Movie Role Recast: What actor ruined a good movie for you? Who should have replaced them? (1 Viewer)

[Ilov80s]

Kevin Costner in Thirteen Days come to mind

Costner in that flick and John Malkovich in "Rounders" both somehow make over-the-top accents work for their characters. Not necessarily authentic sounding, but they work.

Yeah he's odd but it works. He's also the winner for most perfectly cast role ever.

 

[Don Quixote]

Kevin Costner in Thirteen Days come to mind

Costner in that flick and John Malkovich in "Rounders" both somehow make over-the-top accents work for their characters. Not necessarily authentic sounding, but they work.

Costner’s was just a little too over the top for me. It felt like he took the criticism for his lack of British accent in Robin Hood and decided that no one would tag him for not trying to sound Boston enough.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Costner’s was just a little too over the top for me. It felt like he took the criticism for his lack of British accent in Robin Hood and decided that no one would tag him for not trying to sound Boston enough.

That's a good point.

It would be interesting to hear a fluent Russian speaker comment on his accent in "No Way Out".

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Speaking of Costner, I'm sure some of you are familiar with his scenes in The Big Chill being cut out of the movie. He was supposed to be the dead guy at the funeral the group was attending. Apparently the director cut out his part as the dead body because he wasn't stiff enough.

 

[Major]

I remember trying to rewatch Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom after loving it as a kid. Kate Capshaw was unbearable and pretty much ruined it

 

[FarFromHome]

I actually enjoyed the movie. I enjoy Costner. Having said that, his role in Robin Hood was bad.

I don't mind. Clooney. The Descendants is one of my favs. Up in the Air hit me well. He has played a decent amount of interesting roles. When he played Batman he just about ruined an entire brand. Just bad.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

There’s that one “rich” old guy in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York that was pretty bad.

On the contrary... I think he's FANTASTIC! So good that I think he should quit his day job and become a full-time actor.

 

[Payne]

It's one of my favorite movies regardless...but Maggie Gyllenhaal was insufferable in The Dark Knight. Just obnoxious delivery and facial expressions right up until they blew her up.

Katie Holmes isn't exactly winning any Oscars but she was 10x better in the same role.

The only weakness of the film. Not a good actress and terrible to look at.

 

[Payne]

Jonah Hill in Moneyball.

Couldn't disagree more with this one. Thought he was great.

 

[Ilov80s]

Speaking of Costner, I'm sure some of you are familiar with his scenes in The Big Chill being cut out of the movie. He was supposed to be the dead guy at the funeral the group was attending. Apparently the director cut out his part as the dead body because he wasn't stiff enough.

I don’t know about the dead body part but they filmed a scene from college with Costner that showed them all hanging out but cut it because they felt it was just better keeping the movie contained to the present and leaving the dead friend up to our imagination. Kasdan was probably right since the movie was such a hit.

 

[matttyl]

Jonah Hill in Moneyball.

Couldn't disagree more with this one. Thought he was great.

I’m not saying his acting was bad or anything, but this was his first “serious” role after stuff like Superbad, forgetting Sarah Marshall, get him to the Greek, and even Accepted which I thought was very funny. I just kept waiting for him to do something funny.

Two of his next big roles were also “serious” roles (non comedy movies), but his character was funny - War Dogs and The Wolf of Wall Street.

 

[culdeus]

I dislike Sandra Bullock in everything she's done. Halle Berry turning down speed did immeasurable damage to human kind.

 

[Joe Schmo]

Roy Scheider (or anyone, including me and also Big Bird from Sesame Street) would've been better than Al Pacino as Michael in the Godfather movies. Pacino has been the weak link in every film he's ever been in. I'd also add Diane Keaton, but her character was written so badly that I don't think any actor could've saved it.

I admit to being completely biased as I've watched 1&2 countless times but I can't envision anyone playing Michael's arc better than Pacino in those first two. Nailed the evolution with his demeanor and ice cold stare and the way he handles both the personal and business sides of his life is believable to me. I buy Pacino as the ruthless yet measured patriarch who by the end of the second movie will hold the family and business together no matter what.

 

[Idiot Boxer]

I like The Accountant despite Ben Afflec, not because of him.

He does not do well with acting as though he's on the spectrum. Especially in A2

 

[zamboni]

I like The Accountant despite Ben Afflec, not because of him.

He does not do well with acting

Other than this masterclass performance

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Roy Scheider (or anyone, including me and also Big Bird from Sesame Street) would've been better than Al Pacino as Michael in the Godfather movies. Pacino has been the weak link in every film he's ever been in. I'd also add Diane Keaton, but her character was written so badly that I don't think any actor could've saved it.

