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40 Times Producers Chose The Wrong Actors For The Role, According To People In This Online Group
Sometimes the casting for the role is so good, it's hard to imagine someone else playing it. In other cases, the wrong actor choice just puts the audience out of the story, especially when actors playing a couple have no chemistry.
One person asked the AskReddit forum "What actor/actress was completely 100% wrong for the role?" And over 32K other users chimed in. Some actors gave these people unfitting to the character vibes, some were too far off the described look in the books, some were a different race than their character. Bored Panda has selected the best answers. Share in the comments if you agree.
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Mr. Ed. The role required a horse that could talk. The horse they hired couldn't talk so they had to dub all his lines
There are plenty of websites offering advice for starting and experienced filmmakers. You know those never-ending titles at the end of the movie? Yes, that many people are actually needed for large productions, and each type of crew is an important gear in the big machine. One of them is the casting crew: casting directors, associates, and assistants. The casting director is a senior role, they follow the director's, producer's, or writer's guidelines and make deals, negotiate. They have a lot to consider: talent, suitable chemistry, actor availability, and pay. The associate helps them find actors and make deals.
Any movie that takes place in high school, but all the actors are in their 20s or 30s.
I agree. It gives teenagers a lot of insecurities about their looks and since the actors are old they add a ton of kissing/sex that is also not realistic for teenagers. It seels them the harmful idea that everybody had sex by 15-16 and that there is something wrong if they didnt.
Colin Farrell as Alexander The Great. As one of my old University professors once said, "I wouldn't follow that guy to the end of my DRIVEWAY".
Their assistant helps with various technical details, such as running the audition waiting room, camera work, reading the lines, etc. so the casting director can focus on the actors. If one is interested in becoming a casting director, it is advised they gain experience as a runner or assistant first, having graduated in Film and TV also helps. These beginner roles can be found on dedicated websites and social media groups dedicated to filmmakers in a particular area.
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. If you’ve read the book he is the exact physical opposite of the character as written.
Nobody should hire this guy because he's a terrible actor!
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I love Jack Reacher, and was scandalized to see a very un-intimidating Tom Cruise playing him.
Tom Cruise also comes of terribly pretty boy smug face, which is the opposite of Reacher's working man yet surprisingly aproacheable style once you get over the scary big guy stuff.
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In the books Jack Reacher is 6’5”, 250 pounds and built like a brick wall. Tom Cruise…… isn’t.
Even the author was very ticked off with the casting and criticized Cruise.
And in every Reacher book he wrote after that he made a point of saying how tall and big Reacher is. It’s very funny.
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Reacher is about a foot taller than Cruise, and sixty pounds heavier.
Felt same way about Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy was a large, red-headed Irish American. Nicholson never worked for me
Does he? Cuz he doesn't do laundry and just buys new clothes every time, lol. Books are fun but he is crazy macho. And I'm no Tom Cruise fan but the Jack Reacher series is basically chicklit but for guys-- its d!cklit. lol. Again they are fun but lets not pretend they are intellectual at all.
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Oh my god. I was disappointed when Cruise was hired. The Reacher character I around 6 feet, five inches, tall. His weight fluctuates between 235 and 250 pounds. Then they hire a midget to play him? Honestly, I watched the first Reacher movie a few years after it came out. I liked it. Still, the character could have been named something other than Reacher. I hope that the upcoming series hired a more appropriately sized guy.
And him being huge is always relevant to the story. He never can get unnoticed, strangers get the wrong impression and fear him or go for him for help, it always turns out to be relevant to the procedings that he looks like a huge, kinda scary, kinda nice slightly homeless guy. Tom Cruise looks like an aged hollywood actor with a pretty face and lots of money.
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In his defence, physical proportions aside, it's exactly the same sort of character as he plays in MI. Ron Perlman as Reacher, perhaps??
Whereas Alan ritchson was genuinely the better choice. Cruise is a grade A thundertwunt.
This is why generally if a have read a really good book, I rarely watch the movie, or wait until it is on TV too many disappointments. Except for Lord of the Rings. Amazing job on that trilogy!
