In your opinion, of course. There are some classics out there where a respected, talented actor takes a truly awful role. There's a famous story about Kim Basinger agreeing to appear in a film called Boxing Helena and then realising what an utter turkey it was and breaking her contract. It cost her a fortune but her reputation remained intact. I'll go for something slightly more obscure here. Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's. "Miss Gorightry!" Dreadful.
I'll get this out of the way, then: [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6i2WRreARo[/yt] Who knows. Maybe Nic Cage had a great time filming it.
George Clooney, Batman and Robin Kevin Spacey, Superman Returns Halle Berry, Catwoman. That they're all superhero films is a complete coincidence
Two for Sean Connery: Ramirez in HIGHLANDER II Sir de Winter in THE AVENGERS (A teddy bear suit? Really?)
John Wayne in The Conqueror. Not only was he miscast as Genghis Khan (!), but shooting near an atomic testing site may have contributed to his death by cancer years later. And then, of course, there was Vic Morrow and Twilight Zone: The Movie.
What, no Zardoz? Or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? (Wasn't that the experience that convinced him to retire from acting?)
That was Connery's own fault. He admits he was offered roles in The Matrix and Lord of the Rings before he finally decided he needed to be part of a "popular" franchise.
Hey I didn't think that movie was that bad. It wasn't the best thing I'd ever seen, but I've seen worse. Agreed about George Clooney in Batman and Robin. The film was ok, but he didn't seem quite right as Batman for some reason.
Oh. Oh, Greg -- yeah, that takes "worst gig" to a whole different level, I think. Ouch. Well, I've never seen ZARDOZ (and Zion Ravescene has kindly remedied my oversight anyway). As for LoEG...I, uh...uh...well, I actually really love it. (Somewhere, Alan Moore and his devotees are trying to kill me with power of their combined minds.) But yeah, from what I understand, it was a horrible experience for Connery.
@ Michael Caine, I think his Alfred in "Batman Begins" or "Dark Knight"'s really a good performance. Agreed - I think, as Batman, he lacked the certain kind of ruthlessness, he was too soft for that role... or in other words (to paraphrase the ending of "Dark Knight"), Clooney's batman is no "dark knight", but rather a hero.
The problem wasn't Clooney, the problem was the film's version of Batman. Given a good script, Clooney could've probably been one of the best screen Batmen. He's proven in other roles that he can play brooding, serious figures as well as projecting the suaveness and glamour necessary for Bruce Wayne, billionaire playboy. But Joel Schumacher could never decide whether his Bat-films were over-the-top camp or serious drama, so they ended up being awkward hodgepodges of both, making it hard for any actor to really get a handle on who Batman was supposed to be.
Sir John Gielgud, Sir Peter O'Toole, Dame Helen Mirren, that title-less chap Malcolm McDowell, and, well, everyone else who was suckered into being in Bob Guccione's 1979 production of "Caligula". Christopher Plummer in "Starcrash: The Adventures of Stella Star" (1978).
William Shatner in Star Trek V. Incidentally also the worst job a director ever took. (sorry, i just... couldn't resist)