Ranking the Worst Actors of All Time
We’d love to say that all of our favorite actors were perfect. However, some don’t have the shiniest background with the critics. The worst-reviewed actors can also be the ones that are most beloved by fans. Let’s take a look at the actors who the critics didn’t love and their reasoning. Plus, maybe we’ll defend them with the “fan perspective.” Ultimately, you’ll have to make your final decision on your own. After all, what do film critics actually know?
50. Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf’s name carries with it a long history of method acting. In fact, he’s known for removing a tooth for his role in Fury (2014). He also got chest tattoos for when he took on a role in The Tax Collector (2020). Typically, actors just let their makeup artists handle that, but we guess that’s Shia’s choice. Nonetheless, these weird extremes have not stopped critics from thinking he is terrible. Particularly, they really didn’t like Eagle Eye (2008) and his role in Dumb and Dumber (2008).
49. Kristen Stewart
Let’s chat about Kristen Stewart. Critics hated her. The major criticism for her role in Twilight was her “awkward” performance and stale face. What fans argue is that this is just how the character in the books was written, therefore she was doing a great job at executing that. Nonetheless, critics still complained about her time and time again. That is until when she absolutely shined in 2021’s Spencer where Kristen played Princess Diana. Her performance was universally loved by both fans and critics alike.
48. Sarah Jessica Parker
This one is going to be really controversial. Our apologies in advance. Sex and the City is one of those shows that you either love or hate. If you hate it, then you probably don’t care much about Sarah Jessica Parker. If you love it, then she is your entire world and inspiration. Outside of this show, though, she’s had other work that critics hated. Particularly, they hated Dudley-Do Right (1999). The movie has long been forgotten by most, but critics will probably never let how terrible it was go.
47. John Travolta
Every indie film fan is forever going to be obsessed with Pulp Fiction (1994). Thus, they will also love John Travolta for his role as Vincent Vega. Turns out, though, that film fans aren’t the same as film critics with plenty of credentials. Battlefield Earth (2000) is actually the movie that these critics tend to take issue with. It earned multiple “Razzie” awards which isn’t really a good thing at all. Whether or not this movie is a testament to John Travolta’s skills or it’s just an outlier is up for debate.
46. Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen went through a tumultuous era in the public eye in 2011. It created a whole pop culture moment, but the critics aren’t judging him based on that. Instead, they’re much more concerned with how terrible Scary Movie 3 (2003) actually was. Plus, they can’t forget Deadfall (1993). Basically, his career isn’t the most perfect one, but he did make America laugh for awhile. The show Two and a Half Men is engrained in television history forever.
45. Robert Pattinson
Can you truly ever hate someone who hates his own work and doesn’t care what you think? Robert Pattinson is the perfect example of indifference. While he’s not on social media and typically distant from the public eye, he has curated a very dedicated fanbase. It started when he played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005). From there, he moved on to a role that critics hated: Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga. His bad reviews for this film carried with him, but his stardom spoke for itself. Now, though, he starred in The Batman (2022) and finally earned some positive reviews that are long overdue.
44. William Shatner
When you think of William Shatner, you usually think of how he is a beloved actor. With a household name, you’d expect him to have phenomenal reviews from critics. Unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite. He pops up in the movie American Psycho 2 (2002) which you may think is a good thing. However, notice how this is only the sequel. While the first movie did really well, the second couldn’t even come close. It’s not even like he was in the first one. He was in Miss Congeniality (2000) and its sequel, but this series was overall disliked by critics. Was it his performance or the terrible roles that he has had plaguing his career? It is hard to say.
43. Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba has had a long and iconic acting career. After all, she literally takes on the superhero role of Sue Storm in the Fantastic Four series. She’ll forever be engrained in fans’ hearts in this way. However, critics actually hate her more so for her role in The Love Guru (2008). In this comedy, she stars alongside Justin Timberlake who also doesn’t have a great acting history. We also can’t forget her role in Little Fockers (2010) which had fans laughing and critics absolutely cringing.
42. Jennifer Love Hewitt
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) was highly criticized for poor writing and a boring plot line. Jennifer Love Hewitt was actually probably the high point of the whole thing, but she got caught in the dumpster fire that the critics lit. After that, though, Jennifer continued to get criticized including for her brief time on the show Criminal Minds. Maybe her best performance wasn’t truly acting at all, but rather her appearance in boyband LFO’s music video for “Girl on TV.”
41. Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner has a very diverse background in acting, tackling a variety of different roles. Fans in recent years have gushed over her motherly role in Love, Simon (2018) and the impactful message it has had about LGBTQ+ youth and acceptance. Critics just can’t get over some of her less-than-savory roles, though. One of the most notoriously bad movies would be Mr. Magoo (1997). In essence, critics weren’t impressed by the film or by her performance in it.
40. Zac Efron
Starting out in a preteen movie sensation can make it really hard to have a stellar acting career thereafter. Zac Efron was the teenage heartthrob Troy Bolton in Disney’s High School Musical (2006). He instantly curated a dedicated fanbase that would grow up alongside him. However, once the series ended, his career became a bit wonky. He starred in 17 Again (2009) and then Neighbors (2014) as a frat brother. Basically, he wasn’t exactly handed the most complex roles to be judged by. This doesn’t really matter to critics, after all. They really only care about your performance and, ultimately, they didn’t like his very much.