I can't see this clown as a former Special Operator in ANY movie. He just doesn't look right. Also, being a hardcore scientologist makes me question his mental state.
That was the thing about Robert Urich playing Spenser in the Spenser: For Hire TV series, based on Robert B. Parker's books. As the Spenser character's written, he's tall and stocky, with a linebacker's build. Robert Urich wasn't that tall, and he was fairly slender. I still loved him in the role, and I thought Avery Brooks played Hawk perfectly--but Urich the actor really didn't physically resemble Spenser, as he was written, at all.
This is spot on. Especially since the essence of the Jack Reacher character is that he is a giant. And they cast a shrimp.
Jack CultLeader should be his name. He literally lives his life based on a science fiction writers “religion”.
I didn't read the books until after I saw the movie. First sentence blows up the Cruise portrayal.
I wouldn't watch anything with Tom Cruise in it anyway. The other poor casting job that is nothing like the character is written is Matthew McConaughey in Sahara, he's definitely wrong as Dirk Pitt.
I read the books. Although Tom Cruise's physical characteristics don't match those in the books, his personality, charm and good acting more than made up for that difference and I really enjoyed him in the Jack Reacher movies. He is much better as Jack Reacher than his performance in the Mission Impossible movies (MI focuses on flashy car chases, bombs, etc.) Tom Cruise is best in just straight acting without all the flashy special effects.
So Tom Cruise's version of Jack Reacher maybe needed to be renamed Jack Carnt-Reacher
Yeah, I've read the Reacher books, he's 6'5", 240-250 pounds with blonde hair. That said, I didn't think the movies themselves were bad.
I love the Jack Reacher films and Cruise's portrayal of that character. I havent read the book but I recognize that Cruise isn't the best physical representation of the protagonist.
Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Hunstman. Terrible.
To run the casting process professionally, there are several things to consider. Some available types of auditioning: watching showreels, which is a filmed collection of clips from different productions the actor has been in, it's cheap and quick, an actor's self-filmed reading for a particular role, it gives a sense of how suitable the actor is for the role, and more expensive - in-person auditions with or without giving script excerpts for actors to prepare in advance. The latter requires a professional and comfortable setting which would create an impression of what the production will be like.
Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffanys --- straight up plays an Asian man in the most racist performance you've ever seen
Cats.
Often, when two actors have to interact, there is chemistry read. There, shortlisted actors play together, to see as the name suggests, if they have chemistry. This is lacking in many of the films in this list, particularly noticeable in romantic ones, people mentioned 50 Shades of Grey. However, the Pulp Fiction poster wouldn't hang in every other film student's dorm room if John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson's acting didn't complement one another so much in this drama.
Two that come to mind but weren't cast were in Lord of the Rings. Sean Connery was offered the role of Gandalf but turned it down because he couldn't understand the script. Could you imagine how bad of a casting decision that would have been now that we've seen Sir Ian McKellen in the role? Or Nicolas Cage as Aragorn?
Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher. Reacher's supposed to be 6+ feet tall, 240+ pounds, basically a brick sh^#house of a man. And someone pulling the strings said yeah, that totally sounds like Tom Cruise to me!
Probably the same moron who suggested Julia Roberts for Harriet Tubman.
Many of the casting controversies come from changing characters' sex or race from the book or previous film or one ethnicity character being played by different ethnicity actors. The general opinion is that the actor doesn't have to be like the character in their personal life. However, in some cases such as when there is a leading transgender role, many people ask that it go to a transgender actor as they do not get many opportunities and might bring more life-like representation of the character's complexity.
Schwarzenegger in Twins. He looks nothing like Danny De Vito...
Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker in Dracula (1992). He's charming and pretty, but he shouldn't have been in this cast against such titans as Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins. And the English accent was atrocious. In over his head. It's like Jennifer Lopez trying to sing a Céline Dion song.
