So who did the worst single acting job in the first 10 films.

[enterprisecvn65]

So of TOS and TNG who do you think did the single worst acting job of acting in a film.

It could be a regular like Kirk and say how terrible you thought he was in one of the films, even though you thought he was good in the others.

Or it could be a character like Decker who was only around for a film or two but still played a significant role.

Try to keep it to characters who played major roles. I know that's a bit subjective and everyone is itching to hop on the Klaa bandwagon...but really was he a major part of the film...I don't think he was. Or maybe you thought Harve Bennett was shitty in his cameo in TFF...But again not really a major part.

My first instinct was to go with Spiner in Generations, but after I thought about it, even though his character was awful, he actually acted it pretty well. The writers decided that once Data popped in the emotion chip that he was going to be an annoying, scared, wreck of a comic relief clown for the rest of the film......And Spiner gave them what they wanted. I hate how Data was, but I can't say Spiner didn't do a good job acting the way they wanted him to.

So my winner is Kim Cattrell. I honestly can't say I've been a big fan of her acting in general, although she was smoking hot in "Police Academy", but I just thought she was TERRIBLE as Valeris.

First of all, even before she was revealed to be a traitor, she wasn't the least bit likable. She had a certain arrogance and smugness to her whenever she spoke, something Vulcans aren't supposed to possess. But even when she was revealed as a traitor she was so bad at it (although the weak "conspiracy" wasn't her fault) that I couldn't even like her as a villian. Khan for example you don't want him to win, but generally people LOVE the character for the way he was played. With Valeris it was she sucked as a good guy and she sucked as a bad guy.

As far as playing a Vulcan female she (figuratively speaking) can't hold Kristie Alley's jock strap. Alley actually seemed like a female version of Spock and, despite the fact she and Leonard Nimoy shared less screen time together than Catrell and Nimoy did, they had much more chemistry. They actually seemed like members of the same race who didn't always understand the people they were surrounded by and there was a convincing teacher/student dynamic between the two.

When Valeris and Spock interacted she just seemed like she was always trying to let Spock know how much smarter she was than everyone else and Spock seemed like, well, his main interest was figuring out how to get into her pants. Which I guess he did kind of accomplished when he had mind sex with her......just a joke towards the people who always accuse Spock of "Mind raping" her. Don't fly off the handle please.

I know Robin Curtis gets a lot of flack for the fact that she wasn't Kristie Alley, and I agree she wasn't in Alley's league as Savvik. Even so her portrayal of a Vulcan female was still decent in general and she finishes well ahead of Catrell in my book.

To me it was important that Valeris be someone that you at least kind of liked so when she turned traitor you'd be a little shocked/upset. Not someone who was pretty much an ass throughout the whole film so when she turned you were like "Yeah....saw that one coming a mile away because she was suck a jerk from the begining."

Plus the shaved side of the head thing just looked stupid. The fact it was apparently Catrell's idea just makes me hate the character even more.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

If you're getting all that from Valeris, I'd say mission accomplished on the part of Kim Cattrall. I really don't believe that she was supposed to be someone that the fans liked. If the makers had intended us to identify with the character, they'd've gone with Saavik as originally contemplated. Arrogant is exactly what Valeris was. In a way I feel sorry for Kim Cattrall there, because it was an utterly thankless role, a character who was destined for humiliation with basically nothing redeeming her. Contrast that with General Chang, who was at least able to strut with flair and quote Shakespeare translated from the original Klingon.

 

[Oso Blanco]

My vote also goes to Kim Cattrall, a horrible performance!

 

[Melakon]

Frank Force.

 

[BillJ]

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

If you're getting all that from Valeris, I'd say mission accomplished on the part of Kim Cattrall. I really don't believe that she was supposed to be someone that the fans liked. If the makers had intended us to identify with the character, they'd've gone with Saavik as originally contemplated. Arrogant is exactly what Valeris was. In a way I feel sorry for Kim Cattrall there, because it was an utterly thankless role, a character who was destined for humiliation with basically nothing redeeming her. Contrast that with General Chang, who was at least able to strut with flair and quote Shakespeare translated from the original Klingon.

Well there are two ways to look at it.

1. Either she was intended to be unlikable from the start and if that was the case I guess I'd say "Well done". But the fact she wasn't, in an acting sense, good as a good guy or bad guy kind of negates that

2. She was supposed to be likable and Meyer and co thought she did a good job, when in reality she was a smug little ass from the beginning. In which case in Catrell's terrible acting and the director not reading it correctly.

