Top 10 Actors That Have Lost Their Mojo

Despite the mega success of FX’s “American Crime Story”, one can’t deny that John Travolta has been slipping in recent years, with the mixed reviews of his portrayal of Robert Shapiro demonstrating this.  This is the man who once dazzled and thrilled in hits like “Grease” and “Pulp Fiction,” but then he starred in and co-produced the cinematic abomination known as “Battlefield Earth.” We’ve seen that his acting can still be potent, but he certainly hasn’t been doing himself any favors with his other recent roles. We’re not saying Travolta should retire; it’s just that his career trajectory seems to be in a major decline as his good film roles are few and far between.

By the mid-2000s, this Canadian comedian was on a roll after starring in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, but somehow things started to grind to halt after that. Most people blame that halt on the decent but unremarkable “The Number 23”, and on the fact that the public lost interest in him and new stars have emerged. Ever since, we’ve all been waiting for that kick-ass role, but instead we got “Kick-Ass 2” and “Dumb and Dumber To.” Sure, you’ve gotta respect the man for taking chances, but it’s time for Mr. Carrey to find a relevant collaborator in comedy – one that knows how to harness what’s left of his dwindling mojo supply.

We can’t really blame this icon of cinema for deciding to take things a bit easier after so many hit films – he’s getting older, so it’s a fact of life. But flicks like “Danny Collins” and “Manglehorn” seem vastly beneath him. Sadly, it’s easier to name 3 or 4 comedians that do a top-notch Pacino impression than it is to name 3 or 4 good Pacino films from the last 15 years. We have infinite respect for the man who starred in “Dog Day Afternoon” and “The Godfather” trilogy, and even in his older age he’s given us great performances like in “Any Given Sunday.” Just promise us Al, no more appearances in Adam Sandler productions. We doubt our hearts would be able to take it.

Ms. Diaz has had a rough time in the world of acting in the new millennium. While she tried her hand at comedy twice in the same year, that unfortunately brought us a cringe-worthy performance in “Sex Tape” and the tone deaf Colleen Hannigan in “Annie.” We understand she would want to try something a little edgier, and a Ridley Scott film sounds like the best place to start. However, all that did was give us the confusing and unsexy scene of her grinding a car in “The Counsellor.” Let’s hope she finds some middle ground that doesn’t have her doing anything relating to sex-based comedy – at least for her own sake, because the last thing we need is a repeat of “The Other Woman.”

“The Silence of the Lambs” will undoubtedly remain a classic suspense thriller for generations to come. Unfortunately, it seems that Ms. Foster hasn’t been able to shine as brightly since. Roles in “Inside Man,” “Panic Room” and “Elysium” may have been good, but these have also been few and far between. Then there were films like “The Beaver” and “Carnage,” which have pretty much been swept under the rug and forgotten. Let’s just hope that her directorial venture succeeds to counteract her lack of acting mojo, as it would be a waste for Clarice Starling to fade into obscurity. All we need to do is watch her breakout performance in “Taxi Driver” to remember all that potential…
 

While we can never get enough of Captain Jack Sparrow, it’s fair to say that Depp’s outrageous and witty characters were becoming a bit formulaic. His character acting is definitely top notch, but at times he seems to be the only thing in his films worth investing in. But then there’s the opposite situation, as shown in his unremarkable performance in the painful “Transcendence.” Luckily, the release of Black Mass showed us that Depp still has a hunger for roles that harken back to the days of “Donnie Brasco” and “Blow”. We’re really hoping to see more good Johnny in the near future!
 

These days, it seems that this man has long forgotten what makes good comedy, though there was a time when he really knew it all. Still, was there any reason for him to subject us to the final “Austin Powers” and “Shrek” films?! It seems like you can have too much of a good thing as those franchises proved, and the less said about his venture with “The Love Guru” the better. While he has been slowly climbing back up the ladder as seen in his brief but solid appearance in “Inglourious Basterds,” we’re really hoping the next time he branches out in comedy, he’ll have his mojo back, baby!
 

Speaking of “Shrek,” this comedic legend has traded originality for a slow decline into the same ol’ shtick. Eddie Murphy has unfortunately become the face of the Golden Raspberry award in recent years: “The Adventures of Pluto Nash,” “Norbit”, “Meet Dave,” “A Thousand Words.” What was once a glowing resume of comedy is slowly being soiled with cheap and unfunny films. Yes, there have been a few gems, such as a genuinely sinister performance in “Dreamgirls”, so that gives us hope that no matter what genre he chooses to tackle next, he will be able to slowly restore our faith in his mojo.
 

On paper, 2016’s “Dirty Grandpa” was a success. But was it really, though? Is this an acceptable performance from a legend of cinema? The answer is no. Despite all of Robert De Niro’s landmark roles, Hollywood seems to want him to play cheap tough guys or unfunny, stubborn elders, and frankly we’re all getting tired of it. Even though they weren’t award contenders, “The Intern” and “Joy” show us that given the right material, De Niro can still give us a solid performance. Since he’s supposed to be reuniting with Scorsese for “The Irishman” though, we’re praying that we’ll see De Niro give it his all and make our jaws drop once again for all the right reasons.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable, or in this case, dishonorable mentions.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Bruce Willis
- Vince Vaughn
- Tobey Maguire
- Brendan Fraser
 

To be fair, you could say that Adam Sandler is fiercely loyal to his Happy Madison family. And for a good five-year stretch from 1998 to 2003, his role selections seemed to be paying off with their unique blend of mindless humor and the human element.  But today, Sandler isn’t just phoning it in, he appears to have lost touch with reality completely. We can almost forgive him for “Jack and Jill,” but the fact that “Pixels” and “The Ridiculous 6” actually exist is proof enough that people really, really need to stop going to see Sandler films - as terrible reviews clearly aren’t bothering him. 

Do you agree with our list? What actor or actress do you think has lost a considerable amount of Mojo? For more poignant Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to http://www.WatchMojo.com.