Keanu is a graduate of the D**k Van Dyke Dialect School. So is Winona Ryder - their scenes together were excrutiating
The Academy Awards introduced representation and inclusion standards for eligible films. While there was a lot of blowback, the standards are not that hard to meet. Though, some of them do require keeping some statistics about cast and crew composition. There are 4 standards, at least 2 of which the best picture nominees for 2024 must meet. Such as "at least one of the lead actors or significant supporting actors is from an underrepresented racial or ethnic group", "The film’s distribution or financing company has paid apprenticeships or internships that are from the following underrepresented groups: women, racial or ethnic group, LGBTQ+, people with cognitive or physical disabilities, or who are deaf or hard of hearing."
Shia Leboeuf in Crystal Skull. That part should've been Short Round as an adult.
Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in the 50 Shades trilogy
Aside from the movies being absolutely sh&^$y, the two had no chemistry with each other and it was awkward as hell to watch. More so when I found out that Jamie was married while filming those movies. The movies shouldn't have even been made.
Why does an actor being married make any romance movie/scenes awkward? Not every actor in the world is single.
Emma Watson as Belle in beauty and the beast. I actually thought she was the perfect choice before I saw it. But belles main qualities are supposed to be her warmth and kindness, and it felt like Emma was genuinely judging all the people living in her town. She’s a good hermione though
I only heard this idea recently: maybe belle is bored because the whole town was enchanted to forget the beast, so they might also be stuck in some loop. Belle and her father joined the village after leaving Paris, and after the beast enchantments were cast. Maybe she found the village boring because it really was super-monotonous (cause of the spell) 🤷♀️
Tell us what role you would like to witness being played by a different actor and why in the comments. Do you agree with the list? What do you think about diversity and inclusion standards in the entertainment industry?
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Sophie Turner as Jean Gray.
I like her as an actress, but I just couldn’t get into it. I felt like she struggled with hiding her accent.
Whoever the dude was in 50 shades. Christian Bale would have crushed that role
I have no issues with Pierce Brosnan. Made a fine bond even though his scripts weren't strong. Can do comedy even.
But singing in Mamma Mia? How was that ever allowed to happen?
Is it now the time to talk about Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom?
everyone in the last airbender movie, especially considering the fact that they took the waterbenders (canonically the nation with the darkest skin coloring) and made all of them white, then made the firebenders dark-skinned.
Has anyone said Emelia Clarke as Sarah Connor yet? Also Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese. Actually the whole movie sans Arnold was cast fu$^king horribly.
Just wanted to say for anyone doubting future casting, look at Robert Downey Jr as Ironman. When that was announced so many fans were up in arms and now he IS Ironman...
Yes, but the complaints were all BEFORE the movie, then he went and nailed it! Then, he did Dolittle. We don't talk about Dolittle.
Ginny Weasley... that actress just never grew into that role. I know it’s hard to cast kids that young, but man they should have replaced her for the last few movies, it was harsh seeing Harry have more actual chemistry with a Muggle coffee shop girl (who was amazing) than the supposed love of his life (who was nothing like fiery character in books).
I think that the problem here is direction and not the poor actress. Book Ginny is funny, athletic and cool while movie Ginny is super akward. They made her play the stupidest scenes like tying Harrys shoelaces or the coolie scene. I dont think that the poor girl had much to work with.
Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York. It’s the only time I’ve really be pulled out of a movie because the casting didn’t seem right.
John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. It just seemed a bit too on the nose.
I agree, John Malkovich was miscast, there was someone who could play John Malkovich better than John Malkovich.
John Dorian as Dr. Acula. He is way to hammy, and not very threatening for a vampire who is behind loads of mysterious deaths in the hospital. He clearly only got the part because he wrote the darn script for it. It was also a very racist filming process where multiple times Chris Turk was told to "act blacker". In good conscience I can't support the film
Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. Not because of the whole situation around it, but after reading the books and the cameos in Potter, I just don't see him as Grindelwald, just as albino Depp.
Cameron Diaz was horrible in the 2014 Annie remake. She hasn't made a movie since.
John Wayne as a Native American or Anthony Hopkins as a black man come to mind.
Jon Voight as a snake hunter in Anaconda is fine......but him as a PARAGUAYAN snake hunter?.....just......why lol
Hollywood has not yet figured out that there are great actors of color all over. . . . Other than their go to tokens.
