Vote on Your Favorite Miscast Stars in the Movies
in “Die My Love”
in “Die My Love”
By The New York Times
A new Oscar celebrates the process of matching actor and role. But whether a star is hired for artistic or box office reasons, mismatches can be memorable. Here are our picks from recent decades. Agree or disagree? Vote to help rank the worst casting choices. Update: Read our follow-up about the results.
1st Place Matthew McConaugheyas a dude lost in space
Interstellar 2014
It’s easy to ride shotgun with Matthew McConaughey in Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction puzzler, “Interstellar,” when the actor is on a dusty road. Too bad that once his character — an engineer and NASA pilot turned farmer — blasts out of Earth’s orbit to save the world, he soon seems lost in space.
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as a dude lost in space
It’s easy to ride shotgun with Matthew McConaughey in Christopher Nolan’s science-fiction puzzler, “Interstellar,” when the actor is on a dusty road. Too bad that once his character — an engineer and NASA pilot turned farmer — blasts out of Earth’s orbit to save the world, he soon seems lost in space.
2nd Place Tom Hanksas a rock-star manager who seems unmoored
Elvis 2022
While Tom Hanks is one of our finest actors, his prosthetic-wrapped performance as the manager Col. Tom Parker in “Elvis” is not one of his finest moments. With an accent as slippery as Parker’s intentions for his client, Hanks feels adrift in Baz Luhrmann’s grandiose biopic, swallowed up by the spectacle around him.
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as a rock-star manager who seems unmoored
While Tom Hanks is one of our finest actors, his prosthetic-wrapped performance as the manager Col. Tom Parker in “Elvis” is not one of his finest moments. With an accent as slippery as Parker’s intentions for his client, Hanks feels adrift in Baz Luhrmann’s grandiose biopic, swallowed up by the spectacle around him.
3rd Place Glen Powellas an appealing, er, angry father
The Running Man 2025
Glen Powell is an unreasonably charming actor at his best playing funny, good-hearted guys. In “The Running Man,” he is a ball of simmering rage that’s ready to explode; we’re meant to be a little afraid of what he might do. It’s just too hard to buy that dark side.
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as an appealing, er, angry father
The Running Man 2025
Glen Powell is an unreasonably charming actor at his best playing funny, good-hearted guys. In “The Running Man,” he is a ball of simmering rage that’s ready to explode; we’re meant to be a little afraid of what he might do. It’s just too hard to buy that dark side.
Daisy Edgar-Jonesas an all-business love interest
Twisters 2024
As the meteorologist Kate, Daisy Edgar-Jones is supposed to be both the heart of “Twisters” and a plausible romantic interest for Glen Powell’s clout-chasing cowboy. But Edgar-Jones is flat, lacking the wry snap and wit that would spark chemistry with Powell, and she can’t find Kate’s emotional core either.
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as an all-business love interest
As the meteorologist Kate, Daisy Edgar-Jones is supposed to be both the heart of “Twisters” and a plausible romantic interest for Glen Powell’s clout-chasing cowboy. But Edgar-Jones is flat, lacking the wry snap and wit that would spark chemistry with Powell, and she can’t find Kate’s emotional core either.
Tom Cruiseas an uneasy bloodsucker
Interview With the Vampire 1994
Neil Jordan’s adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” has nearly everything you want in a soap about beautiful vampires sucking through time: sharp fangs, heaving bosoms, existential turmoil, a fierce baby Kirsten Dunst, a seductive, sepulchral Brad Pitt. It also has a blond Tom Cruise, who has his moments but not when nibbling Pitt.
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as an uneasy bloodsucker
Interview With the Vampire 1994
Neil Jordan’s adaptation of “Interview With the Vampire” has nearly everything you want in a soap about beautiful vampires sucking through time: sharp fangs, heaving bosoms, existential turmoil, a fierce baby Kirsten Dunst, a seductive, sepulchral Brad Pitt. It also has a blond Tom Cruise, who has his moments but not when nibbling Pitt.
Ben Plattas a not-young high schooler
Dear Evan Hansen 2021
Ben Platt was 23 when he played the 17-year-old title character in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway, where distance is forgiving. But he was 27 when he filmed the movie, and the obvious age mismatch, exacerbated by the camera’s closeness to his facial features, made the performance distractingly absurd and a little creepy, too.
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as a not-young high schooler
Dear Evan Hansen 2021
Ben Platt was 23 when he played the 17-year-old title character in “Dear Evan Hansen” on Broadway, where distance is forgiving. But he was 27 when he filmed the movie, and the obvious age mismatch, exacerbated by the camera’s closeness to his facial features, made the performance distractingly absurd and a little creepy, too.
Cameron Diaz & Leonardo DiCaprioas lightweight lovers in a heavyweight film
Gangs of New York 2002
“Gangs of New York” is a tale of two different 19th century hellscapes. One is a charnel house dominated by Daniel Day-Lewis’s Bill the Butcher, a man with unnerving knife skills. The other involves two crazy kids — Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz — who accidentally got off the romantic-comedy train.
