Many people around the world would probably love to enjoy the lifestyle of their favorite movie and TV stars, filled with luxuries, trips, and immense popularity. However, not all that glitters is gold, and despite what it may seem to us, the career of Hollywood performers is not always a bed of roses. For every actor we get to see making it on the silver screen, there are thousands of aspiring stars who fall by the wayside, despite years of training in order to succeed in the industry. And that’s not all: the careers of the actors who do make it can plummet very quickly if they’re not wise in choosing their projects, or if theyruin the chancesthey get to star in hits.
Fortunately, actors also have some great opportunities coming their way that allow them to make a name for themselves faster. Thus, many of them became world-renowned due to a single role, and subsequently stepped into other projects that further showcased their skills. Taking part in a blockbuster that makes them well-known and generates worldwide profits at the box-office can easily be any actor’s dream, even more so if this production also turns into a critical hit.
However, over the years, there have been many actors whohave regretted starringin some of the most successful films in their careers. The motives behind their regrets are not the same for everyone, and while some criticize the experience they had while shooting such production, others complain about the notoriety it brought them or simply consider that taking part in it was a bad idea. Check out 10 stories of actors who regret starring in some of their top-grossing movies.
10Robert Pattinson — Twilight
This list entry comes as no surprise to anyone, especially considering how many timesRobert Pattinsonhas addressed this topic over the years. The actor rose to fame playing vampire Edward Cullen in theTwilightfilm saga, which became an absolute sensation with the young audiences at the time. Naturally, the mass media attention brought by these kinds of productions can overwhelm the actors involved, and so it happened with Pattinson, who did not enjoy at all being scrutinized during the years in which he was involved in the project.
In several interviews, the actor showed no enthusiasm for the films or his role in the saga, stating that, had he not been involved in it, he would most certainly have hated it. Moreover, the fact that he rose to fame thanks to this production led him to be pigeonholed for years in his role, when what he really wanted was to play more challenging parts. That said, over the years and asTwilight’s hype declined, Robert revisited the subject and stated that he only has fond memories of his time in the franchise, and that he is glad that younger generations are currently discovering the films.
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9Ben Affleck — Daredevil
In 2003, actor and filmmakerBen Affleckstepped into the shoes of Matt Murdock in the superhero filmDaredevil, joined by a cast featuring Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, David Keith, and Michael Clarke Duncan. This Mark Steven Johnson film was met with mixed reviews upon its release, but still performed well at the box office, garnering over $179 million worldwide.
Yet, this was not enough to please the lead actor, who still considersDaredevilto be the only film of his repertoire thathe truly regrets. According to Affleck, the film adaptation failed to honor the character and the comic book, and he wasn’t happy with his performance either. In fact, after appearing in this production, he decided not to take part in superhero movies again, a promise he broke a few years later by playing Batman for the DCU.
8Megan Fox — Transformers
In the 2000s,Megan Foxrose to fame thanks to her role as Mikaela Banes in the movieTransformersand its 2009 sequel, and after that she went on to star in movies and shows of all kinds until today. Despite the popularity that this role brought her, Fox was not happy with her experience shooting these productions, and after the release ofTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen, she harshly criticized Michael Bay, the director of the films.
In several interviews, Fox slammed Bay’s directing style and his uptight way of addressing the cast and crew, stating that working for him was like “working for Hitler.” These statements led to Fox beingdismissed from the project. As the years went by, the actress publicly regretted her comments from that moment, claiming that she was completely out of line in saying those things and that her ego got in the way and kept her from apologizing when she should have done so.
7Colin Farrell — Miami Vice
2006 marked the release of the action crime filmMiami Vice, an adaptation of the 80s TV show starring Don Johnson and Philip Michael Tomas. This time, the production starredColin Farrelland Jamie Foxx under the direction of Michael Mann. This film was met with mixed reviews, but still managed to make it at the box office, grossing $165 million worldwide. However, one of its stars was not happy with his performance, and still harbors bad memories of the film.
