Worst and best casted character/actor of all time?

1) Who is the worst character/actor to be casted? The real key here being a great character/story/script that was destroyed by a badly casted actor/actress.
2) Who is the best character/actor to be casted? The key here is that they actor made this character shine more than they should have.

Go.

 

Can we include Pornos in this discussion

 

1) Worst actor: Steven Segal, of course he's only ever played the one character but his acting has ruined what could have been some good action adventure films.

2) Val Kilmer is the best. I can not even believe it is the same actor movie to movie he can take on totally different personalities for each character. I watched him in Top Gun, then in The Doors, then in Batman, then in Tombstone and then in some movie where he played a gay private dectective and just don't even recognize him.

 

Bad? Two on the top of my list are Keanu Hartnett and Josh Reeves

Great? A few. Some of mine

Gene Hackman
Robert Redford
Paul Newman

 

Another guy like that is Michael Keaton... From Mr Mom to Beetle Juice to My Life to One Good Cop to Pacific Heights. Very versatile.

Funny, there was a link online yesterday (about roles that actors didn't get but wanted) in which Sandra Bullock was saying how she wanted the role of Trinity in The Matrix... That would have been a mistake. I think the casting directors get it right more often than not.

 

Keanau Reeves has to be the worst. Neo in the Matrix was actually offered to Will Smith, but he turned it down to do Wild Wild West.

Will Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction exceeded my expectations by miles.

 

Generally not a fan of Will Ferrell flicks, and got dragged to this kicking and screaming -- great film though!

 

Leonardo di Caprio was originally slated to star as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Glad that didn't work out as I don't see the role being played anymore perfectly than by Bale.

 

I always thought that casting Larry Linville as Major Frank Burns for the t.v. series "M*A*S*H" was a brilliant choice. Right up there with casting Jonathan Harris as the similarly whiny, scheming, self-serving Doctor Zachary Smith, or casting Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator, IMHO.

 

Putting Adam Sandler in anything is just plain wrong.

Gene Hackman is aces.

 

Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight. As a leading lady she's just not attractive at all [in this film]. She may be an item to some in other films, etc but not in this one.

No match for Katie Holmes either, who was perfect as Rachel
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The WORST casting of all time of an actor in a part was putting Edward G. Robinson (with that unmistakable accent) as a wealthy Egyptian in "The 10 Commandments"
It almost kills the whole movie.

 

I like Leo but he ruined "Aviator", he's not a believable Howard Hughes.

Somehow I can't imagine Forrest Gump without Tom Hanks. Sean Connery as James Bond would be up there too, particularly with all who followed not measuring up.

 

John Travolta turned down the role for Forrest Gump I remember hearing somewhere. That would have been an epic mistake. I think he would have been good, but Tom Hanks nailed it perfectly.

And I completely agree with Leo and the Aviator. I did like him in Catch Me If You Can, though.

BTW: This is a good site that I just found cause I couldn't remember who all turned down parts in Forrest Gump: http://www.notstarring.com/

 

Gary oldman in just about anything.

Favorite role;

Drexil in True Romance

 

that's a great site....would have liked to see Hanks play Richard Nixon

Leo was also great in Blood Diamond, etc....just missed the mark in Aviator.

 

worst = keanu reeves
best = Philip Seymour Hoffman

 

I have to agree with this, it was as if he was a completely different actor than the one we see in his other roles. The casting in that whole movie was incredible.

Bad casting? Tom Cruise in anything. Not because he's necessarily a bad actor, or bad choice, but that it's just always "Tom Cruise" on screen no matter what role he plays. I actually have that problem with most big name actors.

Leo DiCaprio has really come a long way as an actor

 

The worst? Pierce Brosnan as an Indian. LMAO.

A memorable one? Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List. Memorable is perhaps an understatement. How about "a performance so chilling it is burned into your subconcious where you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about for a month after seeing it?" That is probably more accurate.
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Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secratary was a great job of casting. Very, very believable.

 

One forgotten leading man/character actor who could do it all was James Mason.

General Rommell, Captain Nemo, the spymaster in The Deadly Affair, the evil russian agent in North by Northwest, Humbert Humbert, and many many more.

Also from the dark past, I think two of the very very worst miscastings were Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin as singing cowboys in that comedy western - what was the name of that thing? It was profoundly disturbing and embarrassing.

 

paint your wagon. lambasted in an episode of the simpsons; hilarious!

Homer: "Here comes Lee Marvin, he's always drunk and violent. Wait...why is he singing?"

 

Mr Oldman in the Professional, and Nobody's Baby.

 

Worst: David Caruso / Horatio Caine on CSI Miami.
Best: There are a few, but Kevin Spacey usually 'makes' his movies.

 

I can't imagine anyone actually taking him seriously.
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