Pretty much everyone from the Percy Jackson movies
Jafar in the new Aladdin. He wasn’t believable or menacing and way too young. Plus for much of his screen time he’s standing next to Navid Neghaban, who would have been a MUCH better choice.
Nicole Kidman is cast as Lucy in Aaron Sorkin's Lucille Ball movie. She can't move her face anymore. And I like Nicole Kidman, she's done some great stuff lately but this doesn't make sense.
Every actress cast as Sue Richards, The Invisible Woman, from the Fantastic Four so far
Right!!! Jessica Abla had to wear a blonde wig with blue contacts it was off-putting. Was there no blue eyed blonde actress available?
Dane DeHaan - Valerian
That move is pretty awesome except for him, it felt entirely miscast and I couldn't believe this guy was the kind of character they were making him out to be.
Joel McHale as Roy in the ill-fated US remake of The IT Crowd.
We want a scruffy and misanthropic IT nerd, so let's get an actor known foorrr... charisma and confidence? OK.
That was awful casting. It was even more cringe-inducing that he was alongside Richard Ayoade in a WORD-FOR-WORD remake.
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
I wouldn't mind seeing is because I love Nina, but the Netflix documentary "What Happened, Miss Simone?" is probably much more informative.
Note: this post originally had 53 images. It’s been shortened to the top 40 images based on user votes.
I'm an old so I'm gonna say the roles of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt should have been switched in Anne Rices' "Interview with a Vampire". I mean come on Pitt was made to play Lestat and Cruise is who you envision when you read Luis. Interview-...fb1069.jpg 
michael gambon as the dumbledore who replaced richard harris. physically, harris was spot on per description in the books but, due to his illness, he did lack a bit of the energy. if he had lived to continue the character i don't think he could have carried the character well due to his fragile condition. gambon seems to not have read the books or just didn't want to play the character as rowling intended. personally, ian mckellen would have been a great dumbledore but, from what i have read, he didn't want the part because of his wizard character in lord of the rings.
Call me crazy but I always thought Liam Neeson in a good amount of makeup would have been a fantastic Dumbledore. That’s just how I imagine Dumbledores voice. Firm and rough but with a gentle quality. I think seeing him play Zeus is what gave me the idea. Also as QuiGon in Star Wars.
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AMBER HEAD IN LITERALLY ANYTHING. Altho can we take a moment to appreciate the galaxy sized cringe the latest version of the Stand causes? Just... no.
I love her, but I think Julia Roberts was the wrong cast for Eat Pray Love. The main character was supposed to be way more bubbly, and her being a bad fit added to the movie being so terrible.
Tim Roth in 'Reservoir Dogs'. The role should've gone to James Woods, but his agent didn't pass on the script to him (I think he was sacked because of it). Tim Roth's an excellent actor, don’t get me wrong, check out his film debut ‘Made in Britain’ (1982). It's just that accent and I think James Woods would've been better in the role.
No mention of Benedict Cumberbatch as Kahn in Star Trek? He's the perfect case of a great actor in a role he simply was not built for. They didn't even put on a brown wig or contacts or ask him to ditch the British accent. Nothing. He did the best he could, but he's too far divorced from resembling Ricardo Montalban to have been remotely convincing, especially since the rest of the cast was true to the original characters and the actors who portrayed them.
Arnold as Mr. Freeze. That movie was so bad though, that casting was just one of its issues.
Natalie Portman as Jane in the Marvel-Thor movies. Absolutely no chemistry with Thor! I mean it's Chris Effin Hemsworth!
Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. Was she on uppers during the shooting? The whole movie gve me the jitters like a caffeine overdose. Mary Poppins was a calm and safe haven. We were spoiled with Julie.
Actually, Emily Blunt was far more true to the part than the way Julie Andrews played it. The Mary Poppins character in the books was stern, haughty and a little bit sarcastic. Blunt nailed it. I have been a lover of all things Poppins my entire life, have read the books thousands of times and although I love both movies, Emily Blunt was much more true to the character as originally written by PL Travers.
