The 10 most annoying actors in cinema history
Actors are the very lifeblood of cinema. People can pretend that direction, cinematography, or music get them into a movie theatre, but for most of us, it’s the famous faces that keep us coming back for more.
As the public-facing part of any project, performers need to be a lot of things, including likeable. Most actors are incredibly charismatic, so this isn’t a problem, but for some, they just can’t help but rub people up the wrong way.
Of course, plenty of characters have been irritating on purpose, but that’s not what this is about. Instead, it’s time to completely ignore the distinctions between a performer and the people they play to shine a spotlight on the fact that no matter when or where they show up, the overriding feeling is one of nothing but annoyance.
This list is about actors who are irritating on and offscreen for reasons big and small. This isn’t to say that they aren’t talented – sometimes, their talent makes things worse – but other factors mean that everyone else checks out when they walk into a scene.
Cinema’s ten most annoying actors:
Seth Rogen
Perhaps the most annoying thing about Seth Rogen is that he can be really good when he wants to be. Check him out in The Fabelmans or Take This Waltz for proof of that. Most of the time, though, his asinine, juvenile brand of humour is utterly unbearable.
Rogen made his name in the mid-2000s, and that’s exactly where he should have stayed. Even some of his more accomplished work has aged incredibly poorly. There’s also the small matter of his infamous laugh, also known as the sound you’re most likely to hear right before you die.
Pauly Shore
Getting started on MTV, Pauly ‘The Weasel’ Shore embodied so many traits of the 1990s that are looked back on with disdain today. He was arrogant, immature, crass, and somebody who, despite his car-crash appeal on TV, you would hate to actually meet in real life.
Then came his acting career, or should that be his so-called acting career. The dude cannot act, yet he somehow made himself a leading man. His 1996 vehicle Bio-Dome is correctly regarded as one of the worst films ever made, which did Mr Shore’s already-rocky reputation zero favours.
Adam Sandler
Much like the aforementioned Rogen, Adam Sandler can be tremendous every now and then. Some of his comedies from the late 1990s and early 2000s are beloved classics, and then there are his dramatic turns in the likes of Uncut Gems.
The problem with Sandler is that when he’s annoying, he’s really annoying. In so many of his movies, he plays the exact same character, and that character is Adam Sandler. He has become a parody of himself in the worst way possible, to the point where his being bearable is now an exception rather than the rule.
Sean Penn
Sean Penn is a mighty fine actor with the awards to prove it. The problem with the former Mr Madonna isn’t his on-screen work; it’s what goes on when the cameras aren’t rolling. A noted philanthropist and campaigner, Penn regularly comes across as self-righteous and holier-than-thou in his interviews, as if he knows he’s better than you because he has the time and resources to make an impact.
There’s no denying that he has done a lot of good and supported (mostly) the right causes, but plenty of other celebrities do that without rubbing everyone’s face in it.
Ryan Reynolds
After years of trying to get the project going, Ryan Reynolds finally made his dream come true by playing Wade Wilson in the 2016 film Deadpool. And he hasn’t stopped playing him since.
We all loved Reynolds’ acid-tongued, foul-mouthed superhero back in the day, but since then, he has relentlessly driven that schtick into the ground. Detective Pikachu, Free Guy, Red Notice, The Hitman’s Bodyguard: he is the same guy in every single one of these films. The character wore out his welcome a long time ago, and considering how much money Deadpool & Wolverine made, he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Tom Hardy
This entry has nothing to do with Tom Hardy’s acting ability or personality; it has everything to do with his insistence on doing stupid voices in nearly every single one of his films, with his much-derided Bane voice from The Dark Knight Rises being just the tip of the iceberg.
His faux-Brando drawl in The Bikeriders, his whiny Cockney in Legend, his incomprehensible muttering in Dunkirk (although that has more to do with poor sound design), and whatever he was doing in Capone: every time Hardy opens his mouth, there’s a strong chance something grating is going to pour out.
Amanda Seyfried
Similarly to Mr Hardy, Amanda Seyfried is completely fine until she opens her mouth. Specifically, it’s her singing voice that’s the problem. Her wannabe Disney princess quivering falsetto is like a cheese grater to the eardrums, as evidenced by her mauling of several ABBA songs across the two Mamma Mia! movies.
Her worst crime is easily the slaughtering of Cosette in Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables. The director’s decision to record the soundtrack live on set exposed Seyfried’s weak vocals, leaving everyone to wonder why Jean Valjean was so keen to protect her in the first place.
Jaden Smith
This entry could have just been the words ‘Jaden Smith’, and everyone would have understood. It’s not fair to rag on Will Jr for his acting performances as a kid, but since he’s grown up, he’s given everyone more than enough ammunition to justly criticise him.
Firstly, he is one of the textbook cases of a nepo baby. Secondly, his projects are almost always obnoxious ego trips, enabled by the fact that he hasn’t had to work to get to where he is. Thirdly, the guy is very, very cringe. Try sitting through one single interview without rolling your eyes so far back into your head that you can see your own brain. It’s nigh-on impossible.
Lena Dunham
The problem with Lena Dunham is that people expect so much from her. As the creator of the generation-defining TV show Girls, she had the chance to become an icon, both as an actor and as a symbol of feminist progression within the entertainment industry. But neither of those things happened.
Controversy has followed Dunham wherever she goes; some are warranted, and some are not. It has become part of her persona to the point where she seems to enjoy intentionally antagonising people. Being outspoken is one thing, but taking pleasure from upsetting people? That’s a big no-no.
Gwyneth Paltrow
If this feels like a cheap answer, that’s because it is. Gwyneth Paltrow has been the butt of many jokes for years now, to the point where it’s almost not cool to bash her anymore. Almost…
It’s not like a lot of the criticism isn’t fair. From her divisive Oscar win to her uninspired appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to her marriage to Coldplay’s Chris Martin to the infamous vagina-scented candle, Paltrow keeps cropping up in annoying situations to the point where everyone is sick to death of her. She has her moments, sure, but they are very few and far between.
