Top 10 Actors Who Faced Backlash for Controversial Roles

WatchMojo

The spotlight and controversy seem to go hand in hand! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the actors whom audiences criticized for taking roles they should have turned down.

Transcript

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,

12:13and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.

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