At the time, Colin Farrell was going through one of the most challenging periods of his life, struggling with substance addictions, something that he believes completely ruined his performance in the film. On top of this, he did not find the film as interesting as other projects in his career. After shootingMiami Vice, Farrell checked himself into rehab and managed to get his life back on track, although he still regrets his role in the film.
6Matt Damon — The Bourne Ultimatum
Therole of Jason Bournein the film series starting in 2002 was one of the parts that helpedMatt Damonestablish himself as a leading actor in the industry. However, one of the installments of this film series also meant a big regret for this artist. After playing the character inThe Bourne IdentityandThe Bourne Supremacy, Damon agreed to reprise his role for a third installment of the franchise,The Bourne Ultimatum.
It was this 2007 film that caused Damon to walk away from the film series, as according to him, the script presented by Tony Gilroywas simply “unreadable,“and did not honor the previous films. Despite these comments and not being involved in the franchise’s fourth film, Damon reprised his role in the 2016’sJason Bourne.
5Jessica Alba — Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
The film adaptation of the Marvel comicFantastic Fourwas not exactly adored by critics, although it did become a box-office hit. Thus, in 2007,Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferwas released, a sequel in which Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, and Michael Chiklis reprised their roles as the popular team of superheroes. Shooting this second installment was torture forJessica Alba, whose poor relationship with director Tim Story almost made her quit acting altogether.
According to her words, he made her doubt her talents on several occasions, especially in an emotional scene where he asked her to “stop trying to act so much” because her performance looked too painful. Fortunately, Jessica remained involved in the industry after this experience, although she significantly cut down on her film appearances.
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4Daniel Radcliffe — Harry Potter
TheHarry Potterfilm saga is the one that madeDaniel Radcliffea worldwide star practically overnight. And while to this day this remains his most iconic project and, moreover, the one responsible for cementing his career, it is also true that the actor mastered the discipline practically in plain sight while starring in the saga, which resulted in several regrets.
Despite being very happy and grateful to have played the world’s most famous wizard, Radcliffe has stated on many occasions that he regrets his performance inHarry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, especially because he feels that it was not good and that he did not show a significant improvement from previous films.
3Kate Winslet — Titanic
Kate Winslethad been involved in films and TV series for a few years before co-starring in the 1997 classicTitanic. However, this was undoubtedly the film that launched her and her co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, to stardom. But despite the success of this James Cameron film and what it meant to her career, Winslet had a difficult time dealing with the media at the time and the way they criticized her body, making extremely hurtful comments.
To this day, Winslet regrets her decision to do the famous nude scene, and also feels that her performance in the film was not good enough. After co-starring inTitanic, she decided to concentrate her efforts on indie productions.
2Sean Connery — Dr. No
When thinking of the late Scottish actorSean Connery, it is almost impossible not to remember his portrayal of secret agent James Bond. He was the first of many actors to portray the role, in a performance that made him a worldwide icon, first in the 1962 filmDr. Noand, lastly, in 1983’sNever Say Never Again.
But despite the acclaim and popularity the Bond role brought him, Connery spoke on several occasions of his resentment towards the franchise and the character in particular, saying he would love to “kill him.” Apart from his annoyance at being solely identified with this character despite his extensive filmography, Connery felt that he was underpaid for his work in the franchise, and never enjoyed the media attention that came with the role.
1Carrie Fisher — Star Wars
Just as James Bond was the most iconic role in Sean Connery’s career, so was Princess Leia forCarrie Fisher. This actress, who became world-famous for playing the character in the 1977 filmStar Warsand several of its sequels, stated later in her life that, had she known the massive popularity the films would have, she would never have agreed to be a part of them, especially considering how much of a change it would make in her life and her family.
This was mostly because of how much of a change it made in her and her family’s lives. Moreover, Fisher was uncomfortable with some of the costumes she had to wear while shooting the films. Despite all this, Carrie reprised her role inStar Wars: The Force AwakensandStar Wars: The Last Jedi, which was released in 2017 following her passing.
