Actors Name Their Most Loved & Hated Roles
There’s nothing quite like kicking back with a bucket of popcorn and throwing on one of your favorite films. But did you know that a lot of our favorite actors have trouble watching their own work? Apparently, even though they’re Hollywood mega-celebrities, a lot of actors and actresses find themselves disappointed in their work after filming and can’t bring themselves to watch the films they starred in.
On the flip side, every actor has a favorite role from their extensive career. Some of them are more surprising than others. You’d think an actor’s favorite would be their most famous film or TV show by default, but that’s often not the case.
Let’s see what roles make these actors cringe or beam with pride!
HATES: Elizabeth Olson, WandaVision Pilot
Superhero television shows had a less than stellar reputation for a while (looking at you Inhumans) until Marvel studios came out with WandaVision on Disney+. The show took the world by storm and became an instant water cooler phenomenon. But, Elizabeth Olson, the actress who plays Wanda, wasn’t as excited about the show as the audience.
Apparently, the first episode was filmed in front of a live audience, and Olson wasn’t sure whether to act for the cameras or for the audience. Filming on sound stages and acting in a theater production are very different, so we can understand why she was thrown off. Still, we can’t say we were as critical of the performance as Olson was herself. But that’s the way it always goes.
LOVES: John Travolta, Fanatic
This high school dropout took a huge chance on himself and cashed out big. You definitely know him as your Grease bad boy idol. He’s had women swooning ever since. Following that he would star in classic films like Urban Cowboy and Pulp Fiction. When asked his most beBEST role he named The Fanatic where he plays a loner who is obsessed with his favorite movie star.
Although he’s known for giving his all to this role, the movie is as frantic as the filming. Known for being jumpy and all over the place, critics were extremely harsh on the movie. Travolta may be the only person who enjoyed this role!
LOVES: Jeff Bridges, The Big Lebowski
This versatile actor has played as many characters as awards he’s won. This doesn’t surprise anyone. Coming from an extremely successful family of actors, it’s practically in his blood. One of his most distinct roles in Crazy Heart won him the Academy Award for Best Actor. This led to a domino effect of him falling in love with singing as well.
One can really see his love for music as he named his band The Abiders, after his favorite role in The Big Lebowski. He plays The Dude and is known for his iconic lines. So remember, “the Dude abides, in life and in quality, follow the rules, or at least go with the flow,” and watch The Big Lebowski.
LOVES: Anna Faris, The House Bunny
Anna Faris first hit it big all the way back in 2000 in the Scary Movie film series, and has been a comedic icon ever since. Best known for Brokeback Mountain, Just Friend, and The Dictator she’s had us falling out of our seats laughing over the years. Providing comedic relief has remained her specialty to date so it’s no surprise her favorite role is Shelley Darlingson in House Bunny.
She plays Playboy Playmate turned sorority house mom who’s trying to find herself, while acting as a motherly figure. Every time the movie is brought up she mentions feeling “embarrassed pride.” Though raunchy, she claims the role helped her grow into herself.
HATES: Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia!
While Pierce Brosnan got a lot of flack for his portrayal of James Bond, that’s not the role that the actor personally takes issue with. According to Brosnan, he has a little bit of trouble rewatching Mamma Mia! and having to listen to himself sing. He clarified that he loves to sing, he’s just a bit embarrassed and worried others won’t like his voice.
Still, Brosnan was able to get over himself when he signed on for the movie’s sequel and was happy to belt it out alongside Meryl Streep once more. Although, we can’t disagree with Brosnan’s original statement. Watching people break out into song in the middle of a conversation is definitely a little cringey.
LOVES: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kindergarten Cop
If you think you’ve had an interesting life then you definitely haven’t heard of Arnold Schwarzenegger. This world-famous bodybuilder turned governor, turned actor, has been in the spotlight since he was 15. He was either winning Mr. Universe, being selected in the top 100 most influential people in the world (twice), or running for office. The man seriously couldn’t sit still!
While the Austrian Oak is best known for his strength, he struggled for many years to break into the comedy field. This is why many fans were surprised to find out his favorite role was John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop. Whether it was the director, or his co-stars, he had as much fun filming as many felt watching the movie.
HATES: Helena Bonham Carter, Les Misérables
Like we said before, some of these celebrity confessions are pretty shocking. Often the movies they feel bad about were major box office hits, like Les Misérables. Even though the film got rave reviews, and changed the game when it comes to musicals, a few of the actors were dissatisfied with their performance. One of the most upset was Helena Bonham Carter.