What I do know is that when you have a character who is supposed to be "good" turn out to be "bad" it is generally much more dramatic and makes for a much better film if the character is someone you at least sort of like from the start.

The ultimate example of this IMHO would be Darth Vader. In the OT we were led to believe Vader had been this good and honorable man and something really bad happened to turn him to the dark side. At the end of ROTJ we see in fact that Vader/Anakin did indeed have some love left in him, even after all the years and terrible things he did, when he decided in his last moments of his life he wasn't going to stand by and watch his son, who he didn't even really know that well, get electrocuted by his very own master.

So then the prequels come and we learn that Anakin turned because he thought it was the only was to save the love of his life from a premature death. Which I actually thought was a pretty believable and convincing reason to turn to the dark side, although it was horribly executed.

But the problem was Anakin was never the person we thought he was. At first he's this little kid who most fans could care less about. Then when he's an "adult" in the final two films he's not some kind hearted, honorable man who only turned because of the most extreme circumstance. Instead he's a half crazy, annoying, whiny, unappreciative, self centered asshole. So when he does turn it's like "Big whoop, he was unlikable and a pretty bad person to begin with.....seems like he just made the next logical step." There's no surprise or feelings of sorrow because most people hated him' as Anakin already.

Compare this to "The Godfather". At the beginning of the story Michael is this decent guy who fought for his country when he could have gotten out of it, doesn't like what his father does but still loves him anyway and is very good to whatever Diane Keaton was at the beginning of the film (wife, fiancee, girlfriend I forget). He's not exactly Mister Sunshine but he seems like a decent man with a set of morals. So you kind of like the guy that he is this way despite the environment he grew up in.

Then he kills the guys in the restaurant, but they were corrupt and trying to kill his father anyway, so you can justify it. But then, because Sonny gets blown away and Fredo is an idiot, he's suddenly thrust into the position, he never imagined he'd be in, where he has to take over when his father dies.

At first you think he's going to be different than his father, but no. By the end of the film he's having his enemies killed in cold blood at the same time he's renouncing evil, then he let's his brother in law believe he's going to be spared before having him killed and he lies to his own sister about doing it.

Then of course in GF 2 he commits what many would consider the ultimate act of evil when he has his own brother, who he knew was kind of a helpless doof, killed. Not only that but he lets Fredo think he's forgiven him at the exact same moment when Michael is giving the silent order to have him killed. So it turns out he even more ruthless than Vito ever was.

If Michael had been a complete jerkoff from the start this might not have been so surprising. But the fact he did seem like a decent and likable guy at the beginning of the series made it absolutely horrifying when he does the things he does.

Whether is was lousy acting, directing, or both the fact Valeris comes off as so unlikable from the start makes it totally "Oh, who cares, she was a bitch anyway" moment when the big "surprise" as her being a conspirator is revealed.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

Frank Force.

Come on man....too soon.

Just Kidding.

 

[ConRefit79]

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

I have to agree with this one. And she doesn't come off as Romulan. Of course it could be because the dialog she was stuck with. And who came up with the hair?

 

[Franklin]

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

I have to agree with this one. And she doesn't come off as Romulan. Of course it could be because the dialog she was stuck with. And who came up with the hair?

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

 

[enterprisecvn65]

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

I have to agree with this one. And she doesn't come off as Romulan. Of course it could be because the dialog she was stuck with. And who came up with the hair?

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

Well the actor can make the lines work sometimes. Not to veer too off topic but Hayden Christensen was given awful lines in the prequels, but his acting ability didn't help either. Ewan McGregor had terrible lines but was able to get through them better because he's a better actor.

I've watched The Empire Strikes Back countless times and only last month did it strike me how cheesy the "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong with here amongst the clouds really is on paper."

But it never seemed the least bit awful to me and still doesn't....Why....BECAUSE IT'S BILLY DEE F'N WILLIAMS WHO SAYS IT. When you have a good actor who may very well be one of the 5 smoothest men to ever walk the planet.....he can make lines like that not only work, but sound smooth as silk.

 

[Melakon]

The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. . ." Really? Who speaks that way?

The last time a woman said that to me, it sure wasn't about a terraforming project.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I've watched The Empire Strikes Back countless times and only last month did it strike me how cheesy the "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong with here amongst the clouds really is on paper."

This was always a gawdawful line to me.

 

[arch101]

Mr. Adventure from TSFS. Nichelle backs me on this one.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

I've watched The Empire Strikes Back countless times and only last month did it strike me how cheesy the "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong with here amongst the clouds really is on paper."

