When you think of a list of the best actors of all time, Meryl Streep is sure to be on it, quite possibly in the top spot. That doesn’t make her infallible on set. Icons are people too, and they can sometime forget a line in a pivotal moment while shooting a movie with another formidable talent. It’s not surprising to hear no one is perfect, but it’s funny that Doubt co-star Viola Davis, herself an Oscar winner, had a moment during filming when she didn't want to call out the other actress.

Doubt is one of those heavy-hitter movies that resulted in strong reviews and later Oscar nominations for Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the cast was widely praised for their performances, so you know everyone was bringing their A-game to the set of that 2008 release. From writer/director John Patrick Shanley, who adapted from his own Tony-winning play, Streep plays Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the parish school principal, with Davis in the role of Mrs. Miller, mother of the school’s first black student, Donald.

Getting to be a fly on the wall when Meryl Streep, who has played other roles landing her Oscar nominations, and Viola Davis are sharing scenes together is bound to be a masterclass in acting. However, when the two looked into each other’s eyes, they both went silent, leading to an awkward pause, making it the opposite of a great improvised movie moment.

While chatting about work and life during an episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the award-winning actress who Timothée Chalamet called one of the greats humanized Streep in a way that only someone on the talent level of Viola Davis could. She said:

In actor speak, “dropping the line” means that Streep either forgot or simply failed to deliver her next bit of dialogue, likely caught up in the moment, which is understandable in this case. Doubt is about the suspicion of child abuse at a Catholic school in New York in the early 1960s, and it delves into issues of faith and devotion, social class and sexuality, and a mother’s love for her child.

Portraying that subject matter means feelings will rise to the surface, and an actor’s job is all about embracing emotion. But if you get so caught up that you forget what you’re supposed to say next, take the lesson from Viola Davis’s experience on Doubt that you should just tell your scene partner, even if it’s Meryl Streep. Davis said:

Streep is hardly the first actor to forget his or her lines. In fact, there's a famous story of a stoned Ted Danson doing the same thing. Regardless, it clearly sounds like an awkward moment for her fellow actress.

Davis appears in one scene with Meryl Streep in Doubt, lasting for around 10 minutes, but clearly filming it took far longer. The screentime they share is electrifying and gut-wrenching because of what they’re not saying as much as what they are, so it's interesting a dropped line became so important.

Through starring in one of the best sitcoms of all time, Parks and Recreation, as well as her directorial work and podcast, Amy Poehler has demonstrated the importance of leading women taking charge. However, she's also been given studio notes regarding whether men will care about the work she's doing. Now, she's shared her strong take on that note and creating work that's by and for women.

Oftentimes, men are treated like the default audience with the assumption that women’s stories do not have universal appeal. Amy Poehler made sure to illustrate that point to Viola Davis on an episode of Good Hang by recalling the studio note she once got about whether men would care about her work:

The Baby Mama star couldn’t be more accurate. While it’s understandable to want to make a project that appeals to a broad audience, there are also plenty of movies that are clearly catered toward men. Seeing as women make up the other half of the population, projects should be made for them too. On top of that, movies and shows made by and for both men and women can appeal to anyone; it's not exclusive.

On the podcast episode, Viola Davis also spoke about notes she's gotten. While making her 2022 movie The Woman King, she was told, “less dirt, more lipstick.” With the historical drama being the true story of the female Agojie warriors who stood together to fight oppression, we need more movies about women supporting women to show that female unity, courage, and leadership are important stories to tell.

Poehler's Parks and Rec character, Leslie Knope, was a kickass female lead, too. Her iconic TV quote of how “it’s time for more women to be in charge” certainly left a mark on me, and the show features tons of examples of her celebrating female friendships and dealing with misogyny and people underestimating her.

Not only did Amy Poehler make a splash starring in one of the best sitcoms in NBC history, but she also created the foundation Smart Girls, which helps young women approach their problems with humor. Its YouTube channel has over 136K subscribers.

The comedic actress also said that when it came to her directorial works, Wine Country and Moxie, she wanted to spend time telling stories that matter to her. Notably, both movies star an ensemble of female characters who navigate friendship and personal growth together.

Amy Poehler's work has proven that people (not just women) care about stories that are led by and made for women. Just look at the success of shows like Parks and Rec and movies like Mean Girls. Now, seeing as she is the co-creator of the upcoming Peacock series Dig, which is about four female archeologists, it looks like her days of creating ensemble female projects are far from over. If male audiences are willing to give the new comedy series a chance, it could once again prove that projects that are led by women are more than capable of generating universal appeal.

Timothée Chalamet’s viral “pursuit of greatness” speech, which, by and large, was met positively by fans, has sparked plenty of conversation by those in the industry, and not all of it has been positive. But one of the people he actually name-dropped in that moment, Viola Davis, has now shared her thoughts, explaining why she thinks it works for Hollywood.

Davis shared her thoughts on this speech during an appearance on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, where the conversation turned to Chalamet’s speech and why it resonated with her. According to Davis, what stood out most was the mindset behind it, something she described as a “spirit of excellence.” She explained:

There’s a difference, in her view, between simply being visible and actually striving to be great. And what stood out to her about Chalamet’s speech was that it leaned into that second category, even if it came across as bold. It also connects back to why she responded positively the first time around. Even when some critics labeled the speech as arrogant, the DC movie alum framed it as something else entirely.

Of course, that criticism hasn’t gone away. Chalamet’s speech is still debated, with some saying it came across as a bit pretentious. But Davis addressed that directly, offering a distinction that feels pretty important. She added:

That idea echoes what she said previously, that the speech wasn’t about celebrity or self-importance, but about wanting to reach a higher standard. And in an industry where confidence can easily be misread, that’s not always an easy line to walk.

It’s also worth noting that the Amanda Waller performer herself has built a career on that same kind of drive. She’s known for taking on complex roles and pushing for meaningful work, so it makes sense that she’d respond to someone openly talking about wanting to be great.

The Wonka actor’s speech may have divided audiences, but for Viola Davis, it speaks to something the industry could use more of. In her view, ambition paired with real talent and the confidence to express it is essential for anyone hoping to leave a lasting mark on cinema. The Marty Supreme star may not have brought home gold at this year's Academy Awards, but considering Timothée Chalamet’s filmography is already impressive, give him time, and he may very well end up among the all-time greats.

Davis’s presence continues to resonate across Hollywood with actors like Michael B. Jordan, who recently explained why it meant so much to have her present him with his Outstanding Performance award at the 2026 Actor Awards. It all circles back to the same idea, that in an industry built on legacy, the “spirit of excellence” Davis sees in Chalamet doesn’t just stand out but carries forward.

While the 2026 Actor Awards aired on the TV schedule a few days ago, it's worth going back and streaming it with a Netflix subscription just to see the presentation of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. A lot of people thought Timothée Chalamet had it in the bag, but when Viola Davis opened the envelope and excitedly called out Michael B. Jordan’s name, everyone seemed caught off guard. Now, as exciting a win as it was, having Davis there to present the award to Jordan made the win even more memorable for him.

Shortly after the ceremony, Yahoo Entertainment’s TikTok account shared a backstage clip of Jordan reflecting on the win. Standing beside his Sinners co-star Wunmi Mosaku, he spoke candidly about why having Davis hand him the trophy meant so much on a personal level:

You can hear it in his voice that this wasn’t just about beating the odds or shaking up the awards race. It was about who was sharing the stage with him. Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy-winner Viola Davis' presence alone commands respect. Watching her react in real time to The Wire veteran actor’s name being inside that envelope added emotional weight to what was already a career-defining night.

Adding to all that, Davis' extremely excited reaction has also gone viral across social media. So, now, there's also a wholesome meme circulating that could keep this moment in pop culture's consciousness for quite some time.

And the Fruitvale Station star’s victory didn’t stop there. Later in the ceremony, the Sinners cast, including Wunmi Mosaku, Miles Caton, Delroy Lindo, and Hailee Steinfeld, also took home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. It was a dominant showing for a film that has steadily built awards momentum.

Sinners has been one of the defining films of the past year, and Michael B. Jordan’s Actor Award win only adds to its momentum heading into the Oscars. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the horror epic became both a box office smash and a critical darling. The Black Panther alum pulled double duty in the film, delivering a gripping dual performance as twins Smoke and Stack that anchored the story’s emotional core while navigating its blood-soaked chaos. It’s that layered work that earned him the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, shaking up what many thought was a race between Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The awards season journey isn’t finished just yet, either. Sinners racked up an eye-popping 16 Oscar nominations, the most ever for a single film, and is still a heavyweight contender in major categories like Best Picture and Best Director for Ryan Coogler.

Jordan’s Actor Award victory feels especially satisfying given that he previously came up short at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Critics’ Choice Awards. Now, all eyes are on the Academy Awards. Whether he and Sinners can convert that momentum into Oscar wins remains to be seen, and if history has taught us anything about how the Academy treats horror, we’re cautiously optimistic at best.

Still, Jordan is firmly in the Best Actor conversation, and his co-stars Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku are also in the mix after earning supporting nominations despite earlier awards-season snubs. With the Oscars set to air on March 15, 2026, Sinners head into Hollywood’s biggest night with serious buzz behind them.

If you missed the phenomenon that was Sinners, you can catch up with it as the new horror movie is streaming for anyone with an HBO Max subscription.

I want to try out a new type of movie quiz this week. Rather than answering questions or solving clues, for this one, we're asking you to put each actor's movies in order. Don't worry, it's just four movies per actor, but it might be challenging, depending on how good you are at remembering when films came out.

I tried not to get too tricky with the actors or their movies, so hopefully even a casual movie fan will have fun with this one. I think the earliest titles referenced go back to the '80s and '90s, and they should be films that most movie fans will know well. Without any further ado, let's get to it!

Even though we are about a week into the new year, we’re still at the time where movie fans are talking more about the best movies of 2025 than the 2026 movie schedule. One popular favorite from last year was Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which is earning a lot of awards season buzz following its commercial success. Recently, Oscar-winner Viola Davis shared her own thoughts about why the horror flick is so important culturally, which included comparing it to The Exorcist.

Viola Davis recently hosted a panel discussion with Sinners’ Michael B. Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku and casting director Francine Maisler in Los Angeles, California as the movie continues to be on the awards season circuit. Check out what she had to say about the movie:

Sinners isn’t simply one of the best horror movies of last year, there’s a deep conversation to be had about its representation – not only of Black people, but multiple other minority communities, and the ways in which its message speaks to them as well. Davis continued by comparing it to a scene in The Exorcist. In her words:

Davis recalled a famous scene from the 1973 horror classic to illustrate a point about how Sinners made her feel when she watched it. As she continued:

Davis’s experience with Sinners is hauntingly detailed through these words, shared via Smith Woods on TikTok, who shared her thoughts as well. In Sinners, there’s a really apt story that beautifully weaves in themes about holding on to culture amidst appropriation, white supremacy and colonialism preying on minority communities across American history, not unlike vampires. I know I haven't been able to get out the line: "I want your stories and I want your songs" since seeing it.

Viola Davis likened Sinners' message to the moment in The Exorcist where the words “Help Me” are written on Regan’s body while she’s possessed to describe the intense feelings the movies evoked for her. Davis’ reading of the movie reminds us why Sinners may go down in history to become one of the top movies ever. There’s so much careful filmmaking from Coogler’s part that allows one to find new depth in it every time we watch it.

Along with Davis hyping up the movie during awards season, it’s a big contender this year. Sinners just won four awards at this past weekend’s 2026 Critics Choice Awards, and among the 2026 Golden Globes nominations, the vampire flick is up for seven awards. We’re also expecting it to earn some Oscar nominations as well. You can catch the Golden Globes this Sunday on CBS.

On Saturday morning, it was revealed that Oscar-winner Diane Keaton had died at the age of 79. The news about the actress who starred in massive movies like Annie Hall and First Wives Club has led to an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood actors who loved her. Many of them, including Bett Midler, Steve Martin and more, had their own experiences working with her on the set of her iconic movies and called her a personal friend.

We’ll start with Bette Midler, who starred with Keaton in The First Wives Club back in 1996. She was quick to go on Instagram to say this:

Now, the third part of the trio, Goldie Hawn, has yet to comment on the loss at the time of this article’s publication, but her daughter Kate Hudson found the perfect scene of Keaton’s to celebrate the kind of presence she brought to the screen from The First Wives Club. Check it out:

The First Wives Club is such a quotable movie, and we’ll never forget Diane Keaton’s performance in it.

Another one of Keaton’s famed co-stars is Steve Martin, whom she was in the Father of the Bride movies with, and he paid tribute to her in a fittingly funny way. Here’s what he wrote shortly after news of her passing:

Keaton and Martin reunited with their Father of the Bride cast back in 2020 for charity, and seemed to be close. Martin found a lighter way to remember the talented actress, as we’d expect from the comedian.

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who played their daughter in those movies, wrote this in an Instagram post:

Along with being in a lot of rom-coms and becoming a great director while still being an actor, Keaton played a lot of mom roles over the years, including in 2007’s Because I Said So with Mandy Moore. The This Is Us actress also penned a tribute to the late star, writing on Instagram:

Keaton is survived by her children, Duke and Dexter, whom she adopted in her 50s. The actress never married. Keaton's The Book Club co-star Jane Fonda also took to Instagram to say this:

Another fellow Oscar winner, Viola Davis, who never got to work with her, wrote this on Instagram following the news:

Similarly, Rosie O’Donnell sent all the love to Keaton’s family after hearing the news, which was originally reported by People. In her words on Instagram:

Here’s one more tribute from Octavia Spencer on Instagram. Clearly, a lot of women (inside and outside of Hollywood) really looked up to Diane Keaton:

As of right now, we don’t have details about Diane Keaton’s passing, other than she died in California with the Los Angeles Fire Department responding to her home at 8 a.m. on Saturday, October 11.

Here at CinemaBlend, we send our condolences to the family, friends and fans of the incomparable Diane Keaton.

The comic book genre continues to be wildly powerful, and those who love the DC side of things have been treated to the first few entries of a new shared universe. The first slate of projects is titled Gods and Monsters, and co-CEO James Gunn has already released two shows and a movie. One of the previously announced projects was a TV show for Viola Davis' Amanda Waller, and now Gunn has offered an update about what's going on there.

When the DCU was still being developed, Gunn confirmed a handful of DCEU characters would stay on, including Davis' Waller. Unfortunately, there hasn't been of news about how her spinoff series is going.

Hey, he was honest. While it doesn't sound like the Amanda Waller's going to stay missing in the DCU, Gunn admitted that nailing down her TV show is a slower process than some other upcoming DC movies and shows. Hopefully this project comes together soon, and we can see the cutthroat former A.R.G.U.S. boss back on the screen.

James Gunn and the powers that be at DC have been working hard lately, developing a number of projects including TV, movies, and animation. It sounds like some of these titles have been flowing out of the director/writer/producer, while others need a longer gestation period. A show about Amanda Waller sounds thrilling, but since she's not a superhero it'll take some very specific writing in order to land.

Davis made her debut as Amanda Waller in David Ayer's Suicide Squad, which the director claims was altered greatly by the studio at the time. But casting the Oscar winner as the cutthroat A.R.G.U.S. head was a stroke of brilliance, one that's still influencing DC projects.

She would go on to reprise her role in Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which was a far bloodier, R-rated sequel/soft reboot. She once again assembled Task Force X for a top secret mission, which nearly killed every member of the team. The end of The Suicide Squad saw A.R.G.U.S. revolt, which lead directly into the events of Peacemaker Season 1, in which she had a surprise cameo.

Waller has already been referenced in Peacemaker Season 2, and her daughter is still a main character. It's unclear if Viola Davis will actually appear though, especially since her character was removed from her position. But since her spinoff is taking longer than expected, I'm going to hold out hope that she gets to pop up soon.

Peacemaker airs new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max as part of the 2025 TV schedule. The next DCU movie to hit theaters will be Supergirl on June 26th of next year.

2025 is a big year for the DC Universe, and not just because its first movie, James Gunn’s Superman, flies onto the 2025 film calendar in July. One month later, Peacemaker Season 2 will premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, with the Max subscription-exclusive series being shifted over to this new continuity after starting out as a DCEU offering. The first trailer for this new season has arrived, and while there’s a lot to enjoy from it, including appearances from Nathan Fillion’s Guy Garner, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl and Sean Gunn’s Maxwell Lord, I’m left mainly thinking about a specific question about Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller: where is she following Creature Commandos Season 1?

Here’s some quick background: as a result of The Suicide Squad being loosely considered part of DCU continuity since it was written and directed by James Gunn, like John Cena, Davis is one of the few DCEU holdovers for this new franchise. As such, we heard her vocally reprising Amanda Waller in Creature Commandos Season 1, and the Waller TV series was one of the first DCU projects to be announced. Davis also made two uncredited appearances in Peacemaker Season 1, which aired during the DCEU days, but it seems like we won’t be seeing her in Season 2 if this line from John Economos is any indication:

We’ve known for a long time that Frank Grillo is coming to Peacemaker Season 2, with this marking the character’s third appearance following Creature Commandos (which is returning for another season) and Superman in two months time. There’s more than enough justification to bring Rick Flag Sr. into the upcoming DC TV show since as the trailer reminds us, Peacemaker, a.k.a. Christopher Smith, killed his son, as depicted in The Suicide Squad. But the fact that Sr. is now running A.R.G.U.S. took me by surprise.

At the end of Peacemaker Season 1, Leota Adebayo, Amanda Waller’s daughter, revealed the existence of Task Force X and Project Butterfly to the public, as well as how her mother was in charge of both. And yet, when Creature Commandos began, Waller was still A.R.G.U.S.’s director, though because Task Force X had been shut down for putting human lives in danger, she was forced to use “monsters” rather than humans for Task Force M. So what happened between then and now that’s resulted in Rick Flag Sr. becoming the new A.R.G.U.S. head honcho?

People who’ve seen Peacemaker, but not Creature Commandos, might just assumes this comes as part of the aftermath of Leota spilling the beans on TV. However, I’m wondering if Amanda Waller’s removal stems from how the events of the aforementioned animated series nearly led to Princess Ilana Rostovic’s plans for world domination succeeding. Maybe sometime after the new Task Force M was formed, Waller’s superiors decided it was time for her to go.

Whether that’s the reason for Rick Flag Sr.’s promotion or something else, that then begs the question of where exactly Amanda Waller is. Is she still at A.R.G.U.S. and just working in a demoted position? Has she managed to finagle her way into a different position in the U.S. government? Or has yet-to-be-revealed events forced her to go into hiding? Maybe her whereabouts will be one of the explored mysteries in Peacemaker Season 2, although again, that doesn’t guarantee we’ll see Viola Davis reprising her role.

My hope is that whatever’s happened to Amanda Waller will set the stage for the Waller TV series. James Gunn acknowledged in February (via Variety) that this project has had a “bumpy road,” but it’s now been re-conceived to follow Peacemaker Season 2. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how things unfold in this next batch of Peacemaker episodes, which start airing on August 21.

When the year started and I was looking at the 2025 movie schedule, I had no idea G20, a Viola Davis-led action thriller, would be one of the most exhilarating and fun things I would watch. But, that’s what ended up happening. The Amazon original movie, with its throwback action movie vibes, great performances by Davis and Antony Starr (his villain is incredible, by the way), and some killer action sequences, there was so much to love.

Now I want more.

Though a sequel to the popular streaming hit hasn’t been revealed at this point, there are still some things I want to see if director Patricia Riggen is given the chance to expand what could be one of the next great action movie franchises. From the characters to the action to a location I’d love to see, come with me as I break down my wishlist.

First Off, I Want More Of Viola Davis' President Sutton Kicking Butt In That Red Dress

After her portrayal of United States President Danielle Sutton in G20, Viola Davis could very well be the most badass of all the EGOT winners on the planet. Her commander-in-chief, who took matters into her own hands to save her family and country from a band of high-tech mercenaries wanting to crash the global economy to get revenge (and become filthy rich), was incredibly empowering and entertaining.

She does all that shooting, all that fighting, and all those heroic acts while wearing an absolutely stunning red dress and sneakers. I really hope a sequel happens and she’s able to put on a similar dress to save the day. There’s something about the combination of an elegant dress and total badassery that makes an already great character into the stuff of legend.

