Top 10 Worst Actors and Actresses of All Time

What makes an actor or actress truly bad? Is it their inability to deliver lines convincingly, their lack of emotional range, or perhaps their uncanny knack for picking terrible scripts?

This is a list of thespians who have been deemed some of the worst of all time. These are people whose names are synonymous with cinematic disasters. We're talking about the kind of actors and actresses who can make you cringe with a single line delivery, whose presence on screen can ruin even the most promising film.

The Top Ten

Paris Hilton

Paris Whitney Hilton is an American media personality, businesswoman, socialite, model, actress, singer, DJ, and author. She rose to fame in the early 2000s through her reality TV show The Simple Life, as well as through fashion, fragrance, and nightclub ventures. Hilton has since expanded her brand... read more

So, Paris Hilton is horrendous. Why on Earth is Johnny Depp on this list? He is a fantastic actor who plays similar roles that are publicized because he's good at them and it's what people like.
But if you watch some of his earlier stuff, the roles are very different. "Ninth Gate," "The Secret Window," "Nick of Time," and more are not massive blockbuster hits, but all are fantastic, and Depp plays his parts well. I can't believe he is on here.

I disagree with calling her a bad (or the worst) actress as a matter of principle. Being a bad actor presupposes that the individual is an actor, which in turn presupposes that the individual has a basic human level of emotional and intellectual maturity.
Paris Hilton and a few other specimens on the list do not even come close to that. Nobody, except for people who seem to equate a celebrity with an artist, would bother to call her an actress.
Kristen Stewart

Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress and filmmaker. The world's highest-paid actress in 2012, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and a César Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award.... read more

Kristen Stewart is an emotionless shell of a person. She is a terrible actress and nothing but a pretty face. She ruined the Twilight movies. Not like they were good to begin with.
You know where Kristen Stewart belongs? In Nickelodeon movies. I've seen child actors in Nickelodeon shows with more charisma and emotion than her.
Why did they even hire her? You know who should have portrayed Bella? Anna Kendrick! She's one of Bella's friends, she's much prettier, she has actual acting experience, and she actually has emotion! Why wasn't Anna Kendrick portrayed as Bella and Kristen Stewart as her stupid friend? The Twilight movies would have been much better with Anna Kendrick as Bella Swan.
Miley Cyrus

Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus), known professionally as Miley Cyrus, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born on November 23, 1992, in Franklin, Tennessee, to Tish Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus. Her voice type is popularly described as a lyric mezzo soprano, with a vocal range... read more

Miley Cyrus isn't an actor anymore. She is just doing all this for publicity. It is really, really stupid if you think about what people give up for publicity. They don't have priorities.
Anyway, Miley started as an innocent girl who played in Hannah Montana (a girly TV show for kids). Well, we can't judge her for that. Although now she is trying to be a singer... HELL no.
In conclusion, she is a terrible actress and singer. I really believe she is going to be a 30-year-old girl addicted to drugs, alcohol, and...
Please, Miley, stop doing all this stuff.

Sorry, but Miley Cyrus couldn't act as herself. I have tried to figure out what people see in her, but I cannot find anything more than ordinary. She appears egotistical and not very bright to me.
It seems like she's one of those who simply got a great manager and tells the world, "I'm great, look at me," and the world buys into it. She also can't hold a genuine smile. She heavily relies on her looks and name.
Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber (born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer. He currently resides in Ontario, Canada, and is Christian. He is the son of Pattie Mallette, an author.
Justin Bieber is best known for his songs "Baby" and "What Do You Mean?" As of mid 2025, 11 of... read more

I don't think Bieber can sing, I don't think he can act. He sucks. I believe he has helped other people, but that doesn't mean he's a good person. He has done more bad things than good. The only people that like him are females because of his looks.
Okay, the point of why I voted for Bieber is that he is too overrated. He acts like a girl, his voice isn't that good, etc. Hope the Beliebers don't get me wrong, but this is a fact. You can ask everyone, and they'll say the same things about him (except for the Beliebers).

