Top 10 Hilarious Movie Overactings

As the leader of the Volturi, the vampire known as Aro can read minds through physical contact. In fact, he can read each and every thought. For an acclaimed actor like Michael Sheen, it’s a juicy franchise role, one that allows him to have a little fun by fully embracing the character’s eccentricities. When Aro meets Renesmee – a potentially immortal child - Sheen steals the scene with his overtly creepy dialogue and facial expressions, not to mention his high-pitched cackle. Sheen fully commits to the character, delivering the performance with zero self-consciousness. You can see that he’s really enjoying himself.

In this sequel, Crispin Glover’s Thin Man helps the Angels dispatch some evil henchmen. Sadly, the character won’t survive the sequence, but he does manage to share an intimate moment with Drew Barrymore’s Dylan Sanders. Whereas most gentlemen smile following a passionate kiss, the Thin Man reacts quite differently. After the character rips off an actual chunk of Sanders’ hair, Glover flexes his acting muscles by screaming like a maniac – so much that he actually drools a bit. And of course, he’s got to SNIFF the hair, too. Glover does absolutely everything possible to make sure we know the Thin Man is one creepy fellow. But hey, at least this creep went out a hero.

Captain James T. Kirk is known for his distinct manner of speech. But in “Star Trek II,” William Shatner shows off a different side - an aggressive side. After being wounded, the superhuman Khan reveals a shocking truth to Captain Kirk - as his final act of vengeance, he effectively dooms the Captain to an eternity of being “buried alive” in space. Shatner starts strong with the lip quiver, following it up with one seriously furrowed brow. But he truly steals the scene by shaking violently – and hilariously – before screaming the name of his tormentor.

In this scene from the much derided comic book adaptation, machismo is on full display. As Joseph Dredd, Sylvester Stallone scowls at his clone brother and one time fellow judge, Rico, with his chest puffed out and blood dripping down his face. He’s ANGRY, and Stallone lets us know by over-emphasizing each and every word. Sly’s distinct voice and delivery stand out in any role, but with this character, he digs extra deep and makes good use of his facial muscles. The build-up is simply extraordinary, and like all great over-actors, Stallone just keeps pushing harder and harder, to deliver a LETHAL dose of action star masculinity. Unsurprisingly, Sly earned himself a Razzie Award nomination.

This actor might not have the same caliber of resume as some of the others on our list today, but he’s just as qualified when it comes to overacting. Eric Freeman plays Ricky Caldwell, a killer who targets “naughty” people. His logic is flawed, and his bravado is hilarious, to say the least. When Ricky shoots a man taking out his garbage, Freeman delivers his most famous line, complete with crazy eyes and bizarre body movements. It’s a sight to behold, and a moment that earned Freeman a place on the Mount Rushmore of great over-actors.

Based on the novel by L. Ron Hubbard – the founder of Scientology – Roger Christian’s big screen adaptation failed miserably at the box office. While there are many flaws worth mentioning, the greatest, arguably, is John Travolta’s troubling performance as Terl. In one particularly hilarious scene, Travolta channels his inner Shakespeare while raising his voice a notch for dramatic effect. On Broadway, this type of acting could earn a standing ovation. But for a feature film, Travolta’s performance feels deeply inauthentic and out of place. But hey, we have to applaud him for the inherent comedy of it all.

With all due respect to Mr. Pacino, it could be argued that he occasionally overacts. Case in point: his performance as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna in 1995’s “Heat,” a role that sees Pacino officially transform into a wild-eyed caricature of himself. During a conversation about “great asses,” Pacino essentially loses his mind and decides that he’s going to pull every trick in the book. He screams. He uses his hands. He even incorporates some type of accent, almost like he’s channeling his “Scarface” character - another role in which he did NOT hold back. Still, it’s one of the most comedic ass-soliloquies ever captured on film, further cementing Pacino’s legacy of extreme overacting.

In David Lynch’s cult classic, Dennis Hopper doesn’t play the typical “bad guy,” he plays an absolute maniac. Frank Booth projects a tough guy image, but he’s also got some unresolved issues. Hopper makes this clear during a crucial scene with plenty of ranting and raving, which is both awkward and highly entertaining. Hopper curses like he’s the first man to ever curse on camera, all the while sucking away on some mysterious gas. It’s bizarre and comically over-the-top, which makes it a classic Hopper moment, as he tries so very hard to entertain us. Mission accomplished.