Though It'll Be No Easy Task, I'd Love A Villain That Outdoes Antony Starr's Rutledge

It should have been no surprise that Antony Starr would be able to pull off such a charismatic yet vile villain like he did with his take on Rutledge in G20. I mean, the guy has been playing the psychopathic superhero madman, Homelander, on The Boys for how long now? That said, I didn’t expect him to steal the show in the way he did, and that sets a high bar for whoever comes in to play the villain if a sequel is greenlit.

There are plenty of actors and actresses who’d be up to the task of serving as a formidable foe for Viola Davis’ President Sutton, so I’m not worried about the director finding someone to go up against the commander-in-chief the next time around. While I would love to see someone like Gary Oldman, who’s known for playing over-the-top villains in these types of movies, I think it would be interesting to see someone like Phoebe Waller-Bridge or Awkwafina try out a more villainous role.

I Also Want To See The Sequel Continue To Explore Nefarious Uses Of Technology

One of the things I love about the Fast & Furious movies (besides Vin Diesel’s brand of cheesy machismo) is the assortment of remarkable and insane tech used in the saga. The same goes for the Mission: Impossible movies, the 007 franchise, and pretty much any movie with crazy and state-of-the-art devices. So, it’s easy to see how I loved all the wild tech in G20 like Rutledge’s little crypto wallet and those deepfake videos he used to tank the global market. They were cheesy, I know, but they were used so effectively.

If G20 gets a sequel (which it should) and President Sutton is forced to face a new threat, I hope the powers that be continue to explore nefarious uses of technology in a fun and engaging way. If anything, I think they should double down on the whole deepfake idea explored in G20 because there’s so much to be explored and so much potential for a second chapter.

After Having The First Movie Set In Africa, I'd Love For A Sequel Set Somewhere In Asia

Though the early parts of the movie featured scenes in Budapest and the White House in Washington, D.C., it primarily took place in a heavily fortified hotel in Cape Town, South Africa, where the conference of world leaders took place (the real-life G20 summit will be in Johannesburg, South Africa later this year). Because the conference happens every year, there’s an easy way to make it work within the world of a G20 sequel.

I would love to see a potential follow up take place somewhere on the Asian continent where a new threat, new obstacles, and new consequences await President Sutton, her team, and the other world leaders attending the summit. Imagine having it set in Japan and giving us a great action sequence like the Osaka Continental raid in John Wick: Chapter 4, or Indonesia, and giving us wild fights like in The Raid.

Plus, this would give us another great reason to revisit MeeWha Alana Lee's brilliant and incredibly powerful take on South Korean first lady, Han Min-Seo, one of the MVPs of the first movie.

Most Of All, I Want A Sequel That Captures That Throwback Action Thriller Tone That Made G20 So Great

More than anything, I hope a G20 sequel – if it happens – captures that same throwback action thriller tone that made the first movie so much fun to watch in the first place. It was so surprisingly refreshing to watch an action movie that wasn’t too self-serious or overly comical to the point of becoming a parody. Throughout the entire movie, it felt like it knew what it was and wasn’t trying to be anything else, if that makes sense. Sure, it wasn’t the best action movie of all time, but it sure was a blast to watch

If Viola Davis, Patricia Riggen, and everyone else involved with the project can catch lightning in a bottle for a second time, then this could be the start of something really cool.

Only time will tell if Amazon decides to give G20 a sequel. But if and when it does, I’ll be there on the first day to see what’s going on with the next adventure for President Danielle Sutton.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an action movie in which the U.S. President is targeted by a terrorist group only for the commander-in-chief to pull from their military experience to save the day. If you thought I was talking about Air Force One, an all-time great ‘90s film, you’d only be partly right. Instead, I’m talking about G20, the new Viola Davis-led action thriller that just landed on the 2025 movie schedule.

Let me tell you something… G20, which you can watch with an Amazon Prime subscription right now, feels like a throwback to a long-gone era and gives off the same vibes as the 1997 thriller where Harrison Ford uttered the famous line, “Get off my plane!” The movie doesn’t go that far, but it certainly comes extremely close, in the best possible way.

I Realized That This Movie Is Pretty Much Air Force One, In A Good Way

I will admit, I didn’t have high hopes for G20 before pressing play. Though the idea of Viola Davis in an action movie seemed promising, the straight-to-streaming release didn’t have me all too excited. But, then I started watching Davis’ U.S. President Danielle Sutton rise to the occasion and realized that this is pretty much Air Force One, in a good way.

I’m not going to spoil anything for anyone, but G20 is like if Air Force One took place at an international summit at a hotel in South Africa instead of a plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean. A lot of the setup, story beats, and ridiculous action sequences are cut from the same cloth, and they all work. Is this the best action movie of all time? No, but like my experience with Flight Risk earlier this year, this throwback thriller was a blast to watch.

Viola Davis As A No-Nonsense And Butt-Kicking President Was Up There With Harrison Ford's Commander-In-Chief

Not only is Viola Davis an EGOT winner, she’s also something of a badass action star, as she quickly proved in G20. Whether she was shooting random unnamed goons, taking fools out in close-quarter combat, or pulling off some stuff you’d expect from the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger or Jason Statham, her Danielle Sutton goes all out. She’s right up there with Harrison Ford’s James Marshall in Air Force One.

I can’t tell you how awesome it was seeing the actress, who killed it in movies like The Help, Doubt, and Fences, wear a red dress with matching sneakers and take on a massive terrorist group. Similar to Marshall in the 1997 classic, Sutton takes matters into her own hands and continually puts others before her while she takes care of business.

Antony Starr's Villain Was So Over-The-Top And Felt Like A Wild Throwback

Antony Starr, who fans of The Boys will recognize as the vile Homelander, shows up in G20 as a wild, over-the-top, and unforgettable villain, Edward Rutledge. Nothing new for a man who loves playing messed-up characters, but his take on the leader of the AWAKE terrorist outfit is so much fun to watch.

Similar to Gary Oldman’s Ivan Korshunov in Air Force One, this big bad is honestly one of the most engaging parts of the movie and Starr’s performance has this electric quality to it that you can’t stop watching. Though his motives are very modern, Rutledge’s tactics, motivations, and personality would feel right at home in a ‘90s action flick.

All in all, G20 is worth watching, especially if you are fond of action thrillers from yesteryear. I don’t know if we’ll ever get a sequel, but I’ll be there if the day comes.

Look, if Viola Davis is in a movie, chances are I’m going to sit down and watch it. The EGOT winner has had so many great performances over the years that I know she’s going to deliver when she’s in a project. But, did she win me over in Amazon’s new original action thriller, G20? Yes – despite the movie itself being just OK. However, what I almost loved more was one random supporting character’s unexpected moments. Let me get into it.

But let me warn you: SPOILERS are ahead for G20.

I Didn’t Love G20, But Viola Davis’ Action Star Moments Made It Worth The Time

After seeing the new on streaming release, I’m not at all surprised that G20 earned middling reactions from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes (with both parties giving the movie scores in the 50s out of 100). It’s kind of a ridiculous plotline to have a president go all Die Hard on terrorists during a G20 summit after they've been held up to make deepfake videos in order to inspire summit leaders to get into crypto currency.

That being said, Viola Davis remains an absolute powerhouse. Despite the story problems I had with the movie, she made the whole thing a lot more interesting, as her character (U.S. President Danielle Sutton) did everything in her power to not only save the globe, but her husband and kids (played by Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, and Christopher Farrar).

Sadly, it feels very rare to see a woman front an action movie, especially one who is nearly 60 and has a teenage daughter in the film. I was especially getting chills in the third act when she took on Antony Starr’s new villain character and Davis showed off her training. I think I understood the true meaning of action movies in those moments.

I Need To Talk About One Unexpected MVP In The Cast

While I came out of G20 gushing over Davis, I didn’t think I’d also be talking about one side character played by an actress I’ve never really seen in anything. Korean-American talent MeeWha Alana Lee plays the South Korean first lady, Han Min-Seo, who hangs out with Sutton and her small group of hostages who are hoping to get out of the summit alive through most of the movie.

I first noticed her character and started laughing out loud when she suddenly dove down a trash chute without any notice. It totally broke the tension in an action movie that generally thinks it's a lot more serious than it needs to be.

Oh, and the arc she had later in the movie! One of the most emotional scenes was when she realized the villain had killed her husband and she was sitting over his dead body. For some reason, after being around her character throughout the movie, I was just so protective of her. And then, when she had her ultimate revenge moment when she tackled Starr’s Rutledge? I was cheering from my seat! I love when random characters get attention like this, and it pays off.

Was it a bit out of place in G20? Absolutely not. I kind of loved how the South Korean first lady (along with Douglas Hodge and Sabrina Impacciatore’s scenes) added some goofiness to the new action thriller. Anyway, it's streaming on Amazon Prime now.

Among the new titles coming to streaming this week is an action-packed thriller where Viola Davis plays a U.S. president who must fight for the globe by using her skilled military background at the annual G20 summit. And, after I previously learned from Viola Davis’ stunt double for The Woman King that she insisted she do just about everything for the 2022 war movie, I was, of course, curious how the Oscar winner handled Amazon Prime’s G20.

A couple of years ago, Jénel Stevens (who also worked on the Black Panther stunt team) told CinemaBlend that Davis did 95 to 98% of her stunts and “was down for everything basically.” When I asked G20’s director Patricia Riggen about how Davis balanced things out with the stunt team, here's what she said:

Playing a warrior from a West African kingdom in the 1800s obviously has a different skillset than one Madame President who has been to war, and as the director shared Viola Davis picked up some new skills to show off in G20. But, yes, she very much used a stunt team. Good for her!

When I spoke to Ramón Rodriguez about an early scene in the movie where his character, who is the head of the Secret Service, and Davis are going head-to-head in Ju Jitsu in front of the White House, he offered some more insight on her abilities at 59 years young with these words:

After Viola Davis sounds like she absolutely gave The Woman King everything she had, I’m happy the actress allowed two stunt doubles to share the work with her because she proved herself in the 2022 action film. But she clearly did quite a few scenes herself, too. And when you watch the movie with an Amazon Prime subscription once it comes out, you’ll notice it’s rather violent as well.

Riggen continued:

G20 has Davis and the first family (played by Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin and Christopher Farrar) traveling to South Africa for the summit where a group of major world leaders get together and discuss the global economy. The action starts when terrorists led by The Boys’ Antony Starr take over the summit and use the world leaders to create their own deepfake videos with them to then inspire the world to go into another financial direction.

In the press tour so far, Viola Davis took method dressing to a new level by wearing a red dress like the movie and turning up to the premiere in a helicopter. The Amazon movie drops on Thursday, April 10.

Some weeks are better than others when it comes to new streaming content, and then thare weeks like this one that aren’t just better; they’re incredible. This week brings something of note to virtually every major streaming platform. There’s so much good stuff ithat t’s difficult to keep it all in one list.

Four different high-profile series debut this week from four different major streaming services. On top of that we have a documentary look at one of the great cult classics in animated movie history and a high-octane action movie. It’s a little something for everybody.

Not Just A Goof - April 7 (Disney+)

It’s been 30 years since Disney released A Goofy Movie in theaters, and somehow, three decades later, the popularity of the film has yet to subside. Not Just a Goof debuted at last year’s D23 event and now the documentary film on the enduring legacy of A Goofy Movie will be available with a Disney+ subscription.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Sixth & Final Season Premiere - April 8 (Hulu)

The adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has been insanely popular since it first debuted, and more than two years after the previous season 5, your Hulu subscription can finally bring you the end of the story as the finale season arrives to complete the story.

Black Mirror, Season 7 April 10 (Netflix)

Netflix’s anthology of the strange and surreal hasn’t been seen for nearly two years, but Black Mirror finally makes holding on to your Netflix subscription worthwhile. This season includes appearances from Awkwafina, Will Poulter, Paul Giamatti and more. It also will include a sequel double episode to the “USS Callister” episode, possibly the most popular episode of the series to date.

G20 April 10 Prime Video

Viola Davis received critical raves for her starring role in The Woman King, which showed everybody just how good the actress could be as a powerful action-heroine. Now, in the new movie G20, available with a Prime subscription, Davis takes on the bad guys once again, this time as an ass-kicking President of the United States who must save her family after terrorists take over the G20 summit in South Africa.

Doctor Who, Season 2 Premiere - April 12 (Disney+)

Disney scored a major coup when it became the home for all things Doctor Who, and after a strong Freshman outing for Ncuti Gatwa’s version of The Doctor, he returns with a new companion and brand new adventures throughout time and space.

The Last Of Us Season 2 - April 13 (Max)

Season 1 of The Last of Us was arguably one of the best adaptations of a video game ever put on screen, and now, with Season 2, the show will attempt to do it all over again. The Last of Us Part II had a lot to live up to as a video game, and the HBO series (which is available with a Max subscription) will be following in equally significant footsteps.

If somehow, there’s nothing quite for you on this list, worry not. The rest of April will continue to drop some great shows and movies. Something made for you should be coming along shortly.

There are so many Oscar winners who were great in Marvel movies, like Robert Downey Jr., Robert Redford, Gwyneth Paltrow and more. So, where’s Viola Davis in the mix? Fortunately, the actress has admitted to wanting to join the MCU and I’m cracking up over her character idea!

Viola Davis is among the actresses we want to see in a Marvel movie for many reasons. She has a background in comic book movies from being cast as the ruthless Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad and its sequel. Plus, Davis’s 2025 movie release of G2O further proves how kickass she is. At the film’s red carpet event, EW asked the EGOT winner if she’d have any interest in being in an upcoming Marvel movie, and here was her answer:

This has to happen! We all know through Viola Davis’s best performances that her portrayal of strong women is flawless. Whether she’s fighting the school system in Still I Rise or in full bad-ass warrior mode in The Woman King, I believe Davis has what it takes to play a superhero.

If I were to picture Viola Davis as a Marvel superhero that’s never been portrayed on the big screen before, I could see her as Moondragon. She was first seen in the Iron Man comics as one of the most powerful telepaths, and she could transform into a dragon. The American actress/producer, on the other hand, has her own ideas for what character she’d like to play, and it cracks me up:

“Iron Shaniqua Mania” may be a mouthful, but I still want to see that happen. Even more so, I’d love for Viola Davis to sport the metal suit and fight evil forces in mid-air. While the Iron Man we know sadly sacrificed himself at the end of Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel multiverse can work its magic showing us an Iron Woman from another reality.

While Viola Davis can hold the emotional weight of a Marvel character, her previous experiences have also shown she can handle the physical demands that come with a superhero role. After all, the How to Get Away with Murder actress did nearly “everything” for fight scenes in The Woman King and showed off her incredible workout progress after gaining weight for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. So it's time for her to don the superhero suit already!

Now that Davis has expressed interest in joining the MCU, I need to see her take on a Marvel hero. Or should I say, Iron Shaniqua Mania? That still makes me laugh. Iron Mania or Iron Shaniqua Mania may not exist in the MCU just yet, but G20 will be available on your Amazon Prime Video subscription on April 10th.

Awards season has come and gone, but there are plenty of moments from it that will surely stick with the public for years to come. There were plenty of great speeches from the 2025 Oscar winners, for instance, but one of the most notable addresses occurred at this year’s SAG Awards. That’s where Timothée Chalamet accepted an award and in his acceptance speech, spoke about chasing greatness and name-dropped a few Hollywood titans. Viola Davis was one of them, and she’s now sharing her take on Chalamet’s comments.

The 29-year-old leading man was awarded Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his acclaimed performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Seemingly surprised by the win, the A-lister took to the stage to thank his mother as well as his castmates. Aside from discussing the work he put into channeling Dylan (which included learning to play guitar), he conveyed his desire to carve his name alongside greats like Daniel Day-Lewis, Marlon Brando and Viola Davis.

Many reactions to Timothée Chalamet’s sentiments were positive, while others seemingly accused the actor of being arrogant. Though Viola Davis didn’t seem to have a problem with them. Access Hollywood caught up with the EGOT at the premiere of her 2025 new movie release, G20. When asked for his take on Chalamet’s shoutout, Davis confirmed that her daughter was the one who told her about it, before explaining what she thinks the true meaning behind the “beautiful” speech is:

It sounds like the Widows alum is of the position that Mr. Chalamet wasn’t trying to be egotistical but was merely showing respect to those who’ve achieved greatness. Personally, I agree with the acclaimed star’s assessment. If anything, I found it refreshing that an actor was willing to be so candid about their desire to be the best they can be within their industry. And, as a fan of Viola Davis, I also love that she was one of the performers Chalamet went out of his way to name. You can check out the speech for yourself:

Timothée Chalamet’s filmography is already quite impressive, as he’s put in some great performances in films from revered directors. Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films are just a few of the notable productions on his resume. For his work, he also has two Oscar nominations, four BAFTA nods and more acknowledgements. And despite challenges young actors face when finding work today, Chalamet has managed to land roles that work for him.

Of course, the New York native still has a long way to go before he can truly be considered one of the all-time greats. I’d say he has a good chance of reaching that pinnacle should he continue on his current trajectory. And, if I were him, I’d use Viola Davis’ positive comments, to further “fuel” his desire to achieve greatness and be open about that goal.

Check out Timothée Chalamet’s SAG-winning performance in A Complete Unknown by streaming the film with a Hulu subscription.

In recent years, method dressing has been all the rage on red carpets, with stars like Zendaya, Margot Robbie and Jenna Ortega frequently referencing the projects they are promoting with their fashion during press tours. Viola Davis not only followed in their footsteps on Thursday evening when she attended the Hollywood premiere of G20, which is one of the upcoming 2025 movies coming out in April, she had an arrival that channeled the action movie, too.

In G20, Viola Davis is set to play a fictional President of the United States, Danielle Sutton, in a thriller where she has to save the world from vicious terrorists. When Davis turned up to the premiere in Hollywood, she wore a ruby red dress, much like the Madame President wears throughout the movie. Check it out:

Davis stunned in a sparkly strapless and floor-length gown at the world premiere of G20. She also wore her hair in tight curls and had light pink makeup and shimmering silver earrings. But that’s not all.

As I experienced myself when I attended the premiere on behalf of CinemaBlend, she arrived in Hollywood via a helicopter. Here’s the entrance video they showed right before the movie premiered for the first time:

Talk about a presidential welcome! A lot of stars have been wearing red lately while promoting their projects, between Rachel Zegler’s Snow White looks and Jenna Ortega turning up at The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in a rose-colored gown to talk about her new movie, Death Of A Unicorn. In Viola Davis’ case, she channeled the movie poster of G20 in the shade.

In G20, Viola Davis’ character and her family travel to Cape Town, South Africa for the annual G20 summit where the heads of state or government from the world’s 20 largest economies meet to discuss and coordinate policies regarding the globe’s economy. In the case of President Sutton’s attendance, she flies out with her family just after her 17-year-old daughter Serena (played by Black-ish’s Marsai Martin) went viral for sneaking out to a bar unattended.

Not long after the G20 summit begins, the world leaders become hostages to a terrorist group fronted by a character played by The Boys’ Antony Starr. President Sutton manages to escape with her head of security (played by Will Trent’s Ramón Rodriguez) and a few other world leaders, but she has to tap into her military experience to save the global economy and her husband (played by Anthony Anderson). While addressing the first viewers of G20 while I was inside the premiere, Davis said this about the action-packed role:

Somehow she’s 59, people! She’s an absolute icon on the red carpet and throughout her career of great performances, and her G20 entrance reminds us of that. You can stream G20 on April 10.

We lost a legend, and there’s no denying it. Yesterday, Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog were found dead in their home. While we learned about this in the early hours of the morning, many of Hollywood’s greats did not wait to post tributes, as Francis Ford Coppola, Viola Davis, George Takei and more honored the late great actor and his family on social media.

Legendary director Francis Ford Coppola worked on the film The Conversation with Hackman. Using his Instagram to pay tribute to the actor, the filmmaker posted a BTS image of them working together, with the following heartfelt message:

The greats truly are recognizing greats here. EGOT winner Viola Davis was quick to post her tribute to The French Connection star. Using a headshot of the actor, the actress used her IG caption to honor him and note some of her favorite works of his, writing:

Antonio Banderas also got in on the tributes. After Hackman and his wife were found dead in their Santa Fe home, many were left in shock and are sending their condolences to their family and loved ones. That’s exactly what The Mask of Zorro actor did, too, writing on IG:

Josh Brolin was also “crushed” by this news.

The Dune actor posted an image of Hackman and Arakawa on his Instagram to mourn this devastating loss. Noting the actor’s iconic filmography – which includes some of the best movies of the 2000s, ‘90s, ‘80s and ‘70s – he wrote:

George Takei also posted about this death in the early hours of the morning. Citing an obituary posted about the late actor, the Star Trek legend wrote on X:

Along with actors, and like Coppola, many filmmakers paid their respects to The Royal Tenenbaums actor and his family.

