Actors who have zero charisma off stage or off camera

Kevin Kline

Sean Hayes

Zac Efron (on or off)

Pierce Brosnan, back when he was hot. I had a huge crush on him from TV and movies, but when he opened his mouth in interviews... it became apparent that there was nothing in there.

Interesting r2. I've always contended that Kevin Klein can ruin any movie he's in.

R2 and R3, I've never gotten Kevin Klein, either.

I never liked Kevin Kline either, R3, until I saw him in I Love You To Death where his scenery chewing actually worked for the film.

Jensen Ackles. I doubt that he would have gotten very far in life if he wasn't so damn gorgeous. He's very nice and zzzzzzzzzzzz...that's about it it seems. Going with stereotypes I would put him in between a surfer Dude and HS jock (and not the cool Quarterback).

Kevin Kline seems really introverted. There was some blind item that he was a cross-dresser? Maybe he is just shy and reserved.

Johnny Depp is kind of tofu, for all of his scarves and skull rings. Same with Brad Pitt ... they seem burned out from being famous and everything is super guarded.

Mark Wahlberg ... meh.

Steve Martin. Just a guess.

Matt LeBlanc

Harry Hamlin was like this back when he was a commodity. Pretty, but dull as dishwater.

I can relate but I think Sean Hayes suffers from anxiety. He is really nervous in interviews and likes to do a bit rather than talk about himself.

Harrison Ford

Rene Z

Kristen Stewart

I love it when actors are fun on the talk shows...they don't seem guarded, they just talk and seem to be at ease with anyone. I wonder if they are good liars or just telling the truth?

I love, I Love You To Death but the critics, were too stupid to get it.

R13, George Segal was asked that question once and his reply was that when he's on a talk show, he's acting. He's playing the part of a fun, witty, entertaining guest. And when he gets off stage, he drops that act.

R6, his speaking voice has to be the dullest thing on television. Wouldn't it be hysterical if he came to life IRL, and was only that boring when he was acting?

Amy Sedaris is so much fun as a talk show guest. It's really what she's best at.

Brad Pitt. He's nice to look at; however, he is a monotone bore in an interview.

Some actors are actors because they don't have personalities, and feel more comfortable pretending they have them.

Kevin Kline was terrific in THE CONSPIRATOR.

[quote]I love, I Love You To Death but the critics, were too stupid to get it.

And you're too stupid to know how to use a comma correctly.

Mark Salling. Alexander Skarsgard. Robert Pattinson is a heinous actor but in interviews he manages to be even worse.

Robert DeNiro. Terrific actor, notoriously bad interview subject. They say he's shy and loathes being interviewed, but I think he just isn't very articulate.

Warren Beatty is another bad interviewee. With his lothario past, you expect a skilled raconteur, instead you get nothing. He's very guarded, hesitant, and ultimately, boring.

William Hurt. Get him talking and before you know it, you're caught in an endless loop of his metaphysical, navel-gazing ponderings.

Viggo Mortensen. Someone needs to check him for a pulse.

What R15 said.

Sam Worthington. It's shocking that even for an action star he lacks so much charisma it's like he's sucking all the energy out of every scene like a black hole.

RE 18 And in commercials. "SNL" figured that out right away

[quote]Mark Salling.

I thought I was the only one who noticed this. He seems so dull on screen and in interviews.

Ditto for Johnny Depp.

I actually like Kevin Kline ......in films . ( Love "In And Out"). But I remember many years ago, a well known NYC writer was doing a profile on him, and said afterward, he was the biggest disappointment of all the celebrities she had ever interviewed. Why ? He was incredibly dull. Boring. Deadly.The reason it was so bad , she admitted, was she thought he was going to come in like one of his characters she had loved. Instead .....Boring. Nothing there.

Christopher Guest. I love his films (well, except "For Your Consideration," which was a dud), but in interviews he is a charisma black hole in that he actually seems to drain the life from the relatively gregarious Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Eugene Levy when they're together. Just a deadening effect that blankets everyone within its radius.

