener, who supports her as she begins her transition into a woman. The Danish Girl received strong praise from critics, with Redmayne receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and Alicia Vikander winning Best Supporting Actress.
Despite the movie’s success, it was not without its controversies. It was criticized for the decision to cast Eddie Redmayne, who identified as a cisgender man, as a transgender woman. Redmayne later admitted that he believed his casting in The Danish Girl was a mistake. While he made The Danish Girl with good intentions, he admits that he would never consider playing the role today.
7Forest Whitaker – Battlefield Earth
Based on the 1982 novel by L. Ron Hubbard, Battlefield Earth is a sci-fi movie set in 3000 AD where Earth has been taken over by Psychlo aliens. After a thousand years of slavery, surviving humans, led by Jonnie Tyler, decide that it’s time to fight back and take back their planet. Battlefield Earth was a universal disaster, winning 7 Golden Raspberry Awards in 2001 and bombing at the box office; it is often regarded as one of the worst movies ever made.
Forest Whitaker was one of several cast members who expressed deep regret for their role in the movie. His acting in the movie was seen as subpar and resulted in a Razzie nomination for his performance. Whitaker was able to fortunately move on to more acclaimed roles, including an Academy Award-winning role in The Last King of Scotland.
Forest Whitaker was nominated for the Worst Supporting Actor award at the 2001 Golden Raspberry Awards, which he lost to his Battlefield Earth co-star, Barry Pepper.
6Timotheé Chalamet – A Rainy Day in New York
In the wake of the controversy, Chalamet donated his entire salary from the movie to Time’s Up, RAINN, and New York’s LGBT Center.
Timotheé Chalamet starred alongside Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez in this 2018 romance, directed by Woody Allen. The movie depicts a young couple traveling to New York for a weekend that will mark changes in their relationship. While A Rainy Day in New York received mixed reviews from critics, Chalamet was praised for his performance in the movie.
However, A Rainy Day in New York was produced at a time when director Woody Allen faced accusations of sexual abuse during the Me Too Movement; the controversy resulted in Amazon Studios halting the movie’s release until 2021. Timotheé Chalamet issued a public apology for his decision to work with Woody Allen (via Fandomwire). In the wake of the controversy, Chalamet donated his entire salary from the movie to Time’s Up, RAINN, and New York’s LGBT Center.
5George Clooney – Batman & Robin
Often regarded as one of the worst movies in the Batman franchise, Batman & Robin stars George Clooney and Chris O’Donnell as the titular superheroes as they find themselves in battle against a new enemy, Mr. Freeze. The duo must try to stop Mr. Freeze and Poison Ivy, while also battling internal struggles within their partnership.
Batman & Robin failed with both critics and audiences and is often listed as one of the worst movies ever made. It had a significantly negative impact on the Batman franchise and resulted in the planned sequel being canceled. Clooney himself admitted to hating his performance for several reasons and is one of many who have openly mocked and criticized the movie’s failures.
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4Zac Efron – High School Musical
Zac Efron came to international attention when he starred as basketball star Troy Bolton in the Disney Channel movie, High School Musical. The movie series sees Troy and Gabriella, a transfer student, audition for the school musical, and their budding relationship changes everything for the different cliques at East High School. High School Musical became one of the most popular Disney series of all time and established Zac Efron as a movie star.
However, in an interview, Efron revealed if he could talk to his past self, he’d tell him not to go for the role (via TheThings). After finishing the first movie, he realized that movies like High School Musical weren’t what he wanted to do. Despite his feelings, Efron remained with the series until the end and has since transitioned into other acclaimed roles, including 17 Again and The Iron Claw.
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3Ryan Reynolds – Green Lantern
Based on the DC Comics series, the 2011 film Green Lantern stars Ryan Reynolds as test pilot, Hal Jordan, who becomes the first human member of the Green Lantern Corps. After he is given a ring that grants him powers, Jordan must battle against Parallax, who threatens to destroy the world. Green Lantern was slandered by critics for its poor special effects and lack of faithfulness to the source material; plans for a Green Lantern franchise were ultimately canceled due to the film’s critical and commercial failure.
Reynolds has often poked fun at the movie’s failure.
Even Ryan Reynolds later admitted that Green Lantern was a disaster and has often poked fun at the movie’s failure. He later redeemed himself through his work as the hilariously sarcastic anti-hero Deadpool, later joking that Deadpool is better for children than Green Lantern. In the mid-credits of Deadpool 2, the title character travels back in time and shoots Reynolds reading the movie script of Green Lantern; Deadpool leaves the scene, saying “You’re welcome Canada.”
2Kate Winslet – Titanic
The movie achieved immense success, however, one of its lead stars, Kate Winslet, admits to having problems with watching her performance. She admitted that she found it difficult to listen to her character’s American accent and has regrets about how she acted in several scenes (via FarOut Magazine). Despite her personal feelings towards her performance, Titanic undoubtedly established Kate Winslet as a talented actress, and, alongside her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, went on to have an acclaimed career in film.
1Christopher Plummer – The Sound of Music
The 1965 film The Sound of Music is arguably one of the best musical films in history. It follows a young woman, Maria, who becomes a governess to the seven children of a widowed officer. It isn’t long before her kind nature wins over the children and their father, starting a chain of events that changes their lives forever. The Sound of Music received a very positive reception from audiences, thanks to its story and iconic musical soundtrack.
Christopher Plummer, who starred as Captain Von Trapp, notoriously had difficulty with his acclaimed role in the movie. In the years since it was released, he admitted to not liking his character and that he found the film too sentimental (via Hollywood Reporter). However, by the movie’s 50th anniversary, Plummer’s perception of the movie had changed, and he admitted that after watching The Sound of Music, he came to respect the role that helped him become a successful Hollywood actor.