We feel for Carter here, because she obviously tried her best to put forward a good performance in the film. We actually don’t mind any of her singing either, but she’s disappointed in herself regardless. We know that feeling, and it’s a real bummer– especially if you can’t do anything to go back and fix what you’re upset about!
HATES: Amanda Seyfried, Les Misérables
In any profession, you should always be most critical of your own work. This hyper-fixation on perfection will allow you to improve your craft. However, at a certain point, you’re going to need to let things go. That’s the advice we’d give to Amanda Seyfried, who said that she wished she could redo Les Misérables in its entirety.
We’re not saying we wouldn’t love to see another version of the film, but what’s wrong with the original? Seyfried’s singing isn’t as bad as she claims. It’s actually incredible. We can’t understand the disappointment. Like we said before, we guess you’ve just got to be your biggest critic.
LOVES: Morgan Freeman, Driving Miss Daisy
Morgan Freeman has had a passion for the spotlight from a young age. In 1970 his fame really took off when he starred in The Electric Company, followed by a breakthrough role in Street Smart. This led him to receive the academy award for Best Supporting Role. He also illustrated excellent directing skills in the movie Bopha!
Though known for his various roles, Freeman never really felt the presence of a character. He claimed to mostly see himself, until Driving Miss Daisy. He plays Hoke who develops a deep friendship with the titular character. They develop a heartwarming dynamic through her teaching him how to read, creating a truly meaningful scene. It’s no surprise the movie means so much to the actors and audience.
HATES: Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
We didn’t want to admit this going in, but we’re not fans of musicals. Sorry, it’s just not our thing! Apparently, it’s not something that the actors and actresses relish either. There are so many confessions on this list that just come down to actors not enjoying their own singing. Emily Blunt is one of that bunch, who hated her performance in Into The Woods.
Somehow, that didn’t dissuade her from taking a role in Mary Poppins where she’d have to sing again. Thankfully, we’re a bigger fan of Blunt’s singing than she is, so we still could enjoy those movies. However, maybe we can start saving the singing for the musicians?
LOVES: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator
Leonardo DiCaprio has been a man of the art since he was in the womb… literally! He got his name because his mother first felt him kick while looking at a Leonardo da Vinci painting in Florence, Italy. When he first started out he had a hard time finding roles, and an agent told him to change his name (thank goodness he didn’t).
Critters 3 thankfully skyrocketed his career, with many acts to follow. Out of them all, The Aviator was a character he put years of work into. DiCaprio stars as Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer. He felt inspired by his role and guaranteed the viewers will too. Don’t just take his word for it, go home and give it a watch!
HATES: Sarah Silverman, Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is like a revolving door for great comedy writers. They come in, they go out, and they help create the sketches that we all love somewhere in the middle. But Sarah Silverman didn’t last long at SNL Studios in New York City. She was only there for a single season before she was fired from the show!
As Silverman explains it, she was there while the guard was changing. So, she didn’t have much chance to distinguish herself or latch onto any high-performing cast members that would be around for a while. But, this didn’t have much effect on her career, and she’s continued making people laugh in all her different roles since.
HATES: John Boyega, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Only recently we’ve begun to fully understand the power of representation in the media. But in the wake of these revelations, some corporations have been guilty of overselling the amount of representation they’re giving to people of color. No one has been worse about this than Disney with their treatment of John Boyega and the character Finn in the Star Wars universe.
If the company hadn’t leaned so heavily on Finn for its marketing campaigns this wouldn’t be so much of an issue. However, Boyega took issue with the fact that his character was used to draw performative praise for the films while he was constantly being pushed to the side.
LOVES: James McAvoy, The Chronicles of Narnia
Scottish superstar James McAvoy definitely adds some diversity to our list of esteemed actors. He stumbled onto the set of The Near Room at the mere age of 15. He wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to break into the industry, but ended up diving into it. What convinced him, you may ask? A girl of course! We have Alana Brady to thank for his acting as he fell in love with her on set, inspiring him to continue auditioning for roles.
So which character out of his many roles carries the most meaning? You have the lion, the witch, the wardrobe, and of course, James McAvoy. The mystical character of Mr. Tumnus resonated with him the most. That’s right, he totally adored his time on set for The Chronicles of Narnia.
HATES: Marilyn Monroe, The Misfits
Throughout history, has there been a woman as easy to fall in love with as Marilyn Monroe? She was America’s fixation and almost anything she touched turned to gold. That’s why the movie The Misfits, starring Monroe alongside Clark Gable, was such a critically acclaimed hit. But Monroe wasn’t a fan of her performance, and she later actually admitted that she hated the film.
