Box office success is a poor measure of a film's quality, and some leading actors do their best work in commercial flops. Box office receipts are also affected by marketing campaigns, timing, and several other factors that have nothing to do with the content of the film itself. There have been a number of notable box office bombs over the years, proving that money isn't everything.
The commercial performance of a film is beyond the actor's control, so it is not uncommon to see movies that perform well below the box office. Good films have a good chance of regaining their reputation in the years following their release. This means that an actor can suddenly see one of their forgotten gems being recognized as their best and most famous film.
10
Jeff Bridges
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Jeff Bridges has been a powerful presence in both comedy and drama for decades. He received an Academy Award for his performance in Crazy Heartand has had memorable roles in movies including Tron, The Fisher King again The Man of Steel. Amidst all this success, Bridges is most associated with his emerging character The Big Lebowski, known only as “The Dude” to his close friends.
The Big Lebowski it's now a touchstone for modern comedies, but its box office receipts mean it took time to amass a cult following.
Bridges brings a deadpan comedy masterclass in The Big Lebowski. Despite being thrown into a crime mystery, the Dude just wants to get a new rug and go bowling. Bridges reacts to everything thrown at him with a stoic tone or quasi-philosophical non-sequitur. You walk too high The Big LebowskiThe best quotes, turning ordinary lines into funny gags. The Big Lebowski it's now a touchstone for modern comedies, but its box office receipts mean it took time to amass a cult following.
9
Judy Garland
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wizard of Oz it was MGM's most expensive film of all time when it was released in 1939, but grossed only $3 million on a $2.7 million budget. Despite positive reviews and five Oscar nominations, it seemed like MGM's big gamble failed to pay off. That was all The Wizard of Oz it was re-released ten years later to finally become a huge financial success.
That was all The Wizard of Oz it was re-released ten years later that eventually became a huge financial success.
Judy Garland was only 16 years old when she filmed The Wizard of Ozand it remains his most famous role. The Wizard of Oz is often cited as one of the most watched movies of all time. It was revolutionary at the time in its use of Technicolor, but its stunning beauty ensured that it remained a delight long after the novelty of the technology had worn off. Garland's performance is outstanding for such a young star.
8
Morgan Freeman
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Morgan Freeman brings so much warmth and personality The Shawshank Redemption, Frank Darabont's classic based on Stephen King's novel. He plays Red, a Shawshank inmate who thinks he's seen it all until Andy arrives with a new idea. The Shawshank Redemption it was initially a box office flop, but received a more lucrative re-release after being nominated for seven Oscars.
Columbia Pictures left Stephen King's name out of the film's advertising, fearing that audiences would expect a horror movie.
The Shawshank Redemption he went up to both of them Forrest Gump again Pulp Fiction at the box office. This tough competition, coupled with the general lack of enthusiasm for prison films, ensured that The Shawshank Redemption it flies under the radar for most people. Another issue with the release of the film is that Columbia Pictures left out the fact that The Shawshank Redemption was based on a Stephen King novel in its marketing, fearing that audiences would expect a horror film.
7
Rachel Zegler
West Side Story (2021)
Steven Spielberg's first musical was critically acclaimed upon its release, but this did not translate to box office success. West Side Story made only $76 million on a $100 million budget. There is still time for him to build the audience he deserves in the coming years. West Side Story will always be compared to the 1961 film adaptation, but Spielberg's version is a brand new combination of throwback style and cutting-edge modern filmmaking.
Steven Spielberg's first musical was critically acclaimed upon release, but this did not translate to box office success.
Rachel Zegler gives a wonderful performance as Marìa, showing off her singing and her amazing talents. He is still a rising star in Hollywoodalthough West Side Story it caused a big splash, and is still very popular now. Zegler is set to star in Disney's live-action remake Snow White, which will surely pass West Side StoryFinancial performance, but it remains to be seen if it matches the original.
6
Clive Owen
Children of Men (2006)
Clive Owen starred in several highly acclaimed movies of the 2000s, including Spike Lee's heist film. Inside Man and a crime anthology Sin City. Although these two movies were huge commercial hits, the same cannot be said Children of Men. Alfonso Cuaron's Dystopian Thriller only got a limited release, so it didn't have a good chance of breaking even at the box office.
The long takes on the action scenes work well, and bring out the best in Owen.
