Actors you do not like

[GGGGerald]

21 hours ago, Lizbeth4 said:

I'm sure I'm going to get some heat for this, but here goes!  😜

1.  Fred MacMurray  (Comes across as a bit gruff/arrogant)

2.  Kirk Douglas  (I don't understand the appeal)

3.  Spencer Tracy  (There's just something about him that I don't like)

4.  John Wayne  (Can't act!)

5.  Sean Connery  (Unapologetic wife beater)

6.  Deborah Kerr  (Kinda, sorta comes across as a bit snobbish)

7.  Burt Lancaster  (I don't understand the appeal)

8.  Jane Wyatt  (Same as Deborah Kerr)

I appreciate your honesty.  For every actor, there's a fan somewhere who just doesn't "get it"

[GGGGerald]

4 hours ago, TopBilled said:

There are too many I like-- love!-- who keep me attentive and not fussing about the ones that don't excite me.

Generally, the actors I don't care for, I just erase them from my mind. But, there are a few that come to mind.

I was never a fan of Gary Cooper, he just seems kinda dull to me.

Peter Sellers (I have posted on this site before), I have never cared for his contrived impressions and shtick. In the Pink Panther films, I was rooting for the bad guys to win ! (I only watched for the hot chicks 😁 )

[Allhallowsday]

21 hours ago, Lizbeth4 said:

...

2.  Kirk Douglas  (I don't understand the appeal)

3.  Spencer Tracy  (There's just something about him that I don't like)

4.  John Wayne  (Can't act!)

...

It took me a long time to like KIRK DOUGLAS, mainly because of my fondness for SPARTACUS.  I've come to like some of his other movies. 

SPENCER TRACY?  Overrated. 

I love me some JOHN WAYNE... JOHN FORD thought he was the best actor in the business.  His last film exemplifies his style (THE SHOOTIST) and I love it. 

[GGGGerald]

6 hours ago, jinsinna13 said:

The action-flick lunkheads you mentioned are from the old school. (Excuse my urban lingo.) Do you feel the same way about the current action-flick lunkheads (Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Vin Diesel, etc)?

 

10 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

Some actors I know are terrible but that's precisely why I like them: Nicolas Cage, William Shatner, the action-flick lunkheads (Stallone, Seagal, Van Damme, Lundgren, etc.). Their general terribleness is the main appeal of their "movies".

 

6 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

I think I've seen all of Statham's movies, and most of Johnson and Diesel's. Statham has been in some good ones, and Johnson fits in the roles he chooses. I've liked a couple of Diesel's films (Pitch Black especially), but he's very cheeseball and his growling tough guy shtick gets ridiculous. 

I also watch Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Wesley Snipes trash flicks, and 70's heroes like Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly. 

These are just modern day versions of John Wayne and others of his ilk. Lots of shooting, fighting, and trade the horse in for a fast car and there you go.

I call those "Popcorn Movies". I grab a bucket of popcorn, a cold drink and sit back and enjoy the show. I expect to ooh and ahh and laugh and forget my troubles. Frankly I think some of us could use some of that escapism now. I don't expect any Shakesperian performances. Just some action and fun.

[Sukhov]

7 hours ago, AndreaDoria said:

I love two of the ones who've been mentioned, precisely because they are so good at their awful roles.  I consider Shelly Winters a great, courageous actress because she's willing to take those roles and give it her all.  I just love to hate her in, "A Place in the sun" and "A Patch of Blue."  

I agree she could be really annoying when it called for it. One of the weirdest internet posts I've ever seen was one sexualizing Shelley Winters in Lolita.  🤮

[TikiSoo]

18 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

John Cusack is another who I don't really like any more.

Ugh never liked that mouth-breather. I wanted to tear my hair out when he played "older" Brian Wilson in LOVE & MERCY. (Paul Dano was just PERFECT as "younger" Brian Wilson-wish they just used aging make-up than that Cuse-hack)

I had forgotten long ago I disliked super popular Kevin Costner after forcing myself to sit through a couple of movies with him in them. Can't say "starring"since the rest of the world has realized he's not an actor or star, just a poser.

After reading Peter Bogdanovich's rhapsody on the brilliance of Jerry Lewis, I gave several of his movies a try. I didn't care for any of them except for THE NUTTY PROFESSOR which I thought was a pretty good illustration of his comedy/acting skills.