We’ve read in prior interviews that Clark Gable was an absolute nightmare to film with, so that could’ve contributed to Monroe’s dissatisfaction. Apparently, America’s favorite casanova had a penchant for chain-smoking, not brushing his teeth, and eating garlic before takes. How disgusting is that?
LOVES: Matthew McConaughey, Dazed And Confused
America’s favorite heartthrob developed his passion for filming and acting while studying at the University of Texas. After living out the typical frat boy experience and graduating with his degree in Radio-Television-Film, he took to the big screen. Only true fans would know his career began with an episode of Unsolved Mysteries and a role in My Boyfriends Backpack.
This humble star will forever admire his breakout role in Dazed and Confused. Not only is this the part that helped him make it big, but is forever one he looks back on fondly. The part wasn’t demanding, allowed him to have fun, and ultimately is what made him fall in love with acting. This nostalgic coming-of-age film is a must-see.
HATES: Eddie Murphy, Raw
Eddie Murphy was the biggest comedian in the world for several years. He was selling out arenas by the time his standup special Raw came out. The show and the subsequent film of the set were both massive hits. But certain audiences found a lot of that material unsavory, which led Murphy to come out with an apology in the years following.
The problem with standup comedy is that almost every joke is going to offend somebody. Audiences have to be willing to sift through the material and make their own determination about whether a joke was funny or not. If they’re going to jump down a comics’ throat because they made a joke about an unsavory topic, that person has no business being at a show anyway.
LOVES: Viola Davis, Law & Order
Viola Davis is known for many things, including but not limited to her being a recipient to an Emmy, Academy, Tony, and Primetime awards. Shes best known for being cast as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder. This led her to become the first black actress to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Despite all these major parts, Viola’s heart lies with a much more underrated character. Playing Terry Randolph, a corrupt drug dealing retired cop on Law and Order: Criminal Intent. It remains her favorite part to this day. While Viola thinks many may have forgotten about this episode, she remembers it fondly.
HATES: Ewan McGregor, Emma
Every once in a while an actor comes along who can seemingly do no wrong, and Ewan McGregor is one of these special few. The Obi-Wan Kenobi actor is not only excellent in all of his movies, but he’s also a great interviewee and a nice human being to boot. Though when discussing his performance in the 1996 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, McGregor is less than complimentary of his work.
Showing his true character, McGregor stands by the film and says his co-stars were incredible. However, he feels his own performance was somewhat lacking. Still, with Gwyneth Paltrow by his side (before all the Goop nonsense), the film still holds up well.
LOVES: Emma Watson, The Harry Potter Franchise
You know her, and love her, especially since she reminds you of simpler times. Emma Watson has been on screen her whole life and killed it from the beginning. She’s more than worthy of earning the title of being one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Times magazine in 2015. She’s known for her movies, live-action film, UN work, modeling, you name it, she does it!
Serving as such an inspiration, it causes us to wonder who inspires her. Funny enough her idol is Hermione from Harry Potter. After one look at the script, she not only admired this character, but was dying to be her and live up to her inspiration. She and Hermione have many similarities both being driven and intelligent young women.
HATES: Emma Watson, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
It can be tough for a type-cast actor to break out and start getting other roles. That’s what happened to Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson after the Harry Potter films. The three were so well known while growing up as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, it took a while before they were being offered other roles. And once they were, they weren’t always happy with the way those films came out.
In The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Emma Watson had to use an American accent and absolutely hated it. She felt like she wasn’t convincing enough and had trouble listening to herself when the movie premiered. But audiences didn’t seem to mind and the film was still a hit.
LOVES: Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr. is known as one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, but he has a story full of highs and lows. He started out with his fathers film Pound followed by Less Than Zero, and then Chaplin. You can later find him in Elton John’s I Want Love, music video which really put him on the map.
Subsequently, he would star in his all-time favorite Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. He plays Harry Lockheart who unwantedly finds himself amidst a crime scene. The film goes through twists and turns, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat. This role had a lasting impact on Downey Jr. as he credits it for being cast in Iron Man!
HATES: Eddie Redmayne, Jupiter Ascending
If you’re not familiar with the Razzies, you’re in for a treat. After reading this article, we get you’re going to be plumbing their website for hours. Anyway, the Razzies are a series of yearly movie awards, similar to the Oscars, but for the worst of the worst in Hollywood. In 2015, they gave the honor of Worst Supporting Actor in a Hollywood film to Eddie Redmayne for his performance in Jupiter Ascending.
