Gifted Actors Who Wasted Their Time On These 35 Uninspiring Roles

It can be hard to be an actor. A lot can depend on the way you look, or how your voice sounds. Your past work also often defines you: some people can't imagine an actor outside of the one role they've seen them in once. That's how they get typecast – that's the bane of any ambitious actor's career.

The author of this thread, u/sheerduckinghubris, believes that no actor wants that. "I think in most cases, actors choose roles they're passionate [about], only for the project to change in one way or another to a point that it no longer resembles what was initially marketed to them."

"Or, in the case of actors like John Boyega, who was amazing in the Star Wars sequels and had such a good character arc, only to end up sidelined by poor writing and direction in The Rise of Skywalker," the Redditor told Bored Panda. "It's just an unfortunate reality that we will eventually see talented actors pushed to the wayside in favour of more recognisable stars."

Luckily, not all movie stars get stuck acting one type of role their whole careers. u/sheerduckinghubris thinks that Wedding Crashers actor Vince Vaughn is a good example. "Vince Vaughn brought life back into his career with more serious movies like Hacksaw Ridge and Brawl in Cell Block 99 and showed how ranged he truly is, able to prove he can command any scene he's in."

"Though, "I have liked a lot of his comedy movies like Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers," the netizen admits. "Like [with] Adam Sandler, I prefer his more serious roles where he's able to add more gravitas and immersion," the Redditor tells Bored Panda.

We also wanted to know if any recent films showcased an actor's talent in a new light for u/sheerduckinghubris. The Redditor points to Hugh Grant in the 2024 movie Heretic. "[It] was most definitely a surprise for me, though he has been taking a wider range of roles in recent times," the author says.

"Seeing him in a darker role than what I've seen him in was honestly a thrill and he was utterly great in Heretic. I also loved seeing Brendan Fraser back in The Whale," the Redditor adds. "Though I've been a Fraser fan for a while, The Whale became my favourite movie of all time because of his emotional performance," the netizen praises the actor.