There’s good reason for artists to be picky with their roles. It may seem like they are snobbish at times, but this is absolutely necessary to protect one’s career. Cuba Gooding has been in the industry for many years, and at some point, it seems actors like him fall under the illusion that they are impervious to failure.
This is probably why he took a chance on such an awful role, as the one he played in “Boat Trip”, a movie that was routinely hated, by critics and audiences alike. A comeback was hard for Gooding, but he ultimately made it back after 2002’s horror, by appearing in a season of the wildly popular “American Horror Story” in 2016.
Al Pacino Misfires With Misconduct
Veteran actors normally get paid so much more for their dependability and proven success rate. Hiring Al Pacino to play a lead role usually means a movie’s success is already in the bag. In the movie "Misconduct", however, Pacino failed to work his magic.
He received harsh reviews for it, along with Anthony Hopkins, making viewers wonder what happened to this powerful duo, that normally would have been simply infallible. Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter had this to say, “it’s a sort of by-the-numbers, forgettable thriller.” Monotonous and uninspiring, this movie failed to deliver the Al Pacino we have known and loved all these years.
Brad Pitt in War Machine
The name Brad Pitt has, for years, been associated with a manly, rugged, confident, and deeply appealing image. But Pitt wanted to show that he is more than just a handsome face. He wanted to show us his skills and versatility. He took the role of a general in the movie "War Machine", which got rated a measly 54% by Rotten Tomatoes.
A big part of it may come down to the fact that Brad Pitt’s voice sounded too contrived and annoying. Asked to comment on the film, Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian didn’t mince words, saying, “Not funny enough to be satire, not realistic enough to count as political commentary, not exciting enough to work as a war movie, David Michôd’s supposedly Helleresque romp, released on Netflix, is an imperfect non-storm of unsuccess.”
Harman Baweja in Love Story 2050
Being born to parents well-nestled in the entertainment industry in Bollywood, one would have thought Harman Baweja had all the necessary elements needed to make it big in life. He had no problems starting his career with a lead role in "Love Story 2050", directed by his father, produced by his mother; a family affair, the stars aligned in his favor. But it turned out to be a rough start for him.
The movie didn’t do well at the box office, nor did his second movie, "Victory". In fact, Baweja has never fared well, failing in all four of his movies so far. Could it be that his starting advantages actually held him back, somehow?
Topher Grace in Spider-Man 3
There’s something about Tobey Maguire’s personality that just worked for many people in the role of Spider-man. The first part was a success, which warranted two more. The momentum gained from this run, however, was halted with the entry of Venom’s character, played by Topher Grace.
Grace is a familiar face to the general viewership, having come from "That 70’s Show". Playing Spidey’s villain was supposedly good for his career, but it ended up earning him heavy flak. It took some time before Topher Grace snatched another leading role in a movie.