00:00I am Tonto of the Comanche, last of the Windigo Hunters.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at actors whom audiences
00:08criticized for taking roles they should have turned down.
00:11You let me lie to the Hawaiians. I'm Hawaiian. You lost your signal. You are lost.
00:17Number 10, Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen.
00:21This coming-of-age drama follows the titular character navigating issues at school.
00:25So, who do the producers cast to play said teenager?
00:28That would be someone pushing 30.
00:42Now, sure, we've seen plenty of older performers portray teenagers before.
00:45While audiences can usually suspend their disbelief, an actor should at least look the part.
00:50Ben Platt really didn't.
00:52Although he originated the role on stage, and even won a Tony for his performance,
00:5727-year-old Platt had clearly aged out.
01:09It didn't help matters that his father, Mark Platt, was one of the film's producers.
01:13Platt experienced significant backlash, both for his unconvincing attempts to look younger,
01:17and for shooting down calls for nepotism.
01:20The pushback was too big to ignore, though,
01:22as the film majorly bombed on critical and commercial fronts.
01:27Number 9, Jared Leto, Suicide Squad
01:48The biggest buzz surrounding Suicide Squad was what was happening behind the scenes.
01:53Jared Leto infamously went full method,
01:55reportedly sending cast members inappropriate gifts he claimed were in character for the Joker.
02:08If things like used contraceptives and live rats weren't weird enough,
02:12Leto would only interact with cast members as the clown prince of crime.
02:16It may have had a big payoff had the performance backed it up.
02:19It didn't.
02:20Audience reception to DCEU's Joker was tepid at best,
02:24with Leto criticized for his overly campy portrayal.
02:28It ended up making his off-screen antics appear in bad taste,
02:32particularly after some cast members voiced their displeasure.
02:42Leto ultimately retracted some of his wilder claims,
02:45although the damage had been irreparably done by then.
02:48Number 8, James Corden, The Prom
02:51It's safe to say that James Corden is not among the internet's most beloved celebrities.
02:55If there weren't enough already,
02:57Corden handed his critics another reason to dislike him with The Prom.
03:10The actor, who is heterosexual in real life,
03:13faced disapproval for playing a gay character with just about every stereotype you can think of.
03:18With his character lacking much depth, and Corden failing to be likable in the role,
03:22his performance was largely deemed offensive, and Twitter was in full meltdown mode.
03:26Some took to Twitter in pure shock wondering how someone who, quote,
03:30pushed the gay rights movement back by a few decades got nominated for a Golden Globe.
03:34Garnering a Golden Globe nomination only brought further ire from audiences,
03:38as Corden found his name in the news for all the wrong reasons.
03:42Heterosexual actors playing LGBTQIA plus roles was already a contentious topic of discussion.
03:48Corden's performance did more harm than good.
04:01Number 7, Rooney Mara, Pan
04:04Hollywood still had a habit of whitewashing its cast during the mid-2010s.
04:08Rooney Mara's role as Tiger Lily became one of the more high-profile examples.
04:21Disney's animated Peter Pan was already notorious for its portrayal of Native Americans.
04:26Mara as Tiger Lily reopened the discussion, hurting the film's reputation before its release.
04:31Despite repeated calls and fan petitions to recast,
04:34Warner Bros. went ahead with Mara to play the part.
04:38Although Pan's disastrous run at the box office was down to numerous reasons,
04:49the casting controversy was also a leading factor.
04:52Mara has since foist regret at portraying Tiger Lily,
04:55agreeing with fans' sentiment for more diverse casts and accurate representation.
05:09Number 6, M. Night Shyamalan, Lady in the Water
05:12After major praise early in his career,
05:14Shyamalan's critical reception took a hit with 2004's The Village.
05:30However, it was Lady in the Water that truly began a career downturn that lasted for a decade.
05:36Casting himself as a world-saving visionary writer doesn't exactly scream modesty.
05:40As expected, Shyamalan faced the brunt of the film's critical lashing.
05:44The role could have been saved if a professional actor played him.
05:47Alas, Shyamalan's less-than-stellar skills in front of the camera are too jarring to ignore.
05:52With the director taking many liberties to stick with the film's bizarre storyline,
06:06Shyamalan was accused of making Lady in the Water purely as a form of self-indulgence.
