Source
r/unpopularopinion•
ruinus

Most actors these days suck ass; they barely change themselves for their roles and we're left with mostly unremarkable performances even if the script is great

I was recently rewatching There Will Be Blood and forgot just how much of a big difference a good actor can make in film. It seems that these days most actors and actresses are more about branding themselves and appealing to people through that brand (usually via social media) rather than performing their craft well. Actors like Daniel Day Lewis, Heath Ledger, Joaquin Phoenix, and Marlin Brando are the exception as opposed to the rule, and it's a sad trend in Hollywood that anyone with a pretty face or connections gets good roles. Good actors should transform themselves in their physical appearance (if possible) and most importantly in their voice/inflection. It seems that most actors don't do these things, and we're left seeing the same actor in movie after movie playing the same person, essentially. Admittedly it also seems like some actors just aren't taking up roles that give them the opportunity to showcase their actual talents. A good example of this that I can think of off the top of my head is Robert Downey Jr.'s role in Tropic Thunder- a comedic role, yet one that was incredibly well acted nonetheless. None of Downey's other films showcase that level of talent as far as I know.

Posted Dec 24, 2020, 1:26 PM UTC

3530
thedudeisalwayshere•

I somewhat disagree there. I think for every Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart we get, we also get a Christian Bale and Johnny Depp.

I think it's around 50/50 tbh

Also Downey has shown his talents before especially pre-2008 when he did films like Zodiac and Chaplin

16
ruinusOP•

I think it's around 50/50 tbh

I'd have to hard disagree on that ratio. It's much more extreme than that with respect to the number of talentless hacks to the number of skilled actors. Also, I'd consider Bale and Depp to be somewhere in the middle. They're not exceptional, but they at least try to change themselves to fit their specific roles.

0
TheLandOfConfusion•

Nobody watches the trash movies and trash actors from the 1930s but that doesn’t mean they didn’t exist.

In 100 years people will only watch the absolute best movies of the ‘90s and 2000s (ie the ones that stand the test of time). They will complain about how all of their actors suck, and how in the 2000s we had amazing actors like Johnny depp and Christian bale.

Etc.

11
juicemang762•

This has always been true. Think of all the big Hollywood actors from the past. A lot of them played the same character or type of character in every movie. As much as I loved John Wayne, he not only just played John Wayne in every movie, but also in the exact same time period and setting.

6
squish261•

Its called acting. Which is why I'm against the gatekeeping crap the LGBTQ community is pulling for minority roles. I'd like to see a normally flamboyant guy guy act the next Dwayne Johnson role.

I do agree though, it seems we've been moving away from good acting recently. Case and point, Queens Gambit. Yay, a moderately interesting premise that lured me in. Unfortunately, by about episode 5, all I could think of was, "damn, how many times to i have to see the EXACT SAME DOE EYES??"

5
not_cinderella•

What gatekeeping stuff? I’m genuinely asking, not being a dick. I’m LGBTQ and want more characters like this, but well written characters - not just put in for the sake of being progressive.

1
mahaitre•

Actors are overrated as such. The most important ones, so to speak, are screenwriters and directors.

3
ruinusOP•

Skilled actors are not overrated, but in general I agree with your statement.

3
nosnevenaes•

Do yourself a favor and join https://www.criterionchannel.com/

2
PotentialBlacksmith4•

Agreed but how do you not mention Gary Oldman who maybe has had some of the most diverse acting roles in history and has always pulled it off? I mean just look at this.

2
daintyladyfingers•

Gary Oldman is such a good actor that I couldn't pick him out of a line up made entirely of Gary Oldmans.

2
justtovoteonaita•

There have always been bad actors, but there is way more content out there now so there are more mediocre actors getting cast. We're definitely in a quantity over quality time right now. That said, even those 4 actors have done some subpar work at some point and sometimes an actor doesn't work well with the director or something and the work suffers as a result. They should be judged on their work as a whole.

1
hotdogfluster•

Someone said on here that actors today are far superior to actors of the past. There are some great actors today, but I challenge anyone to find a decade that saw the rise of as many great actors than the 1970s.

1
ClownPrinceofLime•

These days? All of your examples of good actors are still working except for Brando and Ledger.

You should watch movies from before Marlon Brando changed Hollywood. All acting then was really fucking bad. The acting that happens in movies now is pretty much the best in Hollywood history.

1
ruinusOP•

I listed 4 people, two of whom are dead, and one is retired. Just because there are more roles that may result in a few more talented actors than previous decades doesn't change the fact that this is a problem in hollywood. They need to recruit actual actors instead of pretty faces or people with connections.

1
ClownPrinceofLime•

Have you ever watched old movies?

The acting today is better on average by far with very few exceptions. Marlon Brando was pretty much the only good actor for like 2 decades.

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
bjones-333•

There’s a lot more roles to fill than ever before.

1
MeDaLeftMe•

There are still many great actors working today. Some of the greatest performances I've ever seen came from films from the last decade. I will miss Day Lewis and Hoffman though.

1
foggylittlefella•

Miss them? They’re still working, no?

1
MeDaLeftMe•

Day Lewis retired and Philip Seymour Hoffman died.

1
foggylittlefella•

Did not know about Day Lewis, which sucks. And I thought you meant Dustin Hoffman tbh. I know and am still very grieved about PSH..

1
ruinusOP•

Can you list some examples from the past decade that you consider the greatest?

1
MeDaLeftMe•

Willem Dafoe in almost any role (The Lighthouse, At Eternity's Gate, The Florida Project), Colin Firth in The King's Speech and A Single Man, Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Mank, Robert Pattinson in Good Time and The Lighthouse, Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl, Tilda Swinton in We Need To Talk About Kevin, Daniel Day Lewis in Phantom Thread and Lincoln, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master, Her, You Were Never Really Here and Joker, Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club and True Detective, Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Django Unchained and The Revenant, Michael Keaton in Birdman, Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad, Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Synecdoche New York and The Master (rip), Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt and Hannibal, Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler, Prisoners, Enemy and Nocturnal Animals and Michael Fassbender in Shame and Steve Jobs. I listed these as they came to me so I am definitely missing a lot but I think you get the idea.

1
[deleted]•

James mcavoy is really good, every time you see him in another movie you have to question if it’s him because he can play so many different characters to perfection.

1
mietzekatze_154•

Cut cut cut cut cut, generic sound effect, cut cut cut

1
mrmanticore2•

This is how I felt about Bill Skarsgaard as Pennywise. He did literally nothing with the character and his attempts at being scary were pathetic. I just don't get it, it was a shit performance. Tim Curry was miles ahead even if the script didn't give him much to do.

1
im_a_train_not_u•

leonardo dicaprio? joaquin pheonix? heath ledger? James McAvoy?

1
ruinusOP•

I'd class Leo in the same rank as someone like Jonah Hill- they play themselves mostly but they're entertaining to watch. James McAvoy doesn't really transform much in his roles either.

1
Dem_democrat_rules•

But DIVERSITY!!

0†
dejfak•

Maybe if you watched something that wasn't mainstream Hollywood garbage like the MCU and other Disney trash you would know that this has been true since Hollywood began.

Honestly, why do people complain about stuff like this (saw some guy complain here that movies end with a good ending way to frequently) and then refuse to watch anything that doesn't have at least 70 million dollar budget with some A list celebrity.

0†
ruinusOP•

wasn't mainstream Hollywood garbage like the MCU and other Disney trash you would know that this has been true since Hollywood began.

I rarely watch those types of movies, and the ones I usually enjoy the most wouldn't be considered "mainstream." However, it's not the acting that carries many of these movies. That's the point- not enough actors do their job well.

1