I admit to being completely biased as I've watched 1&2 countless times but I can't envision anyone playing Michael's arc better than Pacino in those first two. Nailed the evolution with his demeanor and ice cold stare and the way he handles both the personal and business sides of his life is believable to me. I buy Pacino as the ruthless yet measured patriarch who by the end of the second movie will hold the family and business together no matter what.

I hear you. There's just something about him that doesn't connect with me. Never has.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Rosie Perez in White Men Can't Jump
An entertaining film ruined by the most horrendous voice I can recall.

 

[zamboni]

Rosie Perez in White Men Can't Jump
An entertaining film ruined by the most horrendous voice I can recall.

This is a very good call.

 

[loser]

Rosie Perez

Fixed

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I actually enjoyed the movie. I enjoy Costner. Having said that, his role in Robin Hood was bad.

I don't mind. Clooney. The Descendants is one of my favs. Up in the Air hit me well. He has played a decent amount of interesting roles. When he played Batman he just about ruined an entire brand. Just bad.

Are you sure it wasn't the suit nipples?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Margot Kidder in Superman is horrendous. Really dislike that performance.

 

[dickey moe]

I'm going with Tom Hanks in the Dan Brown book to movies. He just didn't fit the role from the books in my opinion.
Not sure who'd I replace him with.

Jeff Goldblum?

 

[SpurrierisisGod]

I'm going with Tom Hanks in the Dan Brown book to movies. He just didn't fit the role from the books in my opinion.
Not sure who'd I replace him with.

Jeff Goldblum?

Ooh. I kinda like that.

 

[The General]

I’m not going to say it ruined it. Movie was amazing and I like this actor but Christopher Walken in Dune 2 was weird.

 

[The General]

Christopher Walken in Dune seemed very out of place.

I hadn’t read the thread and this was one that came to mind.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

I remembered two more:
Renee Zellweger in Appaloosa. She was so annoying in that.
Seth Rogen in The Green Hornet. I haven't been able to stomach any of his movies after this disaster where he just couldn't shut up.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher. I didn't realize how miscast he was until the series came out.

 

[Instinctive]

The lowest hanging fruits:

1. Jack Reacher movies with Alan Ritchson the guy who plays him in the show is a WAY better fit than Tom Cruise

2. Almost every action movie I can think of would be better with more Jon Bernthal. Even the ones that have him cast already.

 

[JohnnyU]

Not the movie, but I can’t stand the guy playing Alex Cross in the series Cross. He’s not cerebral like Morgan Freeman. The character isn’t as intelligent as the Alex Cross character played by Morgan Freeman in the movies.

 

[Jayrod]

The movie isnt even out yet but based on the trailers, Liam Neeson in the new Naked Gun sequel.

I first thought Steve Carell but honestly I think Tim Allen would be ideal. He has a similar delivery style to Neeson.

 

[jhib]

I’m told that The Family Stone is a good movie. I can’t stand Sarah Jessica* Parker so I hated the movie. Since others find it good, I presume she ruined it for me then.

*My disdain for SJP is wholly irrational. Just one of those rare circumstances where I inexplicably don’t like another person. I could watch her donating to cancer research or helping an orphan with his homework and I’d still somehow be annoyed by her.

This is how I feel about Diane Keaton.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I’m told that The Family Stone is a good movie. I can’t stand Sarah Jessica* Parker so I hated the movie. Since others find it good, I presume she ruined it for me then.

*My disdain for SJP is wholly irrational. Just one of those rare circumstances where I inexplicably don’t like another person. I could watch her donating to cancer research or helping an orphan with his homework and I’d still somehow be annoyed by her.

This is how I feel about Diane Keaton.

+1000 She's annoying and can't act her way out of a shallow pit. Yuck.

 

[Ilov80s]

The casting of High Noon never saw with me well. First, I think Gary Cooper is typically about as interesting as a sheet of drywall. Second, it's impossible to buy that Grace Kelly is so in love with this old charmless stiff.

 

[Moonlight]

I still like it a lot, but Old School would have been 50 times better if almost anyone else had played the role of Mitch. Luke Wilson is just terrible.

Funny, just rewatched this last night and was thinking the same thing. Owen Wilson is also not winning any acting awards (and I'm not nominating him for this replacement either), but his dude chemistry with Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers was so much better.

Owen Wilson was very good in Midnight in Paris. He was helped by so many great performances from the supporting characters.

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

The casting of High Noon never saw with me well. First, I think Gary Cooper is typically about as interesting as a sheet of drywall. Second, it's impossible to buy that Grace Kelly is so in love with this old charmless stiff.

Cooper was twenty-eight years older than Kelly, and had a lifetime of health issues that made the gap seem even larger.