He's clearly an introvert who is most comfortable when crafting performances and singularly ill at ease when being asked questions as himself.

Judi Dench

Steve Buscemi

James Gandolfini

Angelina Jolie

Lucille Ball was a complete dolt

The guy from Game of Thrones. Jamie Lannister. He has a foreign name. Nicholai Koster Whatever. First, he's shorter than I expected, not good looking, and he has no personality. Nada. Worked at a ComicCon event a couple years ago and was really disappointed in him.

I liked him so much on NEW AMSTERDAM, R33. On THRONES, no, he's not that exciting. I've decided to blame it on hair/costumes/makeup.

George Clooney seems relaxed with everyone, he's always in on whatever joke the host is making.

Keanu Reeves always acts completely befuddled.

Ben Affleck. A good measure of a person's charisma is asking the question: "Would you go to listen to this person speak if he/she were giving a lecture at your local college"?

Lindsay Lohan has huge charisma. If you were in an airport and she was there, you'd know straight away (and not just because of the paps following her.) However, as a person she is dull, unengaging and none too bright.

R9, I tend to disagree. I recently saw him and Zac Efron on Graham Norton and he was funny, engaging and was willing to be the butt of jokes whereas Zac was way too serious discussing how he gets into his roles, etc. I had recently seen Zac in some movie that made me decide that I liked him. After that GN interview, a bit if a douche. Conversely, Matt had a bit of a reputation that was stand-offish (never wanting to talk about Friends,etc.) but after the interview, he's on my thumbs up list...

[quote]Some actors are actors because they don't have personalities, and feel more comfortable pretending they have them.

BINGOOO! Applies to most of the ones who do it professionally.

R35 Saw Keanu on Graham Norton. He was relaxed, charming and had a nice sense of humor.

I've noticed that Keanu seems more laid back and like he's having more fun in foreign interviews compared to American ones.

Matt Damon

Every pornstar I've ever rented.

No. Matt Damon is good, smart, funny, not afraid to talk.

Just about every comedian that's ever lived. Comics are either damaged goods or empty shells.

Sue Simmons

Nathan Lane

Why do posters in this thread equate charisma with having an interesting and engaging personality? Charisma is something you're born with, and it's found in interesting and dull people alike.

R47, um...

charisma – [italic]noun[/italic] a special charm or allure that inspires fascination or devotion; personal charm, magnetism, presence.

Dull people usually don't inspire fascination, and lack charm, magnetism, and presence.

Megan mullaly. Nichole Kidman

They needs a character to play

Kidman has glamour and poise, though.

Jessica Chastain

Julia Roberts

Julianne Moore......................seriously

I find Kidman sometimes more engaging in interviews than on screen. She lost me when she messed with her face, and I was a big fan. Maybe after Grace Kelly she will let it all deflate and allow some wrinkles.

Ditto what someone said about Robert DeNiro. Huge bore.

Bruce Willis has such a minimalist personality. Can't remember him saying anything.

Nicholas Cage

I've never seen so many people have trouble understanding the meaning of the word "charisma".

Kit Harington from Game of Thrones, does not have much charisma on screen and has less off-screen. Seems like a nice guy.

[quote]Robert DeNiro. Terrific actor, notoriously bad interview subject. They say he's shy and loathes being interviewed, but I think he just isn't very articulate.

Totally agree. Watch this infamous interview he did with Dustin Hoffman on the Letterman show. It was so uncomfortable its was funny. You could tell DeNiro hated being there and felt promoting the 'Meet the Fuckers' films was beneath him. Letterman was reduced to listing off films he was in while DeNiro gave one word answers and mumbled. I give him props for sticking it to Letterman and not playing the game that stars have to do to promote their films. He probably got an earful from his agent after that interview, but it virtually guaranteed that he will never have to make appearances on the late night circuit ever again.

Meg fucking Ryan

Ray Liotta - there's nothing there.

[quote]I find Kidman sometimes more engaging in interviews than on screen.

