The Most Phoned-In Performances of All Time

[Rowsdower!]

This is pretty self-explanatory. What are some performances where you said to yourself, "Yeah, this actor is just here for the paycheck?"

Here are some of the ones I can think of...

Alison Loman - Drag Me to Hell

Julian McMahon - Fantastic Four

Bruce Willis - Cop Out

Ben Affleck - Paycheck

James Franco - Oz

 

[wampa1]

Ed Norton - The Italian Job

 

[childeroland]

Marlon Brando - The Island of Dr. Moreau
James Spader - Stargate
Ian McKellen - The Da Vinci Code
Jeremy Iron - Dungeons & Dragons, Eragon, Beautiful Creatures
Emma Thompson - Beautiful Creatures

 

[Schlosser85]

Gene Hackman in Wyatt Earp

Marlon Brando as Jor-El

John Malkovich in Warm Bodies

Raymond Burr in Godzilla 1985

Ian McKellen in The Hobbit

 

[Schlosser85]

Anthony Hopkins in Red Dragon and Thor.

 

[Tanin]

Marlon Brando -- Superman
and yet even phoning it in he is the second best thing in the films.

 

[James]

Anthony Hopkins in Red Dragon and Thor.

Funny, Hopkins in Thor was the first thing that sprang to mind when I saw the thread title. I like the movie and I like Hopkins a lot, but they should have got someone else for Odin.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever

 

[Sawyer]

Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln


You heard me.

 

[Rocketman]

Keanu Reeves in The Watcher.

In fact, he was literally there for a paycheck, and demanded he be removed from all marketing and posters.

Reeves has stated that he was not interested in the script and was forced into doing the film when a friend forged his signature on a contract. He performed the role rather than get involved in a lengthy legal battle. He was contractually prevented from disclosing this until twelve months after the film's US release.

He's even "blacked out" from the poster.

One of the strangest films in history, in my opinion. I remember not even knowing Reeves was in it until I was in the theater!

 

[Ultimatehero]

James Franco - Oz

If you look into anything regarding the history of the film, Franco wasn't there for the paycheck. The guys loves the books by L. Frank Baum and he loves working with Sam Raimi. One of the features on the blu-ray is even his video journal of working on it. You can say whatever you want about the performance, but he didn't do it for the paycheck.

 

[Rocketman]

If you look into anything regarding the history of the film, Franco wasn't there for the paycheck. The guys loves the books by L. Frank Baum and he loves working with Sam Raimi. One of the features on the blu-ray is even his video journal of working on it. You can say whatever you want about the performance, but he didn't do it for the paycheck.

Not to be "that guy", but does that mean he would've done it for free?

 

[Ultimatehero]

Not to be "that guy", but does that mean he would've done it for free?

How many actors would do any role for free?

Sure, you have some actors like Hugh Jackman who would do Wolverine for free because that's a passion character for him. But everything else? A paycheck is certainly a part of it. The only time a paycheck really doesn't become a part of it is when it is an indie film - the actor wants to be in it, but they can't afford him so they'll take a cut. But, when it's not indie and they can afford them? Paycheck certainly always crosses every actor's mind and for every role.

You have two projects you like - one you're getting paid for and one you're not - which would you take?

 

[Tanin]

That would depend on my current financial situation.

 

[Ultimatehero]

That would depend on my current financial situation.

In which the more money you earn, the more money you've got to spend because most likely everything has risen along with it. This is how and why it is easy for BIG name celebrities to fall into bankruptcy. They have to pay the bills too - just those bills are different. Celebrities continue to take massive pay cuts or no money at all - their financial security would fall big time. Just because they make a heck of a lot of money doesn't mean that money's just floating around.

 

[UnknownStuntman]

Robert DeNiro--Righteous Kill

 

[Deserana]

Morgan Freeman - Oblivion
Bruce Willis - Practically everything other than Looper since 2005.

 

[Lily Adler]

Michael Shannon - General Zod

I've seen this one on here and other sites dozens of times.

 

[Sawyer]

Michael Shannon - General Zod

I've seen this one on here and other sites dozens of times.

I agree, but I did find it ridiculous when I saw someone complaining about his accent in comparison to Crowe's. It's like.... you do realize that the actual actors originate from the same planet and have different accents too, yes?

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Natalie Portman in the Star Wars prequels.

 

[Sawyer]

Natalie Portman Everyone in the Star Wars prequels.

Fixed

 

[Tanin]

I think it was the director holding everyone back. Never have I seen films where every actor... including the great ones sucked balls.

 

[Still Wynning]

Natalie Portman in the Star Wars prequels nearly every film that isn't V for Vendetta, Black Swan and The Professional.

Fixed.

 

[Sawyer]

There is something about her that just seems to lack enthusiasm, isn't there?

 

[CConn]

Michael Madsen in Sin City.

I kept waiting to see the cue cards he was reading off of make their way into one of the shots.