A Simple Favor director Paul Feig took to X to post his tribute, citing The Conversation (the film Hackman made with Coppola) as a movie that changed the way he saw acting:

Meanwhile, Edgar Wright kept his tribute simple.

The Baby Driver director retweeted Mubi’s X post about the news. He didn’t say much, but his two simple words are effective and the message I’d like to leave us on:

Gene Hackman truly is one of the greats, and he always will be. From critical classics like The French Connection and Unforgiven to 1978’s Superman (which is one of the best Superman movies) where he played Lex Luthor to modern cult classics like The Royal Tenenbaums, he truly left a remarkable mark on cinema. His legacy will be remembered forever.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences to Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s loved ones during this tragic time.

Every year, I try to honor Black History by writing about something important that has occurred in the entertainment industry. And, I can’t think of any greater honor than winning the Academy Award.

Yes, there have been achievements in many different categories, including directing, writing, producing, scoring, etc, but today, my focus is going to be on Black actors.

Split amongst the Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor categories, there have been a total of 23 Oscars doled out to Black performers. So, here are all 23 of them, chronologically ordered.

Hattie McDaniel - Gone With The Wind (1939)

The very first Black winner for an acting Academy Award, Hattie McDaniel won it for Best Supporting Actress with her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind.

And, even though it's a racial stereotype role, McDaniel's character was often the most sensible and attention-grabbing character on the screen. It's a landmark victory for Black people in cinema.

Sidney Poitier - Lilies Of The Field (1963)

One of Sidney Poitier’s best movies, Lilies of the Field, which is about a handyman who helps a group of nuns build a chapel, was actually Poitier’s second nomination for Best Lead Actor.

His first was for 1958’s The Defiant Ones, which was a movie that he mostly shared with Tony Curtis. Lilies of the Field, however, was a leading role purely for Poitier, and he ended up becoming the first Black Actor to ever win the award. Great stuff!

Louis Gossett Jr. - An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

In this romantic drama that also stars Richard Gere, Louis Gossett Jr. plays a hard-nosed drill instructor who really challenges his cadets.

Before there was R. Lee Ermey in one of my favorite Kubrick films, Full Metal Jacket, there was Louis Gossett Jr. berating his troops. He was the first Black man to win a Best Supporting Acting trophy, and it was justly awarded. He’s really good in this.

Denzel Washington - Glory (1989)

Denzel Washington’s first Academy Award was a supporting one for his role as a private in the Civil War drama, Glory.

As both a leader to the men in his regiment, but also a soldier who must follow orders, Washington’s character shows the duality of a Black man in uniform. Him deciding to hold up the flag for the charge is one of the most iconic scenes in late ‘80s cinema.

Whoopi Goldberg - Ghost (1990)

An EGOT recipient (though, not the only one on this list), Whoopi Goldberg received a Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as the medium, Oda Mae Brown, in the hit Ghost.

The romance between Swayze and Moore’s character is what defines this film, but it wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without Goldberg’s humor, and seriousness when the moment calls for it.

Cuba Gooding Jr. - Jerry Maguire (1996)

For this sports comedy-drama, Cuba Gooding Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor award for his role as a cocky but steadfast wide receiver who wants to be shown the money.

Gooding Jr.’s performance is full of energy, and it makes this romantic comedy feel even sweeter when his and Tom Cruise’s characters share more than just a player and client relationship and actually become good friends.

Halle Berry - Monster's Ball (2001)

The only Black woman who has ever won Best Lead Actress, Halle Berry, took home the trophy for her role as a conflicted woman who takes on a relationship with the man who helped execute her husband.

Berry’s character is highly vulnerable, and the events of the movie are stressful beyond belief. Still, her character, as flawed as she is (everybody’s flawed in this film) weathered the storm, and earned Berry a Best Actress statue for her troubles.

Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)

Washington’s second trophy came as the Best Lead Actor, for playing a cop in Training Day who definitely didn’t follow the rules.

Washington’s character was both charming and terrifying, often in the same scene. Say it with me, people: King Kong ain't got nothing on him!

Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Morgan Freeman actually had a supporting role in two of Clint Eastwood’s best movies, those being Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby. And, both films won Best Picture.

However, it was in the latter film where Freeman picked up the Best Supporting Actor statue, for playing a grizzled former boxer and gym assistant. It’s a mostly quiet role, but a memorable one.

Jamie Foxx - Ray (2004)

In one of the best music movies of all time, Jamie Foxx scored a much deserved Best Lead Actor award for his role as the famous blind musician, Ray Charles.

Foxx even had his eyes glued shut for the sake of authenticity. Anything for the craft, right?

Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls (2006)

Another EGOT recipient on this list, Jennifer Hudson, scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy in her VERY FIRST ACTING GIG!

It’s little wonder why though. Hudson’s portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls is powerful. Going from lead singer to starting all over again, Hudson did a “Supreme” job (Do you see what I did there?) in her very first role.

Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker’s best performance is by far his role as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

In a role that netted him a Best Lead Actor award, Whitaker is utterly terrifying, but also somewhat funny, in the way that only Whitaker can be.

Mo'Nique - Precious (2009)

After watching Mo’Nique as the abusive mother in Precious, it’s hard to watch her again in one of the best Black TV shows, The Parkers. It just seems like such a smoke screen.

Anyway, Mo’Nique was awarded a Best Supporting Actress trophy for this performance, and I haven’t looked at her the same way since.

Octavia Spencer - The Help (2011)

Though The Help hasn’t aged well, Octavia Spencer’s role as a maid who was fired for using a guest bathroom is still one of her best performances.

Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for a role where she got to take a dump in somebody’s pie. It’s a feel good film.

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave (2013)

In her career-defining role in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o plays a violently abused slave.

It is one of the most brutal (and likely most realistic) portrayals of slavery ever put to screen, and Nyong'o won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance.

Viola Davis - Fences (2016)

In this adaptation of a play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, Viola Davis plays a wronged but loyal wife.

The third EGOT recipient on this list, Davis should have several Oscars, but this is her sole win, and it’s in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Mahershala Ali - Moonlight (2016)

Though only in Moonlight for one act, Mahershala Ali’s performance as a caring drug dealer was so powerful that he won the Best Supporting Actor trophy.

It would be his first of two Academy Awards so far.

Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

In If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King plays the mother of a young woman whose boyfriend has been convicted of rape, and she tries to convince the victim that it wasn’t him.

King won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her quiet, but searing performance.

Mahershala Ali - Green Book (2018)

In Ali’s second Best Supporting Actor win, the skilled performer played real-life pianist Don Shirley in this Best Picture winner.

Ali’s character in this film is completely different from that in Moonlight, but that sense of vulnerability still persists, which was worthy of the award.

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas And The Black Messiah (2020)

Playing the “Black Messiah,” Daniel Kaluuya portrayed the inspirational Fred Hampton in this riveting biopic.

He won Best Supporting Actor, beating out the “Judas” (Bill O’Neal) in this picture, played excellently by LaKeith Stanfield, who was also nominated.

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story (2021)

In this second adaptation of the famed musical West Side Story, Ariana DeBose won Best Supporting Actress playing Anita, who was portrayed by Rita Moreno in the first theatrical adaptation.

DeBose is absolutely magnetic in the role, firmly earning her win.

Will Smith - King Richard (2021)

Though the unfortunate slap is likely what many people remember most about this ceremony and Will Smith's award, his Best Lead Actor-winning turn really does deserve a second look.

Playing the tenacious father to Venus and Serena Williams, Smith definitely deserved the award for his work in the lauded film.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers (2023)

And finally, the most recent winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a quietly grieving mother in The Holdovers.

This film speaks to me as a teacher, yes, but also as a parent. I can thankfully only imagine the pain that her character Is going through.

That’s all of them! We’ll see if Zoe Saldaña, Colman Domingo, or Cynthia Erivo pick up a trophy at the 2025 Academy Awards.

As an avid reader, I love getting ready for upcoming book adaptations because it’s just so much fun how a book can compare to a novel. Sure, the source material is almost always better than the movie or TV show, but it can be satisfying to see how the different mediums tell the same story. And following a new announcement coming out about the movie Children Of Blood And Bone, I’m very much sold on finally getting into the book series.

I’m Floored By The Talent In Paramount’s Children Of Blood And Bone

First off, this cast is actually ridiculous. Per Variety, eight very talented actors have already signed on and there’s more in negotiations. To first talk about the heavy hitters, Viola Davis will play a Seer named Mama Agba. Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo will play an admiral named Kaea who is right hand to the king, played by Chiwetel Ejifor. Idris Elba will play a high priest named Lekan, and Lashana Lynch will play the mother to the main characters, Zelie and Tzain.

Oh, and apparently Regina King is currently in negotiations to play the queen of the kingdom of Orïsha, the setting of Tomi Adeyemi’s bestselling series. Paramount is assembling some of the biggest casts of talented actors we’ve seen in a minute. This is clearly a big production that the studio is investing in and has impressed a slew of talent.

I’m Excited To See Talent From The Woman King Reunited

Leading the adaptation will be Thuso Mbedu as the fantasy film’s heroine Zelie. I don’t know if you saw 2023’s The Woman King, but that was the first and only movie in which I’ve seen Mbedu, and she is amazing in her role. She co-starred with Viola Davis in that movie, who did almost every stunt in the action movie, along with Lynch. We loved The Woman King in our review, especially for the direction of Gina Prince-Blythewood, who will also be directing the Children of Blood and Bone.

Thuso Mbedu will also be joined by Snowfall’s Damson Idris, who is set to star in F9 with Brad Pitt this year, and The Acolyte’s Amandla Stenberg will play the children of the king who embark on a quest with Zelie to take back the magic that is stolen from their kingdom. House Party’s Tosin Cole will play Zelie’s older brother.

I Love The Idea Of A New Fantasy YA Trilogy Being On The Big Screen

As a book reader who loved following The Hunger Games series when it was being made into movies and is excited for the upcoming prequel, I love the idea of there finally being a big-budget YA adaptation again. So many of them in the past just weren’t not successful, oftentimes because the right attention wasn’t put into them. With this cast, its director and author Tomi Adeyemi even co-writing the screenplay, I’m ready to read this series (there are three books) and then get even more excited for the movie. The film has a release date of Jan. 15, 2027 and will be made for IMAX.

The 21st century has brought us some of the best movies to date, from Gladiator to Interstellar to Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. With so many formidable actors who have uniquely contributed to this century’s cinema, it's incredibly hard to try and rank only 60 of them. Yet that is what one outlet decided to do. With that, celebrated actress Emma Stone received a high ranking, even above stars like Christian Bale and Denzel Washington. With that, fans aren't holding back their thoughts.

Just recently, The Independent shared its 60 Best Actors of 21-Century Cinema list. The No. 1 spot was bestowed upon the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, while Emma Stone was behind him at No. 2. That not only put her above Bale (No. 14) and Washington (No. 4) but also in front of the likes of Viola Davis (No. 39), Frances McDormand (No. 32), Joaquin Phoenix (No. 26) and more.

It shouldn't be all that surprising that people took to social media to weigh in on the rankings. And, while some declared their love for the Cruella star, they simultaneously couldn't accept the standings. Check out what user @LucaGuadagnegro had to say:

Some commenters were a bit more blunt when sharing their thoughts on the matter. For instance, @sewelankoana shared a brief assessment that was particularly blunt:

For the most part, people’s qualm was not in regards to Emma Stone being included on the list but rather her being placed in the second highest spot. Many X users even stated who they thought should be above the Amazing Spider-Man actress. Check out some more responses:

• Love me some Emma Stone and Florence Pugh, but i think even they agreed that to put them top 10 above Viola Davis, Amy Adams or Kate Winslet is a bit too much recent bias -@Lyta232323
• How tf is Emma Stone higher than DDL?!?!? -@davesteele71
• Emma Stone being above Isabelle HUPPERT, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett is a joke - @kalatozov
• Emma Stone?! Go home, you’re drunk. 🙄 - @Archimusik

While I don’t think we need to outright dismiss the entire list based on one ranking, I think the line of questioning is valid. It certainly is a tough decision to make, to say the least. That's especially true when you have an actor like Christian Bale finding his stride in some of the best movies of the 2000s, with performances as Batman, Patrick Bateman and more.

Then, of course, there's Denzel Washington, who has the uncanny ability to steal a scene. Washington's best films more than convey his range as an actor. Malcolm X, Training Day, Flight and Gladiator II represent just a few of the strong performances he's put in. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he's within the Top 5 of the list.

It’s important to emphasize that the majority of people are not questioning her talent. In my opinion, and I’d bet most people would agree that Emma Stone deserves to be on this list. Stone's catalog of films convey her impressive range in acting, from her impeccable comedic timing in movies like Easy A and Zombieland to her ability to deliver raw emotional moments like in Birdman and The Favourite. The Battle of the Sexes actress has certainly proved she has longevity in this biz, and of course, she has two Oscars to her name. With that, she won Best Actress for La La Land and earned the same award for Poor Things.

Ultimately, no online ranking is ever going to be able to please everyone who reads it. People have inherently different tastes from one another, which The Independent even acknowledged in the intro of its list, alongside their ranking criteria: only films, not TV, released post-2000 could be taken into consideration for an actor’s spot on the list. Most likely, this is why certain celebrated actors like Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks were ranked lower on the list, having experienced their prime years in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

At the end of the day, do I think the list is perfect? No, I don’t. I have my own opinions just like everyone else. However, I respect the folks who made this list simply because it reignites healthy debate and conversation around cinema, which I love to take part in. And, of course, I also love Emma Stone, who deserves to be mentioned alongside the best actors working today.

You can stream Emma Stone's latest film, Kinds of Kindness, which is currently streamable with a Hulu subscription. Be sure that you also keep your eyes peeled on the 2025 movie schedule, as she has films set for release on it.

By mid-August, the busy summer movie season has usually run its course. However, for the best streaming services, there is never really a slow season. There’s always something new on Netflix (which has my top movie this week) or something coming up on Hulu that you can watch. What’s difficult is finding the best content among everything that’s available. Luckily, we have a few of the best choices from what’s new this week within the streaming realm.

Almost all the major streaming platforms have at least one major original series or movie on offer. We have a Star Wars animated series for kids that's being added to Disney+ and a Hulu animated series not for kids. There’s also a pair of interesting original movies with unlikely duos that look to combine action and comedy just perfectly. Here’s what’s worth looking at this week.

New Movies

The Union (Netflix) 

In The Union, Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry play former high school sweethearts who reunite 25 years later. Little does he know that she’s a super spy, and she’s about to recruit him to work on a secret mission. Is the premise nuts? Sure but, if the action is solid and the chemistry between the two leads is there, nobody is going to care. One gets the sense that, at the very least, the cast had fun making the movie, and that can go a long way. Needless, this is my top movie, and I'm looking forward to checking it out!

The Union Premieres August 16 on Netflix.

The Woman King (Hulu)

2022’s The Woman King was one of the best-reviewed films of the year by both professional critics and general audiences, and yet it made less than $100 million worldwide at the box office and was ignored by the Oscars. That means there's a solid chance you may have missed one of the best movies of 2022, and you should fix that. The film stars Viola Davis as the leader of an all-female warrior unit in West Africa in the early 1800s. Director Gina Prince-Bythewood's historical epic features some impressive performances as well as excellent action. Don’t miss this one again.

The Woman King arrives on August 13 on Hulu.

The Fast & Furious Franchise (Peacock) 

The Fast & Furious movies are collectively the biggest current franchise that Universal has, and yet being able to watch the films with a Peacock subscription has been hit or miss due to agreements Universal signed before launching its own platform. This week the first eight Fast & Furious films join the ninth, which was added earlier this month, meaning you can watch almost the entire franchise in one place. Fast X is currently available with a Prime Video subscription if you need to watch all the Fast & Furious movies in order.

The Fast & Furious movies arrive August 12 on Peacock.

 Jackpot! (Prime Video) 

Most of us would do just about anything to win a lottery jackpot. The movie Jackpot!, from Bridesmaids director Paul Feig, suggests a hilarious future in which the way to win the lottery is to stay alive while everybody else tries to kill you and take your money. Awkwafina stars as the winner in fear for her life, and John Cena plays a guy trying to help her survive. The movie looks to combine Awkwafina's natural comedic timing with Cena's own comic abilities, while also giving the former WWE star plenty to do physically.

Jackpot! premieres August 15 on Prime Video.

New TV

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 (Disney+)

So many Star Wars fans became enthralled with the franchise as young kids but, now, even younger children have an easy entry into the galaxy far, far, away. Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 (which consists of 11 episodes) arrives for those with a Disney+ subscription this week. The show is set during the High Republic era, the same time frame as the recent live-action series The Acolyte. Of course, these stories are more geared toward children and focus on a group of young Jedi learning lessons and trying to make good choices.

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2 premieres August 14 on Disney+.

Solar Opposites: Complete Season 5 (Hulu) 

In an era where a streaming series can be canceled seemingly without warning, the fact that Solar Opposites has made it to Season 5 is an accomplishment unto itself. Despite a high-profile voice actor change prior to Season 4, the show has remained popular among those with a Hulu subscription. The latest season promises fresh hijinks and new characters and looks to be exactly what fans are expecting.

Solar Opposites Season 5 premies August 12 on Hulu.

Bel-Air Season 3 (Peacock) 

When it was first announced that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the sitcom that made Will Smith a star, was going to be remade as a dramatic series, there were a lot of questions. What’s clear now is that the show is working for a lot of people, as Bel-Air premieres its third season this week.

Bel-Air Season 3 arrives August 15 on Peacock.

Bad Monkey (Apple TV+) 

I’m sure once I watch Bad Monkey with my Apple TV+ subscription, I’ll understand what the title means. All I know is that a good detective story with more than a little humor, courtesy of lead actor Vince Vaughn, looks like exactly the sort of thing I’d enjoy. Vaughn stars as a suspected police detective, who gets a bit too close to a murder case and then has to figure his way out of it.

Bad Monkey premieres August 15 on Apple TV+.

RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars Season 1 (Paramount+)  

It’s difficult to undersell just how popular RuPaul’s Drag Race has become. The series has multiple iterations domestically, but it is now also produced in multiple countries around the world. Now, it's time for the Drag Race World Championship. RuPaul's Drag Race Global All-Stars brings together 12 former contestants from the various international versions of the show to compete against each other. Until a Paramount+ subscription gets you access to the international versions of the show, this will give fans a way to see how the game is played around the world.

RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars Season 1 on Paramount+.

Plenty more good stuff is planned for August and beyond. We’ll be keeping our eyes open to find the best streaming content so you don’t miss it.

Even the biggest and brightest stars of Hollywood have movies that they’d rather not mention being a part of in polite company. And the list you’re about to read has some of the most infamous examples of those types of projects making silver screen history…just not in the way one would have expected.

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities

While we’ve seen Tom Hanks’ comments on why The Bonfire of the Vanities didn’t work, the movie’s infamy as a box office dud is something he probably doesn’t address all that often. And who could blame him, as the public considered America’s Dad to be the worst casting choice to lead a satire about the amorality of late ‘80s/early ‘90s stockbrokers.

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

The film adaptation of Dark Horse Comics’ Virus is uncompromisingly bad, no matter if you’re familiar with the book or not. But the most entertaining thing to come out of it was the fact that star Jamie Lee Curtis has taken every chance to roast this picture with the most cutting of remarks. It’s truly one of the best cases of entertainers who have trashed their own movies.

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

This is an example of using class and wit to politely stuff a movie like Jaws: The Revenge into the trash bin of life. Actor Michael Caine’s remarks about never seeing the film, but loving its payday, is something that always hits like the best line at a cocktail party celebrating the movies we love to loathe.

Emily Blunt - Gulliver’s Travels

History almost gave us an Iron Man 2 with Emily Blunt playing the role of Black Widow. And then contractual obligations forced Ms. Blunt to pass, in favor of starring in the Jack Black vehicle Gulliver’s Travels. So yeah, maybe it’s best not to mention this one to this star of A Quiet Place, no matter how much you think she might laugh.

Dennis Quaid - Jaws 3-D

All legendary actors have the gigs that make them, and the ones that they took so early in their career that they’d rather not think about them. Dennis Quaid’s role in Jaws 3-D more than likely falls into the latter bucket, as it’s one of the two Jaws sequels that failed to make the cut with even the franchise’s most devoted fans.