[AndreaDoria]

27 minutes ago, TikiSoo said:

(Paul Dano was just PERFECT as "younger" Brian Wilson-wish they just used aging make-up than that Cuse-hack)

Am I the only person who saw the BBC version of "War and Peace"  staring Paul Dano?  It was aired on Lifetime TV, of all places, but I loved it for it's beautiful film and Paul Dano's perfection as Pierre.

-------------------

Oddly enough, when I first saw the title of this thread  the actor who came to my mind was the other star of "Reds," Diane Keaton. She seems like a lovely person but her acting always grates on me.  She smiles through most of her lines the way some child actors do and her comic characters always seem like a grown woman playing a thirteen year-old.  "OMG he asked me for a date!  Me!  Do you think I should go?  Oh no I can't, I just can't!  What should I wear?  My turtleneck?  Oh no that's too sexy!  I can't go! OMG what if he tires to kiss me?!!"   She's usually surrounded by a group of supportive friends, but Ijust want Cher to come along and slap her and tell her to snap out of it.

[jinsinna13]

16 hours ago, LawrenceA said:

I think I've seen all of Statham's movies, and most of Johnson and Diesel's. Statham has been in some good ones, and Johnson fits in the roles he chooses. I've liked a couple of Diesel's films (Pitch Black especially), but he's very cheeseball and his growling tough guy shtick gets ridiculous. 

I also watch Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Wesley Snipes trash flicks, and 70's heroes like Jim Brown, Fred Williamson, and Jim Kelly. 

One thing I noticed about watching Statham's and Johnson's movie are they seem to be enjoying themselves. And that's a good thing. Schwarzenegger and Johnson also excel at comedy, so that makes them more well rounded. (Johnson also voiced Maui the demigod in Moana. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you do.)

I agree with you about Vin Diesel. I haven't seen many of his movies, but he has been coasting on the growling tough guy shtick for as long as I can remember.

[LornaHansonForbes]

2 hours ago, AndreaDoria said:

Am I the only person who saw the BBC version of "War and Peace"  staring Paul Dano?  It was aired on Lifetime TV, of all places, but I loved it for it's beautiful film and Paul Dano's perfection as Pierre.

-------------------

Oddly enough, when I first saw the title of this thread  the actor who came to my mind was the other star of "Reds," Diane Keaton. She seems like a lovely person but her acting always grates on me.  She smiles through most of her lines the way some child actors do and her comic characters always seem like a grown woman playing a thirteen year-old.  "OMG he asked me for a date!  Me!  Do you think I should go?  Oh no I can't, I just can't!  What should I wear?  My turtleneck?  Oh no that's too sexy!  I can't go! OMG what if he tires to kiss me?!!"   She's usually surrounded by a group of supportive friends, but Ijust want Cher to come along and slap her and tell her to snap out of it.

DIANE KEATON also has a thing for appearing in movies that i refer to as "REAL ESTATE P0RN"- starting with FATHER OF THE BRIDE- wherein she plays exceedingly wealthy flibbertyjibbits who have homes in SUN VALLEY, EAST HAMPTON and CENTRAL PARK WEST, 2500 square foot kitchens with six-burner gas ranges, and an endless supply of cream-colored, immaculately tailored mother of the bride dresses.

after a while, it's gotten to be a little elitist.

[Sepiatone]

14 hours ago, AndreaDoria said:

I love two of the ones who've been mentioned, precisely because they are so good at their awful roles.  I consider Shelly Winters a great, courageous actress because she's willing to take those roles and give it her all.  I just love to hate her in, "A Place in the sun" and "A Patch of Blue."  .

I think a couple of her best roles was in PHONE CALL FROM A STRANGER('52) and LET NO MAN WRITE MY EPITAPH('60).  She also did the overbearing Jewish Mama character really good too, as in ENTER LAUGHING('67) .

I for some reason always kinda liked Shelly.

Sepiatone

[jamesjazzguitar]

14 hours ago, AndreaDoria said:

I love two of the ones who've been mentioned, precisely because they are so good at their awful roles.  I consider Shelly Winters a great, courageous actress because she's willing to take those roles and give it her all.  I just love to hate her in, "A Place in the sun" and "A Patch of Blue."  And Zachary Scott?  He was born to play smarmy.  "Mildred Pierce" wouldn't have been the same without him.  I can't see a pair of two-toned shoes without thinking of him.