He is the worst singer and the worst of everything. People have more talent than him, yet he has zero talent. He tries to act cute, but only seven-year-olds and eight-year-olds watch his songs.
People have so many good talents, but he has none, yet he earns millions of dollars. He only has all that money because kids like his videos and watch them. Why does he try to act cute? There are just little kids watching his music and videos, anyway.
Steven Seagal

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter, director, martial artist, and musician. He began his adult life as an Aikido instructor in Japan before transitioning to Hollywood. Seagal is also known for working as a reserve deputy sheriff and for his roles in action films... read more

Action movie stars aren't known for their acting, although there are some action movie stars who can be brilliant at acting. Seagal, on the other hand, is so bad that you can't call him a true action movie star. He doesn't even look intimidating or cool.
If you want to see a true action hero, I would recommend Bruce Willis, Daniel Craig, Jason Statham, Tom Hardy, Harrison Ford, or Bruce Lee. Even the worst action movie stars are better than him.

Keanu Reeves might suck as an actor, as he is more cheesy than nacho cheese dip, but I will always hate Steven Seagal for his pathetic one-liners and repetition. One movie with him in it is enough, but 50?
Okay, I might be exaggerating, but we can all agree that Steven Seagal shows up way too often in movies. When Steven Seagal gets over himself, I will get over this, and maybe vote for Keanu Reeves.
Adam Sandler

Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer. He gained fame as a cast member on Saturday Night Live before transitioning to a successful film career. His movies have grossed over $2 billion at the box office worldwide, and he is known for hits like Billy Madison... read more

I used to think he was funny, but that was because I was in middle school. Now I think he's nothing more than a complete waste of time and money.
Seriously, how did this guy even get popular? I can understand why, but in all reality, he doesn't deserve it. You know why? Because he's just another juvenile delinquent who has a bad habit of thinking he's funnier than we are. Not only do his films rely on the same formula, but they're also painful and unpleasant to watch.
Sure, he's made a few good movies (Hotel Transylvania and The Wedding Singer), but those are very rare, and he usually comes out with a great big pile of garbage. Even back in the 90s, he still had some horrible movies.
I'm glad to see this guy's popularity is finally declining. I'm glad to see his fans have finally grown up and moved on to find better things than his bad taste excuses for comedies. If you're whack, you're not going to last forever. And Adam Sandler is whack. He's going to go in the same direction Pauly Shore is now, and that direction is obscurity.
Tommy Wiseau

Thomas Wiseau is a European-American actor and filmmaker. He wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the 2003 film The Room. The movie has been described by many critics as one of the worst ever made and has since gained cult film status.

This guy is so incredibly bad at directing and acting, but he still thinks he is a genius. He is such a unique phenomenon that Hollywood is actually making a movie about how his infamous masterpiece, "The Room," was made.
Tommy, you have no talent at all, but I still love you for your awkward acting and your attempts to look like a normal person, even though you act more like an alien who doesn't know anything about humans. Tommy Wiseau is terrible, but not painfully terrible like Kristen Stewart. He is so terrible that it's really entertaining to watch him.

He's a terrible actor, but his acting falls into the "so bad it's good" category. However bad he may be, people are still entertained enough to keep watching the movie and talking about it after all this time.
People still watch him act for fun. Nobody gets any enjoyment out of actors like Hayden Christensen. There's not even any novelty value.
Robert Pattinson

Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, producer, model, and musician. He began his film career by playing Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a 2005 fantasy film. He later gained worldwide recognition for his role as Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series.

In total agreement with this one! Personally, I believe he should have just remained as Cedric Diggory (what a shame he was killed. But he was far more attractive). I honestly can't stand the actor nor his character in Twilight. I won't even get started on that trash!
I actually liked him when I first saw him in Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire, but when he chose to act in Twilight... Worst mistake ever of his acting career. I swore, by the first line he spoke, I fell asleep, which is only a good ten or fifteen minutes into the entire movie, and by the time I woke up, the credits were rolling. True story. I mean, he's just bland, not even attractive, and not to mention WAY too overrated for that small role he plays in Twilight. Sigh, without fan girls, where would these actors be?
Keanu Reeves

Keanu Charles Reeves (born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor, director, producer, and musician. He gained fame with his starring role in the Bill & Ted films and has since delivered several blockbuster performances, including in The Matrix and John Wick franchises.

