Worst Overacting

[EnsignTOS]

It's not just Shatner! The ham was airborne and could affect anyone at any time! Here's a chance for all of you to list, mention, and discuss your personal favorite and least favorite moments of overacting from any character and from any episode, be it cringeworthy, so bad it's good, or just plain terrible.

Examples

1. "I'M CAPTAIN KIIIIIRRRRK!!!!!!"

2. "AAAAHHHH!!!! PAIN!!!!!!"

3. The fight scene in Mirror Mirror. Spock's eyes, the obvious stunt doubles, Uhura's random dancing...

 

[EnriqueH]

As soon as I saw the word "overacting", this is what came to my mind:

"IIIII AM TIIIIIIIRED!!!!!!"

Which was said by none other than Gov. Kodos from the CON-SCIENCE OF THE KIIIIIIING!

Everyone took the theatrical theme and went ballistic.

But for the record, this one of my favorite episodes, and I love Shatner in this.

"ARE YOU KODOS?"
::eyebrow goes up::

 

[Corylea]

Uhura in "The Tholian Web." I thought Nichelle Nichols was great when they gave her more than usual to do in "Mirror, Mirror," but when they gave her something to do in "The Tholian Web," well, I understood why she wasn't used that often.

I actually didn't think the "PAIN!" in "The Devil in the Dark" was overacting; I expected an injured horta to sound different from a human.

 

[Spock's Barber]

The late William Campbell was good as a Klingon in 'Tribbles', but his acting ability in the Squire of Gothos disappointed me.

 

[EnriqueH]

The late William Campbell was good as a Klingon in 'Tribbles', but his acting ability in the Squire of Gothos disappointed me.

Get outta here!!!

Campbell disappointed in Squire???

Holy shit, I thought it was an example of GLORIOUS overacting in its most effective, delightful, and life affirming way!

And despite his overacting, childish, immature ways, he was still giddy (and menacing).

When he gets a phaser in his hand, it's dangerous enough to give me pause.

"Ah! Yes! This won't kill...and this will..."

You don't know what he's going to do and to whom.

 

[EnsignTOS]

Uhura in "The Tholian Web." I thought Nichelle Nichols was great when they gave her more than usual to do in "Mirror, Mirror," but when they gave her something to do in "The Tholian Web," well, I understood why she wasn't used that often.

I actually didn't think the "PAIN!" in "The Devil in the Dark" was overacting; I expected an injured horta to sound different from a human.

Awww. I actually liked her acting in "The Tholian Web". Could you clarify for me?

About "PAIN!": yes, I know. But it was just an example.

 

[Spock's Barber]

The late William Campbell was good as a Klingon in 'Tribbles', but his acting ability in the Squire of Gothos disappointed me.

Get outta here!!!

Campbell disappointed in Squire???

Holy shit, I thought it was an example of GLORIOUS overacting in its most effective, delightful, and life affirming way!

And despite his overacting, childish, immature ways, he was still giddy (and menacing).

When he gets a phaser in his hand, it's dangerous enough to give me pause.

"Ah! Yes! This won't kill...and this will..."

You don't know what he's going to do and to whom.

He was too wimpish and effeminate to be menacing. Take a look at the 1st Season Blooper Reel and see how Shatner mimics the Squire. Hilarious!

 

[EnriqueH]

He was too wimpish and effeminate to be menacing.!

He was totally wimpish and effeminate. Like an intergalactic Liberace with "Q" powers!

But that made a nice contrast with his godlike powers...

I love the back and forth between Campbell and Shatner. I love how Trelane gets the sword and Kirk smiles but takes a step back because he doesn't know what this brat is going to do with the sword, but he still encourages him.

"That's the idea!"
"Oh, so you approve!"

And then goes to take a swing at Kirk but Kirk just easily holds him back.

LOVE IT!

Classic TOS.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Walter Koenig's Russian accent...even the star of the show, Shatner, complained about how horrible it was.

 

[Dale Sams]

The Doomsday Machine. Every time it was on screen that bombastic theme would kick in.

 

[Ssosmcin]

For cringe worthy "other than Shatner" moments, I give it to Jimmy Doohan whenever he had to fall head over heels for a chick. Who Mourns for Adonias? and Lights of Zetar are Doohan at his worst.

I love Shatner. I roll with the punches when he cracks the top because, for the most part, he's flat out amazing in the series. But then he gives me..."I'm happy. I'm so hap-eee!!!" in that loud stage whisper of his in Paradise Syndrome. Yikes.

 

[Spock's Barber]

For cringe worthy "other than Shatner" moments, I give it to Jimmy Doohan whenever he had to fall head over heels for a chick. Who Mourns for Adonias? and Lights of Zetar are Doohan at his worst.

Let me quote Scotty in 'Zetar'....

"You're the sanest, the smartest, the nicest woman that has ever come aboard this ship."

 

[Warped9]

"You're the sanest, the smartest, the nicest woman that has ever come aboard this ship."

Can't argue with that.

 

[Gassy Man]

The late William Campbell was good as a Klingon in 'Tribbles', but his acting ability in the Squire of Gothos disappointed me.

Funny, I always though the opposite. He was supposed to be effete, childish, a boor in Squire, and in this he was perfect. In Tribbles, perhaps the most overrated of the TOS episodes, he's basically a campy Snidely Whiplash.

But I will say that the problem with a thread like this is that it can so easily attack the acting style common to the day (which, by the way, I find much more interesting than the high-schoolish "realism" of more modern acting). Bearing that in mind, I always thought Barbara Anderson overdid it.

 

[EnsignTOS]

For cringe worthy "other than Shatner" moments, I give it to Jimmy Doohan whenever he had to fall head over heels for a chick. Who Mourns for Adonias? and Lights of Zetar are Doohan at his worst.

Let me quote Scotty in 'Zetar'....

"You're the sanest, the smartest, the nicest woman that has ever come aboard this ship."

Egads!

 

[johnnybear]

The reused woman in distress and screaming when attacked sound used to be annoying once you realised it had been used before and wasn't the actress in question!
JB

 

[Green Shirt]

I love Shatner. I roll with the punches when he cracks the top because, for the most part, he's flat out amazing in the series. But then he gives me..."I'm happy. I'm so hap-eee!!!" in that loud stage whisper of his in Paradise Syndrome. Yikes.

I AM KIRROKK!!!

 

[Maurice]

The Doomsday Machine. Every time it was on screen that bombastic theme would kick in.

Overacting requires an actor.

 

[Green Shirt]

The Doomsday Machine. Every time it was on screen that bombastic theme would kick in.

Overacting requires an actor.

A case of over musicing, then.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Lazarus is an obvious one, but what can you do? When most of the aliens on STAR TREK are just ordinary people, how do you sell them as being Not of This Earth? Put them in glittering togas, perhaps, and encourage actors to play them Over the Top. And yet, even the painted aliens were over the top. Like the green ambassador in Elaan of Troyius, when he's in her quarters, showing her the gifts he brings, "... but these are your Ruby Slippers!" What the hell? I know that guy's from another planet, even if he had no make-up on ... Haha!