06:10And, to be fair, it's hard to see it any other way.
06:22Number 5, Johnny Depp, The Lone Ranger
06:27Fans have seen Johnny Depp embody wildly distinct characters over the years.
06:31One role that remains hard to believe is Depp as The Lone Ranger's sidekick, Tonto.
06:42The actor immediately stood out upon the film's announcement,
06:45garnering criticism for accepting a role that should have been reserved for a Native American
06:48performer. Depp's attempts to counter the bad press backfired spectacularly.
06:53Claiming he might have a native great-grandmother didn't exactly change people's opinions,
06:57leading to further accusations of whitewashing.
07:10Apart from praise for its visual effects and costume design,
07:13it's no surprise the film's performance suffered as well.
07:16The Lone Ranger was a massive bomb all around,
07:19winning a Golden Raspberry Award to go with Depp's nomination for Worst Actor.
07:28Number 4, Maddie Ziegler, Music
07:30Directed by Sia and starring Kate Hudson,
07:33Music shows the latter's character caring for her autistic sister played by Maddie Ziegler.
07:42Slammed from the first trailer's release, the movie was destined to fail.
07:45In addition to its inaccurate and at times hurtful depiction of autism,
07:49Ziegler's performance didn't do the film any favors.
07:57Although director Sia took full responsibility with an apology,
08:00Ziegler was still called out for the problematic title role.
08:04Audiences and critics found the actress' performance detrimental
08:07to how people with autism are portrayed in the media.
08:16It goes to show that even the best intentions can end up as more tone-deaf than anything else.
08:21Number 3, Emma Stone, Aloha
08:24With Slam Dunk's successes shooting her into the A-list,
08:26it seemed like fans couldn't get enough of Emma Stone.
08:29Turns out, they could, as the backlash surrounding her part in Aloha proved.
08:41Set in Hawaii, the romantic comedy sees Bradley Cooper's character negotiating
08:44with natives. How does Emma Stone factor into this, you ask?
08:48That's because she's supposed to be Hawaiian herself. If that wasn't enough,
08:51director Cameron Crowe decided to throw in some Chinese ancestry to Stone's character for good
08:55measure. The actress found herself in hot water for defending the film,
09:05claiming her character wasn't supposed to resemble her ethnic background.
09:15Stone eventually expressed regret for the role,
09:19although that didn't save Aloha from critical and commercial failure.
09:23Number 2, Scarlett Johansson, Ghost in the Shell
09:27If you want your Japanese manga-based movie to be authentic,
09:30you probably shouldn't place a white actor in the lead.
09:32Even if it is a megastar like Scarlett Johansson,
09:35As a proven box office draw and at the peak of her MCU success,
09:46roping in Johansson sounded smart on paper. However, the actress' casting incited accusations
09:52of westernizing a beloved work of East Asian media. Although producers defended Johansson
09:56from the ensuing public uproar, audiences weren't impressed.
10:06Years later, if Ghost in the Shell taught us anything, it's how not to make an $110
10:10million budget film. Not long after, Johansson landed in trouble again,
10:15this time for accepting the role of a trans character in the ultimately unreleased film,
10:19Rub and Tug.
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10:451. Mickey Rooney – Breakfast at Tiffany's
10:50Even half a century since its release, Breakfast at Tiffany's has arguably the most egregious
10:55case of racist casting. The film is a permanent blot in Mickey Rooney's otherwise celebrated
11:00filmography. His character, Mr. Yunioshi, is little more than a caricature, existing exclusively
11:15to portray stereotypes for cheap laughs. Even in the 60s, Mr. Yunioshi's racist depiction
11:21couldn't be ignored. As fan reception continued to deteriorate, director Blake Edwards admitted
11:37he should never have cast Rooney in the film. Meanwhile, Rooney himself expressed disappointment
11:41at the negative fallout, insisting he didn't mean to offend anyone. No matter what the actor had
11:49in mind, it's a reminder of classic Hollywood's harmful tendency to use Asian characters as a
11:54punchline to a joke. Do we miss any other controversial castings? Let us know in the
11:59comments. Did you enjoy this video? Check out these other clips from WatchMojo,
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