16 Movie Roles That Resulted in Unfortunate Consequences For The Actors
Sometimes things don't go as planned.
Some roles come with applause, some come with merch, and some come with a brand-new problem you never asked for. From “Friends” to “Morbius,” these actors thought a character would be the peak moment, but it turned into something messier, louder, and way harder to shake.
Fame didn’t just follow David Schwimmer, it boxed him in as Ross, so every attempt to break out felt like fighting the internet. Jared Leto still got meme immortality from a flop, Camila Cabello got dragged for Cinderella even though she could sing circles around most people, and Michael B. Jordan had to sit with the emotional weight of Erik Killmonger after the cameras stopped rolling.
1. David Schwimmer, Friends
David Schwimmer achieved great fame due to his role in "Friends"; however, this made it difficult for people to see him as anything else. As a result, he struggled to cope with the attention and often felt the urge to hide away. Nevertheless, Schwimmer chose to take on diverse roles, attempting to break free from the Ross stereotype.
Warner Bros2. Jared Leto, Morbius
In 2022, the much-anticipated movie "Morbius" turned out to be one of the biggest flops. The reviews were overwhelmingly negative, with Jared Leto's acting receiving particular criticism. Yet, despite its failure, many scenes from the movie went viral, spawning an abundance of memes.
Sony3. Camila Cabello, Cinderella
Camila Cabello achieved fame at a young age due to her success in Fifth Harmony, a renowned pop group. In 2021, she attempted to branch out into acting; however, her first role as Cinderella was met with unfavorable reviews, despite her impressive singing abilities.
Sony
4. Michael Bakari Jordan, Black Panther
Michael Bakari Jordan had to endure a lot to accurately portray the character Erik Killmonger, which caused many viewers to sympathize with him. After the role, he sought therapy to address some psychological issues.
Marvel
5. Angelina Jolie, Eternals
When Angelina Jolie joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2021 with the movie "Eternals," many were excited. However, this film turned out to be a significant disappointment, with critics labeling it the worst Marvel movie ever.
The story was criticized for its lack of development, and Jolie's performance was harshly received. In recent years, Jolie has focused more on directing than acting, which could explain why "Eternals" was so underwhelming.
Marvel
6. Pamela Anderson, Barb Wire
After reading the script for "Barb Wire," Pamela Anderson had high hopes that her performance would be worthy of an Oscar. Unfortunately, the movie ended up being an enormous failure, and Anderson received the much-dreaded Golden Raspberry Award instead.
DH Entertainment
7. Madonna, Die Another Day
Despite her success in music, Madonna attempted to act and had some significant roles in films such as "Evita" and "Desperately Seeking Susan." Unfortunately, two poor performances in "Swept Away" and "Die Another Day" led her to receive two Golden Raspberry Awards, earning her a reputation as a subpar actress. After that, Madonna returned to her musical career.
Eon
8. Dev Patel, The Last Airbender
After becoming famous for his role in "Slumdog Millionaire," Dev Patel accepted an offer to play a villain in "The Last Airbender." Unfortunately, the film was a box office bomb, and he decided never to do superhero movies again.
Paramount
It echoes the AITA case where someone refused to lend money to a friend in a financial crisis, citing the friend’s past overspending.
9. Emile Hirsch, Speed Racer
Despite the box office failure of "Speed Racer," Emile Hirsch's involvement in the movie opened doors to more significant roles in the future. After a few years, he was cast alongside Matthew McConaughey in "Killer Joe" and Paul Rudd in "Prince Avalanche."
Warner Bros
10. January Jones, X-Men: First Class
January Jones' performance as Emma Frost in "X-Men: First Class" was met with heavy criticism, making the situation even more intriguing due to rumors of a romance between Jones and the film's director, Matthew Vaughn.
Following this, Jones only appeared in a few more movies before taking a long break and eventually returning to the film industry.
20th Century
11. Meg Ryan, Proof of Life
After her captivating performances in "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail," Meg Ryan was dubbed the queen of romantic comedies. Even though the films were not well-received, Ryan and Russell Crowe's on-screen chemistry suggested a budding romance.
However, the actress was still married to actor Dennis Quaid, which diminished her public image. Subsequently, Ryan primarily took on roles in independent films.
Warner Bros
12. Faye Dunaway — Mommie Dearest
Faye Dunaway admitted that accepting the role of Joan Crawford caused her career to take a turn for the worse. Every night after filming, she felt as if Crawford had followed her home, and there were rumors that she was incredibly unkind to her co-workers, humiliating them on set. This unpleasant behavior became known throughout Hollywood.
Paramount
13. Mischa Barton, The O.C.
After her breakthrough role in "The O.C.," Mischa Barton gained worldwide fame and struggled to cope. As a result, she chose to take a break from Hollywood for a few years. Her next on-screen appearance did not occur until three years later.
Warner Bros
14. Jessica Alba, An Invisible Sign
At the start of the 2000s, Jessica Alba was hugely famous; however, by the close of the decade, she had made a series of poorly received films, one of which was "An Invisible Sign," which received an abysmal 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The failure was attributed mainly to Alba. Following that, she began taking on significantly fewer projects.
Silver Wood
15. Hugh Grant, Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Hugh Grant's disastrous performance in "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" caused him to take a three-year break from acting for audiences to forget it. Critics remarked that Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker had no chemistry, and Grant himself admitted that the film cost him his status as a highly sought-after and well-compensated actor.
In 2012's "Cloud Atlas," in which he took on the challenge of playing six characters, he was able to fully restore his reputation.
Sony
16. Jessica Chastain, The 355
After participating in "The 355," Jessica Chastain quickly realized it wasn't the best decision, as the film was anything but extraordinary or noteworthy. She immediately began new projects to move on, such as James Gray's "Armageddon Time" and Michel Franco's "Memory."
Universal
That “Friends” effect is exactly what set David Schwimmer up for a different kind of fallout, where being Ross-adjacent became the whole story.
Then Jared Leto’s “Morbius” situation shows the flip side, a movie everyone hated but somehow couldn’t stop quoting.
Camila Cabello’s Cinderella and Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger both prove that even when the performance is strong, the public reaction can still get ugly fast.
And with Angelina Jolie getting slammed for “Eternals” and Pamela Anderson’s “Barb Wire” turning into a Golden Raspberry kind of moment, the pattern gets harder to ignore.
No one is immune to life's disappointments. Even the most successful actors experience moments when things don't work out as they had hoped. They may have put in months of hard work preparing for a role only to miss out on the part.
They may have landed their dream job only to find out that the director had a different vision than they did. They may have poured their heart and soul into a project only to discover it was a flop.
But the important thing is to get back up after falling.
Fame is supposed to open doors, but for these actors it mostly kicked them straight into the spotlight’s worst room.
After your friend repays a loan, should you still deny them money for a major life event? See this dilemma.