Keanu Reeves is terrible. Plain and simple. Robert Pattinson shouldn't be on the list (and this is coming from a guy) because his performance in The Rover was fantastic, and he's obviously got acting chops. He was just in Twilight, so he got a bad rap.
I don't quite understand why Brad Pitt is on the list at all. Has anyone even seen 12 Monkeys, Inglourious Basterds, or Snatch? Adam Sandler is a close second, but he was good in more than one movie. Keanu Reeves wasn't, and he just had to say things in a mysterious voice and dodge CGI bullets.
I guess he was good in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, but I'm not sure if he knew people were filming him.
Hayden Christensen

Hayden Christensen is a Canadian-American actor and producer. He began his career on Canadian television at the age of 13, then transitioned to American television in the late 1990s.
He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and later raised in Thornhill, Ontario, where he attended Baythorn... read more

Indeed. Well, some of these other people aren't too bad beyond internet hype. However, this guy is the real deal. He can't act for toffee in anything and weakens any film he shows up in.
I hated something like Jumper, for example, but it probably wouldn't have been so bad had someone else been in the lead rather than this hack. His blank stare and extremely monotone voice reduce any sort of range he attempts, and his poor acting otherwise makes him look out of place in anything he's in and takes you right out of the film.
Thankfully, he isn't working much anymore, so now we don't have to suffer for it. Thank God.

I thought the Star Wars prequel trilogy (unlike most) was really good. All the actors fit, except for the kid who played Boba Fett. He had about as much emotion as a rock.
Then, Hayden was just terrible. His little monologue about sand was painful. He was a little better in Revenge of the Sith, but that's because he has no emotion in his acting, and Anakin was much darker in that film.

The Newcomers

?
Ezra Miller

Ezra Matthew Miller (born September 30, 1992) is an American actor best known for playing Credence Barebone in the Fantastic Beasts film series and Barry Allen / The Flash in the DC Extended Universe.
They have also been involved in several legal issues and controversies. Miller has been accused... read more

How has he not been added yet? Not only is he not good at acting, but he's also a terrible person.
?
Brie Larson

Brianne Sidonie Desaulniers, known professionally as Brie Larson, is an American actress and filmmaker. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2016 for her performance in the film Room. Larson has also gained widespread recognition for her role as Captain Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe... read more

No comment. She's horrible and a tool.

The Contenders

Pauly Shore

I was going to go with Kristen Stewart, but her performance in Personal Shopper was great. Hayden Christensen's facial expressions are brilliant and emotive. Angelina Jolie was incredible in Maleficent. Tommy Wiseau was so bad it's good. Adam Sandler was good in Punch Drunk Love and Happy Gilmore. Nicolas Cage has been in many great films.
This guy, though, has never had a good performance - I mean Bio-Dome. Come on! He's so obnoxious and irritating.

Why is this guy ranked below Hayden Christensen? Literally, the only good movie this guy has ever been in was A Goofy Movie, and even that movie had the decency to keep this actor at a minimum.
Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Kim Coppola, known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and producer. He is well known for his roles in Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Vampire's Kiss, Wild at Heart, Honeymoon in Vegas, Red Rock West, Leaving Las Vegas, The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, City of Angels, 8MM, Bringing... read more

Nicolas Cage is, without a doubt, the worst, and I use the term actor with contempt, actor of all time. His break came because of his connection in the movie industry, Francis Ford Coppola. His performance in every one of his films is far below the minimum acceptable standard for a student in a high school drama club. I have never watched more than the trailer for one of his films, and even that was too much for me to stomach. Then, Hollywood adds insult to injury by awarding that fool an Academy Award. Get real, and you expect the general public to believe the awards are not fixed?

I've actually only seen him in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, but he made a moderately good film not worth watching. I, like, turned it off before twenty minutes because I just couldn't watch Cage act like he's the greatest prodigy in the history of the world.
And also, what IS JOHNNY DEPP ON THIS LIST FOR?! All the people who say he is overrated in the comments obviously haven't seen him in absolutely anything. I mean, has anyone here even seen Pirates of the Caribbean? And if Johnny Depp is number 1 on Greatest Actors, then how can he be No. 3 here? Everybody vote for anything below him so that he gets pushed down from No. 3!
Megan Fox

Megan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with minor roles in television and film and gained broader recognition with a regular part on the sitcom Hope & Faith. Fox later rose to prominence starring as Mikaela Banes in the Transformers series, solidifying... read more

Holy crap, why is she only at number 14 yet Kristen Stewart is at number 2? I mean, Kristen is by no means an Oscar-worthy actress, but she definitely has her moments where her acting is good, and even when she sucks, she at least tries. Megan Fox, on the other hand, is only where she is because of her looks. She puts absolutely no effort into her acting.