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Cameron Diaz & Leonardo DiCaprio
as lightweight lovers in a heavyweight film
Gangs of New York 2002
“Gangs of New York” is a tale of two different 19th century hellscapes. One is a charnel house dominated by Daniel Day-Lewis’s Bill the Butcher, a man with unnerving knife skills. The other involves two crazy kids — Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz — who accidentally got off the romantic-comedy train.
Paul Mescalas a too-subtle warrior
Gladiator II 2024
Paul Mescal can break your heart in a thousand ways. Unfortunately, that nuance is not what “Gladiator II” needs. Though he looks the part, the title character needs a big approach because when Denzel Washington’s schemer blows in, he blows everyone else away.
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as a too-subtle warrior
Paul Mescal can break your heart in a thousand ways. Unfortunately, that nuance is not what “Gladiator II” needs. Though he looks the part, the title character needs a big approach because when Denzel Washington’s schemer blows in, he blows everyone else away.
Jack Blackas a con man playing to the rafters
King Kong 2005
When Jack Black’s distinctive brand of Jack Black-ness, complete with exaggerated mannerisms and expressive face acting, misses, it can hijack entire scenes — as with his morally adrift con man in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” It’s a miscalculation that’s especially stark next to the nuanced Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody.
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as a con man playing to the rafters
When Jack Black’s distinctive brand of Jack Black-ness, complete with exaggerated mannerisms and expressive face acting, misses, it can hijack entire scenes — as with his morally adrift con man in Peter Jackson’s “King Kong.” It’s a miscalculation that’s especially stark next to the nuanced Naomi Watts and Adrien Brody.
Blake Livelyas a bank robber’s all-over-the-place ex
The Town 2010
Blake Lively is doing a lot as a local druggie in Ben Affleck’s spare crime drama, “The Town.” Unfortunately, it’s never the same thing twice. Her Boston accent appears and disappears; she’s stiff as a board one minute; clingy the next. And that’s just one scene.
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as a bank robber’s all-over-the-place ex
Blake Lively is doing a lot as a local druggie in Ben Affleck’s spare crime drama, “The Town.” Unfortunately, it’s never the same thing twice. Her Boston accent appears and disappears; she’s stiff as a board one minute; clingy the next. And that’s just one scene.
Michelle Yeohas an unmusical Madame Morrible
Wicked 2024
Michelle Yeoh had warned the director Jon M. Chu that she couldn’t sing, but he hired the Oscar winner anyway for his “Wicked” films, even adjusting the Broadway source material and disappointing many fans. Alongside the powerhouse belters Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, it was inevitable Yeoh would fall flat.
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as an unmusical Madame Morrible
Michelle Yeoh had warned the director Jon M. Chu that she couldn’t sing, but he hired the Oscar winner anyway for his “Wicked” films, even adjusting the Broadway source material and disappointing many fans. Alongside the powerhouse belters Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, it was inevitable Yeoh would fall flat.
Robert Pattinsonas a normie husband
Die My Love 2025
It’s not that Robert Pattinson didn’t do right by the role of “oblivious regular guy whose wife is descending into madness” in “Die My Love,” it’s that it didn’t need to be him: He’s far better suited to play a character on the brink instead of opposite one.
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as a normie husband
Die My Love 2025
It’s not that Robert Pattinson didn’t do right by the role of “oblivious regular guy whose wife is descending into madness” in “Die My Love,” it’s that it didn’t need to be him: He’s far better suited to play a character on the brink instead of opposite one.
Rami Malekas a chipper shrink
Nuremberg 2025
When Rami Malek’s Army psychiatrist is brought in at the end of World War II to examine Hermann Goering (Russell Crowe) and other Nazis in “Nuremberg,” the doctor’s affect is a little, um, off. He takes the same cheerful attitude to just about everyone he meets. Physician, heal thyself.
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as a chipper shrink
When Rami Malek’s Army psychiatrist is brought in at the end of World War II to examine Hermann Goering (Russell Crowe) and other Nazis in “Nuremberg,” the doctor’s affect is a little, um, off. He takes the same cheerful attitude to just about everyone he meets. Physician, heal thyself.
Everybody in ‘House of Gucci’as the unlikeliest family in Italian fashion
House of Gucci 2021
In the too-long “House of Gucci” with Al Pacino, Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto, among others, each star seems to be operating solo in their own hyped-up opera. That’s great for a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, not so much for a drama.
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Everybody in ‘House of Gucci’
as the unlikeliest family in Italian fashion
House of Gucci 2021
In the too-long “House of Gucci” with Al Pacino, Lady Gaga, Adam Driver and Jared Leto, among others, each star seems to be operating solo in their own hyped-up opera. That’s great for a “Saturday Night Live” sketch, not so much for a drama.
Written by Manohla Dargis, Stephanie Goodman, Mekado Murphy, Maya Salam and Alissa Wilkinson