True. She's very charming in interviews.

Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington (remember him?) own this thread.

R58. Also Ryan Fucking Phillippe. Dangerously dull.

But Ryan Fucking Phillippe [italic]looks like[/italic] Ryan Fucking Phillippe, R62. His ass gets a pass. Yours is grass.

R63 is too metastupid for me. Needs a translation.

Taylor lautner owns this thread.

Today we want every celebrity to be our crazy, outgoing bff. But sometimes they have introverted or serious personalities, maybe even suffer depression.

Johnny 'mumbles' Depp

No, R67, we want our celebrities to be like the performances we love.

For instance, I love Viggo Mortensen for being a quiet, thoughtful guy, because I've seen him playing quiet, thoughtful guys. He seems to really be the person I'd come to like. But it was disappointing to see Steve Martin behaving the same way offscreen, because he plays funny and open characters. He might own this thread, the comic who's quiet and depressive in real life.

I feel like Tom Cruise is the king of this. I've heard interviewers go on about this subject. They hate interviewing actors, specifically because so many of them are empty voids.

Lots of actresses too, Paltrow for one.

According to Orson Welles, Greta Garbo was exactly like this.

Local actor in Detroit years ago told a story to a radio DJ that he went to an audition for a part in Body Heat. He said he took a seat next to a rather plain, unattractive, nondescript woman in glasses who was reading a book. He found out shortly after that it was Kathleen Turner. When he saw the movie he was flabbergasted that it was the same woman he had sat next to in the office.

Check out how many of these actors were represented by Pat Kingsley. Tom Cruise's career went to pot once he fired her. She knew how dumb these actors were, so she would carefully rehearse them not to reveal anything. Whether you interviewed Cruise or Foster, you got the same boring generic responses. Standard Kingsley.

Meg Ryan - her interview with Michael Parkinson was painful to watch. Ditto Robert De Niro on Graham Norton not that long ago.

Disagree with Judi Dench, she's a hoot.

Russell Crowe - there's just nothing there.

Tim Roth is a bore.

DeNiro is uptight in interviews because he's self-conscious about his lack of education. A lot of his generation went to college, where in years previously, that wasn't always the case. He has trouble expressing himself verbally.

Al Pacino - omg, he can barely put a sentence together. I once heard a taped interview, before it was edited for print, and it was painful.

Greta Garbo was totally an empty vessel.

Mary Beth Hurt said when she told her voice teacher that she was going to be an actress, her teacher said, "Really? Because you have NO personality."

Barack Obama

Mel Gibson?

Streisand and I write this as fan but never again will I watch her being interviewed.

I eagerly tuned in to her Oprah interview from about 15 years ago. I started sawin' Zees about 10 minutes in.

That stuff about her exterior landscaping having to match her interior design...ugh.

Another vote for Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt always seems totally bland in interviews about his films, but when he talks about architecture, he's a totally different person. He suddenly comes alive. For a number of years, a landscape architect lived with him.

I've heard that Garbo was bland, but a friend came across her shopping with Mary Martin in a posh store on 5th Ave. and she said you couldn't stop looking at the two of them because they were so animated and having so much fun. There was some type of big chrome exercise wheel that you got strapped into and could turn upside down. Mary Martin got into it and was upside down and Greta Garbo had to hold onto the counter because she was laughing so hard. "You are a kracie vooman," she told Mary.

You all seem to be talking about interviews, but I thought the original question had to do with when the actor is not working--his/her lack of charisma in real life.

"Brad Pitt always seems totally bland in interviews about his films, but when he talks about architecture, he's a totally different person. He suddenly comes alive. For a number of years, a landscape architect lived with him."

Kinda off-topic but I know someone who worked at Fallingwater and gave "Brangelina" a private tour. Said Brad was nice, engaging, and obviously very interested in architecture, while Angelina was quieter and more standoffish

Garbo was reportedly shy and introverted in person, and if she didn't open up to a person they may have perceived her as a "blank" or an "empty shell". But apparently there was a real person under there, she did have genuine friend and lovers.