On a sidenote, what was the new sheriff thinking when he arrived the next day? First day on the job and he has to deal with several dead bodies in the street, major property damage from a hail of bullets, a stable decimated from a fire, and the town horses running wild. Not exactly what he signed up for.

 

[Ilov80s]

The casting of High Noon never saw with me well. First, I think Gary Cooper is typically about as interesting as a sheet of drywall. Second, it's impossible to buy that Grace Kelly is so in love with this old charmless stiff.

Cooper was twenty-eight years older than Kelly, and had a lifetime of health issues that made the gap seem even larger.

On a sidenote, what was the new sheriff thinking when he arrived the next day? First day on the job and he has to deal with several dead bodies in the street, major property damage from a hail of bullets, a stable decimated from a fire, and the town horses running wild. Not exactly what he signed up for.

lol nothing better than getting hired for a job and then stepping in and realizing the kind of mess the last guy left for you

and you are right that 28 years doesn't do the difference in appearances justice. He looked like he could be her grandfather.

 

[Moonlight]

The casting of High Noon never saw with me well. First, I think Gary Cooper is typically about as interesting as a sheet of drywall. Second, it's impossible to buy that Grace Kelly is so in love with this old charmless stiff.

Cooper was twenty-eight years older than Kelly, and had a lifetime of health issues that made the gap seem even larger.

On a sidenote, what was the new sheriff thinking when he arrived the next day? First day on the job and he has to deal with several dead bodies in the street, major property damage from a hail of bullets, a stable decimated from a fire, and the town horses running wild. Not exactly what he signed up for.

Well at least the train is on time.

 

[Psychopav]

Odd Thomas. The movie was well written and based on an excellent story. The budget wasn't too ostentatious and they even spent money on Willem Dafoe. It was very well done except that the actress who played one of the main characters was TERRIBLE. She was so bad it was a distraction. Shame because the rest of the movie was done well enough that it could have been a good start to a franchise. The actor they got to play Odd was perfect too.

Who could have played a better Stormy Llewellyn than Addison Timlin? Literally anyone. Based on timing and what I assume would be affordability, let's go with Milana Vantrub.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I have this problem with my favorite movie, Ben Hur. A completely stellar cast, except for the block of wood who plays Tirzah, his sister. I always wondered who she slept with to get the role. Turns out, she married Robert Wyler, a film producer and director William Wyler's brother. William being the director of the movie.

She is just terrible.

 

[Gally]

Odd Thomas. The movie was well written and based on an excellent story. The budget wasn't too ostentatious and they even spent money on Willem Dafoe. It was very well done except that the actress who played one of the main characters was TERRIBLE. She was so bad it was a distraction. Shame because the rest of the movie was done well enough that it could have been a good start to a franchise. The actor they got to play Odd was perfect too.

Who could have played a better Stormy Llewellyn than Addison Timlin? Literally anyone. Based on timing and what I assume would be affordability, let's go with Milana Vantrub.

Never heard of this movie. Watched the trailer. Looks interesting. I might have to give it a shot....even with the misplaced character.

 

[Ilov80s]

I have this problem with my favorite movie, Ben Hur. A completely stellar cast, except for the block of wood who plays Tirzah, his sister. I always wondered who she slept with to get the role. Turns out, she married Robert Wyler, a film producer and director William Wyler's brother. William being the director of the movie.

She is just terrible.

I don't recall her perfornabce in Ben-Hur but Cathy O'Donnell is a good actress in other things I've seen: The Best Years of Our Lives, They Live By Night and a couple others. It is interesting to note despite being pretty young, Ben-Hur was her last movie role. After that it was just small guest parts on TV shows. So I wonder if that bad performance ended her movie career or if she had alreadty lost interest by that point and it showed up in her performance? All this just reminds me that I really want to see Ben-Hur on the big screen some day.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

All this just reminds me that I really want to see Ben-Hur on the big screen some day.

You really do. A complete restoration was done for the 50th anniversary, with a theater release. The movie was filmed in MGM 65 (2.76:1 aspect ratio). (Tarantino used the same cameras for The Hateful 8.)

Mr R and I went to what was supposed to be a really good cinema north of Houston to see it. I had seen it in the cinema, and he had not. We got the theater at the far corner of the CInema Googleplex. They did the whole intermission thing and opened the satellite snack bar down there for us. That cinema was huge. When we got there, they were showing the slide show ads. Then the lights went to half, and they opened the curtains and started showing filmed ads. We just knew this was going to be great. That screen was so big! And then everything stopped, the lights came up, the curtains opened more and actual movie trailers started. Holy cow! Then everything stopped, the curtains opened ALL THE WAY and the Overture came on. They were able to show that movie without letterboxing in all its glory as nature intended.

It was the most amazing movie experience ever. Literally epic.