I agree with you about Shelley Winters;      I have a lot of respect for her as an actor.    No one plays annoying better than Winters.    So while I might dislike many of the characters she has played,   that just goes to show how fine of an actress,  as well as unique,  she was.     

While most actors try their best to make their character sympathetic to the audience,  Winters did the opposite,  and did it better than anyone.

 

[chaya bat woof woof]

I like Diane Keaton and Shelley Winters.  Also, some of the other actors.

On the dislike list;  George Clooney since he married Amal.  Hubris much (and even Mike Nichols couldn't make a good version of Catch 22).

Kevin Costner got too big for his britches.  I liked him best in Silverado.

Burt Reynolds is another actor never cared for.

I know people who still refer to Jane Fonda as Hanoi Jane.  And she didn't have to write tell-alls re: her and her family.  She comes across as quite snobbish today.  Liked her in Cat Ballou and Barefoot in the Park.

Sally Field is another one who grates on my nerves.

 

 

[Allhallowsday]

On 8/19/2020 at 8:27 AM, TikiSoo said:

And Charles Boyer! I wanted to stab him in Gaslight every time he said "Pweul-a" 

I love CHARLES BOYER !  Whoda thunk it? 

[Rudy's Girl]

13 hours ago, chaya bat woof woof said:

I know people who still refer to Jane Fonda as Hanoi Jane.  And she didn't have to write tell-alls re: her and her family.  She comes across as quite snobbish today.  Liked her in Cat Ballou and Barefoot in the Park.

 

I forgot about Jane Fonda, which shows what I think of her. I really, really don't like her. I don't like to seem judgmental, but I've watched her in interviews and, let me put it this way, I don't think we'd be friends. Who cares about her daddy issues? Daddy had the talent. She wouldn't be a successful actress without him. 

[Rudy's Girl]

The actress I HATE most of all in every way. She ruined True Grit for me. I can't watch it.

[kidtwist29]

I can think of many who I dislike for one reason or another, sometimes for off-screen reasons sometimes on-screen, but one who I dislike for both is Burt Lancaster.  He can be very good in the right role such as JJ Hunsecker, but I just don't like him. Plus he starred in a movie that tried to make Robert Stroud look admirable, despite his being a truly loathsome individual. 

[LornaHansonForbes]

7 hours ago, Rudy's Girl said:

The actress I HATE most of all in every way. She ruined True Grit for me. I can't watch it.

Apparently Kim Darby was also next to impossible to work with. John Wayne absolutely despised her on the set of “true grit”, as did John Cusack and David Ogden Stiers on the set of “better off dead”.

[LornaHansonForbes]

10 hours ago, Allhallowsday said:

I love CHARLES BOYER !  Whoda thunk it? 

There have been two phases of my classic movie education, in the 80s and 90s when I was a kid and teenager- I watched all kinds of classics on TNT, VHS and AMC, but I would say I probably just grazed about a fourth of the surface.
in 2005, I got cable again and started watching TMC and from there on I’ve done a really deep dive to where I’ve seen A LOT MORE stuff.

since seeing CLUNY BROWN and HOLD BACK THE DAWN, (and some others) I would be very very tempted to put Charles Boyer on my list of my top five favorite actors, he would certainly be in the top 10.

Once you get past the accent you see that there is a fine, fine actor underneath. (And the accent is charming most of the time)

Now, if you want to talk about bad actors with inscrutable accents, may I submit Paul Lukas for your consideration?

[Dargo]

20 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

Apparently Kim Darby was also next to impossible to work with. John Wayne absolutely despised her on the set of “true grit”, as did John Cusack and David Ogden Stiers on the set of “better off dead”.

I met her a couple of times back in the mid-'70s. A woman I was dating for a short time back then was a friend of hers.

Simply put, my memory of Kim Darby was that she was an emotional wreck.

(...and so these reports come as no surprise to me, anyway)

[Allhallowsday]

29 minutes ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

Now, if you want to talk about bad actors with inscrutable accents, may I submit Paul Lukas for your consideration?

No you may not.  I like PAUL LUKAS too! 

[Dargo]

Got another here. And, another case of what always seemed to me to be that the guy was hired because of his looks, but it's soon discovered he JUST CAN'T ACT, but somehow is still given roles in pictures for years more.