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I am surprised noboduy mentioned Russel Crowe as Val Jean in Les Miserables. After all the talent that portrayed the character on stage performances, Crowe ?...I still refuse to see the movie.
Yes, my favourite musical of all time and I flatly refuse to see the movie because of the casting.
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Any of the actors cast for One for the Money. It's like they were putting a solid effort into casting badly.
I just saw "Dean in real life". Actors are actually good, but Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche have no chemistry at all. It's just the wrong couple.
My first exposure to Lex Luthor was on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Jesse Eisenberg actually seems like he'd grow up into that Lex.
Can I just say Tom Cruise in anything after Risky business is bad .
What did you think of the movie Artemis Fowl? Almost every character in the book is completely different than in the movie. That's why I thought it was a major setback, while I've worn out the books to pieces.
Singers as other singers. Please! If soneone is unique for their voice, get an actress who looks or can be made to look like, and who can move like say Bessie Smith and put Bessie s voice in there. We have the recordings and the tech to restore them and nobody, Nobody sang like Bessie, or Billie Holiday, or Josephine Baker or looked or moved like La Belle Josephine either, 'specially not that, whoever that was they cast to play Ms Baker in that movie.
Tom cruise in Valkyrie. The supporting cast are amazing actors and I don't think tom cruise is anywhere near their caliber when it comes to dramatic acting. He's got the star power but he didn't even feign a British accent to match the other actors' (I know they're all German characters, but as all the other actors were brits or had British accents, the film would've been more unified as a whole if the main character had the same regional accent).
Tom Cruise as the vampire Le Stat! OMG! He was an awful choice!! The role of Lewis and Le Stat should've been reversed! Brad Pitt would've made. Much better Le Stat! Actually, it should've been Adrian Brody, and Jamie Dornan! Tom Cruise should never ever play a vampire ever. He just cannot carry that kind of character. Or, anyone that has an accent, other than an Irish accent. He apparently can't do any other accent. Don't know if Brad Pitt can either, but he doesn't go out for roles with accents other than southern.
Why has no one mentioned Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins? Far too young for the part.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin in LOTR. Wood is a fantastic actor, but neither of them felt remotely like the right actors for the parts. And Astin’s accent…yuck. But then you get Martin Freeman for the role of Bilbo, just unbelievably perfect casting, and the Hobbit movies are an unwatchable mess.
Billy Connolly in The Hobbit -Battle of five armies- I'm Scottish and i physically cringed when he appeared and basically just transferred his 1970's stage patter to the screen. elves trolls & men gathered in their multitudes and an immense battle. and he shouts - "WOULD YOU ALL JUST KINDLY BUGGER OFF!" I will never forgive Peter Jackson for allowing the casting and subsequently that line to be in the movie.
I'm an old so I'm gonna say the roles of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt should have been switched in Anne Rices' "Interview with a Vampire". I mean come on Pitt was made to play Lestat and Cruise is who you envision when you read Luis. Interview-...fb1069.jpg
michael gambon as the dumbledore who replaced richard harris. physically, harris was spot on per description in the books but, due to his illness, he did lack a bit of the energy. if he had lived to continue the character i don't think he could have carried the character well due to his fragile condition. gambon seems to not have read the books or just didn't want to play the character as rowling intended. personally, ian mckellen would have been a great dumbledore but, from what i have read, he didn't want the part because of his wizard character in lord of the rings.
Call me crazy but I always thought Liam Neeson in a good amount of makeup would have been a fantastic Dumbledore. That’s just how I imagine Dumbledores voice. Firm and rough but with a gentle quality. I think seeing him play Zeus is what gave me the idea. Also as QuiGon in Star Wars.
Load More Replies... AMBER HEAD IN LITERALLY ANYTHING. Altho can we take a moment to appreciate the galaxy sized cringe the latest version of the Stand causes? Just... no.
I love her, but I think Julia Roberts was the wrong cast for Eat Pray Love. The main character was supposed to be way more bubbly, and her being a bad fit added to the movie being so terrible.