Viola Davis - The Help

Academy Award winner Viola Davis scored a nomination for her role in Tate Taylor’s film adaptation of The Help. Despite her performance’s excellence, Davis still maintains her opinion of regretting having taken part in the movie’s production, and the resulting product. 

Bill Murray - Garfield

No cinematic icon is immune to trickery, especially a trickster like Bill Murray. With his infamous Garfield casting story seeing the comedy legend mistake the movie’s writer for one of the Coen Bros, you can kind of see why he’d use his Zombieland cameo in 2009 to poke fun at the film being his only life’s regret.

Mariah Carey - Glitter

Glitter wasn’t enough of a disaster to kill Mariah Carey’s acting career, and to her credit, she went on to deliver some amazing performances in films like Lee Daniels’ Precious. But whoo-boy, does this musical drama still sting to think about from time to time? 

Elijah Wood - North

While there’s an interesting selection of beloved films Roger Ebert absolutely hated, North is one of the flops that the legendary film critic rightfully roasted. Though it definitely wasn’t Elijah Wood’s fault, it’s probably best if you don’t approach him about this one without some sort of care. 

Jennifer Lopez - Gigli

As a legendary turkey in the world of infamously bad movies, even Gigli’s director Martin Brest has pointed thoughts about that epic fail. Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s colossal dud of a rom-com has more than earned its place on the bad side of history, and one could bet that even its mere mention would inspire the most withering side eye from J.Lo herself. 

George Clooney - Batman & Robin

If there’s a constant in George Clooney’s career as an entertainer, it’s his regret over Batman and Robin. Stepping in after Val Kilmer bolted on Joel Schumacher’s second Gotham-based tentpole, you can bet the ER heartthrob wishes he could use a time machine to go back and prevent this experience from ever happening. 

Renee Zellweger - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Out of the Oscar-winning pair of Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, it’s a safe bet that Ms. Zellweger would be the one who’d want to keep Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation off the table of discussion. Then again, she might be a bit more relaxed on the subject since so much time has passed. 

Robert Downey Jr. - The Shaggy Dog

Early on in his mid-Aughts comeback, Robert Downey Jr. diversified his acting portfolio with everything from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang to Good Night, and Good Luck. And mixed in with the lot was his role as the antagonist in Tim Allen’s remake of The Shaggy Dog. Downey would probably talk about the movie if asked, but one has to wonder what he’d say? 

Emma Watson - The Circle

For someone like Emma Watson, an actor who chooses their projects with a level of mindfulness and message in mind, The Circle must have seemed like a good choice. But the eventual public reaction to the film may have caused the Harry Potter vet to think twice even before approaching source material with names as storied as author Dave Eggers and director James Ponsoldt attached. 

Eddie Murphy - The Adventures of Pluto Nash

The Adventures of Pluto Naash is a habitual punching bag when folks choose to talk about the most infamous disasters in movie history. And thanks to that distinction, even the very open Eddie Murphy wouldn’t be mistaken for keeping this sci-fi/comedy flameout away from the conversation. 

Lucy Liu - Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever

Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever is an infamous movie without even taking into account that it somehow managed to snag the star power of Lucy Liu into its clutches. Admittedly, so few people remember this one that it doesn’t feel like she’d have to be on guard for random fans mentioning its existence. 

Matt Damon - The Great Wall

You might think that the “white savior” worries of Matt Damon’s character in The Great Wall are the reason he might not want to talk about this massive box office dud. But the fact of the matter is, he’d probably politely decline any discussion on the matter because it was a thundering failure that didn’t really win him any new fans.

Jennifer Lawrence - Dark Phoenix

How much did Jennifer Lawrence distance herself from the X-Men movies by time she made Dark Phoenix? Well, not only was her time in makeup severely reduced/scaled back in quality, but she died quite early in the final X-Men prequel from the Fox days. Maybe that's part of why the two-part structure was abandoned prior to its release. 

Sylvester Stallone - Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

It’s the movie so bad that Arnold Schwarzenegger tricked Sylvester Stallone into starring in it. Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot is still a punch line for the Rocky franchise star/director, even decades after the film was released and tanked. One has to wonder how awkward some of those Planet Hollywood openings were, thanks to this awkward piece of history existing.

Lily Collins - Rules Don’t Apply

Actor Lily Collins is a talent that has the old Hollywood look down to a tee and isn’t afraid to show it. That confidence is probably what got her cast in Warren Beatty’s misguided rom-com Rules Don’t Apply, and to be fair, she and co-star Alden Ehrenreich are two of the only bright spots in this mostly forgettable throwback. 

Eddie Redmayne - Jupiter Ascending

If anyone is ready to admit Eddie Redmayne’s Jupiter Ascending performance is bad, it’s the man himself. While some might be inclined to give him more credit for his work in the Wachowski’s far-flung space opera, Redmayne’s criticisms of his role do come with some important caveats. 

Jennifer Hudson - Sandy Wexler

Adam Sandler is a talent who’s able to draw a wide range of actors into his orbit, and his Netflix movie Sandy Wexler was no exception. Playing a talent agent who knows a good client when he sees one, Jennifer Hudson is one of the people he rightfully tries to fast-track to fame. By no means does that proper judgment mean that this movie is something she, or most viewers, would even remember.

Hugh Jackman - Pan

Some flops crash and burn with very little trace of the wreckage. Others, like the Hugh Jackman starring Peter Pan adaptation Pan, collapse under ill-fated ambitions that don’t end up adding up in the end. But at least we got Jackman’s Captain Hook singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” in a totally bonkers musical number.

Pedro Pascal - Wonder Woman 1984

Pedro Pascal is almost universally recognized as one of, if not the best part of Wonder Woman 1984. That still feels like a far cry from something The Mandalorian star would even want to discuss, as its infamy is something that still echoes pretty strongly so close to its initial execution.

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

You can always count on an acting talent as iconic as Dame Judi Dench to tell it like it is. And whether it was reacting to her Razzie award nomination or the final look of her character in 2019’s Cats, she certainly hasn’t left any of her thoughts to the imagination. 

Daisy Ridley - Chaos Walking

One would probably think that Daisy Ridley would merely not want to remember Chaos Walking because of its unsuccessful bid for box office success. However, the protracted production and crazy amounts of reshoots and edits have probably ensured that the Star Wars vet has actually forgotten the ins and outs of this failed YA franchise.

Ben Kingsley - A Sound of Thunder

You don’t get to be an actor as legendary as Ben Kingsley without logging some seriously wild projects like A Sound of Thunder on your resume. This 2005 sci-fi disaster is so ill-regarded that its Game Boy video game adaptation is seen as a more favorable experience. That’s both terribly unique and just plain old terrible. 

Brendan Fraser - Monkeybone

Brendan Fraser is a lovable actor who knows how, and when, to get goofy. It’s just a shame that a project like Monkeybone never understood how to use those skills to its advantage, saddling The Mummy star with a movie that he more than likely hasn’t thought about for some time. 

Scarlett Johansson - Ghost In The Shell

There are some who might defend the live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell starring Scarlett Johansson. Considering how much the movie has been rejected by even the source anime’s fans, and the kerfluffle that came from her casting as Major Mira Killian being seen as a bit of whitewashing, this project is probably one that the Marvel veteran would reasonably remain silent on.

Keanu Reeves - 47 Ronin

It’s not Keanu Reeves’ fault that 47 Ronin was a stinker for the ages. Although if one were to mention the movie to him in passing, he’d probably just smile and laugh, charmingly admitting defeat in that particular case of cinematic disaster. 

Will Smith - Gemini Man

What’s worse than a movie failing with one Will Smith in the starring role? Apparently, a technologically advanced picture like Gemini Man, which saw Smith playing against a CGI de-aged younger version of himself. Finally, a movie that rivals Wild Wild West for infamy on Mr. Smith’s resume.

Jack Nicholson - How Do You Know?

Jack Nicholson has been comfortably retired ever since making 2010’s How Do You Know? One has to wonder if he’d be equally as comfortable if he were to be prompted to remember the experience and the fallout that came from its release into theaters. 

As you can see, even the most talented of actors have their potential sore spots in conversation. Maybe they're not as shy about discussing these films as we'd think, and you can get a good story out of the deal. In any case, if there was a class of losers that the best and brightest of Hollywood wished they could forget, this is more than a formidable crop of titles that would fit that bill for good reason.

There has been a lot of talk about "nepo babies" over the last few years, and while it may seem like every actor has famous parents. That is hardly the case though, of course. Many of our favorite actors come from much more humble roots. So let's celebrate those stars with this list of actors who came from blue-collar backgrounds. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

Growing up in Ohio Sarah Jessica Parker had a huge family, with seven siblings and step-siblings. She's talked about how there were times her parents struggled to pay the bills and were even on welfare for a time. Though her mom ran a nursery and her stepdad was a truck driver, they still found a way to support Parker's show business dreams and eventually moved to New York so she could star on Broadway. 

James Dean

James Dean is one of the most tragic stories in Hollywood history, and his upbringing was pretty rough too. His father left when he was a toddler and his mother supported the two of them as a single mother during The Depression. That is until she passed away when Dean was only nine. He moved to Ohio and lived with his aunt and uncle where things stabilized for him. After graduating high school, he moved to LA and embarked on his all-too-brief career. 

Maisie Williams

Though she found fame at early age with Game of Thrones Maisie Williams' family struggled when she was younger. She was raised in a council house (public housing in the UK) until she was cast in the hit HBO show at age 12. 

Jeremy Strong

Jeremy Strong may play a scion to one of the wealthiest families on TV in Succession, but in real life, he had a much more humble upbringing. Strong grew up in the blue-collar area of Jamaica Plain in Boston and his father was a guard in juvenile jails in town. Eventually the family moved to the more upscale town of Sudbury, where he went to high school and discovered acting. 

Samuel L. Jackson

For most of his career, Samuel L. Jackson was a blue-collar actor working as much as he could. That makes with his upbringing as the son of a single mother who worked in a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Shania Twain

Shaina Twain is best known as a country singer, of course, but she's done a little acting over her impressive career as well. It's a career that has taken far away from her humble roots outside Toronto, Ontario, where the family struggled. Those struggles led to her finding gigs as a singer at a young age and the rest is history.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton had a rough upbringing in the UK. Nine of her formative years were spent in foster care when her parents, who were addicts, weren't able to care for her. She had a couple of scraps with the law herself but started getting acting work in her teens and it all came together. 

Dolly Parton

There is no more revered person in Hollywood (or Nashville) than the great Dolly Parton. She's often talked about her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee as one of 12 children. She has always praised how her mother kept the family together through hard times and when Parton was 18 she moved to Nashville and hit the big time pretty quickly as a songwriter and a singer. 

Adam Driver

Megalopolis star Adam Driver moved around a lot as a kid, living all over from San Diego to Indiana. His stepfather was a Baptist preacher, but he was mostly raised by his mother in Indiana. After the September 11th attacks, he joined the Marines and served, like many other actors have over the years, for a few years before being discharged for a medical reason and starting his acting career. 

Al Pacino

Al Pacino grew up mostly in the South Bronx, and anyone from New York can tell you that the South Bronx in the '40s and '50s was a tough place to live. By his own admission he got in trouble a lot, as often happens with kids with hard working parents. Even as a actor early in his career he couch-surfed with friends until he started landing gigs regularly. 

Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard's family experienced the American Dream, according to the actor and podcast host. His mom worked at GM while he was growing up near Detroit and the family struggled, but as he got older, his mom's career grew and she moved up the ranks from janitor to executive, so by the time Shepard was in high school, she was quite successful. 

Ice Cube

Any fan of N.W.A. knows about Ice Cube's roots in South Central LA as the son of a janitor and a groundskeeper. As a result of desegregation, Ice Cube had the opportunity to get bussed out of Compton and out to the suburbs, where he thrived in English class, something he would make good use of later in life as the principal lyricist for one of the most successful rap acts of all time. 

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, who has won the famed EGOT, was raised with her two siblings by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago. She started working in local theater at a young age and famously worked on the Disney Cruise line before auditioning for American Idol in the show's third season, which was, of course, her big break. 

Mel Brooks

The legendary Mel Brooks, like so many of his generation, was the child of immigrants. He was raised very poor in Brooklyn surrounded by people who worked in the garment industry. Instead of following in their footsteps, he went into show business and the world is luckier for it. 

Joan Crawford

Screen legend Joan Crawford would die a very rich woman, but she started life as the daughter of a construction worker in Texas. After her parents split up and her mother remarried, her stepfather got in trouble in Texas and the family moved to Kansas City where Crawford attended Catholic school as a work student. 

Jim Carrey

At one point Jim Carrey was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, which is far cry from his humble beginnings in and around Toronto. For a time, Carrey has admitted, they were even homeless. Eventually his father found more stable employment and after dropping out of high school Carrey worked on his stand up routine and took shifts at a nearby factory. 

Misha Collins

Supernatural star Misha Collins grew up working class in Boston and he has said in the past that his family spent some time unhoused. He was lucky enough to gain admission to a prep school, which led him to the University of Chicago and eventually an internship at The White House during the Clinton administration before he concentrated on his acting career. 

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson has been a part of two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars and the MCU. It wasn't always the big time for her though. Her mother was a teenager when she was born and never married Dawson's father, but did marry another man, from whom Dawson takes her last name. He was a construction worker first in New York and later in Texas. 

Jessica Chastain

Though she doesn't talk much about her upbringing, we do know that Jessica Chastain's stepfather was a firefighter and that her family life was a struggle growing up. She grew up in Sacramento with four siblings, though she lost one to suicide when she was in her early 20s. Chastain started acting as a kid and her career would eventually take off and she would become one of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of her generation. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Born of Uganda immigrants in London, Daniel Kaluuya was raised on a council estate in one of the city's most famous blue-collar areas, Camden. He didn't know his father growing up, but he excelled in school and started acting in plays while there. he started landing paying gigs in his teens and the rest is history.

Hilary Swank

Though she has humble roots as the daughter of an army soldier, Hilary Swank grew up in a stable household and even after her parents split up when she was 15, her mother moved with Swank to the LA area so she could try her hand at Hollywood. That bet paid off as Swank has been one of the best actresses around for decades. 

Charlie Chaplin

It could be argued that Charlie Chaplin was the first bonafide superstar of the silver screen. While he would eventually become Hollywood's biggest star and one of the most financially successful moviemakers of his era, his childhood was a hardscrabble upbringing in central London. His parents had no capacity to raise children and he bounced around reform schools and other group homes as a kid before finding his way, first in the theater then later in silent films. 

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez famously grew up "on the 6," meaning the 6-Train through the Bronx in New York City. Her father had a job as a computer technician and Lopez had a solid, yet definitely blue-collar upbringing. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson has starred in some of the best roles in Hollywood over the last four decades, and one of them, Woody Boyd on Cheers, reflected his actual blue-collar roots in Indiana. The story of Woody Boyd and Woody Harrelson are pretty similar, as both were raised in rural Indiana. Harrelson was famously locked up in prison for most of his upbringing, and he eventually died in prison after Harrelson's career had taken off. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis was actually born on plantation in South Carolina, if you can believe it. She was raised mostly in Rhode Island, however, but it was a hard upbringing which has described of being very financially unstable. 

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig may be famous for playing suave, debonair, and sophisticated characters, but that's nothing like his upbringing. His father was a construction worker and bar manager, though Craig does have aristocratic ancestors. 

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix (and his late brother River) had a wild upbringing. His parent were part of a cult called the Children of God and Phoenix spent much of his early life living in South America as his parents traveled as missionaries for the religious group. Eventually, the family left the cult, adopting the name "Phoenix" as a sign of their rebirth as a family in a new life.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is famously one of the richest people in Hollywood, but that's not how she started out. Her mother was a teenager in Milwaukee, but before long Winfrey found herself in Nashville living with the man she considers her father. While still a teen in Nashville, she started working in radio, which would eventually lead to her media empire. 

Bella Thorne

The whole reason Bella Thorne became a professional actor was to help support her family growing up. After her father was killed in a car wreck when she was ten, Thorne's mother was left to raise four children on her own. It was a tough upbringing, but the acting gigs started coming more and more often and got her big break on the Disney Channel's Shake It Up in 2010. 

James Caan

James Caan was in some of the best movies in Hollywood history. The list of Caan's best movies is incredible. His father was a deli meat salesman and he grew up in the blue-collar neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, in New York City. He found acting while he briefly attended Hofstra, where he would also meet Francis Ford Coppola, who would give the role of Sonny in The Godfather years later. 

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez was raised by a single mother who had Gomez when she was just 16. Gomez has never been resentful, it seems, and credits her with raising her under such trying conditions. Gomez caught the acting bug at a pretty young age and ws soon landing shows on kids shows, leading to the insanely successful career we all know and love. 

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had the definition of a blue-collar upbringing as the son of a beautician and an employee of the water company in his hometown of New York City. His parent worked hard to make sure he got a good education and after graduating from Fordham, he embarked on one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time. 

Most actors don't just come out of the woodwork and immediately get awards attention, box office success and global stardom. Many start out taking bit parts in big movies or supporting character gigs opposite more successful performers. From Academy Award winners like Charlize Theron and Viola Davis to superhero stars like Tom Holland and Ben Affleck, here are 32 now-famous faces you might not remember popped up in famous movies before they were big. 

Matt Damon

In his movie debut, a very young Matt Damon can briefly be seen in 1988's Mystic Pizza as Steamer Windsor, the younger brother of Adam Storke's Charles, the clean-cut, country-club love interest of fun-loving pizzeria waitress Daisy (Julia Roberts). Steamer is present at an awkward dinner where Charles brings Daisy home to meet the family. 

Viola Davis

In the 1998 crime comedy Out of Sight, which is undoubtedly one of Steven Soderbergh's best movies, Viola Davis has a small role playing Moselle Miller, the wife of boxer Maurice "Snoopy" Miller (Don Cheadle). She would later go on to act alongside her Out of Sight co-star Jennifer Lopez in another crime flick, 2015's Lila & Eve.

Philip Seymour Hoffman

The 1992 Martin Brest melodrama Scent of a Woman memorably stars Al Pacino as a blind retired colonel and Chris O'Donnell as the prep-school student hired to watch over him, but it also features Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his earliest performances as a fellow student named George Willis, Jr.

Carey Mulligan

The Bennet household is a bustling one in Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, so much so that you might have overlooked that — along with the likes of Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike and Jena Malone — a teenaged Carey Mulligan is one of the Bennet sisters. (It's just one of many movies that prove Mulligan should be a much bigger star.) 

Elijah Wood

Long before he embarked on a quest to destroy the One Ring as Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood was a successful child actor in films like The Adventures of Huck Finn, The Good Son, North and Flipper. However, before those starring roles, the pint-sized performer showed up as "Video Game Boy #2" in Back to the Future Part II.

Octavia Spencer

The 1999 Drew Barrymore comedy Never Been Kissed is jam-packed with unexpected actor appearances, from Jessica Alba to James Franco — together they play a dopey but popular high school couple — to Octavia Spencer. The latter plays a coworker of the main character Josie Geller (Barrymore) at the Chicago Sun-Times. 

Timothée Chalamet

With everything that goes on in Christopher Nolan's Interstellar — you know, that whole part about the astronauts who have to travel through a wormhole near Saturn in search of a new home for humankind — viewers may have forgotten that a fresh-faced Timothée Chalamet as Tim, the teen son of Matthew McConaughey's Cooper. 

Brie Larson

Well before she received an Oscar or donned a superhero cape, Captain Marvel star Brie Larson was a tween actress who had a main role in the short-lived WB sitcom Raising Dad. One of her first big-screen gigs, however, was as a popular Six Chick in the 2004 Jennifer Garner favorite 13 Going on 30. (Don't feel too bad, Mark Ruffalo didn't remember her either.) 

Charlize Theron

If you're a fan of The Wonders, you no doubt remember band members Guy (Tom Everett Scott), Lenny (Steve Zahn), Jimmy (Johnathon Schaech) and the bass player (Ethan Embry). However, you may not so readily remember that Charlize Theron is also in That Thing You Do!, as Guy's ex-girlfriend Tina, who leaves him for her dentist. 

Joe Manganiello 

Before making the ladies sweat in the Magic Mike franchise, Joe Manganiello was making Peter Parker sweat for an entirely different reason in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film series, playing the high-school bully Flash Thompson. His character dated Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane before she ended up with Spidey himself (Tobey Maguire). 

