Why are so many TERRIBLE actors working?

Have you checked out La Brea yet, it’s a shitfest of bad acting and dialogue.

Have any of them under 45 even been trained to use their voices? Everyone in YOU (other than Saffron Burrows) has his or her own nasal upspeak and/or vocal fry. To cite just one example.

Sydney Sweeney is not bad. I liked her in White Lotus.

I haven't watched this movie you are talking about, Op, but Sydney Sweeney was great in Euphoria and White Lotus

R3, like Megan Fox in Jennifer’s Body, Sydney Sweeney’s limited talents can be played to by the right director and script. She has her moments in a show like Euphoria but it’s because (IMO) the story portrays her as a brain dead bimbo and she excels at it because that’s what she is. I watched her movie Voyeurs on Amazon Prime and she just could not carry the character or the movie, of which she was the lead. She seems to get cast solely for her large breasts/prepubescent face and willingness to do nudity.

This is nothing new. Actually I think terrible actors are actually less common than they were decades ago. The sixties and seventies seem to have the highest percentage of talent free actors and actresses who still worked regularly.

R5 If she is good in Euphoria only because she plays this sweet innocent brain dead "bimbo", they why was she so good in White Lotus, where her character is the total opposite of the one in Euphoria?

R7, I don’t know, mate. I didn’t see that! All I know is that she was terrible in Night Teeth.

Because there’s so much damn content. It used to be networks and Hollywood films. Now it’s cable, and streaming, AND networks and Hollywood. The good ones can’t do it all.

That being said, I do like Sydney Sweeney. She projects a sweet vulnerability in Euphoria. She seems to have talents that are more than skin deep.

I still believe, with a few exceptions, that the best actors have a mix of raw talent and formal training.

I hope La Brea wins Emmy gold!!!

Agree so hard on Ryan Reynolds OP. He’s an untalented asshole - how does he get the roles?

Dude bros love Ryan Reynolds.

I still get him mixed up with Josh Duhamel.

Because the US casts based on looks.

If you watch British shows, you realize that the British cast on acting ability, whiich is reflected in the quality of their shows. They may not all be pretty, but they're good.

There are U.S. exceptions - such as the Law and Order Mothership, in the past- which used NY-based experienced and quality actors. But that was before the explosion of social media and our obsession with looks. Some casting these days is based on the number of "Likes" or followers an actor has.

Ridiculous. But that's where we are.

[Quote] and another atrocious actress

Lucy Fry?

Well Hollywood ran Madonna out of town, so sometimes it functions.

This is what keeps me going as an actor: there are so many fucking untalented people working so there’s hope for me, too.

Are you hot, R16?

R16, do you get consistent work?

They don't cast good actors, in case they show the others up.

[quote]If you watch British shows, you realize that the British cast on acting ability

This used to be true but not anymore, necessarily. Plenty of the younger British actors are as vapid and untrained as their American counterparts, they just have smarter-sounding accents. The Guardian ran a piece this week about how UK drama schools are in disarray as they abandon traditional stage training techniques--such as teaching actors how to project their voices--to accommodate the expectation that most of these actors are going to work on TV, not on stage, and many of them see no point in learning the skills that have made UK actors the gold standard for decades.

R20

Thanks. I'll look for the article.

And stick with the older British shows.

I’m not hot but I do work a lot.

The casting couch?

People like them despite lack of talent.

Disney kids grown up still have Disney kid fans who also grew up.

Some, like Megan Fox, are wank objects and just liked/cast for their sexy appearance.

Stupid action dudes doing stupid action movies, regardless of their ability to emote or create a 3-D character, appeal to stupid dudes.

R16/R22, I know acting can be a tough business so that's great to hear.

R21, here's the Guardian link.

R26

Thank you.

There's always been untalented actors. American films and TV do cast a lot on looks or popularity (like models, singers and reality stars getting big roles) and there doesn't seem to be a theatre or arts school tradition like in The UK. Also advertisers play a big role in content getting funded, so there's more pressure to hire people based on attractiveness or mass appeal than talent. That said, there are still many wonderful actors and well-written TV and films out there that it's easy to ignore the talentless trash.

Nowadays most of the terrible actors are relegated to teen shows and lifetime. Most big name stars have some degree of talent. The very wooden ones are less common, with some exceptions such as Romney Mara.

It’s a combination of things.

Looks and being photogenic is one of them.

Second, Scott Eastwood admitted he’s not the best actor but he shows up to work on time and knows his lines.

And that goes a long way. Artie Lange said memorizing lines is an important part of auditions and acting and people who have the best memorization skills usually get the gig.

Talented people, especially artists, don’t always make the best workers.

So I think there’s a lot of shitty actors because they’re good workers. If you’ve got someone who can’t act and can’t remember lines and can’t show up on time then that’s stupid.

Probably for similar reasons that piece of shit politicians keep getting re-elected.

Also it's not like many people care about how good actors are anymore. They just to be entertained or distracted with pretty or cool looking characters. The success of so many superhero or fantasy franchises also put less emphasis on acting ability and more visuals, special effects and action. Hallmark, Lifetime and The CW are still going strong despite their formulaic content and reusing the same ten actors.

I had this movie on in the background while I worked and I can truly say it was so bad. I was disappointed to see Alexander Ludwig, hottie from Vikings, in this. Definitely a step down from his good work in that series.

Your first clue is netflix.

r34 i've watched many other Netflix movies lately that were passable to enjoyable. This was bush league.

Am I the only one who thinks that critical darling Felicity Jones is a terrible actress? I only see praise for her performances and I feel like it's an emperor's new clothes type situation.

I love Sydney Sweeney. She's doing well now, but let's see if she can sustain her career when she ages into her 30's. That's the true test. Reese Witherspoon did a lot of edgy, interesting projects like Freeway when she was young and is still going with an Oscar. Time will tell.

Unpopular opinion, but I am so sick of Olivia Coleman, speaking of British actors. She is in everything and she is good technically, but I always feel like I am watching Olivia Coleman as whatever the part is instead of just seeing the character.

r36 i think it's because she's versatile

[quote] Have you checked out La Brea yet, it’s a shitfest of bad acting and dialogue.

There are so many streaming platforms competing with networks for content, the networks are forced to order an obviously shitty series. This one is "Lost" redux.

I'm watching Reynolds' two action movies "Bodyguard blah blah" and he's fine, and funny, and cute. He sends up his lightweight masculinity. Unclench, OP. Popular entertainments are not high lesbian.... I mean high thespian exercises.

Actors are now more salespersons than anything else.