Children of Men it was immediately praised by critics upon its release, and has influenced an entire generation of sci-fi films. The long takes on the action scenes work well, and bring out the best in Owen. He's charming in the quieter moments of the movie, but he also sells the postapocalypse panic very well. His excellent performance certainly deserved a large audience.
5
Gene Wilder
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
Gene Wilder is remembered as one of the funniest actors of his generation. His collaborations with Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks led to some of his best work, but he is best remembered as a chocolatier. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Although author Roald Dahl is famous for his disdain for familiarity, it has gone down well with those who love the book and those who have never read it.
Although Roald Dahl famously defied familiarity, it has gone down as a classic among those who love the book and those who have never read it.
Wilder always maintains an air of mystery as Willy Wonka. There are certain scenes, such as the ominous boat trip, that suggest that he has a darkness within him. It is no coincidence that he introduces himself to the public with a practical joke. He's a lovable multi-layered trickster rather than an eternal gobstopper. Despite his impressive performance, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory made only $4 million on a $3 million budget. Compared to marketing costs, this means a huge loss.
4
Tim Curry
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Jim Sharman's musical horror comedy has helped define what a cult film it is over the years. Almost a century later, fans still attend midnight screenings dressed as their favorite characters and react to the on-screen action like a pantomime, but it took time The Rocky Horror Picture Show to achieve such success. It opened in limited release, and ticket sales were so poor that the first Halloween night show in New York City was canceled.
Tim Curry's brilliant and brilliant performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is a part of it The Rocky Horror Picture Show's complaint.
Tim Curry's brilliant and brilliant performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter is a part of it The Rocky Horror Picture Show's complaint. His gender-bending character helped the musical become a staple of queer culture in the US and UK. It was the role that put Curry on the mapand although he gave a memorable performance in Clue, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, The Hunt for Red October and the best movies, are the ones he is best remembered for.
3
James Stewart
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
There is some debate about the best James Stewart movie, as he was a prominent figure in Hollywood for decades. His collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock produced some of his best work, including Vertigo again rear window, and won an Academy Award for The Philadelphia Story. Good Life Good Life is as good a competitor as any other classic, even if it was not appreciated at the time of release.
A Wonderful Life it received a general release in January 1947, too late for a Christmas film to hope for box office success.
Despite receiving rave reviews and five Oscar nominations, A Wonderful Life registered a loss of over half a million dollars for RKO Radio Pictures. A Wonderful Life it received a general release in January 1947, too late for a Christmas film to hope for box office success. The film received a new surge of popularity decades later when it first aired on TV, and has since been recognized as a Christmas classic.
2
Ed Norton
Fight Club (1999)
20th Century Fox didn't know what to do with David Fincher Fight Club. Many studio executives hated the finished product, and approved a marketing plan designed to minimize any losses. Fight Club it wasn't advertised as widely as it should have been, either some trailers emphasized its fight scenes to make it look like an action film. It has since been recognized as a classic of the 1990s, and one of Fincher's best movies.
20th Century Fox didn't quite know what to do with David Fincher Fight Club.
Fight Club it's not an action movie, but it doesn't fit neatly into any one category. It's a psychological thriller and a dark comedy about modern life rolled into one. Ed Norton's performance is critical to striking the right balance. Although Brad Pitt seems to be having a lot of fun as the mysterious and mysterious Tyler Durden, Norton's reserved performance gives the audience a followable angle.
1
Orson Welles
Citizen Kane (1941)
Often considered the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane is the ultimate proof that box office receipts are not the best measure of a film's quality. Citizen Kane chart the life and death of Charles Foster Kane, a legendary newspaper executive based on William Randolph Hearst, among others. When the film was first released, Hearst threatened legal action, and forbade any mention of it in his newspapers.
Welles went on to act in classics like The Ambersons are beautiful again Third Personbut it is hard to argue that he ever passed Citizen Kane.
Hearst's actions undoubtedly had an impact Citizen KaneCommercial performance. Although it received many glowing reviews, Orson Welles' first book failed to make back its budget. Welles was only 25 years old when he wrote, directed and starred Citizen Kane. He went on to act in classics like The Ambersons are beautiful again Third Personbut it is hard to argue that he ever passed Citizen Kane.