When we think of famous actors, we generally think of their box office hits and the awards they have won throughout their careers. However, it’s not all happiness and pride, as many of them have one (or more) films in their careers that they’d rather forget and wipe off the face of the earth.
From Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Will Smith and Jessica Alba to Rooney Mara, these are some of the artists who have disowned another production they’ve worked on, even some that helped build their careers.
Brad Pitt (“Cutting Class”)
A good example is Brad Pitt, who started his career in low-budget horror films. Before becoming a Hollywood star, he participated in “Cutting Class”, a horror film with comedic tones, the plot of which focused on murders that happened inside a school.
Pitt played the protagonist’s friend, the main target of a psychopathic killer. Despite the negative reviews, no one seems to hate it more than the actor himself, who called it “horrible” in an interview.
One rumor suggested that he and Jennifer Aniston (his then-wife) bought a VHS copy at a garage sale only to destroy it, though Pitt denied that story. In an interview, he admitted that he would destroy every copy if he could, despite not having seen the film.
Will Smith (“After Earth”)
Will Smith, one of Hollywood’s highest-grossing actors, also has a movie he’d rather forget: it’s “After Earth,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
The story is set in the future and follows a father and his son trying to survive on a hostile planet. Although the film starred Smith, was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and had a budget of $130 million, it was a box office failure and received harsh criticism.
Will was particularly affected, since his son Jaden was a co-star. This failure led him to rethink his career and his goals and he chose to take a break and then choose projects that would allow him to enjoy the process beyond raising money.
Viola Davis (“Help”)
Viola Davis is another one who refuses one of her movies, “Help” (“Crossed Stories” in Spanish). Although the film received four Academy Award nominations and won one, Davis expressed regret about being involved in it.
In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2020, she stated that the film was not ready to tell the truth about systemic racism and that it failed to faithfully capture the lives of black maids at the time.
After this experience, Viola began to choose her projects better, which led to her winning an Oscar for “Fences”.
Sir Alec Guinness (“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”)
Sir Alec Guinness, the famous British actor, gained worldwide fame with his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’.
Although the film was successful and grossed, Guinness was not satisfied with his participation. He thought his character had bad dialogue and resented being treated like an old man on set.
Plus, he hated being worshiped by epic fans. Although he requested that his character be eliminated after Episode IV, he was unable to avoid participating in the two sequels.
Jennifer Lawrence (“Passengers”)
Jennifer Lawrence, who starred in “Passengers” alongside Chris Pratt, expressed her displeasure with the Morten Tyldum-directed film during an interview.
Although the 2016 sci-fi film was not well received by critics or audiences, Lawrence was disappointed with herself for her performance. He admitted that he didn’t realize the script’s shortcomings at the time.
Jessica Alba (“Fantastic Four”)
Jessica Alba starred in “Fantastic Four” in 2005 and its sequel in 2007, both of which were poorly received by critics. Alba, in particular, had several conflicts with director Tim Story, who even asked her to cry in a more “pretty” way.
The actress revealed that the director chose to add digital tears in post-production because her tears were not aesthetically pleasing enough.
Arnold Schwarzenegger (“Red Sonja”)
The former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, throughout his career as an actor, has starred in many films that were not so successful by specialized critics, but there is one that he regrets the most: “Red Sonja” from 1985 directed by Richard Fleischer.
The production, in which he played a warrior fighting an evil princess, was not so satisfying for him that he left the set earlier than planned. Schwarzenegger once joked that he forced his children to watch the film as punishment.
Sylvester Stallone (“Stop! Or My Mom Shoots”)
Sylvester Stallone, known for his roles in “Rambo” and “Rocky,” also has a list of movies he’d rather forget.
Among them is “Stop! Or My Mom Shoots’, an action comedy that received very negative reviews and won several Razzie Awards. Stallone himself described it as one of the worst movies in history.
George Clooney (“Batman and Robin”)
George Clooney does not have good memories of his role in “Batman and Robin” (1997).
In an interview with the Guardian, Clooney admitted that this would be the experience he would change if he could live it all over again. The film turned out to be a worldwide failure and Clooney himself was unhappy with his participation.
The actor apologized to the audience for his performance and acknowledged that the film may have damaged the franchise.
Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”)
Eddie Redmayne was another Hollywood star who also regretted one of his roles. Her portrayal of Lili Elbe in ‘The Danish Girl’ was criticized for not being cast by a transgender actress.
Redmayne admitted that while he accepted the role with good intentions, he wouldn’t do it again today.
Ben Affleck (“Daredevil”)
Ben Affleck expressed his regrets about his participation in “Daredevil” in 2003.
In an interview with Playboy, Affleck mentioned that the film haunts him because of the way they ruined the story and the character he loves so much.
Rooney Mara (“Bread”)
Rooney Mara received a lot of criticism for her role as Tiger Lily in ‘Pan’ in 2015 because the original character is dark and she is light-skinned.
Mara admitted she hated being on the wrong side of the diversity debate and understood the public’s frustration.
Kate Winslet (Titanic)
Kate Winslet, although she had no problem with “Titanic” as a film, was very hard on herself during a conversation with The Telegraph. The performer criticized her own performance and stated that she couldn’t stand watching her performance and wished she could do it all over again.
Orlando Bloom (“Troy”)
Orlando Bloom also regrets one of his roles. In an interview he revealed that he didn’t want to be part of ‘Troy’ because his character was against everything he felt.
Although the film has its fans, Bloom confessed that playing this character was an unpleasant experience for him.
Dakota Johnson (“Madame Web”)
Dakota Johnson, who starred in “Madame Web,” wasn’t surprised the film was a flop with critics and audiences.
In an interview, Johnson said it was a learning experience and that he probably wouldn’t do anything like it again.
These actors, despite their success, had moments in their careers that they would rather put behind them. Even the biggest stars face setbacks and regrets along the way.
Which other actor can you remember who has disowned his films?
Source: univision
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
