Acting turnarounds (or performances that surprised you)

[Shaun]

Idea carried on from the whole Matthew McConaughey-suddenly-being-an-amazing-actor thing... after his really criticized past in crap romcoms like Failure to Launch or whatever.

Who springs to mind when you think of bad actors putting in great performances?

[DrunkerThanMoses]

Probably Adam Sandler in Reign On Me

[smeagol]

a actor is only as good as the parts they are given though or willing to do.
mathew was always great its just he probably wasn't given the roles.
people say de nero hasn't done a good film in years doesn't mean he is suddenly a bad actor just means he is older so he isn't going to be given those great roles anymore.
some actors fund them selves just to get the parts, like wahlberg. other wise they'd be playing crap as well.

[Niamh.]

I think Brian Cranston going from the kind of flaky role of Hal from Malcolm in the Middle to his absolutely outstanding portrayal of Walter White in Breaking Bad comes to mind straight away

[Z]

Ben Affleck
Jim Carrey (not necessarily bad, just every once in a while he does a serious role and you realise he's capable of way more than he lets himself do)

[Ammi]

..I don't think that I really took Leonardo DiCaprio seriously after watching Titanic, which I hated anyway but he's a great actor...the same with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who I loved in Argo...I also thought that Tom Hanks was just a light comedy actor with his first few roles as well...oh and Robin Williams..:love:...he's such a good actor...and Cameron Diaz...

..there are probably more that I can't think of atm...

[Smithy]

Ben Affleck
Jim Carrey (not necessarily bad, just every once in a while he does a serious role and you realise he's capable of way more than he lets himself do)

I'm sure I read somewhere that Jim only does comedies now because of some belief he has

[Vanessa]

Adam Sandler in The Wedding Singer. I can't stand him, but i love him in that movie. :lovedup:

[Niamh.]

..I don't think that I really took Leonardo DiCaprio seriously after watching Titanic, which I hated anyway but he's a great actor...the same with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck who I loved in Argo...I also thought that Tom Hanks was just a light comedy actor with his first few roles as well...oh and Robin Williams..:love:...he's such a good actor...and Cameron Diaz...

..there are probably more that I can't think of atm...

Have you seen What's eating Gilbert Grape? He gave a fantastic performance in that when he was still a teenager so I always knew he was a great actor, I was able to forgive him for Titanic :laugh:

[Z]

Oh yeah Cameron Diaz actually; her role in Bad Teacher was in total contrast to the likes of Something About Mary which was all sweetness and light... amazing to see her in a different kind of comedy role, she was very funny :laugh:

[Vanessa]

Have you seen What's eating Gilbert Grape? He gave a fantastic performance in that when he was still a teenager so I always knew he was a great actor, I was able to forgive him for Titanic :laugh:

He made a lot of nice movies when he was still a teen. There's The basketball diaries, This boy's life and Marvin's room. :lovedup:

[Vanessa]

Oh yeah Cameron Diaz actually; her role in Bad Teacher was in total contrast to the likes of Something About Mary which was all sweetness and light... amazing to see her in a different kind of comedy role, she was very funny :laugh:

I liked her on There's something about mary.

[Marc]

I was going to say Matthew :laugh:

[DrunkerThanMoses]

Have you seen What's eating Gilbert Grape? He gave a fantastic performance in that when he was still a teenager so I always knew he was a great actor, I was able to forgive him for Titanic :laugh:

How he lost an academy award for Gilbert Grape to Tommy Lee Jones I will never understand :conf:

[Ammi]

Have you seen What's eating Gilbert Grape? He gave a fantastic performance in that when he was still a teenager so I always knew he was a great actor, I was able to forgive him for Titanic :laugh:

..I'm not sure that I have seen it, it's Johnny Depp isn't it.?..Titanic was the first thing that I saw Leonardo in and it was a hard movie to forgive..:laugh:...I guess, Kate Winslett for the same reason as well...

[Niamh.]

How he lost an academy award for Gilbert Grape to Tommy Lee Jones I will never understand :conf:

tbh as much I loved The Fugitive, Tommy really played the same role he plays in pretty much all of his films and anyone on that list of nominees should have beaten him imo

[Ammi]

with Matthew McConaughey, I've liked him for a long time, in the Lincoln Lawyer, he was exactly the character in the book and in Mud he was just amazing and a great movie...

[Niamh.]

..I'm not sure that I have seen it, it's Johnny Depp isn't it.?..Titanic was the first thing that I saw Leonardo in and it was a hard movie to forgive..:laugh:...I guess, Kate Winslett for the same reason as well...

It's a really good film, Leonardo plays a mentally handicapped boy

[Vanessa]

with Matthew McConaughey, I've liked him for a long time, in the Lincoln Lawyer, he was exactly the character in the book and in Mud he was just amazing and a great movie...

I'm still not keen on him.

[Ammi]

It's a really good film, Leonardo plays a mentally handicapped boy

..I'll put it on my to watch list...and I agree about Tommy Lee Jones, he's one of my favourite actors but he pretty much plays the same character in most movies..even in something lighter like men in Black, he was the same serious character only much more toned down...

[Ammi]

I'm still not keen on him.

..that's fair enough Vanessa, we don't all like the same people ...

[DrunkerThanMoses]

I'm still not keen on him.

Me either Vanessa but I do remember when seeing Lincoln Lawyer in the cinema I thought he acted extremely well and was shocked

[Niamh.]

I've always had a soft spot for Mathew, nothing to do with that body though i swear http://www.curioustopic.com/images/smilies/unsure.gif

[Vanessa]

Me either Vanessa but I do remember when seeing Lincoln Lawyer in the cinema I thought he acted extremely well and was shocked

I do love Leo Di Caprio. He's always great in everything he does. I want to see Wolf of wall street. :amazed:

[Vanessa]

I've always had a soft spot for Mathew, nothing to do with that body though i swear http://www.curioustopic.com/images/smilies/unsure.gif

Yeah, right! :joker:

[Ammi]

I've always had a soft spot for Mathew, nothing to do with that body though i swear http://www.curioustopic.com/images/smilies/unsure.gif


...:laugh:...yeah, I have that same soft spot as well..only for his acting talents and personality though...

[Niamh.]

Yeah, right! :joker:

...:laugh:...yeah, I have that same soft spot as well..only for his acting talents and personality though...

:smug:

[Kazanne]

Have you seen What's eating Gilbert Grape? He gave a fantastic performance in that when he was still a teenager so I always knew he was a great actor, I was able to forgive him for Titanic :laugh:

I saw that Niamh great film and agree he was fantastic in it for one so young.

[Vanessa]

I saw that Niamh great film and agree he was fantastic in it for one so young.

Love that movie. He was robbed. Should have got the Oscar. :fist:

[Joelle.]

I was surprised with Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street, after really just seeing him in typecast roles in mostly average comedies. Never had him down as a serious actor but he was outstanding I thought (haven't seen Moneyball so can't comment on that)