Top 10 Career Ruining Movies
Can careers come back from the dead? Even after terrible movies? The answer to that is, of course, yes – but some movies are just so bad, they leave us wondering. Whether it's a racially offensive comedy, a superhero flick with tons of terrible puns, a swashbuckling box-office bomb or a titillating but poorly acted movie about Las Vegas showgirls, these movies have impeded actors' careers. In this video, http://www.WatchMojo.com counts down our picks for the top 10 career ruining movies. For this list, we've chosen movies that have stalled actors' and directors' careers so that for years afterwards, no one would go near them with a ten-foot pole. We know most of them obviously kept working during that period, but their profiles were definitely low.
#10 – Mike Myers: “The Love Guru” (2008)
With the exception of a small “Inglourious Basterds” role and another “Shrek” movie, Myers has stepped out of the limelight. Maybe it’s ‘cause “The Love Guru” earned him Razzies for writing, producing and acting. The film was accused of being obnoxious, unfunny and borderline insensitive, so we’re not surprised he’s disappeared. Do us all a favor Mike, and get your mojo and fake teeth outta storage.
#9 – Jim Caviezel: “The Passion of the Christ” (2004)
About the rightest thing Mel Gibson ever said was that playing Jesus would ruin Caviezel’s career. It also ruined his health: during filming, Caviezel caught pneumonia and hypothermia, dislocated his shoulder, was scourged – apparently by accident – and struck by lightning – talk about method-acting. His career then went through a slump, but was partially resurrected by the TV-series “Person of Interest.” But that’s smalltime compared to playing the Lord.
#8 – Chris O’Donnell: “Batman & Robin” (1997)
Those nipples and codpieces were obviously trying to compensate for the lack of a worthwhile Batman sequel. O’Donnell’s film career was one of the casualties of this film’s terrible puns and laughable storyline, receiving Razzie nominations for Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Screen Couple with caped and cowled George Clooney. But don’t worry: his stints on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “NCIS: Los Angeles” got him back in the spotlight.
#7 – M. Night Shyamalan: “The Last Airbender” (2010)
We had such high hopes when “The Sixth Sense” was released… And while our feelings for his next few offerings were mixed, things eventually went downhill. Fast. After some other surefire misses, Shyamalan failed hard with “The Last Airbender,” which suffered from horribly executed 3D, no character development, and none of the beloved television series’ magic. Hopefully, that’s the final twist we’ll have to deal with for a while.
#6 – Christopher Reeve: “Superman IV: The Quest For Peace” (1983)
The Superman franchise has had its hardships, and many actors who’ve played the Man of Steel have seen their prospects dwindle as a result. Christopher Reeve admitted that “Superman IV” was a blow to his career. And it was a blow to the franchise too: Superman didn’t fly onto big screens until 2006’s “Superman Returns,” with Brandon Routh donning the tights. The only memorable-ish thing he’s done since? This.
#5 – Kevin Costner: “Waterworld” (1995), “The Postman” (1997)
Though he did have a Golden Globe-nominated role in between, Costner’s career took a turn for the worse with 1995’s “Waterworld,” and hit a dead-end with ‘97’s ginormous flop “The Postman.” In fact, that post-apocalyptic tale earned the star Razzies for Worst Director, Picture and Actor. After a long lull, we’ve been seeing more of him lately. Yes, ironically, Superman is capable of actually helping some careers.
#4 – Geena Davis: “Cutthroat Island” (1995)
The ‘80s and early-‘90s were full of her box-office successes. The most memorable thing she’s done lately was a short-lived show where she was the first female U.S. President. What happened? “Cutthroat Island,” that’s what: a swashbuckling tale, and one of the biggest bombs ever. It was such a disaster; it even ended Davis’ marriage to the film’s director, and led to a long dry spell for the actress.
#3 – Cuba Gooding, Jr.: “Snow Dogs” (2002)
The Oscar curse strikes again: after his Academy Award-winning “Jerry Maguire” performance, and his part in the highly-praised “As Good As It Gets,” Gooding looked primed to takeoff. Cut to 2002, when “Snow Dogs” was slammed by basically any critic who saw it. His career really came to a halt with his involvement in 2007’s “Norbit” and “Daddy Day Camp,” which both earned him Razzie noms for Worst Actor.
#2 – Elizabeth Berkley: “Showgirls” (1995)
What does it say when “Saved by the Bell” is your career highlight? After leaving the show, Berkley landed the role of an exotic dancer in “Showgirls” – which was the polar opposite of the nerdy Jessie Spano. Despite its record 13 Razzie nominations, the film gained a cult following – presumably for ironic reasons. Berkley herself sticks mostly to independent films, and even had a brief stint on “CSI: Miami.”
#1 – Jake Lloyd: “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” (1999)
Even though it succeeded at the box-office, “Episode I” marked a low point for the “Star Wars” franchise. Many fans point to him as the reason why – well, at least part of the reason. After being cast as a young Anakin Skywalker, Lloyd credited the fan fury against him with ruining his childhood. It definitely ruined his career, as he’s barely done anything since. Shoulda stuck to pod-racing, kid.
Do you agree with our list? Which films do you think ruined stars careers most? For more top 10s about your favorite – and least favorite – flicks, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.