David Niven tells the story of a man who desperately wanted to meet her and after many tries finally got her to accept a dinner invitation... and she spent the whole evening talking cheerfully with his Swedish chef.

Calling them "actors" might be a stretch:

Beyonce comes across as boring and dumb in interviews.

Christina Aguilera comes across as boring and stuck-up.

Carrie Underwood is totally boring.

Jessica Lange seems like she is being tortured in interviews and at award shows. When her name is being called we get bitch face.

The one who was in that movie. You know. What's-his-name.

Scarlet Johansson, Daniel Craig, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Jesse Eisenberg, Channing Tatum, Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone

Gene Hackman and Robert Duval and they were once roommates with Dustin Hoffman

Heather Graham, insufferably rude to everyone @ Sundance, why did she show up if she hates her fans.

I've seen Judi Dench twice on Charlie Rose and she was adorable. Charlie is a huge ass kisser but he was genuinely enchanted with her.

Celebrities aren't showing their "real" personalities on a talk show any more than you or I would be ourselves at a job interview.

Not long after I saw Kevin Kline's sexy, swashbuckling, charismatic performance in PIRATES OF PENZANCE, I was introduced to him on Columbus Avenue. He was an ordinary guy, perfectly pleasant to exchange "Nice to meet you" with, but with not a glimmer of his onstage magic. Which made me admire his performance even more: it was entirely an artistic creation.

Many actors who worked with Garbo said that on the soundstage Garbo was nothing special. But when the dailies were screen, Garbo was the only one that got noticed.

Susan Strasberg was walking down the street with Marilyn Monroe. Monroe said to Stasberg, do you want to see what happens when I turn Marilyn on? Strasberg shook her head yes and Norma Jeane Baker turned into MARILYN MONROE

Joan River said that once Phyllis Diller left the stage that she (Diller) turned into a upper class, midwestern matron

Off the set, Gracie Allen Lucille Ball and Penny Lake were said to be very low-keyed women

Agree with OP about Ethan Hawke. Add James Spader & Christian Slater to the list.

r82, most of us don't know famous actors on a personal level.

[quote]Whether you interviewed Cruise or Foster, you got the same boring generic responses. Standard Kingsley.

I was going to add Jodie's name as a boring interview. She gives the same interview over and over and it's not very interesting.

Not an actor but, Matt Lauer. Dull as shit and doesn't seem bright at all. I think he's only big on account he "takes orders well". On talk shows he try's to act like the cool guy.

Noam Chomsky. He's no actor. He is brilliant, but he can make flies fall off the wall when he speaks.

Clooney is loosing both fast!

Rooney Mara

When Clooney got famous with ER I didn't find any interest in him at all. I started taking notice after that movie Out of Sight. Then I liked him. Now I've seen him being a political douche in interviews, and I can't stand him anymore.

And, yes, I agree that he is the equivalent today of Cary Grant.

Matthew Broderick

[quote]He said he took a seat next to a rather plain, unattractive, nondescript woman in glasses who was reading a book. He found out shortly after that it was Kathleen Turner. When he saw the movie he was flabbergasted that it was the same woman he had sat next to in the office.

I've read that Marilyn Monroe could walk down the street as Norma Jeane Mortenson and no one would give her a second look. Then she would "turn it on" and literally stop traffic just by changing the way she carried herself and her facial expression.

John Travolta is a huge bore.

I have to disagree with r58 about Emma Stone and JLawrence. They both have outgoing personalities that seem genuine. On or off camera. I'll add Edward Norton to the list though. I watched Red Dragon last night just to watch Hoffman and I fell asleep. Norton was good in Primal Fear but that's about it. And off camera he acts like an entitled scold.

Mostly a singer, but he has done some acting in movies...

