- 6 weeks ago
Sometimes the biggest rewards come from the boldest choices! Join us as we count down our picks for the actors who gambled their careers on daring roles. From shaved heads to dramatic physical transformations, these stars risked their reputations for challenging parts that forever changed their trajectories in Hollywood.
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00:00Underneath an elegant surface, he has an adventurous spirit.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:09And today, we're counting down our picks for the entertainers that made the most daring decisions in their careers, whether they worked out or not.
00:17I left you behind.
00:20You did not deserve that.
00:23I don't...
00:25Number 10, Demi Moore, G.I. Jane.
00:28I'm not here to make some kind of statement.
00:31All I care about is completing the training and getting operational experience, just like everyone else, I suspect.
00:37A risk may not pay off in the moment, but that doesn't mean it won't in the future.
00:41Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Demi Moore found acclaim through her roles in romantic and coming-of-age movies.
00:49Towards the end of the millennium, she drastically pivoted by appearing in G.I. Jane.
00:53Not only was it her first action role, she also shaved her head and underwent rigorous training to prepare for it.
01:00Don't let them use me against you, no matter what, okay?
01:06Okay.
01:07Her efforts fell flat, with the film being derided and earning her a Razzie Award.
01:12She experienced a lull in her career in the following years.
01:16She and others who worked on G.I. Jane have gone on to say it's her best work, even if the reception at the time claimed otherwise.
01:23Hostile activity at this location.
01:25I say again, this location too hot.
01:29Request you advice coordinates.
01:31New extract, over.
01:32Oh, no, slow down, slow down.
01:34Number 9, Chloe Sevigny, The Brown Bunny.
01:37I'm good.
01:40I got your note.
01:41Even as an adult, participating in mature scenes is a risky move.
01:46Following an Academy Award nomination, Chloe Sevigny's career was on an upward trajectory.
01:51Unfortunately, it nearly spiraled out just a few years later after taking on the role of Daisy in The Brown Bunny.
01:58All it took was one scene featuring the character, and the actress herself,
02:03performing an explicit act for her to nearly lose everything she'd built for herself so far.
02:08Can I do it for you?
02:11Please.
02:12She received backlash from her peers and viewers alike, prompting her to defend herself and the role.
02:18Despite the negative reaction at the time, she was able to overcome it and go on to achieve great things in television and the indie film scene alike.
02:26Like, everything's so superficial, like fixing up your house and your car.
02:32And I don't want to go back.
02:37Number 8, Christian Bale, American Psycho.
02:41Impressive.
02:42Very nice.
02:43Let's see Paul Allen's card.
02:47Had he not taken this risk, Hollywood as we know it today may not be the same.
02:52Though Christian Bale got his start as a child actor, he had trouble breaking out as an adult.
02:57He had his heart set on playing Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, preparing for it long before it was confirmed to be his.
03:04Those who worked with him were against it, claiming that playing such a reprehensible character would lead to him being typecast as a villain.
03:11Tonight, I, uh, I just had to kill a lot of people!
03:18And, um...
03:19The fear of losing everything made him want it even more.
03:22The role did anything but limit his opportunities, with him even going on to play the antithesis to Bateman less than a decade later in the Dark Knight trilogy.
03:31I killed those people.
03:33That's what I can be.
03:34No, no, you can't.
03:35You're not!
03:36I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be.
03:39Number 7, Dave Bautista, Blade Runner 2049.
03:43I do mind.
03:46And announce this.
03:49You're police.
03:52Following his initial rise to fame as a wrestling champion, it would have been easy for him to simply transition into life as an action star.
03:59His recurring role as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy series seemed to confirm that trajectory for Dave Bautista.
04:06However, he yearned for a respected reputation as an actor, rather than just being known for his physicality.
04:12His first big step in the right direction was as Sapper Morton in Blade Runner 2049,
04:17a role that allowed him to show his on-screen brawling and, more importantly, a subdued dramatic performance.
04:25Because you've never seen a miracle.
04:28It showed he had much more to offer than humorous one-liners,
04:31and acted as the catalyst to his career's second peak, with roles in huge franchises and Netflix originals alike.
04:39So you can go ahead and put yourself up on a cross like some unspeakable crime has been committed against you that none of us could possibly imagine.
04:47Number 6, Jim Carrey, Man on the Moon.
04:51If you were a man, you'd apologize to me right now, but you're just poor white trash.
04:54And so, I guess, you know, that's too lofty a concept, you know, for you.
04:58I mean, you know, what are you gonna do?
05:02When an actor finds success in one genre, it can be hard to take on another.
05:07When his career first took off, Jim Carrey gained recognition in movies that allowed him to show off his comedic timing and physicality.
05:14Though those early roles helped him gain a household name, he knew he had more to offer than slapstick.
05:20Starting in the late 90s, he began to push himself as an actor.
05:23He risked losing the fan base he'd built up, but projects like The Truman Show and Man on the Moon
05:29proved that he could play a serious character with the gravitas required.
05:42Even if the films themselves weren't box office hits,
05:45they were proof to critics and viewers everywhere that he couldn't be typecast.
05:49Thank you for this friendly, friendly world.
05:58And goodbye.
06:00Number 5.