Most audiences took issue with Redmayne’s voice in the film, but there were a lot of other issues as well. The CGI was tough, the other actors didn’t pull their weight, and the film ended up with six different Razzie nominations, including one for the worst film of the year. Thankfully for Redmayne, they didn’t win that one.
LOVES: Jennifer Aniston, Horrible Bosses
As one of the most famous and beautiful actresses alive today, this article simply would not have been complete without her. Jennifer Anniston has been deemed iconic since she took to our screens in Friends back in 2004. She’s played so many different characters. How could we ever expect her to pick a favorite?
You might assume her favorite role is her most famous, as Rachel Green on Friends. Turns out her favorite character comes from her supporting role as dentist Dr. Julia in Horrible Bosses. Her dedication to this supporting part ran so deep she even went to the dentist beforehand to see how they hold all of their tools! She got creative and was able to have a ton of fun on set!
HATES: Megan Fox, Transformers
With practice comes skill. No actor or actress should be expected to put forth a stellar performance in their first film. It’s up to the other people on set to uplift the rookies and make sure the film comes out alright. That’s what happened in Michael Bay’s Transformers, which Megan Fox admits was a good movie. She wasn’t happy with her performance in the film at all.
Considering this was her first major Hollywood movie, Fox did much better than expected. Plus, this film helped land her the most memorable role of her career so far, playing the possessed succubus Jennifer in Jennifer’s Body.
HATES: Jennifer Aniston, The Leprechaun
Everyone knows Jennifer Aniston from the show Friends, but she has a plethora of other credits to her name that aren’t talked about as often. One such role was the 1993 horror-comedy cult-classic Leprechaun. We won’t dive into the premise behind the film, but we will say that we can understand why Aniston has a hard time rewatching this one.
Despite Aniston’s frustration and the less-than-stellar critical response the film received, the Leprechaun series kept on rolling for seven more sequels! These eight slasher films redefined the comedy-horror genre, although the original cast isn’t really connected to the film anymore. The original Leprechaun, Warwick Davis, stopped participating after he had kids and began feeling like horror films weren’t right for his career anymore.
LOVES: Robin Williams, Awakenings
Can you believe the king of improv was actually voted Most Likely to NOT Succeed in highschool? Wow, were the haters so wrong! Dealing with bullies, absent parents, and moving around a ton, Robin Williams always felt out of place. Little did his bullies know he would graduate, go on to Juliard, then begin stand-up comedy AND acting.
Being on stage thankfully provided him the perfect escape. He felt the most inspired by his time on the set of Awakenings. He played Dr. Malcolm Sayer who would discover the benefits of a drug known for awakening catatonic patients. By fully immersing himself in this character he felt he really got to explore the human brain.
HATES: Sam Worthington, Clash of the Titans
We all know the feeling of biting off more than we can chew. You start to get stressed, you wind up cutting corners, and inevitably your work suffers. That seems to be what happened with 2010’s Clash of the Titans. The film’s directors attempted to present one of the greatest stories from Greek mythology, the myth of Perseus, but couldn’t meet the expectations that audiences had for the film.
Sam Worthington, who plays Perseus in the film, was disappointed in the critical reception the film received. He said in multiple interviews that he knew he could act better, but the film’s sequel bombed the same way. Maybe it wasn’t Worthington’s fault after all and the movie was just too big a task for the studio to take on.
LOVES: Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
With her father being Jon Voight, it’s no surprise Angelina Jolie is a natural-born talent. By 2008 she was considered the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. Her acting success is not all she’s known for, as Angelina has also spent a majority of her time on humanitarian efforts. Promoting several causes including conservation and education, we have to wonder… what can’t she do?
Being the sweetheart she is, it’s a no-brainer her favorite role is Marianna Pearl in A Mighty Heart. This was such a meaningful character to her because not only did her husband at the time produce it, but it featured a woman who she greatly admired.
LOVES: Drew Barrymore, Never Been Kissed
It’s no surprise this golden girl has won a multitude of awards including, a Golden Globe Award of course. This actress, producer, talk show host, and author is clearly capable of accomplishing anything she sets her mind to… and we admire the hell out of her for it! She has played fan favorites in ‘50 First Dates’, ‘Batman Forever’, ‘Scream’, ‘Blended’, you name it.
Out of her long list of accomplished roles, Josie Grossie is the one she adores most. With all her experience and dedication to the field, it should come as no surprise once she read the script she wanted the role so badly. She felt this character encapsulated the essence of growing up, and what it means to show compassion and empathy in young adulthood.