Seth Rogen

The titular teen protagonist of Donnie Darko (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) doesn't just have to deal with those disturbing visions of a rabbit-costumed man named Frank. He also has to deal with a pair of high school bullies, one of whom is played by Seth Rogen in his first ever movie appearance. 

Amy Adams

The Steven Spielberg-directed crime comedy Catch Me If You Can featured several now-well-known actresses before they were household names, including Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks and Amy Adams. The latter acted opposite Leonardo DiCaprio (played teenage con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.) as Brenda Strong, a young hospital worker who falls for Frank and his fraud. 

Keira Knightley

Given her uncanny resemblance to Natalie Portman, it's only fitting that a teenage Keira Knightley appeared as Sabé, a handmaiden and royal decoy for Portman's Padmé Amidala in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Even Knightley herself could use a reminder about who she played in the space trilogy!

Michael Fassbender

Years before memorable film roles in Inglourious Basterds, Jane Eyre, the X-Men movies and his Oscar-nominated turn in Shame, Michael Fassbender made his film debut in the 2006 action epic 300. He played the character of Stelios, a young, spirited and highly skilled Spartan soldier fighting under Gerard Butler's King Leonidas.

Sandra Oh

"Gupta? Mhm. Mhm. Mhm. The queen is coming!" It's one of the most memorable lines uttered in The Princess Diaries and it's said by none other than a pre-Grey's Anatomy Sandra Oh. Joining Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews in the beloved cast, Oh plays the humorous vice principal at Mia Thermopolis's school. 

Margot Robbie

Before her big breakout in The Wolf of Wall Street — and even longer before she painted the world pink with the phenomenon that is Barbie — rom-com fans got their first introduction to Margot in the 2013 romantic dramedy About Time. Robbie plays Charlotte, a woman that the main character Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) is crushing on before he meets his true love, Mary (played by Rachel McAdams).

Joaquin Phoenix

The 1989 Ron Howard-directed comedy Parenthood already has a stacked cast — Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Keanu Reeves, Mary Steenburgen and Dianne Wiest, to name a few — before you even remember that one of the youngins in the movie is played by a teenage Joaquin Phoenix, then going by his birth name Leaf.

Samuel L. Jackson

It's hard to remember a time when Samuel L. Jackson wasn't a major movie star, but in the 1970s and '80s, the iconic actor was racking up bit parts in big titles, including Eddie Murphy's Coming to America. In the 1988 rom-com, Jackson plays a character known as "Hold-Up Man," an armed robber who has held up the local fast-food restaurant called McDowell's five times. 

Kristen Stewart

Though she has been acting professionally since grade school, Kristen Stewart didn't become a global star until she played moody teen Bella Swan in 2008's vampire romance Twilight. But years before that, she played a memorable part in the 2002 David Fincher thriller Panic Room, appearing opposite Jodie Foster as her character's daughter. 

Dakota Johnson

\Dakota Johnson had her big Hollywood breakthrough leading a beloved book-to-film adaptation, as Anastasia Steele in the erotic Fifty Shades film series. But she actually showed up in another huge movie five years earlier: 2010's The Social Network, as a college coed who spends the night with Sean Parker, played by Justin Timberlake. 

Gabrielle Union

Before she led the Clovers to cheer competition victory in 2000's Bring It On, Gabrielle Union was given supporting roles in '90s teen favorites like 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That. The latter was actually her film debut, in which she appeared as popular girl Katie, a member of Zack Siler's (Freddie Prinze Jr.) friend group. 

Nicolas Cage

Technically, Nicolas Cage wasn't in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. But Nicolas Coppola was — when he made his feature film acting debut in the 1982 coming-of-age comedy, the actor was still going by his birth name. However, the Oscar-winning star would later change his name professionally to avoid nepotism allegations. (He is, of course, the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire, and a cousin of director Sofia Coppola and actor Jason Schwartzman.)

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp memorably made his big-screen debut in the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street, but movie fans might not remember that a short while later, he also appeared in Oliver Stone's war film Platoon as a young soldier fighting in the Vietnam War alongside the likes of Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Forest Whitaker and Kevin Dillon. 

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has had a prolific acting career ever since she was a tween, starting from when she starred as the young protégée of a hitman in the 1994 action film Léon: The Professional at only twelve years old. Though that was an instantly memorable introduction to the performer, you might have forgotten that only a year later, she worked alongside screen greats like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in the Michael Mann-directed classic, Heat. 

Tom Holland

He's most famous for spinning webs as Spider-Man but long before that, Tom Holland was making his film debut (and making audiences weep) in the 2012 disaster drama The Impossible, as a young boy desperately trying to reunite with his family following a horrific tsunami. 

Vince Vaughn

The heartwarming 1993 sports drama Rudy — about a young man (Sean Astin) who dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame — features an ironic pair of film-acting debuts. It was the first movie roles of both Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, playing teaching assistant D-Bob and tailback Jamie O'Hara, respectively. That duo would famously go on to star in the 1996 buddy comedy Swingers. 

Ryan Gosling

Another early football role for a Hollywood heavyweight, a young Ryan Gosling already had some big TV gigs under his belt (The Mickey Mouse Club, Young Hercules) before he appeared as Alan Bosley, the wiry cornerback of T. C. Williams High School's football team in Remember the Titans. And if you remember that locker-room singalong, you know the little Goose had charisma even then!

Mila Kunis

Yes, that is a mini Mila Kunis in Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves — she played a friend of Wayne Szalinski's (Rick Moranis) niece, who throws a house party once it seems like all of the grown-ups have left for the evening. (Instead, the adults have been accidentally zapped to microscopic proportions, naturally.) 

Daniel Craig

Before he was Bond, James Bond, Daniel Craig was Ballard, John Ballard, in the 1998 historical drama Elizabeth. The British actor portrayed a priest-slash-assassin who conspired with the Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston) to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I (played by Cate Blanchett) from the throne. Of course, Bond would never treat the Queen of England that way!

Jake Gyllenhaal

Given that filmmaking is a family business for Jake Gyllenhaal — he is the son of film director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and the younger bro of the great actress Maggie Gyllenhaal — it's not a shock that the actor started young. He made his film debut at age ten in 1991's City Slickers, playing the son of Billy Crystal's character Mitch Robbins. 

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington is best known for playing crisis management expert Olivia Pope in the ABC drama series Scandal, but more than a decade earlier, she showed off her fix-it skills as Chenille Reynolds in Save the Last Dance, helping Julia Stiles's character Sara better integrate into their South Side high school and hip-hop culture at large. 

Ben Affleck

Like his famous best friend Matt Damon, Ben Affleck also began his acting career as a child and while eagle-eyed moviegoers no doubt remember spotting him in early-'90s films like School Ties and Dazed and Confused, they may have forgotten his uncredited early cameos, such as "Basketball Player 10" in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. 

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

As much as we like to see Hollywood as a dream factory, some projects can be total nightmares. Maybe people realize that fact during production, or maybe it’s a big case of hindsight providing 20/20 vision; but eventually there comes a time when an entertainer decides that their own movie is the enemy. For one reason or another, the list we’re about to share with you is a bunch of cases where that sort of takedown was warranted by the talent that had to endure making them in the first place. 

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

No matter how many times the 1999 sci-fi horror movie Virus comes up, it seems that Jamie Lee Curtis has a colorful variety of responses that detail just how flat-out horrible the finished product was. And depending on which interview you read, the language can get just as cheeky, so reader discretion is definitely advised. 

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

If you ever want a lesson in destroying a cinematic turkey with great wit and class, look up Michael Caine’s remarks on Jaws: The Revenge. Simultaneously admitting he’d never watched the film, but loved the personal enrichment that came from it, it’s one of the best moments of Sir Michael’s legendary charm at work.

Charlize Theron - Reindeer Games

How bad is the perennial punchline Reindeer Games? Well, if you ask Charlize Theron like Esquire did back in 2008, the Ben Affleck co-starring film is "a bad, bad, bad movie." So that question's pretty much asked and answered. 

George Clooney - Batman and Robin

George Clooney’s continued Batman regrets will never stop being entertaining. Playing that very DC hero in 1997’s Batman & Robin, the infamously campy Joel Schumacher picture holds a very special place in the ER veteran’s heart; and it’s one of intensely self-deprecating comedy. 

Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up

The story about Katherine Heigl and her apparent lack of love for Knocked Up is one that’s circulated pretty much since Judd Apatow’s 2008 comedy mega-hit landed. However, it seems that years after the star seemed to slam her own movie, Heigl’s 2016 comments on the matter painted a different picture.

Christopher Plummer - The Sound of Music

How an actor like the late great Christopher Plummer could grow to despise a musical like The Sound of Music is still a mystery. Well, it’s puzzling in the sense that his apparent criticism of its sentimental and emotional nature feels a bit rough. Despite his misgivings, the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation remains one of Christopher Plummer’s best roles. 

Sally Field - The Amazing Spider-Man

Comic book movies aren’t for everyone, and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Sally Field admitted just that when talking about her role as Andrew Garfield’s Aunt May. Field’s reason for taking the role as a favor to her friend, late producer Laura Ziskin, is still sweet. But digging into Sally’s comments about the Marvel role, it would seem that there isn’t enough money in the Multiverse to bring the Academy Award winner back for any hypothetical follow-ups.

Edward Norton - The Italian Job

One of the most infamous stories of modern movie feuds, Edward Norton’s reluctance to play the villain in The Italian Job remake came down to two words: contractual obligations. As Observer covered in the lead-up to the movie’s production, Norton fulfilled his duties; but did so while taking every chance to put the project down. 

Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four

When your director tells you that CGI tears are better than the actual waterworks you’re providing on set, to say things are problematic is a bit of an understatement. That’s the scenario that Jessica Alba faced on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which she revealed to Elle Magazine (via Today) as the reason she almost quit acting. 

Bill Murray - Garfield: The Movie

Confusion is something that even a legendary comedian like Bill Murray can admit to falling into from time to time. It just so happens that one of those times saw the legacy cast member of Ghostbusters accidentally assume one of The Coen Bros. wrote Garfield: The Movie. Thankfully for Murray, he only had to make one sequel before the franchise shifted gears to another iteration.

Jennifer Lawrence - Passengers

When Adele tells you to skip a movie like Passengers, that’s a sign you should take to heart. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence ignored this advice, and what resulted was a movie that is as questionable as it is baffling. On the plus side, hearing Ms. Lawrence trash that movie means that the project is technically a valuable source of entertainment.

Channing Tatum - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

We’ve all kind of known that Channing Tatum despises G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; and rightfully so. But just how horrible was the man’s opinion of this past franchise starter? Well, not only did he pass on this project seven times, but when G.I. Joe: Retaliation came about, Tatum requested to be killed off in that very sequel. 

Viola Davis - The Help

Despite the contemporary hoopla that saw The Help become an Academy Awards darling at 2012’s Oscars, Viola Davis’ opinion on the movie is far from golden. Indeed, the project has become more and more scrutinized as time goes on, and Davis’ upset with the movie has only developed more nuance over time. 

Ryan Reynolds - Green Lantern

Even if you knew nothing about Ryan Reynolds starring in the much-maligned Green Lantern adaptation, his dislike for the picture is legendary. Especially when part of Deadpool 2’s wild time travel-correcting ending saw the Marvel anti-hero icing his reality-bound actor before even getting to make the film. 

Halle Berry - Catwoman

The downside to Halle Berry being in Catwoman is that she, unfortunately, had to actually make the movie. However, the upside to this painful experience is that Berry’s quips and jabs at her unfortunate DC Comics entry continue to show her impeccable sense of humor. 

Oscar Isaac - X-Men: Apocalypse

While Oscar Isaac doesn’t outright disown his X-Men movie, he does express serious regret for taking on the titular role in X-Men: Apocalypse. Though if you were cast to act up against James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, only to have your abilities hampered by an abundance of prosthetics, you’d probably be pretty steamed too. 

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

Not many actors would consider a Razzie nomination entertaining, or even valid. But then again, Cats' Dame Judi Dench isn't "most actors." Proud to have not seen the film, or read its reviews, the famed performer laughed off her own nomination, and even compared her character's final look to a bunch of foxes engaged in some not-so-family-friendly activity. 

Matt Damon - The Bourne Ultimatum

For as much cultural cache as the Jason Bourne movies still have in the world, it’s kind of astounding that the subpar reaction to some of the sequels doesn’t seem to have dampened that pedigree. That’s an especially good question after Matt Damon’s trashing of The Bourne Ultimatum script somehow didn’t prevent the worst sin that franchise has committed, 2016’s Jason Bourne. 

Megan Fox - Transformers

Megan Fox’s relationship with the Transformers franchise saw her putting the Hasbro toy franchise on blast after the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. More specifically, her comments comparing Michael Bay to Hitler allegedly helped distance her even further from the series that she apparently has no particular love for. 

Matthew Goode - Leap Year

In remarks to The Telegraph about his role in the rom-com Leap Year, Matthew Goode fully admitted that the Amy Adams starring vehicle wasn’t exactly ideal for his tastes. Taking a page out of Michael Caine’s proverbial book on silver linings, Goode did admit that one of the reasons he did enjoy being part of the project was the fact that he could go home easily on the weekends. 

Kate Winslet - Titanic

While the world fell in love with Kate Winslet after her role in Titanic, the actor herself didn’t exactly love watching herself put in, what she feels, was a performance full of errors. Even in a legacy interview with CNN, Winslet criticized everything, even her American accent.  

Mark Wahlberg - Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights was a star making performance for Mark Wahlberg, and to this day it’s a role that’s aged well on his resume. And yet, Wahlberg has asked God to forgive him for making the Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, regarding it the biggest mistake of his career. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Grease 2

Allegedly, Michelle Pfeiffer was cited to have chalked up her experience with Grease 2 as a case of being young and not knowing how to pick a good script. While those stories persist, Pfieffer has apparently started to set the record straight, attributing her supposed Grease sequel bashing to misreported remarks that grew a life of their own.

Sir Alec Guinness - Star Wars

While Sir Alec Guinness’ reaction to watching Star Wars was one of being refreshed, his outlook on taking the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t as rosy. Actually making George Lucas’ sci-fi opus was a different story, with Guinness’ on-set feelings seeing the legendary actor less than pleased in the middle of production.

Miriam Margolyes - The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter fans have been a frequent source of discussion for actor Miriam Margolyes. The performer who brought Madame Sprout to live in the film adaptation of the series not only has no personal connection with the franchise but she’s also shared some thoughts on adult Potter fans that have kicked up more dirt than one of her Herbology classes.

Sylvester Stallone - Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot!

The widely reported story of how Sylvester Stallone became the action lead in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! is thanks to his feud with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, Arnie tricked him into thinking he wanted the movie, which led Stallone to lobby for the part, and win it. His enduring torment can still be heard to this day, and Sly has even suggested the film as a form of interrogation enhancement. Yikes.

Dakota Johnson - Madame Web

Madame Web seems to be an experience that barely anyone enjoyed, even the actors who starred in the movie. Dakota Johnson’s skewering of the finished product, while extremely erudite and empathetic towards herself and the rest of the cast, cuts to the core problems that some feel superhero movies have possessed since day one. 

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Out of all the Harry Potter movies Daniel Radcliffe has fronted, the one that comes in as his least favorite is the sixth entry, The Half Blood Prince. Radcliffe called his own performance “one-note,” especially when compared to his own personal favorite: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Jennifer Aniston - Leprechaun

Jennifer Aniston’s performance in Leprechaun makes her cringe to this day. So much so that in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show, she mentioned that she tried and failed to stop her then-boyfriend Justin Theroux from watching the film; much to her dismay. 

Brad Pitt - The Devil’s Own

“20 pages of dog…” You can fill that phrase in for yourself, but Brad Pitt’s Newsweek interview about 1997’s The Devil’s Own said all that needed to be said about the actor’s feelings for the Harrison Ford co-starring drama. 

Sandra Bullock - Speed 2: Cruise Control

Some experience will stick with you, no matter how hard you try. Sandra Bullock’s no-sequel rule was an echo of such a trauma, thanks to her displeasure with Speed 2: Cruise Control. Admittedly, her concerns about a large cruise ship not being as perceptively speedy as a city bus were part of the equation as well, and can you blame her? 

Robert Pattinson - Twilight

Robert Pattinson’s hate affair with the Twilight Saga is as well-documented as the memes that have committed the franchise’s dialogue to memory. Thankfully, the man didn’t develop an aversion to bats, otherwise The Batman wouldn’t have happened; which is probably one of the best things that actually came out of Twilight when you think about it.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this trip in the trenches with stars who had to tell it like it is. Judging by some of the movies mentioned here, it might be safe to say that for the most part, these reactions were spot on. But if you’re ever wondering why a movie you're fond of might be slammed by an actor or entertainer involved, keep these tales of woe in mind, and try not to take it too personally.

Valentine’s Day is a special time for celebrities to show their love. Whether that holiday spirit is shown with the Kardashians branching out in edible underwear or sweets posts like Justin Timberlake penning a sweet tribute for his wife, Jessica Biel, love was definitely in the air. Celebrities like Chris Pratt, Halle Berry, and others had no problems spreading the love this Valentine’s Day through their social media posts.

The holiday of love provides a beautiful opportunity to show social media followers how much you love someone. Chris Pratt was one of those celebrities who shared a note of love to his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, on his X post. Take a look at the Jurassic World actor’s sweet post down below:

It’s incredibly cute to see Chris Pratt talk about how “lucky” he is to be with Katherine Schwarzenegger and all that she is to him and their kids. According to the married couple’s relationship timeline, they met when Schwarzenegger’s mom, Maria Shriver, was playing matchmaker for the two in 2018. As their love blossomed while dating for a year, Pratt and Schwarzenegger’s engagement was announced in January 2019 and they had a “beautiful” wedding in Montecito, California on June 8th. The lovely couple have been living their lives as a blended family sharing two daughters and a son that came from his previous marriage with Anna Faris.

Halle Berry is another celebrity who couldn’t wait to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her musician boyfriend Van Hunt. In her case, she really couldn’t wait as she posted an X video of her beau working and her jokingly waiting for him to “be working on me.” Here’s a look at the hilarious video below:

Sadly, Valentine’s Day isn’t the type of holiday where we can all get off work and celebrate. But with Halle Berry being a hard-working woman herself, I can safely assume she understands. After all, good things come to those who wait. 

The Monster’s Ball actress has been dating musician Van Hunt since 2020 who expresses their love through sweet Instagram posts like one when Berry wrapped her arms around her boyfriend in a see-through red dress. It’s good to know these two are still going strong after she had to endure a long divorce from Olivier Martinez that was finally settled in August 2023.

Viola Davis has been married to fellow actor Julius Tennon since 2003. This Valentine’s Day, she posted a beautiful Instagram post that shows these two truly are marriage goals. Be ready to see her gush with the post down below:

That’s incredibly lovely for the How to Get Away With Murder actress to call her husband her “best decision.” It shows how very grateful she is to have her husband in her life. Other than their private life together, the married couple have collaborated on a lot of projects together like being in the cast of Air playing Michael Jordan’s parents, The Woman King, Lila & Eve, and the upcoming “VR series” Operation Othello.

Emma Heming Willis paid tribute to her husband, Bruce Willis, during the holiday of love posting an Instagram throwback photo of the two in Niagara Falls. Here’s a look at the heartwarming photo below:

Love really can be beautiful when two people are willing to stay with each other despite any hurdles life throws at you. It makes you want to cry seeing how happy the two looked in that photo back when the Die Hard actor was in good health. 

Ever since Willis retired from acting in 2022 from aphasia later diagnosed as frontotemporal dementia, Emma Heming has been giving updates to fans on social media about how her husband’s been doing, how she’s dealing with the actor’s diagnosis, and taking care of her family. But the alleged positive effect the dementia battle has had on the Willis clan is keeping the family together through the good and bad.

Then, there are single celebrities this Valentine’s Day who raise awareness that there’s more love out there than romantic love. For example, Keke Palmer’s been living a single life with her one-year-old son ever since her separation from her partner, Darius Jackson, in October. You can look below at Palmer’s wise words on Instagram below:

It’s absolutely true that Valentine’s Day is the holiday of love you have for anyone in your life whether it’s a romantic prospect, a relative, a friend, or even a pet. It’s holidays like these that make you appreciate what you have right now and soak up the moments that’ll turn into fond memories.