This was always a gawdawful line to me.

Like I said on paper it seems terrible. But the fact a total mack like Billy Dee Williams says it and has his "Yeah baby" smile on his face makes it work with his character IMHO.

Plus they cut to a shot of Han putting his hand over his face like "I can't believe he's doing his Mr Smooth act on Leia." So the film is actually acknowledging that it's supposed to be a total come on line. Not some line that is actually supposed to be serious but is so poorly written that it's just unbearable.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Plus they cut to a shot of Han putting his hand over his face like "I can't believe he's doing his Mr Smooth act on Leia." So the film is actually acknowledging that it's supposed to be a total come on line.

This is as close as the film comes to making it work for what it's intended to be, yeah.

 

[EnriqueH]

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

YES.

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. She is the FIRST actor/actress to come to mind.

HORRID line delivery. Granted, she was nice to look at, but this woman was a Romulan? So chipper?

"Well, it appears I arrived just in time." Ooof.

Cynthia Gouw as Caithlin Dar in The Final Frontier. Talk about wooden.

I have to agree with this one. And she doesn't come off as Romulan. Of course it could be because the dialog she was stuck with. And who came up with the hair?

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

Yeah, but Bibi Besch sold it.

Can she cook or can't she? I would say she could. I'm STILL bummed we never saw her again.

I have to agree with this one. And she doesn't come off as Romulan. Of course it could be because the dialog she was stuck with. And who came up with the hair?

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

Well the actor can make the lines work sometimes. Not to veer too off topic but Hayden Christensen was given awful lines in the prequels, but his acting ability didn't help either. Ewan McGregor had terrible lines but was able to get through them better because he's a better actor.

I've watched The Empire Strikes Back countless times and only last month did it strike me how cheesy the "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong with here amongst the clouds really is on paper."

But it never seemed the least bit awful to me and still doesn't....Why....BECAUSE IT'S BILLY DEE F'N WILLIAMS WHO SAYS IT. When you have a good actor who may very well be one of the 5 smoothest men to ever walk the planet.....he can make lines like that not only work, but sound smooth as silk.

I agree.

 

[ConRefit79]

YES.

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. She is the FIRST actor/actress to come to mind.

HORRID line delivery. Granted, she was nice to look at, but this woman was a Romulan? So chipper?

I'm probably thinking about this too much, but I think the ambassadors who were assigned to Nimbus III were outcasts. And a chipper Romulan would definitely be an outcast.

But on the other hand, you would expect the Romulans to send someone serious because they're always scheming.

 

[JWPlatt]

The "female lieutenant" on Epilson 9 who got gobbled up by V'ger. Michele Ameen Billy portrayed the lieutenant "in her one and only credited screen appearance until 2014" and was also "the secretary to Harold Livingston."

http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Michele_Ameen_Billy

I don't think she was the worst. She's just unlucky enough to be the one I remember at the moment.

 

[JWPlatt]

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

Yeah, but Bibi Besch sold it.

Can she cook or can't she? I would say she could. I'm STILL bummed we never saw her again.

I really liked her phrasing: "THERE. CAN'T. BE. so much as a microbe or the show's off" and especially my favorite, "Jim Kirk was many things, but he was - never - a, Boy, SCOUT."

 

[EnriqueH]

YES.

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. She is the FIRST actor/actress to come to mind.

HORRID line delivery. Granted, she was nice to look at, but this woman was a Romulan? So chipper?

I'm probably thinking about this too much, but I think the ambassadors who were assigned to Nimbus III were outcasts. And a chipper Romulan would definitely be an outcast.

But on the other hand, you would expect the Romulans to send someone serious because they're always scheming.

Naaah, she was just a lousy actress.

"I don't know who you are, but I can tell you this! Our governments will stop at nothing to ensure our safety!"

Ooof.

I'll always blame the lines written for a character before I blame the actor. Bibi Besch does a fine job as Dr. Marcus in TWOK, but she has some cringe-inducing lines I don't think anyone could've saved. The worst for me is, "Let me show you something that will make you feel young, again. Young as when the world was new." Really? Who speaks that way?

Yeah, but Bibi Besch sold it.

Can she cook or can't she? I would say she could. I'm STILL bummed we never saw her again.

I really liked her phrasing: "THERE. CAN'T. BE. so much as a microbe or the show's off" and especially my favorite, "Jim Kirk was many things, but he was - never - a, Boy, SCOUT."

Speaking of Bibi Besch, I also liked the alternate cut of, "I can not and WILL NOT SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THIS EVENT!!!!"

She was pissed!