06:01Brendan Fraser.
06:02The Whale.
06:03People are amazing.
06:04Comebacks aren't always guaranteed.
06:09After a strong start in the 1990s, Brendan Fraser hit a lull due to a series of physical and emotional challenges.
06:15Though he was working consistently, nothing was catching the public eye the way his earlier work had.
06:20That is, until he took on the starring role in The Whale.
06:23He knew playing Charlie, a morbidly obese man struggling to maintain his relationships,
06:29would be a sharp departure from his usual fare, especially for his first lead role in over a decade.
06:35However, he knew it was his chance to reintroduce himself.
06:38I need to know that I have done one thing right with my life.
06:45He threw himself into the part, and it paid off.
06:47Not only did it earn him an Academy Award, it reignited his career and helped him rewrite his legacy.
06:53This essay is you.
06:56Stop saying that.
06:57You're the best thing I have ever done.
07:01Number 4.
07:03Elizabeth Berkley.
07:04Showgirls.
07:05Nice dress.
07:06Thanks.
07:07I bought it at Versace.
07:11Not all risks pay off.
07:13Elizabeth Berkley learned that the hard way shortly after her tenure as Jesse Spano on Saved by the Bell.
07:19Initially, she'd been excited to take on deeper roles that would help display her growth as an actor and artist.
07:25Unfortunately, her first post-sitcom role was as the lead in Showgirls.
07:30Though undoubtedly more adult, the movie and her involvement in it were panned critically.
07:34She went on to win multiple Golden Raspberry Awards for the poor performance,
07:38and she was relentlessly mocked within the industry and beyond.
07:41Thrust it!
07:43Thrust it!
07:44Thrust it!
07:45Come on, thrust it!
07:46Fuck!
07:47Though she was able to slowly build her reputation back up with parts in independent films and off-screen productions,
07:54for a while, it did seem that her mainstream career had been affected.
07:59I used to love Doggy Chow.
08:02I used to love Doggy Chow, too.
08:04Number 3.
08:06Tom Hanks.
08:07Philadelphia.
08:08Oh, this is my guy.
08:09Uh, excuse me.
08:10Uh, doctor.
08:10Hello, hi.
08:11Just one second.
08:12Yes, ma'am.
08:13Though he's now known for his most dramatic roles, that wasn't always the case.
08:17Prior to 1993, Tom Hanks was known for his work in lighter comedies.
08:22That year, he signed on to Philadelphia, where he played a lawyer suing his old firm
08:26after being fired for his sexuality and AIDS diagnosis.
08:30At the time, the illness was a controversial topic to cover, even for a beloved Hollywood actor.
08:35Hanks knew he was gambling everything he'd worked for, but was also aware that it could broaden
08:40his career.
08:41Well, at the time I was fired, I had four lesions and they were much bigger.
08:47Could you answer the question, please?
08:49His risk paid off in spades.
08:51Not only did it win him his first Academy Award, it also provided the catalyst for his legacy
08:56as one of the best actors of his generation.
08:59My mom always said, life was like a box of chocolates.
09:06You never know what you're going to get.
09:09Number 2.
09:10Charlize Theron.
09:11Monster.
09:12You don't know what's going on, Sal.
09:15I do.
09:16So if you want to keep your eyes shut to the whole world,
09:19then the least you can do is hear me out.
09:21Throughout the 1990s, her striking looks helped her find initial success.
09:26Despite that, Charlize Theron feared that the same beauty that gave her an advantage would
09:30lead to her being offered a limited range of roles.
09:34That changed just a few years later when she portrayed serial killer Eileen Wuornos in Monster.
09:40She took on a physical and mental commitment to play the role, leaving her all but unrecognizable
09:46to audiences.
09:46It was proof that she was willing to make drastic changes to better fit a role,
09:59and that she could play more than traditionally beautiful characters,
10:02which opened her up to a vast array of opportunities.
10:05She won an Oscar for her efforts, and since then,
10:08she's enjoyed a variety of roles across several genres.
10:11How does it feel?
10:13It hurts.
10:14Out here, everything hurts.
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10:32Number 1. Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
10:36Becoming popular is one battle.
10:45Earning respect is another.
10:47Thanks to his initial work in romantic comedies,
10:49Matthew McConaughey became one of the most well-known actors of his generation.
10:53Despite his success, he wasn't satisfied.
10:56After a two-year break, he was determined to branch out.
10:59The 2010s began the McConaughey's and his journey into complex roles.
11:03His most daring was Dallas Buyers Club,
11:05where he portrayed the real-life story of a man living in the aftermath of his AIDS diagnosis.
11:11Sometimes I just feel like I'm fighting for life.
11:13I just ain't got time to live.
11:17You want it to mean something?
11:20Besides being a physical risk that led to him losing 40 pounds,
11:24it was also drastically different from any of his other movies.
11:27His performance was met with resounding critical success,
11:30leading to him winning his first Academy Award
11:32and shedding his rom-com image for good.
11:35I mean, goddamn people are dying.
11:37And y'all are all up there afraid
11:39that we're going to find an alternative without you.
11:41Which actor do you think benefited the most from taking a huge career risk?
11:45Let us know in the comments.
11:47Let us know in the comments.
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