Why isn't Megan Fox exclusively a porn actress? No matter what she's in, she's always grunting and breathing heavily like she's having sex anyway, and people only watch and hire her because she's hotter than hell, even if she's a putrid actor. So what's the difference between her and a porn star? Nothing.
Zac Efron

Zachary David Alexander "Zac" Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role in the High School Musical franchise. During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray and the comedy film 17 Again... read more

Zac Efron is just a pretty boy who is a pretty bland actor, and he got his career made by Disney. "What is this 'High School Musical'?"
"Well, little Johnny, 'High School Musical' is a musical movie about teenagers in high school who don't hate being in high school enough to sing about their high school activities."
'17 Again' was about a guy who, somehow, turned 17 again and went back to high school, then made up with his ex-wife. Firstly, the writing, I feel, set Efron back even further than he already was. Additionally, Efron's version of the character was literally his character from 'High School Musical,' just without any music. Zac, here's a tip: just no, just no.
Ashton Kutcher

Christopher Ashton Kutcher (born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, and entrepreneur. Kutcher began his acting career portraying Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show (1998-2006).
He made his film debut in the romantic comedy Coming Soon (1999), followed by the comedy film... read more

If he weren't six feet two inches or whatever tall height he is, no one would ever notice this loser. When I look at him, all I see is his height and the foolish facial expressions he makes. When I look at someone like Liam Neeson or Kevin Kline, I don't even consider their height because they possess so many other admirable qualities.
There are plenty of guys like that Kutcher dude. They just aren't six feet two inches... If you ask me, he should be number two on this list. Christopher Lambert should be number one.

Need I say more? It seems like everyone has said almost everything that is wrong with this useless excuse for an actor. Oh, why am I kidding myself? That isn't even half of it! The guy is just a bad actor to start with, and it feels like every time I see him on TV trying to act serious, I just can't take him seriously.
This guy will always be known as that kid from That '70s Show. I honestly don't understand why he is so famous! The guy has not done anything remotely watchable since That '70s Show! It just blows my mind! Bottom line: a huge stinker.
Ben Affleck

Benjamin Geza Affleck-Boldt is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also directed several acclaimed films, including Argo and The Town.

How did he ever get the idea he could act? Absolutely pathetic, fake actor with nothing in his screen personality to recommend him to anybody.

Why isn't he number 1? This idiot has ruined every single movie he's been in with his abysmal acting skills and lack of talent, whether as a side character or even worse, as a main character.
The only reason he made it in Hollywood is because of his connections, not because of his nonexistent "talent" as an actor, and the only redeeming quality about him is his great directing skills. The performance in Daredevil is the worst in history, and it's hard to imagine anything surpassing it.
I'm astounded by the fact that he doesn't hold the record for the most Golden Raspberry Awards in history.
Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is an American actress, filmmaker, and humanitarian. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards and was frequently cited as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood through much of the 2000s and 2010s. Jolie's career includes... read more

I can't believe that this actress is actually considered one of the best and hottest actresses of all time. She's the most boring actress I've ever seen when it comes to acting. Her portrayal of emotions and expressions is very bad, and her voice is very annoying to hear.
On top of that, I think she's one of the ugliest actresses working in Hollywood. She's just lucky to be dating the most popular and overrated Brad Pitt, and that's why she's actually getting all the attention from the media. If a "pretty boy" like him likes her, then she must be considered pretty. That's what the media circus is trying to sell us anyway.
As for me, she's just a bad actress who undoubtedly belongs on this list.
Justin Timberlake

Justin Randall Timberlake is an American singer-songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. Born and raised in Tennessee, he began his career on television shows like Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. He gained fame as a member of the boy band NSYNC before launching a successful solo... read more

His movie career summed up in one sentence: "I'm the good-looking, cool guy who can't act, but I will because I'm good-looking and cool." He's a real-life Zoolander, another "hot guy" who, in reality, has a face people can't resist punching.

He's a bad actor, period. He's a great performer and singer, but in life, not everybody is cut out to be an actor. His acting is below average.

One of the douchiest actors I have ever seen. If I see him pop up in a movie I have paid for, I immediately leave the cinema and ask the staff for a full refund.
Brad Pitt

William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and three Academy Award nominations for acting, in addition to three more nominations and one win as a producer under his company, Plan B Entertainment.... read more

Forget his looks, he brings no depth to any character he plays. He fortunately gets offered good films but runs along the well-written storylines like a desperate child searching for his identity. He so badly wants to be good, but I feel no empathy in his films.
There is nothing behind the eyes. Who forgets it's Brad Pitt during the film? No one. There is no hate here, just a sadness that better actors rarely get the chance to play a juicy role because of the box office Brad.