Tim Roth in 'Reservoir Dogs'. The role should've gone to James Woods, but his agent didn't pass on the script to him (I think he was sacked because of it). Tim Roth's an excellent actor, don’t get me wrong, check out his film debut ‘Made in Britain’ (1982). It's just that accent and I think James Woods would've been better in the role.
No mention of Benedict Cumberbatch as Kahn in Star Trek? He's the perfect case of a great actor in a role he simply was not built for. They didn't even put on a brown wig or contacts or ask him to ditch the British accent. Nothing. He did the best he could, but he's too far divorced from resembling Ricardo Montalban to have been remotely convincing, especially since the rest of the cast was true to the original characters and the actors who portrayed them.
Arnold as Mr. Freeze. That movie was so bad though, that casting was just one of its issues.
Natalie Portman as Jane in the Marvel-Thor movies. Absolutely no chemistry with Thor! I mean it's Chris Effin Hemsworth!
Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. Was she on uppers during the shooting? The whole movie gve me the jitters like a caffeine overdose. Mary Poppins was a calm and safe haven. We were spoiled with Julie.
Actually, Emily Blunt was far more true to the part than the way Julie Andrews played it. The Mary Poppins character in the books was stern, haughty and a little bit sarcastic. Blunt nailed it. I have been a lover of all things Poppins my entire life, have read the books thousands of times and although I love both movies, Emily Blunt was much more true to the character as originally written by PL Travers.
Load More Replies... I am surprised noboduy mentioned Russel Crowe as Val Jean in Les Miserables. After all the talent that portrayed the character on stage performances, Crowe ?...I still refuse to see the movie.
Yes, my favourite musical of all time and I flatly refuse to see the movie because of the casting.
Load More Replies... Any of the actors cast for One for the Money. It's like they were putting a solid effort into casting badly.
I just saw "Dean in real life". Actors are actually good, but Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche have no chemistry at all. It's just the wrong couple.
My first exposure to Lex Luthor was on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Jesse Eisenberg actually seems like he'd grow up into that Lex.
Can I just say Tom Cruise in anything after Risky business is bad .
What did you think of the movie Artemis Fowl? Almost every character in the book is completely different than in the movie. That's why I thought it was a major setback, while I've worn out the books to pieces.
Singers as other singers. Please! If soneone is unique for their voice, get an actress who looks or can be made to look like, and who can move like say Bessie Smith and put Bessie s voice in there. We have the recordings and the tech to restore them and nobody, Nobody sang like Bessie, or Billie Holiday, or Josephine Baker or looked or moved like La Belle Josephine either, 'specially not that, whoever that was they cast to play Ms Baker in that movie.
Tom cruise in Valkyrie. The supporting cast are amazing actors and I don't think tom cruise is anywhere near their caliber when it comes to dramatic acting. He's got the star power but he didn't even feign a British accent to match the other actors' (I know they're all German characters, but as all the other actors were brits or had British accents, the film would've been more unified as a whole if the main character had the same regional accent).
Tom Cruise as the vampire Le Stat! OMG! He was an awful choice!! The role of Lewis and Le Stat should've been reversed! Brad Pitt would've made. Much better Le Stat! Actually, it should've been Adrian Brody, and Jamie Dornan! Tom Cruise should never ever play a vampire ever. He just cannot carry that kind of character. Or, anyone that has an accent, other than an Irish accent. He apparently can't do any other accent. Don't know if Brad Pitt can either, but he doesn't go out for roles with accents other than southern.
Why has no one mentioned Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins? Far too young for the part.
Elijah Wood and Sean Astin in LOTR. Wood is a fantastic actor, but neither of them felt remotely like the right actors for the parts. And Astin’s accent…yuck. But then you get Martin Freeman for the role of Bilbo, just unbelievably perfect casting, and the Hobbit movies are an unwatchable mess.
Billy Connolly in The Hobbit -Battle of five armies- I'm Scottish and i physically cringed when he appeared and basically just transferred his 1970's stage patter to the screen. elves trolls & men gathered in their multitudes and an immense battle. and he shouts - "WOULD YOU ALL JUST KINDLY BUGGER OFF!" I will never forgive Peter Jackson for allowing the casting and subsequently that line to be in the movie.