THIS guy. James Craig, aka "The Poor Man's Clark Gable"...

(...and whose line readings in movies were usually as bad, as stiff, and as unbelievable as George Raft's)

 

 

 

[speedracer5]

2 hours ago, LornaHansonForbes said:

There have been two phases of my classic movie education, in the 80s and 90s when I was a kid and teenager- I watched all kinds of classics on TNT, VHS and AMC, but I would say I probably just grazed about a fourth of the surface.
in 2005, I got cable again and started watching TMC and from there on I’ve done a really deep dive to where I’ve seen A LOT MORE stuff.

since seeing CLUNY BROWN and HOLD BACK THE DAWN, (and some others) I would be very very tempted to put Charles Boyer on my list of my top five favorite actors, he would certainly be in the top 10.

I am indifferent about Boyer, but I love Cluny Brown and Love  Affair.

I cannot help but think of Charles Boyer pretending to be "Maurice DuBois" pretending to be Charles Boyer, performing Lucy Ricardo's impression of his voice: "LUCYYYYY RAWRRRR I LOVE YOU!"

[CinemaInternational]

On 8/20/2020 at 10:18 AM, LornaHansonForbes said:

DIANE KEATON also has a thing for appearing in movies that i refer to as "REAL ESTATE P0RN"- starting with FATHER OF THE BRIDE- wherein she plays exceedingly wealthy flibbertyjibbits who have homes in SUN VALLEY, EAST HAMPTON and CENTRAL PARK WEST, 2500 square foot kitchens with six-burner gas ranges, and an endless supply of cream-colored, immaculately tailored mother of the bride dresses.

after a while, it's gotten to be a little elitist.

Incidentally, Father of the Bride (both 90s films)  and Something's Gotta give (another one I think you are subliminally referring to here, since it too looks like a promo for Architectural Digest) were all written by Nancy Meyers, who always seems to want her films to have the plushest looking interiors. It was that way too in the Keaton-less films The Parent Trap, It's Complicated, and The Intern.

[speedracer5]

On 8/20/2020 at 7:18 AM, LornaHansonForbes said:

DIANE KEATON also has a thing for appearing in movies that i refer to as "REAL ESTATE P0RN"- starting with FATHER OF THE BRIDE- wherein she plays exceedingly wealthy flibbertyjibbits who have homes in SUN VALLEY, EAST HAMPTON and CENTRAL PARK WEST, 2500 square foot kitchens with six-burner gas ranges, and an endless supply of cream-colored, immaculately tailored mother of the bride dresses.

after a while, it's gotten to be a little elitist.

I don't dislike Diane Keaton, I even thought she was great in Looking for Mr. Goodbar, even though I am never watching that movie again.  I do agree that from the 90s-forward, she seems to play the same type of character: wealthy, neurotic, worrywart, type person.  She isn't so much like this in Father of the Bride where she is more of a straight woman for Steve Martin, but she definitely plays this type in First Wives Club (which I love, btw), and some of her other movies that I haven't seen.  I saw her in Annie Hall and I didn't really understand what the big deal was about this movie.  I watched it and I remember thinking, why did she win an Oscar for this? Why is this film held up as the end all, be all of both her and Woody Allen's respective careers? Maybe I just didn't get it. 

What I notice most about Keaton is that she seems to have adopted a uniform that she wears on screen and off: big hat, big dress with long sleeves or blouse with wide legged pants, enormous belt that she wears around her waist (regardless of whether her coat/dress/pants/whatever actually has 6" belt loops), whatever type of shoes (those don't seem too remarkable), then she adds a million accessories: jewelry, gloves (fingerless and with fingers), tie, scarves, everything. She manages to have unique style compared  to everyone else, but not unique compared to herself. 

[Bogie56]

On 8/18/2020 at 5:19 PM, Allhallowsday said:

^ ZACHARY SCOTT... didn't think of him.  Ech. 

Have you seen Luis Bunuel's The Young One (1960).  It is sort of Swamp Water meets Baby Doll and Scott plays a real sleaze wanting to get into the knickers of a 14ish year old girl that he is supposed to be looking after.  And his performance is really OTT too.  Sort of like a peverted Dennis Weaver from Touch of Evil.  It is all very bizarre.  I saw it at the BFI years ago and could not believe Scott's performance.   What was he thinking?