He is one of those pretty packages with nothing inside. If you want to ruin a film, hire this guy. He has no range in terms of characters.
Benjamin Button could have been an interesting film... except for his wooden performance. The Tree of Life was amazingly bad. His accent in Inglourious Basterds was atrocious... embarrassing. I can't think of anything he was good in except for his first hit, A River Runs Through It... where he was perfectly cast.
Shaquille O'Neal

Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal, known widely as Shaq, is a retired American professional basketball player. He currently works as a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA. Renowned for his dominant presence on the court and his charismatic, approachable personality, O'Neal remains one of the... read more

Yeah... Also, Nostalgia Critic has only done two movies with Shaq, so... I don't see how that's an astonishing amount. But yeah, Shaq used to act. Never again...

Shaq: One of the greatest basketball players of his generation and one of the worst actors of all time. Hopefully, there will be no Kazaam 2.

He should stop acting and stick to basketball, because his acting sucks.
Tom Green

Michael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, producer, director, talk show host, and media personality. He first gained prominence with The Tom Green Show in the late 1990s. Green has since appeared in films such as Freddy Got Fingered (2001), hosted talk shows, and continued... read more

Just watch Freddy Got Fingered and tell me this person can act. This movie is seriously one of the worst movies I have ever seen, and I watched The Room. I honestly thought this movie was far worse than The Room.
For him to be the main actor in this movie is just sad. It could be the worst movie of all time. He should be top five material on this list, at least. Also, the list of movies that he has been in is hilariously unimpressive.

I do not recall Tom ever stating that he was a great actor. He is what he is and has never tried to be anything else. You either love him or hate him. I don't think he cares either way.
Rob Schneider

Robert Michael Schneider is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. He began his career as a stand-up comic and became widely known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.
Schneider transitioned into feature films and took on lead roles in comedies... read more

Of course, anyone who actually believes that vaccines cause autism would be stupid enough to agree to work on Norm of the North!

The only movie I like a bit with him is Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.

Mediocre and unfunny at best. A lot of his films are a drag to watch.
Taylor Lautner

Taylor Daniel Lautner is an American actor, model, and martial artist. He is best known for his role as Jacob Black in the Twilight film series. Lautner also competed in martial arts tournaments as a child and has appeared in several other films and television shows.

Taylor Lautner was literally the best actor in Twilight out of the main three. Unfortunately, that means absolutely nothing. He was the only one able to show one genuine emotion and didn't stutter through his lines. This is because he was Taylor Lautner playing Taylor Lautner, which worked for the role of Jacob because his personality in real life mostly fits Jacob. Mostly is the operative word because he was not good at portraying anger.
In all his other roles, he's not so good. He was good in Cuckoo and okay in Grown Ups, but the reason he works there is that nothing about his performance is supposed to be serious. He was supposed to be over the top and cheesy. He's alright on Scream Queens now because he's forgettable. You barely ever know his character's there. However, it's definitely an improvement from his previous acting because unlike his fellow Twilight actors, he knows he can improve, doesn't think he's the best, and doesn't stop there.
I can weirdly enough actually say that he hasn't played the same person in everything he's in (emphasis on everything because he's definitely done it, just not always). He's bad but improving, so I can't say he's the worst.
Beyonce Knowles

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter is an American singer, songwriter, and actress who began her career as lead singer of Destiny's Child. The group scored multiple Billboard No. 1 hits including "Say My Name," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Survivor," "Independent Women," and "Bootylicious." After their split,... read more

Well, I agree. I saw her in one movie, and I didn't think she was good. To be a good actress or actor, you have to convince me that you are this character. I've seen so many actors play a role, and I really liked their character. Then they starred in some movie, and I really believed they were that character. The point is, I didn't believe that she was the character. I just saw her as Beyoncé, and that's not good.

Should stick to figuring out her life. She can't sing or act. Who lip-syncs for the president? She cannot act to save her life. She looked so stupid in Obsessed. She has no talent. On a scale of 1-10, I would say 0. She's just a performer, not a singer.
Bill Cosby

William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American former stand-up comedian, actor, author, and media personality.
He is most famous for his contribution to the TV show The Cosby Show, which he produced and starred in. His other works include Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Kids... read more

Bill played "Himself" in every role. No versatility.