Celebrities like Chris Pratt, Halle Berry, and many others taking time during Valentine’s Day to share love for the people in their lives is a beautiful thing. Feel free to look at our 2024 movie schedule so you’re up-to-date on the latest romance films and other movies coming out this year. If you’re in the mood for love, there are plenty of the best romantic comedies to choose from that’ll make you laugh and warm your heart.

If there's any actor we'd gladly take words of wisdom from, it's the ever-soulful Oscar winner Viola Davis. She's a performer who is as capable of being a fount of warmth in The Help (even if she has good reason for regretting that role) as she is a force of nature in The Woman King. 

The acting legend offered up some sage advice through a recent Instagram post, in which she posited this question to her 12 million followers: 

The 58-year-old star captioned the post with her own answer: "You are worthy," and the fan-favorite Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star was far from the only celebrity to respond to the wistful prompt, with many taking to the comments section of Davis' Instagram post with their own advice for their younger selves.

Many echoed Viola's heartful sentiment, with Davis' United States of Tara co-star Toni Collette offering herself an all-caps reminder: 

Grammy-winning R&B singer SZA added the always-helpful admonition: 

And Trigger Warning actress–slash–baby brand mogul Jessica Alba referenced how the passing years can help soften those youthful dramas and disappointments. 

But other commenters took the more comedic route, with quips about everything from SPF to student loans:

• "Don't marry Greg" - @glendahorodyski
• "NO STUDENT LOANS" - @tonybaker
• "Don't overpluck eyebrows" - @gailyhyl70
• "Always wear sunscreen!" - @alicia.b
• "You are gay" - @itsmeabesh_
• "Slow down, Sparky" - @spencergarrett1
• "Listen to adults" - @cassiecrumps
• "Wear the condom!!!!!!" - @glauciamarolla

Celebrity stylist and costume designer Karla Welch, who dresses everyone from Olivia Wilde to Tracee Ellis Ross to Justin Bieber, had a particularly hilarious addition: 

But even better was the hilarious response from The Roots drummer and The Tonight Show bandleader Questlove, who replied to Welch:

Along with that reply, Questlove (a.k.a. Ahmir K. Thompson) added his own advice for young Ahmir, jokingly writing: 

Given that the multimillionaire musician-filmmaker has scored an Oscar alongside a slew of Grammys, we think Quest is doing pretty well with or without those Uber investments.

Things are clearly going well for O.G. poster Viola Davis, too, with the actress having several upcoming projects in the can, including the upcoming action thriller G20, the animated flick Kung Fu Panda 4, and the DC Comics-based TV series Creature Commandos, which will reportedly hit Max later this year. 

Prior to her stirring Instagram post, David previously discussed what she would tell her younger self while chatting to ET's Kevin Frazier about her memoir Finding Me:

Given the powerhouse that Viola Davis would grow up up to become, we're all glad she did!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around for more than a decade-and-a-half, and after 30-plus movies, TV shows, and specials, we’ve seen a ton of great actors play fan-favorite comic book heroes and villains. There are even actors who have played more than one character in the expansive franchise. But at the same time, there’s an even larger group of talented big-screen stars who haven’t donned a cape, mask, or spandex in the best Marvel movies. Here are 32 actors we still want to see in the MCU…

Ryan Gosling

For one reason or another, Ryan Gosling has yet to play a character in the MCU. One of the most talented and beloved actors of his time, the Barbie star would be perfect to play several characters ranging from Nova to Mr. Fantastic to even Earth-616’s Norman Osbourne if they wanted to have a younger actor take on the role of the famous Spider-Man villain. 

John David Washington

John David Washington has previously said he’d be open for an MCU role, and it’s probably going to happen sooner or later, considering the son of Oscar winner Denzel Washington is an incredibly talented and versatile actor. The Tenet and The Creator star has the range to handle just about everything thrown his way, be it as a villain or the next great Marvel hero.

Margot Robbie

It wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Margot Robbie join the list of actors to appear in the MCU at some point down the line, it’s just a matter of finding the right character for the beloved actress to play. There have been rumors about a Sue Storm role over the years, but Robbie would also be great playing villains like Lady Deathstrike.

Dev Patel

Dev Patel has established himself as one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood thanks to outstanding performances in movies like The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, and his 2023 work with Wes Anderson. Watching the Lion star take on someone like Reed Richards or even Doctor Doom would be awesome, and he could honestly handle both.

Keanu Reeves

Throughout his career, Keanu Reeves has played iconic action characters like Johnny Utah, Neo, and John Wick. How cool would it be to see the eternally young actor join the MCU as someone like Dracula, Ghost Rider, or even Silver Surfer? We would even settle for a small voice role as a random one-off character.

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy showing up in the MCU would be a massive get for the cinematic universe as it works towards the two upcoming Avengers projects, especially if he were to play Doctor Doom. While other actors would probably be better suited for the physicality of the iconic Marvel villain, Murphy would be perfect for the psychological aspects of the character. Add in his experience from playing Scarecrow in the Dark Knight trilogy and you have a perfect fit.

Vanessa Kirby

Vanessa Kirby has said in the past that it would be an honor to play Sue Storm, but the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actress could also handle a more sinister role if given the chance. Just imagine Kirby playing someone like Lady Death or even Black Cat if we get another Spider-Man movie.

Cynthia Erivo

How Cynthia Erivo hasn’t landed a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is somewhere between a travesty and a mystery, because the multi-talented actor has everything you want in an actress to play your next comic book star. Just imagine the Harriet and Bad Times at the El Royale actress showing up as Storm whenever the X-Men are eventually introduced to the franchise. That would be electric to say the very least.

Antonio Banderas

Though Ant-tonio Banderas, Scott Lang’s ant in Ant-Man and the Wasp is already a thing in the MCU, the actor on which the flying arthropods was based has not had a chance to appear just yet. This needs to change and we need to see Antonio Banderas show up at some point down the road. He’s got the skills and intangibles to pull off someone as big as Galactus, a character comic book fans have been dying to see for years now.

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield has been one of the more interesting actors of the past decade thanks to unforgettable roles in movies like Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah, and The Book of Clarence, and the MCU would be better off if he joined the fray. There was talk in early 2024 of Stanfield replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, which could work, but he could also bring to life X-Men staples like Cyclopes or even Gambit.

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise flirted with the idea of playing Tony Stark way before Robert Downey Jr. rejuvenated his career in the MCU-launching Iron Man, but we never got to see the Top Gun: Maverick star play the iconic billionaire playboy philanthropist. Though it never came to fruition, we’d still love to see the Hollywood legend show up in the MCU, even if he only briefly played an alternate version of Iron Man.

Christoph Waltz

Christoph Waltz has played great villains in everything from the James Bond movies to Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, but he’s never played a big bad in the MCU. That should change, sooner rather than later, and he could be a great fit for someone like Norman Osborn or Doc Ock if we get more Spidey movies. He has the charisma, skill, and look for either of those roles.

Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain showed up in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, but since that’s outside of the MCU (for now, anyway), she’s fair game. There’s been the Sue Storm talk over the years, but the Interstellar star could also take on someone like Jean Grey and try her luck with the Dark Phoenix character.

Alan Ritchson

Okay, imagine Alan Ritchson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Doctor Doom. In addition to having a ridiculous physique, the Jack Reacher star can also be cerebral and mysterious, kind of like his character from Fast X. He would be a formidable foe, that’s for sure. And if not, we’d love to see Ritchson take on someone like Rhino or Juggernaut and breathe new life into those characters.

Pedro Pascal

There’s been a lot of talk about Pedro Pascal being the frontrunner for Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four’s eventual MCU debut, and that would be awesome. The star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us has shown over the years that he has what it takes to lead a successful franchise, and he has enough talent and charisma to pay one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes.

Amber Midthunder

Amber Midthunder became a star-in-the-making after the 2022 release of Prey, and the star of the Predator spinoff prequel could very well make an impact in the MCU if given the opportunity. Lady Hellbender, Lyja, and Silver Fox are just three of the Marvel characters she would be well-suited to play.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington has long stayed out of the superhero realm, though he has made a career out of playing characters who are pretty much comic book characters. That being said, we’d love to see the two-time Oscar winner take on a role like Magento or Bahsenga, the warrior shaman who was the first to adopt the Black Panther mantel.

Emily Blunt

Her husband, John Krasinksi, has already appeared in the MCU, albeit briefly, as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it wouldn’t be crazy to see Emily Blunt show up at some point, either for a similar-sized role or in a larger capacity. According to Deadline, the Oppenheimer star turned down a chance to play Black Widow in Iron Man 2 and was reportedly approached to play other famous characters in the years following. 

Gary Oldman

We’ve seen Gary Oldman play Jim Gordon masterfully in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, but the Academy Award-winning actor has yet to show up in the MCU. It would be so cool to see the legendary actor enter the fold as Dr. Xavier in the eventual X-Men movie, and it would be just as awesome to see him play a more villainous role like Mephisto or even Dracula, with the latter being a throwback to his turn in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Jesse Plemons

Jesse Plemons has been everywhere for the past few years. Well, everywhere besides the MCU. The Breaking Bad and Killers of the Flower Moon star has shared the screen with Marvel actors like Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian Bale over the years, and it’s only a matter of time before he follows suit and shows up as a comic book character. This guy has Sabretooth written all over him…

Paul Giamatti

Paul Giamatti has already been in Sony’s Marvel movies thanks to his portrayal of Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but we’d love to see more of the beloved actor. It doesn’t have to be anything over-the-top like a mech suit, but instead something like a government official who tries to get in the Avengers’ way or is tempted by a big bad.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell has "superhero" written all over him. The Physique, the charm, the million-dollar smile, he has it all. It’s only a matter of time before someone swoops him up and makes him the next great comic book hero, and that someone could be Marvel. Nova, Cyclops, or even a young Magneto would be great fits for the Anyone But You star.

Tati Gabrielle

Since making her acting debut a decade ago, Tati Gabrielle has given commanding performances on shows like You, Kaleidoscope, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, to name a few. The actress, who also has experience in video game adaptations like Uncharted and the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, would be perfect for the MCU in the coming years, especially if she could land a role like Storm, Black Cat, or other fan-favorite characters.

Javier Bardem

Javier Bardem is an actor with an incredible skillset and the ability to play both nuanced and over-the-top characters, which would make him perfect for something in the MCU. The No Country For Old Men star would be a great fit for the iconic Galactus whenever the villain is introduced in the future.

Rosamund Pike

Rosamund Pike has played all manner of characters over the years, and that makes her a perfect fit for the MCU moving forward. Her dynamic range and ability to play both good and evil roles masterfully would be perfect for comic book staples like Emma Frost and Liandra Nermani, both of whom are tied to the X-Men franchise.

Lily Gladstone

Lily Gladstone became an overnight sensation upon the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, and rightfully so. We’re not saying it’s going to happen, but the Golden Globe-winning actress would be perfect in the MCU. Imagine Gladstone playing Indigenous characters like Silver Fox or Kushala.  

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon technically appeared on Inhumans back in 2017, but this doesn’t mean we don’t want to see him show up in an MCU movie at some point in the future. The Game of Thrones actor, who didn’t appear in as many episodes as you’d think, played Maximus on the short-lived ABC series, so he could reprise his role or he could take on something new. However, it wouldn’t be nearly as intense as Ramsay Bolton.

Viola Davis

Viola Davis has already made her mark in the comic book world with her portrayal of Amanda Waller over in the DCEU, but this doesn’t mean she can’t jump over to the MCU and play an equally menacing character. The Oscar winner has already led a blockbuster with The Woman King, so she is more than capable of doing the same in a Marvel movie.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris has already shown up in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with her portrayal of Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage where she was crushed by a falling cathedral, but there’s no reason she couldn’t just play another version of the character in the MCU or take on a completely different role entirely.

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson is appearing in Joker 2, and it would be really cool if the legendary actor also landed a role in the MCU somewhere down the road. The Harry Potter and The Banshees of Inisherin star would be perfect for a role if the Thor franchise is to continue, even if it meant voicing someone like Beta Ray Bill. 

Iko Uwais

Iko Uwais, star of the phenomenal Raid movies, has the acting ability and fighting skills to be a big hit in the MCU if given the chance. In the event this does happen, we’d hate for Uwais’ talents to be wasted like they were with his extremely small role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Daniel Day-Lewis

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis retired after 2017’s Phantom Thread, but we’d love to see him step in front of the camera again in an MCU movie. The There Will Be Blood and Gangs of New York star would be a killer option for a character like Galactus and drink up all the planets like a big milkshake.

Who knows if we’ll see any of these actors show up in any of the upcoming Marvel movies, but with the way the MCU has shown us over the years, don’t count anyone out.

Typically, actors will work their hardest to promote a film to the best of their ability... at first, that is. Sometimes, years (or months) after said movie releases, the stars will not hold back on their true feelings. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the, so-called, worst movies starring famous actors who would admit that even they agree with the most brutal critiques.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Most would agree that he is one of the best live-action Batman actors, but Ben Affleck’s first stab at playing a superhero in 2003 was not very well received. The actor himself wasn't pleased either, as he told EW (via E!) that he agrees Daredevil “didn’t work, at all.” However, he later explained that what he appreciates about DD is that his commitment to accurately portraying Matt Murdock’s blindness paid off, at least.

Christian Bale (Newsies)

Newsies — a musical retelling of the 1899 New York newsboy strike — was a flop for Disney in 1992 but gained a cult following that star Christian Bale is not a part of. He told EW that the “wounds” he feels he suffered from starring in it healed over time. We suppose leading some great live-action Batman movies and winning an Oscar for The Fighter helped him as well. 

Halle Berry (Catwoman) 

When Halle Berry accepted her Razzie for Worst Actress of 2004 for Catwoman in person, she was one of the few actors to do so and thanked Warner Bros. for putting her in such a “god-awful movie.” At least the actor — who also has an Oscar for Monster’s Ball and a few well-received comic book movies under her belt (the X-Men movies) — has a sense of humor about starring in a DC movie that even John Rogers, one of its writers, thinks is bad.

Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex)

Future MCU and Deadpool 2 star Josh Brolin made his comic book movie debut in 2010 as the titular character in the DC Comics-inspired Western, Jonah Hex. The actor (and star of one of the best Neo-Westerns and, simply, best movies of the 2000s, No Country for Old Men) later told CBR (via CinemaBlend) that he would remake it if he had the chance, as he was not happy with how it turned out.

Sandra Bullock (Speed 2: Cruise Control)

Speed is considered one of the best action movies of all time, but Speed 2: Cruise Control is not remembered so fondly by most, including star Sandra Bullock. The Oscar winner brought up the 1997 sequel — which is set on a cruise ship — when asked by TooFab about movies she was initially embarrassed by before coming around later. However she never actually changed her tune on this one.

George Clooney (Batman & Robin)

While there are some people who actually do enjoy Batman & Robin, George Clooney — who played Bruce Wayne in the 1997 flop — is not one of them. On The Graham Norton Show, the Oscar winner talked about his propensity to constantly apologize for, as he believed at the time, ruining the Dark Knight’s big screen legacy forever, before Christopher Nolan saved it.

Sean Connery (The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen)

It's a shame to learn that an actor is not proud of their final live-action acting credit and such is the case with the late Sean Connery and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The former James Bond actor recalled in a 2007 interview unearthed by Heat Vision (via THR) how he tried to salvage the 2003 Alan Moore adaptation in the editing room and described director Stephen Norrington as insane.

David Cross (Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked)

According to The Washington Post, David Cross once felt the need to defend his participation in 2007’s Alvin and the Chipmunks, but he wasn't so kind about its 2011 threequel. During an appearance on Conan, the comedian recalled his “miserable” experience making Chipwrecked and recommended that the audience that was present not see the family film.

Viola Davis (The Help)

Even though her performance as 1960s Mississippi maid Abilene expanded her notoriety and earned her an Oscar nomination, Viola Davis regrets starring in 2011’s The Help. As she told Vanity Fair, “there’s a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn’t ready to [tell the whole truth]” and was “created in the filter and the cesspool of systemic racism.” 

Colin Farrell (Miami Vice)

When Michael Mann brought Miami Vice to the big screen in 2006, the action flick did not get the best reviews, based on its Rotten Tomatoes score of 47%. Lead actor Colin Farrell wasn’t too hot on it either, revealing to Total Film (via Far Out) that he “didn’t like it so much,” adding he felt it was “style over substance." Additionally, he even accepts some of the responsibility for that.

Crispin Glover (Back To The Future)

How could anyone dislike one of the best time travel movies ever made, 1985's Back to the Future? Well, George McFly actor Crispin Glover told AV Club that he felt the ending — which saw Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly return to an alternate present in which his family is rich — sent a misguided message, which is why he opted not to appear in the sequels.

Alec Guinness (Star Wars)

The Force was not strong with the Star Wars movies’ original Obi-Wan Kenobi actor, Alec Guinness, apparently. In 1975, the Oscar winner wrote a letter to his friend, Anne Kaufman — which was quoted in his biography and republished by Business Insider in 2013 — describing George Lucas’ script as “fairy-tale rubbish.”

Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up)

In 2008, Knocked Up cast member Katherine Heigl told Vanity Fair that it was “hard for [her] to love the movie,” as she believed it portrayed women in an unfavorable light. While the 2007 comedy is still remembered as one of the best Judd Apatow movies, the former Grey’s Anatomy cast member’s honest comments about sexism would have a negative impact on her career, unfortunately.

Bob Hoskins (Super Mario Bros.)

In 2011, the late Bob Hoskins was asked by The Guardian about his worst job, biggest disappointment, and element he would edit out from his past? His answer to each question was the infamous video game movie adaptation, Super Mario Bros., from 1993.

Jennifer Lawrence (Passengers)

Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence revealed to The New York Times that Adele actually recommended she should say “no” to 2016’s Passengers — in which she and Chris Pratt's characters wake up from a commercial interplanetary journey way too early. Lawrence then said she wished she hadn't ignored the advice from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter.

Lindsay Lohan (I Know Who Killed Me)

According to a 2013 report by The Daily Mail, Lindsay Lohan was once tweeted at by a fan who told her she had watched I Know Who Killed Me twice the night before. The Parent Trap star replied by saying this fan had watched the 2007 psychological thriller “two times too many.”

Bill Murray (Garfield)

When Bill Murray said he regretted making Garfield during his iconic Zombieland cameo, that was not just a joke. In fact, it was during an interview with GQ that Murray said the only reason he agreed to voice the 2004 live-action movie’s titular cat was because he thought one of the Coen Brothers was writing it, only to learn too late that the scribe was Joel Cohen.

Paul Newman (The Silver Chalice)

According to the Irish Film Institute, Paul Newman’s choice for the “worst motion picture produced during the 1950s” was his screen acting debut: The Silver Chalice. Despite his feelings about it, the late, legendary actor actually received a “Most Promising Newcomer” Golden Globe nomination for playing the Holy Grail’s sculptor in the 1954 drama.

Robert Pattinson (Twilight)

There's no denying that playing Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies made Robert Pattinson the star he is now, but that doesn't change the fact that he's not big on the films. His 2011 interview with Vanity Fair, in which he says “representing something you don’t particularly like” is “weird” in reference to the teen vampire romance stories, is just one of many times the Batman actor has admitted to this.

Christopher Plummer (The Sound Of Music)

When asked about his most challenging role during a roundtable interview with THR, Christopher Plummer’s answer was Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. His reasoning was nothing akin to Julie Andrews’ rough time shooting the iconic hill sequence, but was that he found the beloved 1965 musical itself to be “so awful and sentimental and gooey.”

Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern)

Has an actor ever been more shamelessly and frequently vocal about their disdain for their own work than Ryan Reynolds with Green Lantern? Most recently, Reynolds shared his horrified reaction to the 2009 DC flick at London’s Just for Laughs festival in 2023 (according to The Independent). But his most public and unapologetic expression of disappointment can be seen in both Deadpool movies.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Red Sonja)

While recognized as a cult favorite today, Red Sonja — which is being rebooted — is certainly not a film Arnold Schwarzenegger would call one of his best movies. In fact, the former California governor is quoted in Far Out as saying that he used to punish his children by forcing them to watch the 1985 comic book adaptation, which stars Brigette Nielsen as the titular warrior.

Sylvester Stallone (Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot) 

Apparently, Sylvester Stallone has Arnold Schwarzenegger to blame for his decision to star in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, which the Rocky star later told Ain’t It Cool News was “one of the worst movies in the entire solar system.” According to SlashFilm, the Terminator star revealed he tricked his then-rival, Stallone, into signing on for the panned 1992 comedy by feigning interest in the script.

Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra)

Radio host Howard Stern once named G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra as guest Channing Tatum’s star-making moment. In turn, Tatum bluntly admitted he hates the 2009 cinematic adaptation of the action figure line, claiming he was “pushed into” making it by Paramount. That explains why he requested to be killed off in the 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Charlize Theron (Reindeer Games)

Academy Award winner Charlize Theron did not hold back when telling Esquire that she believes 2000’s Reindeer Games is a “bad, bad, bad movie.” However, she does not regret starring in the Ben Affleck-led Christmas action flick, as it a gave her the chance to work with director John Frankenheimer.

Mark Wahlberg (The Happening)

On a ranked list of M. Night Shyamalan movies, most people might put The Happening at a pretty low spot, including one of its stars. During a press conference for The Fighter, Mark Wahlberg admitted that he does not like The Happening either in an expletive-filled tirade. This came after he revealed that Amy Adams was up for Zooey Deschanel’s part in the unintentionally hilarious 2009 disaster thriller.

Sam Worthington (Clash Of The Titans)

Despite the fact that 2010's Clash of the Titans remake is one of his bigger hits outside of the Avatar movies, Sam Worthington is not a fan. He revealed to IndieWire that he put the blame on his “bland performance” as Perseus and promised to make up for it with the 2012 sequel, Wrath of the Titans.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Shallow Hal)

When Gwyneth Paltrow tested her friend and assistant Kevin Keating’s knowledge of her for a video on Netflix’s X account, he (almost) correctly names her least favorite performance of hers as Rosemary in Shallow Hal. The Academy Award winner and MCU star then describes the Farrelly Brothers’ 2001 fantasy rom-com, which also stars Jack Black, as a “disaster.”

Nicole Kidman (Australia)

Nicole Kidman revealed in an interview with a Sydney radio station (via Daily Mail) that she rarely watches her own movies but did attend the premiere of Australia, which reunited her with Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann. However, she found herself squirming in her seat over her performance in the 2009 romantic period drama, which paired her with Hugh Jackman.

Alec Baldwin (Rock Of Ages)

His fondness for director Adam Shankman and admiration for the all-star cast, including Tom Cruise and Catherine Zeta-Jones, convinced Alec Baldwin to star in Rock of Ages. However, as he revealed in a 2013 interview with American Magazine Media Conference in New York (via The Wrap), the 2012 movie based on a Broadway hit featuring ’80s rock tunes was a “complete disaster” in his eyes.

Brad Pitt (The Devil’s Own)

An action movie starring Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt sounds like a surefire success by those details alone but, as Pitt would share with Newsweek, The Devil’s Own is not all it's cracked up to be. Apparently, the 1997 thriller was a disaster from behind the scenes with the cast and crew being forced to make up the story as they went along after the previous “great script” was “tossed for various reasons.” In addition, Pitt and Ford couldn't get on the same page.

James Franco (Your Highness)

When James Franco jokes about not wanting to do a homemade sequel to 2011’s Your Highness in This is the End, he wasn't exactly kidding. The actor told GQ in 2013 that he thinks the medieval stoner comedy from director David Gordon Green “sucks."

Whether or not you agree with these celebrities’ opinion of their own films, you cannot deny that it takes guts for an actor to admit when one of their own films missed the mark in their eyes.

Celebrities are just like us, especially because they have off days just like the rest of us. The unfortunate truth is that when people like George Clooney or Scarlett Johansson have those moments, it’s more visible than when the rest of us encounter them. Especially when those sour notes become the lowest rated movie from major Hollywood stars like them. How many of these acting performances in notable disasters -- based on the critics freshness scores on Rotten Tomatoes -- do you remember? 

Meryl Streep - Lions For Lambs (2007) - 27%

If a movie like Lions for Lambs is the lowest rated film in your canon, you’re probably a legend like Meryl Streep. And that just so happens to be the film that ranks in the last slot on her history with the Tomatometer. Then again, the also iconic Tom Cruise co-starred in this picture, and his lowest ranked film scored even lower on the same scale.

Tom Hanks - The Bonfire Of The Vanities (1990) - 15%

One of the most infamous box office disasters in history is still Brian De Palma’s adaptation of The Bonfire of the Vanities. There are many reasons that it flopped, and Tom Hanks has shared thoughts on the matter on occasion. He’d certainly know the subject inside and out, as even he called out his own miscasting, in this supposed lowest point of his filmography. 

Angelina Jolie - Original Sin (2001) - 12%

How bad could a movie be that pairs Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas in a torrid love affair? Well, it can apparently be horrific if you’re going by Jolie’s RT resume. 2001’s Original Sin sits as her lowest ranked film, with not even its unrated cut able to generate a sizzle around the picture.

Denzel Washington - Heart Condition (1990) - 10%

Try this on for size: Denzel Washington once haunted Bob Hoskins, as a lawyer whose donated heart goes into Hoskins’ hard living detective. That was an actual plot for the ‘90s comedy Heart Condition, and you can see why critics weren’t exactly kind to this one; even with the charms of Washington and Hoskins involved.

Amy Adams - Serving Sara (2002) - 4%

Some stars are collateral damage for other stars’ failed starring vehicles. When Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley’s rom-com Serving Sara crashed and burned, it took Amy Adams along with it. Well, in the context that it’s her lowest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. Other than that, Ms. Adams seems to still be riding high, as she totally should be.

George Clooney - Grizzly 2: The Revenge (1983) - 8%

On one hand, Grizzly 2: The Revenge is a campy horror movie that looks like it’s earned its 8% RT score. At the same time, it’s kind of unfair to Clooney, as well as co-stars Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen, to be lumped in with the film’s failings as their characters are a classic case of disposable young teen victims.

Viola Davis - The Architect (2006) - 11%

The Architect couldn't have possibly been someone's attempt at cashing in on Crash's Best Picture win, could it? It sure seems like it, and critics weren't biting at writer/director Matt Tauber's adaptation of this stage drama. Actor Viola Davis survived this metaphorical wreckage though, and two years later she'd find herself in Doubt, with her first Academy Award nomination to show for it. 

Matt Damon - Suburbicon (2017) - 28%

Suburbicon had a lot going for it: an all-star cast that included Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac, and Julianne Moore, a script with Coen Brothers involvement, and George Clooney in the director’s chair. And yet, this attempt at pitch black satire of the idyllic ‘50s collapsed under its own ambitions, acting as the rock bottom of Damon’s resume. 

Taylor Swift - Valentine’s Day (2010) - 18%

Sorry Swifties, but Taylor can’t always win. Case in point is her role in the ensemble rom-com Valentine’s Day; which acts as the lowest ranked project she’s racked up as an acting talent. Though if you count the record-breaking Eras Tour movie, that’s the absolute tops. It may be apples and oranges, but it's something fun to keep in mind.

Ryan Reynolds - R.I.P.D. (2013) - 12%

Admit it: you probably thought X-Men: Origins - Wolverine was going to be Ryan Reynolds’ lowest rated movie. As it turns out, that’s not even in Reynolds’ bottom 10 movies. What did happen to be the Deadpool star’s lowest rated film was the misguided comic book romp R.I.P.D. That’s right folks: it’s rated even lower than Green Lantern!

Sandra Bullock - Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997) - 4%

When a movie like Speed becomes a breakout hit, you’d be crazy not to try and make a sequel. That’s not a guarantee that you should make that next movie, as we saw with 1997’s Speed 2: Cruise Control; the movie that is the low water mark for Academy Award winner Sandra Bullock’s Rotten Tomatoes scores. 

Tom Hardy - This Means War (2012) - 26%

How does a romantic action-comedy where Tom Hardy and Chris Pine fight over Reese Witherspoon lose? If you’ve seen This Means War, you might have an answer to that question already handy. Tom Hardy’s lowest ranking effort on his own personal Tomatometer, it’s one of his rare losses when it comes to the world of movies. 

Julia Roberts - Mother’s Day (2016) - 8%

Actors, be careful when accepting roles in all-star ensemble rom-coms. It’s a genre that’s given us Love, Actually, but also gave us Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Mother’s Day. Taylor Swift can count that first film as her lowest RT score, and Academy Award winner Julia Roberts has the last one in that line as hers. So live and learn.

Ben Affleck - The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) - 5%

What’s the last thing Ben Affleck wanted? A mid-profile flop like The Last Thing He Wanted. This is the absolute bottom of Affleck’s Rotten Tomatoes scored films, which may or may not surprise some film fans. Your range of shock probably depends on how you feel about Jersey Girl and/or Gigli. Which is saying something, as Gigli was disowned by its director.

Scarlett Johansson - The Spirit (2008) - 14%

After Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City and Zack Snyder’s 300 became surprise hits with audiences, author Frank Miller’s work seemed poised to take off. And then The Spirit came along, and cratered those hopes along with Scarlett Johansson’s Rotten Tomatoes scores. You Lucy apologists out there just scored an important victory for the next time someone questions your taste in movies.

Robert Downey Jr. - Johnny Be Good (1988) - 0%

Even at the height of his powers as a young performer, Robert Downey Jr. had his fair share of unsuccessful films. None of those flops had the power to counter the absolute 0 that 1988’s Johnny Be Good scored. To his credit, the movie was more of a starring vehicle for Anthony Michael-Hall, but this one still has to sting. 

Jennifer Lawrence - House At The End Of The Street (2012) - 12%

A survivor of many threats thrown at her on the big screen, Jennifer Lawrence can battle some tough forces and still come out the victor. Just look at her 2012 output, which saw her score her lowest RT result with the horror film House at the End of the Street; but also saw her on the road to winning her first Oscar in Silver Linings Playbook. 

Dwayne Johnson - Tooth Fairy (2010) - 17%

The failure of Black Adam was a humbling that some probably believed Dwayne Johnson had coming. Longtime fans of The Rock would know better though, as looking back a bit further in his career, you start to run into movies like Tooth Fairy. That practically makes Black Adam look like Batman vs. Superman if you think about it long enough.

Anne Hathaway - The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) - 5%

While Anne Hathaway's career highlights are abundant -- including The Devil Wears Prada, Interstellar, Rachel Getting Married (for which she was nominated for an Oscar), and Les Miserables (for which she won an Oscar) -- like every other actor on this list, she's not immune to the occasional poorly-received movie. In her case, it's a very low rating for the 2020 movie The Last Thing He Wanted. 

Henry Cavill - Hellraiser: Hellworld (2005) - 0%

We’re not going to say that Henry Cavill’s part in Hellraiser: Hellworld is part of his tough luck with James Bond. If an actor can star in a movie like this and still be invited to audition for Casino Royale, then maybe their acting chops were honed enough to be a part of the James Bond movies after all. 

Charlize Theron - The Last Face (2016) - 8%

A lineup like Jared Harris, Javier Bardem, and Charlize Theron is something a movie would kill for. Adding a director like Sean Penn just sweetens the pot if you’re a certain type of moviegoer. Well, that combination did work on 2016’s The Last Face, and it was a result so abysmal that it came in as Charlize Theron’s worst rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bradley Cooper - Brother’s Justice (2010) - 0%

There was a time when Dax Shepard decided to co-direct a mockumentary where he pretended to try and become an action star. That movie was Brother’s Justice, and good luck remembering it ever existed past it being mentioned here and now, as Bradley Cooper’s lowest rated movie of his career. 

Halle Berry - Dark Tide (2012) - 0%

Even in the presence of infamous trash fires like Catwoman, there’s a movie that reigns even higher in Halle Berry’s not-so-greatest hits. 2012’s Dark Tide is the deep end of the pool for the X-Men alum, being thrashed by critics upon its release. Want to know what happens to a flop that’s struck by lightning? The same thing that happened to Dark Tide.

Will Smith - After Earth (2013) - 12%

“Wild Wild West was less painful than After Earth.” Will Smith’s dig at this infamous bomb is admittedly more entertaining than the movie itself, even if his slam of the M. Night Shyamalan directed picture unfairly slams Wild Wild West as anything but a silly fun house of comedy. Your mileage may vary on that gigantic spider adventure, but we can all agree that at least it isn’t After Earth, which is Smith's lowest rated movie.

Nicole Kidman - Grace Of Monaco (2014) - 9%

Going into its release window, Nicole Kidman’s Grace of Monaco looked like an awards season darling waiting to happen. But a last minute shift that robbed the movie of a domestic theatrical release, plus an infamous difference between the theatrical and “writer’s” cut changed those fortunes oh so quickly; and with an RT score to prove it.

Morgan Freeman - Just Getting Started (2017) - 4%

You can’t help but want to root for a movie like Just Getting Started. A comedy where Rene Russo, Tommy Lee Jones, and Morgan Freeman collide sounds like a fun night out on paper. Alas, that recipe doesn’t always cook up a winner, and this absolute stinker proves it, marking the tail end of the spectrum of films Freeman has starred in. 

Emma Stone - Movie 43 (2013) - 4%

Considering how many big ticket stars were suckered into making Movie 43, it’s surprising that it hasn’t cropped up as the nadir of more of the filmographies on this list. Which may be a compliment to Emma Stone, as if this is the movie that’s supposed to represent her “worst,” then maybe Aloha wasn’t as big of a misfire as we thought.

Tom Cruise - Cocktail (1988) - 9%

Out of all the movies that Tom Cruise is known for, Cocktail seems to be one that people rarely talk about. A dramedy digging into the highs and lows of being a hot shot bartender, it feels like Top Gun with a liquor license. This flick might hold its liquor, but its Tomatoes are scattered on the floor, resulting in the worst hangover on Cruise’s resume.

Natalie Portman - Planetarium (2016) - 15%

A Natalie Portman period drama can be hit or miss, and in the case of Planetarium, it apparently was the latter. You're probably wondering how you haven't heard about a movie where Portman and Lily Rose Depp play sisters that can see ghosts during the '30s. Well, this is the same year that Portman starred in Pablo Larrain's Jackie, and that film was the clear winner of the Black Swan star's year in 2016.

Brad Pitt - Cool World (1992) - 4%

How bad do you have to screw up to land a movie named Cool World with an insanely cool Brad Pitt all the way at the bottom of his filmography? If you really want the answer, you should see the film for yourself. Some bombs of great infamy just have to be experienced firsthand to truly understand the failure they brought upon their stars.

Jennifer Aniston - ‘Til There Was You (1997) - 5%

The “stable friend” is a character that can still provide a breakout hit for an actor, as even the balanced party of a movie like ‘Til There Was You gets some laughs. But not even a gag involving Jennifer Aniston and a kitten could save the film, which seems like a surefire formula that’s hard to pass up. Even in 1997, this movie’s response seems particularly harsh. 

Chris Hemsworth - Red Dawn (2012) - 15%

Remaking a Patrick Swayze classic like Red Dawn seemed like a match made in Hell since day one. Even though Chris Hemsworth was already the god of thunder in Thor, that didn’t make up for a movie so dubious that even the horribly photoshopped posters didn’t seem to care about selling it.

As you can see with the films we've just recalled, it didn't exactly crush the careers and dreams of these heavy hitters of the movies. At the same time, we'd recommend not mentioning them in polite conversation, unless you're absolutely sure that the situation is ripe for a fun story about some bad times. 

When you look at the landscape of Hollywood A-List actors, it’s hard to believe how many haven’t been nominated for an Oscar. Even crazier is looking back on previous nominees like Meryl Streep and Gary Oldman’s careers and seeing where their first brush with golden glory came from. That’s what we’re gathered together to do today, as we look back on a who’s who of acting talent, and those first projects that put them on The Academy’s map! 

Meryl Streep - The Deer Hunter

Where does one begin when talking about Meryl Streep’s own personal golden dynasty? Well, if you want to start at the beginning, you’d take it all the way back to 1978. That’s when Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter put Ms. Streep on the Academy’s radar for the first time. At the time of publication, Streep is the most nominated person at the Academy Awards, thanks to a whopping 21 nods.

Daniel Day-Lewis - My Left Foot

The year 1990 marked an important moment for iconic actor, and three-time Academy Award winner, Daniel Day-Lewis. The now-retired thespian found himself winning on his first time out, with his nomination for the role of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown in My Left Foot. His portrayal of Brown, who created art while living with Cerebral Palsy, was only the beginning of a legacy involving method acting, which led to several more nominations and wins in the process.

Amy Adams - Junebug

Let’s put aside the fact that Amy Adams and Arrival were failed by awards boards in the 2016- 2017 season. Outside of that grudge that some still hold dear, Adams has a total of six Oscar nominations to her credit. That’s pretty amazing, with the first nod coming from her performance in 2005’s Junebug. With that noted, we can go back to grousing about how she deserves to be at seven nods, thanks to Denis Villeneuve’s brain-breaking masterpiece.

Leonardo DiCaprio - What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

While Leonardo DiCaprio could finally call himself a winner as part of 2016’s Academy Award nominees, the path to that victory for The Revenant kicked off in 1994. A hot young talent, DiCaprio’s first nomination was for his role alongside Johnny Depp in the drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Turns out, when it was winning time for Leo, the answer to that question was, “A bear.”

Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side

One of America’s sweethearts, Sandra Bullock can be counted as a member of the First Timer's Club. Her first nomination was also the one that won her the trophy, as the 2010 Academy Awards yielded a golden win for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the recent controversies and lawsuit from Michael Oher that have hit that film’s story about the football player and the Tuohys, this is a hard-earned win, and the first of two nominations so far for Ms. Bullock. 

Tom Hanks - Big

We all know that Tom Hanks is Academy Award-winning royalty, as America’s Dad has six nominations and two wins under his belt. Looking back at the fact that his first competition for Oscar glory came from 1988’s Big, it’s an impressive feat for happening so early in Hanks’ career as an actor. It’s even more stunning when you take into account that it was for a comedy performance, which isn’t as prevalent at the Oscars as one would hope.

Viola Davis - Doubt

Despite the title of the film she was first nominated for, there was absolutely no Doubt when it came to Viola Davis’ status as an Oscar contender. Her first round came in 2008, through that very film mentioned; and she would eventually be nominated three more times, at the time of this publication. Her first win came in 2016 after she starred with fellow Oscar titan Denzel Washington in the film adaptation of Fences. (It's also worth mentioning that this actress is also in the elite club of EGOT winners.)

Peter O’Toole - Lawrence Of Arabia

Tied with Glenn Close for the most Oscar nominations without a win, the late great Peter O’Toole banked his first Academy Awards nod with the movie you’d most expect. Thanks to the director David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia, O’Toole began a dance with Academy voters that only saw him net a 2002 Honorary Academy Award. 

Jodie Foster - Taxi Driver

In the world of Disney actors turned Academy Award contenders, Jodie Foster will always be one of the most notable in that field. At the age of 15, Foster saw her first nomination through her only Best Supporting Actress nod to date. The eventual victor for films like The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, Jodie first competed for Oscar glory through the role of child prostitute Iris Steensma in Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. 

Morgan Freeman - Street Smart

Even movies with Oscar buzz can become buried in the sands of time. Just ask Morgan Freeman, who first saw himself nominated at the Academy Awards in 1987 for Street Smart. A crime drama starring Christopher Reeve as an ambitious reporter profiling Freeman’s pimp character Leo “Fast Black” Smalls Jr., it’s a movie that most wouldn’t remember; especially when compared to the other films the prestigious actor would be nominated for.

Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth

Playing royalty almost feels like a shortcut to winning big-time gold. However, Cate Blanchett is one of those exceptions that sets the rules. While she would later win trophies for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine, Blanchett’s first bid for an Academy Award came in 1999, thanks to the titular role in director Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth. 

Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of The Lambs

Horror is one of those genres that doesn’t seem to get much love on the awards circuit. However, when the results are something as chilling as director Jonathan Demme’s adaptation of The Silence of the Lambs, containing Anthony Hopkins’ equally unsettling performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter, it’s hard not to take notice. Score another First Timer’s Club victory, as Hopkins took home the gold his first time up.

Charlize Theron - Monster

Portraying the criminal mind provides such an allure for actors and auteurs alike. A case proving that point was Charlize Theron’s portrayal of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins’ film Monster, her first nomination out of three at the time of this writing. Theron won the Best Actress trophy on the first try in 2004, all thanks to this tale of true crime. 

Christian Bale - The Fighter

Able to disappear completely in any character he plays, Academy Award winner Christian Bale has four nominations to his name. Equally split between Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor accolades, his first roll of the dice in 2011 landed him a win in the former category; thanks to David O. Russell’s The Fighter. 