Marc Anthony - he is extremely charismatic during his concerts - women swoon

but off stage, he is spindly, very skinny

but he is transformed during his concerts and while singing because he sings in such a superb captivating charismatic way and has a great voice

Olivia Newton-John

Clooney is one of the biggest losers in Hollywood. I have no idea how he was able to make such a darn brilliant movie like Confessions of a dangerous Mind and then direct shit lame movie after shit lame movie, wasting brilliant actors like PSH, Tomei, Giamatti, Goodman and Murray, RDJ or Clarkson on his run of the mill directing ideas.

Gay porn actor SAMUEL COLT !

Well, NOT Jonathan Hadary. Riveting in person. Who'da thought?

Julie Haggerty has no onstage presence, just good for flickers.

Nah, R106, Jennifer Lawrence is doing shtick. She keeps it up much longer and she'll start to wear on everyone's nerves like AnnE and Reese did.

Right on, R113.

Johnny Depp

Bump

I can't believe, after all these replies, that no one has mentioned Shirley Maclaine.

Perhaps obnoxiously repellent goes too far to still be considered zero charisma?

Most film and TV stars today can't sound intelligent unless they're handed a script.

"Now I've seen him being a political douche in interviews, and I can't stand him anymore."

Freeper alert.

"Most film and TV stars today can't sound intelligent unless they're handed a script."

ROFLMAO. Most of them are probably smarter than you are.

Ethan Hawke was gorgeous in his early 20s, a golden god with impeccable manners when I met him through a friend. (He was with his parents which probably accounted for the manners.) He did not age well at all.

tom cruise

[quote]ROFLMAO.

Was it really that funny?

I still feel like some people are not understanding the definition of charisma.

charisma: personal magnetism or charm

As in, that person 'everyone' notices/wants to sit by/talk to. That person who'll get you to buy them a drink without you even realizing it.

What R94/R103 said about people's reactions to MM, that is charisma. However, if she has to turn it on/off, then it's not really her and the 'charisma' is just an act.

Some are not necessarily charismatic, but obviously educated and well-spoken.

Some either have a dull personality or they're guarded.

Some can barely talk.

Some have very bad anxiety.

Sometimes an actor's awkwardness can be unintentionally entertaining.

It really goes to show you how many of these people need a script to be interesting. This is why I don't think we can always blame the actors for some of their bad performances. If you were handed a shitty script, you'd suck, too.

I always found Carrie Fisher, Joan Rivers, Wanda Sykes, and Allison Janney to be incredibly fun and interesting people. I like seeing them just be themselves.

It's actually kind of charming to see actors you're big into act and talk normal people in interviews.

Margot Robbie and Natalie Portman are magnetic on screen, but rather boring off. You could say that's the sign of a genuinely good actor.

I know a lot of actors and am not usually surprised at how different they are when not acting.

But I heard an interview with Oscar Ramirez and was stunned at how hard a time he had speaking. He has one of the worst stammers I ever heard. He is smart and articulate but the act of speaking seems to be really difficult for him when there is no script.

[quote] I've read that Marilyn Monroe could walk down the street as Norma Jeane Mortenson and no one would give her a second look.

It must be because no one has ever heard of Norma Jeane Mortenson, just Norma Jean Baker.

DiCaprio. I just don’t get why Hollywood execs and actors are so in love with this guy.

Matt Bomer is such a weird dichotomy. Handsome but no sex appeal.

r14 Critics liked I LOVE YOU TO DEATH. The writer/director was a very big deal because of THE BIG CHILL. (He also wrote THE BODYGUARD, EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK). Audiences didn't show up, movie was a bomb.

r128 DiCaprio sells tickets. Period. He also only works with a tiny list of top directors. It's a policy that has kept him as the world's biggest star in a period where the star system has disintegrated. I'm sure Scorsese would rather work with someone else, but its DiCaprio that gets the Scorsese movies going and Scorsese needs the money (and likes working on huge budgets)

R131: Exactly. He makes money for the studios. They don’t give a shit that he’s a climate change hypocrite who “dates” barely legal girls and who looks like an even uglier version of Jack Nicholson.