Every now and then, actors face an unavoidable and dreadful question: “What are your biggest career regrets?” Many actors openly disclose their opinions while others choose the diplomatic route. But at times, their admissions leave fans shocked. Why? It’s easy to speak about a role or a movie that has won many hearts or awards, but to admit a black mark is a huge deal. Here are times when Hollywood’s great stars owned up to hating their own films.
10. Sylvester Stallone – ‘Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot’ (1992)
The actor who has delivered memorable films like ‘Creed’, ‘Rocky,’ and ‘The Expendables,’ has also faced a huge blow in his career. Sylvester Stallone is known to be protective about his film choices and never pulls any punches, except for ‘Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot’ co-starring Estelle Getty. The actor said, “I made some truly awful movies. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot was the worst. If you ever want someone to confess to murder, just make him or her sit through that film. They will confess to anything after 15 minutes.” What more? Stallone was the victim of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s prank while saying yes to this film.
9. Viola Davis – ‘The Help’ (2011)
Viola Davis, who is known for the role of Annalise Keating in the legal thriller series ‘How to Get Away with Murder,’ suffered a case of major regret for her acclaimed film, ‘The Help.’ While the movie also earned her an Oscar nomination, Davis felt she had betrayed herself and her people with her character. She explained that the film was, “created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism.” Her role was silenced and demeaned in her eyes, which she could never approve or accept.
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8. Christopher Plummer – ‘The Sound of Music’ (1965)
The film that gave recognition to Christopher Plummer, which made him a household name, is the very project the actor regretted the most. Yes, it’s ‘The Sound of Music’. In multiple instances, he referred to the classic as “The Sound of Mucus,” “S&M,” or simply “that movie.” In 2010, during an interview with The Boston Globe, Plummer said, “I was a bit bored with the character. Although we worked hard enough to make him interesting, it was a bit like flogging a dead horse. And the subject matter is not mine. I mean it can’t appeal to every person in the world. It’s not my cup of tea.”
7. Halle Berry – ‘Catwoman’ (2004)
Halle Berry is one of the few actresses who along with accepting the Oscar also had the guts to accept the Golden Raspberry Award for being the worst actress in ‘Catwoman‘. During her acceptance speech, Berry mentioned, “You know, I’ve got so many people to thank, because you don’t win a Razzie without a lot of help from a lot of people… First of all, I want to thank Warner Bros. Thank you for putting me in a god-awful movie. You know, it was just what my career needed, you know? I was at the top, and then Catwoman just plummeted me to the bottom.”
6. Katherine Heigl – ‘Knocked Up’ (2007)
‘Knocked Up’ remains one of Katherine Heigl’s best-known roles, but the actress disapproves of it. She found the entire film a little sexist, as it portrays women as shrewd, uptight, and humorless. On the other hand, the movie paints men as goofy and lovable. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she explained her stance: “It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days.” Heigl is known as one of the toughest actors to work with and later issued a public apology to the film’s director “for being honest.”
5. Channing Tatum – ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ (2009)
The ‘Magic Mike’ star was once a part of the action-packed film ‘GI Joe: Raise of Cobra.’ It was the stuff of his childhood dreams, but unfortunately, once it became a reality, he instantly regretted it. The actor’s brutally revelation was: “I was pushed into doing it. The script wasn’t any good. And I didn’t want to do something that I – that I was a fan of since I was a kid and watched every morning growing up – and didn’t want to do something that was, one, bad. And two, I just didn’t know if I wanted to be GI Joe.”
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4. Alec Guinness – ‘Star Wars’ (1977–1983)
Although Alec Guinness is known for cinematic classics like ‘Great Expectation,’ ‘The Bridge on River Kwai,’ and ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ his most recognizable character is Obi-Wan Kenobi from the original ‘Star Wars‘ trilogy. Except for the pay, Guinness absolutely despised everything about the iconic role. He described George Lucas’ writing as being rubbish, elaborating, “None of it makes my character clear or even bearable.” Guinness was also uncomfortable with the filming schedule calling it boring and indecisive. In his autobiography ‘A Positively Final Appearance: A Journal,’ the veteran actor revealed the extent of his contempt for the franchise. He gave his autograph to a fan only if he promised not to watch ‘Star Wars’ anymore.
3. Brad Pitt – ‘The Devil’s Own’ (1997)
With an extremely long list of movies, it is natural for the actors to hate a few of their own films. And, Brad Pitt is no exception. In a 1997 interview with Newsweek, he expressed his personal worst to be ‘The Devil’s Own.’ He called the Alan J Pakula film a “disaster”, adding, “We had no script. Well, we had a great script but it got tossed for various reasons. To have to make something up as you go along—Jesus, what pressure! It was ridiculous. It was the most irresponsible bit of filmmaking—if you can even call it that—that I’ve ever seen.”
2. George Clooney – ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
For someone who has been a staple in Hollywood for long, George Clooney has a couple of movie regrets, too. He has also warned young actors about the consequences of acting exclusively for money. At Newsweek’s 2012 Oscar roundtable, Clooney talked about the dangers of choosing sustenance over substance: “As an actor, all bets are off if you need money. I’ve done really crappy movies or crappy jobs when I was broke, and people go, ‘Why did you do Return of the Killer Tomatoes?’ Because I got the job!” Clooney also regrets playing the part of Batman in the 1997 film ‘Batman and Robin.’ At the time, he believed that he had destroyed the franchise.
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1. Robert Pattinson – ‘Twilight’ Series (2008–2012)
Robert Pattinson faced the worst luck in the movie adaptation of the ‘Twilight’ saga. People still obsess over the pale, blood-sucking creature, Edward Cullen. Pattinson is also mocked for it despite delivering a convincing performance. And, he hasn’t stayed quiet about his hatred towards the films. On many occasions, the actor expressed his disdain for the role that made him a Hollywood heartthrob. “It’s weird kind of representing something you don’t particularly like,” he famously lamented.