Kate Winslet - Sense And Sensibility

The works of Jane Austen are another one of those sources that seem to periodically score nominations at the Oscars. Kate Winslet’s first is part of the proof, as the first of her current total of seven Academy Award nominations (and one win) came from 1995’s Sense and Sensibility. Ms. Winslet’s heart would go on to win Best Actress…in 2009, for Stephen Daldry’s The Reader.

Denzel Washington - Cry Freedom

Let’s see if King Kong knows this piece of movie trivia. Actor Denzel Washington has had 10 Oscar nominations, with two wins coming from that pool. While most would be tempted to cite his win for Glory as the first time he was nominated, that is incorrect. Washington’s first Academy Awards ceremony happened two years earlier in 1988, for his part in the film Cry Freedom. 

Kathy Bates - Misery

Frightening characters can make for the most golden of dreams, as was proven with 1991’s Academy Awards. Kathy Bates took home her first award on her first nomination, through the role of Anne Wilkes in Rob Reiner’s Misery. A “brilliant” adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, this fan favorite is one of many that’s seen the famed horror author’s work turning in some of the most well-regarded films and performances of all time.

George Clooney - Good Night, And Good Luck/Syriana

Here’s a wild story: George Clooney’s first Oscar nominations came from not one, but two films he was involved with. 2006’s Academy Awards saw the ER veteran land and win Best Supporting Actor for his role in Syriana, while one of CinemaBlend’s 100 best movies of the 2000s, Good Night, And Good Luck., netted him a Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay nod in that same contest.

Helen Mirren - The Madness Of King George

Did you know that half of Helen Mirren’s four Oscar nominations came from playing royalty? Surely most know of Mirren’s win in 2007 as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen. But, dear readers, another queen marked the start of Dame Helen’s Academy Awards history. Her Best Supporting Actress nod in 1995 for The Madness of King George would be her initial foray into this circuit, playing Queen Charlotte to Nigel Hawthorne’s titular monarch.

Judi Dench - Mrs. Brown

Dame Judi Dench is another regal figure that practically screams “Oscar” when you see her. Another member of the club of actors winning as royalty, Dench would win in 1999 for her as Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love. That was only on her second try, because in 1998 Dame Judi received her first nomination, playing Queen Victoria in the film Mrs. Brown.

Dustin Hoffman - The Graduate

And here’s to you, Mr. Hoffman; Oscar came a’calling very young. At 30 years old, Dustin Hoffman saw his first Academy Award nomination through starring in 1967’s The Graduate. What may be more surprising than the actual 6-year age gap between himself and co-star Anne Bancroft is that his first Oscar win would take place 12 years later, with 1980’s Kramer vs. Kramer.

Susan Sarandon - Atlantic City

Five nominations and one win are actor Susan Sarandon’s Academy Award legacy, at the time of this writing. But her first nomination was from an Oscar-buzzed title that most folks may not remember: 1981’s Atlantic City. With nominations in “The Big Five” categories, Sarandon and the film at large walked away empty-handed that year.

Russell Crowe - The Insider

Before his name was Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe found himself heading to the Oscars under a different moniker: Jeffrey Wigand. Nominated for the first time in 2000, Crowe’s role in Michael Mann’s whistleblower drama The Insider gave the Australian actor his first golden thrill ride. One that he’d repeat in 2001, and win for through the strength and honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Angela Bassett - What’s Love Got To Do With It

Surprisingly, Angela Bassett only received her second nomination as part of 2023's Academy Awards, thanks to Marvel Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Bassett’s first nomination came from playing royalty of a different type, as her lead role in the Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got To Do With It saw her walking the Oscar red carpet in 1994.

Gary Oldman - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Count this as another shocker in Oscar nominations history: Gary Oldman only received his first Academy Awards nomination in 2012. You’d think the Bram Stoker’s Dracula actor would have had more than the three nods and one win he currently holds. However, his dreams of golden splendor only started after he played George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 

Julia Roberts - Steel Magnolias

With three nominations and one win, Julia Roberts’ odds of firing you up or making you cry with her Academy Award-nominated projects are officially even. Her first time in the race came in 1990, in the dramedy classic Steel Magnolias. For those of you who haven’t seen the film, we’ll leave it to you to find out which bucket this particular nom falls into on your own time.

Al Pacino - The Godfather

Some roles are such an indelible part of an actor’s career, they just had to land an Oscar nomination for it. Al Pacino is certainly one of those cases, as he would turn his first Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather into a Best Actor nod in The Godfather Part II. Both stem from his portrayal of Michael Corleone, the favorite son who descended into darkness and power.

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

“It came true.” Those three words marked the end of Anne Hathaway’s journey to Oscar gold, with her second nomination and first win for Best Supporting Actress in Les Miserables. But the beginning of Ms. Hathaway’s Academy Awards journey was in 2009, when she was nominated for Best Actress in Rachel Getting Married. 

Matt Damon - Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck both won their first Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to 1998’s Good Will Hunting. But much like other members of the First Timers Club in this list, Damon’s first victory was also his first time at the dance. How ‘bout dem apples indeed.

Jennifer Lawrence - Winter’s Bone

The second time was the charm for Jennifer Lawrence, as her role in Silver Linings Playbook made her a winner in 2013. That wasn’t too long after her initial foray into Oscar victory, which came in 2011 thanks to her lead role in the neo-noir gem Winter’s Bone. Who’d expect any less from the eventual "girl on fire" that would lead The Hunger Games to box office domination?

Ben Affleck - Good Will Hunting

Sailing on the same current as his writing partner and longtime buddy Matt Damon, Ben Affleck’s first Oscar nomination came from his co-authoring of Good Will Hunting. And to think, if Damon and Affleck’s hijinks involving the script hadn’t worked, we may never have seen either contributor go on to the storied careers they enjoy today.

Samuel L. Jackson - Pulp Fiction

Fans of Samuel L. Jackson are about to engage in some harsh language, as the current MCU star only has one Academy Award nomination. While it’s rightful for his Best Supporting Actor-worthy role in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, the man’s gone on to deliver several other powerhouse performances worth at least a nod or two. This is something that not even the tastiest beverage could wash away.

As an actor, you never know where that first win or nomination is going to come from. And when you're an A-lister as iconic as the people we've just discussed, those initial impressions are all the more interesting to look at as time goes on. Who knows where these blockbuster draws will find their next brush with golden glory, and how it will compare to these humble beginnings? 

Fans who are looking forward to a return to The Hunger Games, have a lot to be looking forward to. The runtime of the prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has been revealed, and it will be the longest movie in the franchise, clocking in at one second short of 157 minutes. This makes it 10 minutes longer than The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which previously had the franchise runtime record.

The two-hour and 37-minute runtime reported by GamesRadar isn't necessarily that shocking considering Songbirds and Snakes is the longest Hunger Games novel, coming in at about 130 pages more than Catching Fire or Mockingjay. On the other hand, Mockingjay was split into two films in order for it to get everything in and not make it a four-hour movie. At some point, you need to make the decision to either split your film or make it shorter.

Cearly there’s a feeling that there’s a lot in the 500 pages of Songbirds that needed to be included in the film. The good news is, at this point, a two-and-a-half-hour franchise movie has become essentially normal. So it’s unlikely anybody is going to have a particularly hard time with the film’s runtime. 

It’s almost surprising that there wasn’t a call made to split the new Hunger Games prequel into two movies. Although it has been a while since we got one of these movies, so maybe it wasn’t clear how big the audience would be. Since it’s a prequel giving us essentially all-new characters, it might not automatically attract all the people who made the Hunger Games movies so successful previously. Still, the Songbirds and Snakes trailer certainly hits all the beats we’d expect from a Hunger Games movie, so anybody who enjoyed those stories is likely to find something they like here. 

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set more than 60 years prior to the events of The Hunger Games trilogy. It sees a young Cornelius Snow, Donald Sutherland’s less-than-sympathetic character from the previous films, becoming a mentor to a young Hunger Games contestant, played by Rachel Zegler. The Songbird and Snakes cast is stacked, in addition to the up-and-coming Zegler it includes Peter Dinklage as the man who created the Hinger Games, as well as other stars like Jason Schwartzman and Viola Davis.

There aren’t any more Hunger Games books, so it appears this will be the last movie in the franchise, at least for now. Of course, there has been talk of creating new Hunger Games movies based on the ideas and characters previously established, without official source material. If Songbirds and Snakes is a box office hit, it’s a safe bet we’ll be hearing that talk start up once again.  

The list of Best Picture winners is short, and exclusive, which means that even some of the most acclaimed, decorated, and generally well-liked actors of all time haven't taken home the grand prize at the Academy Awards. You might be surprised by the number of celebrities we have listed below — many of which have Oscars of their own — that have never starred in a Best Picture winner.

Denzel Washington

As one of a few actors who have two Oscars to their name, you might assume that some of the best Denzel Washington movies were also guaranteed a Best Picture win, right? Surprisingly, the star of Glory and Training Day has never made a movie that won the Academy's big prize, but at least he can say that King Kong still ain’t got nothing on him.

Heath Ledger

If what many consider to be one of the Academy’s greatest mistakes (awarding Crash Best Picture over Brokeback Mountain in 2006) had not happened, Heath Ledger’s name would not be on this list. However, the late Australian actor still left behind a stunning legacy only so many actors can dream of. Notably, he won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as the Joker in one of the best superhero movies, The Dark Knight.

Christian Bale

Five of Christian Bale’s best movies have been nominated for Best Picture (The Fighter, American Hustle, The Big Short, Vice, and Ford v. Ferrari), but to no avail. At least his performance in The Fighter — David O. Russell’s 2010 boxing biopic — earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Robert Downey Jr.

It is already hard enough to believe that Robert Downey Jr. has only two Oscar nominations (for Chaplin and Tropic Thunder), and that none of his many great movies outside of the MCU have achieved the highest honor, either. However, things could change at the 2024 Oscars, given his stunning work in the Oppenheimer cast and the promising chances for Christopher Nolan’s glowing biopic.

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is an extraordinarily talented actor with the accolades to prove it, including an Oscar nomination for 1999’s The Sixth Sense. However, the classic M. Night Shyamalan movie is also one of a few Toni Collette movies to be nominated for Best Picture (also including 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine), but she hasn't been in a winner yet.

Will Smith

From TV sitcoms to sci-fi blockbusters to critically acclaimed biopics, Will Smith’s filmography is pretty extraordinary, but it does not include Best Picture winners. If that does change for him soon, he may be unable to celebrate the honor in person. This is because he has been banned from future ceremonies for the next decade after slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — which also happened to be the night he won Best Actor for King Richard.

Harrison Ford

Two of Harrison Ford's most iconic characters were featured in two Best Picture Nominees -- the original Star Wars movie, where he played Han Solo, and the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark -- but neither of them won. At least Ford, who does have an Oscar nomination for fellow Best Picture nominee 1985’s Witness, can say those films, among others, made him one of the highest-grossing actors of all time.

Scarlett Johansson

Some of the most significant films of Scarlett Johansson’s career were Best Pictures nominees — such as her breakthrough role in one of the best movies of the 2000s, Lost in Translation, and her dual Oscar-nominated performances the same year for Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. Of course, none of these films took home the top prize.

Ryan Gosling

There was a time when it seemed like Ryan Gosling would not be eligible for a list like this when we thought La La Land won Best Picture in 2017. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken envelopes and the real winner was Moonlight. The Barbie cast member was also in the nominated film The Big Short, and there are sure to be more Ryan Gosling movies getting Oscar consideration.

Glenn Close

Glenn Close is one of those actors whose longtime losing streak at the Academy Awards — eight nominations, zero wins — continues to baffle audiences. Add on the fact that none of her best movies have won Best Picture either and the notion becomes simply unspeakable.

Jennifer Lawrence

The Academy loves Jennifer Lawrence — nominating her four times and awarding her the Best Actress Oscar for 2012’s Silver Linings Playbook. However, they seem to like her just a bit more than Jennifer Lawrence’s best movies, none of which have received the Best Picture award.

Julia Roberts

I suppose Julia Roberts’ multiple nominations and one win — for Erin Brockovich — had me convinced that she had been in a Best Picture winner at some point. In truth, said biopic from 2000 is actually the only Best Picture nominee among Roberts’ filmography so far, and it lost to Gladiator.

Meg Ryan

Would you believe that Meg Ryan has never been nominated for an Academy Award? Well, what if I told you that none of her movies — which include some of the best romantic comedies of all time, like When Harry Met Sally — were considered for the top prize either? Some talents just do not get the recognition they deserve.

Laura Linney

Curiously, Laura Linney has been nominated for her performances in 2000’s You Can Count On Me, Kinsey from 2004, and 2007’s The Savages — none of which even received Best Picture nominations. She has been in a Best Picture nominee though — Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River — however, that did not win either.

George Clooney

For a while, George Clooney’s filmography seemed to consist primarily of Best Picture nominees, such as Syriana (for which he won Best Supporting Actor) and Good Night, and Good Luck (which also earned him nods for writing and directing). However, in terms of the Best Picture category, that’s all any of them ever amounted to being; nominee.

Samuel L. Jackson

With a resume as lengthy and renowned as his, you would think Samuel L. Jackson has been in at least one Best Picture winner but he has not… yet. He has starred in quite a few Best Pictures nominees — many of which are Quentin Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, for which he received his sole Oscar nomination.

Hugh Jackman

Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation of Les Miserables earned eight nominations including one for Best Picture and and another for Best Actor for Hugh Jackman, but those categories were not among the three it did win. At least the Australian X-Men movie star has had the honor of hosting an Oscar ceremony before.

Emily Blunt

Emily Blunt has won a Golden Globe for Gideon’s Daughters, a Screen Actors Guild Award for 2018’s A Quiet Place, and three BAFTA nominations for The Devil Wears Prada, a special “Rising Star Award” from the same year, and The Girl on the Train. However, never has the Academy given her a nod, nor have any of Emily Blunt’s movies even been nominated for Best Picture.

Jake Gyllenhaal

The fact that Jake Gyllenhaal has only been nominated for an Oscar once — for Best Supporting Actor in 2005’s Brokeback Mountain surprisingly enough -- is crazy. To learn that said LGBTQ+ romance movie is the only film of his to receive a Best Picture nomination is equally baffling.

Matthew McConaughey

Mathew McConaughey has starred in two films nominated for Best Picture — Dallas Buyer’s Club, for which he won his Best Actor Oscar, and The Wolf of Wall Street — which were both released in 2013. Even with favorable odds like that, neither acclaimed drama took home the gold that year.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman has been nominated for three Oscars, and she took home one in 2011 for Black Swan. Darren Aronofsky’s twisted tale of ambition gone too far is also the actor’s only film to be nominated for Best Picture.

Gary Oldman

Gary Oldman is one of those actors who was overdue for his Oscar for a long time before he broke the streak with his transformative performance as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Before (and after) his win, the British actor appeared in just a couple of Best Picture nominees — namely Oliver Stone’s JFK and David Fincher’s Mank.  

Amy Adams

The fact that none of Amy Adams’ movies have earned a Best Picture Oscar — despite six being nominated, including American Hustle and Arrival — is not particularly shocking. What is shocking is that the actor also has six nominations of her own and has never won any of them.

Angela Bassett

Years after she was nominated for an Academy Award as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, Angela Bassett made history as the first actor to receive an Oscar nomination for a Marvel movie performance (as Queen Ramona in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). Yet, her first Marvel movie, 2018’s Black Panther, is her only Best Picture nominee. 

Jeff Bridges

In addition to taking home an Oscar for Crazy Heart, Jeff Bridges has many Best Picture nominees under his belt, from 1971’s The Last Picture Show to Hell or High Water from 2016. Not a single one of them took him the grand prize, but I think the Academy’s biggest misstep in regards to acting legend was not nominating him for playing The Dude in The Big Lebowski.

Michael Caine

Despite two Academy Award wins to his name (one for 1986’s, Hannah and Her Sisters, and the other for 1999’s The Cider House Rules) Michael Caine cannot say he has starred in a Best Picture. Unfortunately, since the 90-year-old actor told The Telegraph that he is “sort of retired now,” he may never receive that honor.

Robin Williams

The late Robin Williams led a tremendous, widely beloved career that really made us laugh, through movies like 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as cry, like with his Academy Award-winning performance in Good Will Hunting. That 1997 favorite and 1989’s Dead Poets Society are the only two Best Picture nominees he starred in.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry gave a landmark performance in 2001's Monster's Ball which earned her a historic Best Actress Oscar win. However, that film was not nominated for Best Picture, and neither has anything else the actor has starred in.

Sean Penn

Sean Penn has won Best Actor twice -- first for 2003's Mystic River by director Clint Eastwood and second for the title character of the powerful 2008 biopic, Milk. Neither of those acclaimed dramas got a Best Picture win, leaving the Fast Times at Ridgemont High cast member empty-handed in that particular regard.

Sandra Oh

With 13 Emmy nominations to her name, former Grey's Anatomy cast member Sandra Oh is better known as one of the greatest modern actors from the small screen. That would explain why her otherwise impressive big screen career -- which includes Alexander Payne's Best Picture-nominated Sideways -- does not include any grand prize winners at the Oscars at the moment.

Bradley Cooper

The otherwise bewildering fact that none of Bradley Cooper's many Oscar-nominated performances -- such as in 2012's Silver Linings Playbook or 2014's American Sniper -- nor his many Best Picture-nominated films -- including the two aforementioned films -- have resulted in any wins is not particularly a concern of mine. What I am surprised, and concerned, about is the snub for directing A Star is Born, which hopefully gets made up for when the upcoming Netflix movie, Maestro, comes out.

Viola Davis

I am happy that we live in a world in which an actor of momentous talent such as Viola Davis has been recognized and rewarded by the Academy with her Oscar win for 2016's Fences. That alone makes me, at least, content with the fact that there are still no Best Picture winners on her resume as of today.

Perhaps there will come a day when the names on this list change drastically and many of the actors above can say they have been in a Best Picture Oscar winner. For now, just keep cross your fingers and keep your hopes up for the next ceremony.

Getting Oscar winner Viola Davis to join the Hunger Games prequel was a major coup for the franchise. Some fans might be surprised by her casting, but Davis joining The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes wouldn’t have happened if not for one thing. The movie's director opened up about Davis’s Hunger Games casting being inspired by viral fan art.

Prequel director Francis Lawrence revealed to EW how a viral poster featuring the Oscar winner influenced the casting decision. Lawrence mentioned the moment he saw the viral fan art he knew Davis would be the perfect person to play The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ main adversary Dr. Volumnia Gaul. The Hollywood director opened up about the impression the fan-made poster had on him, saying:

That’s why fan art is important in the casting process. While naysayers may frown upon the fan casting, it does work from time to time as with Viola Davis joining the Hunger Games prequel. Fortunately, Hollywood bigwigs are scouring the internet and taking fans’ suggestions to heart. Lawrence is tuned in to what viewers are doing and saying online. Davis’s casting wouldn’t have happened without Lawrence stumbling upon the viral fan poster.

The I Am Legend director couldn’t hold back his astonishment after seeing the villainous fan art online. Lawrence opened up about the poster sparking him to contact Davis to play the singular-minded head game maker, stating:

It appeared Lawrence and Lionsgate made the right decision in casting The The Woman King star as the Hunger Games prequel’s main antagonist from the monumental trailers. Davis just inhabited Dr. Gaul’s singular mission to groom a young Coriolanus Snow to become President of Panem. However, Francis Lawrence wasn’t the first one to notice the fan-made poster. Viola Davis noticed the viral art first. She even went as far as to repost the image on her Instagram account. Seeing how The Help’s Aibileen Clark would be the perfect villain in the post below.

I loved how Davis leaned into the menacing image by asking for commenters to suggest possible horror plots for the 1960s housemaid. Thankfully, other Hollywood figures noticed the poster, too. Now the Emmy winner gets to tap into her villain era for the newest Hunger Games installment after years of stellar performances as either upright citizens or complicated and messy characters.

Looking at the viral fan art I totally get why Lawrence cast Davis as The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes villain. This over-the-top adversary seemed like a gearshift for the Oscar winner after playing the more stoic and manipulative Amanda Waller in DCU. Turning an innocent smile into a devious grin can change the viewers’ perspective on a character. That says a lot about the artist’s ability to change the endearing Aibileen into a possible serial killer. Adding the bloody handprints and smears were necessary touches to make the image even more sinister.

Hunger Games fans won’t have to wait much longer to see Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul as The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will arrive in theaters on November 17. In the meantime, check out the Hunger Games franchise by buying or renting the films through an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Look over our 2023 movie schedule to see what other prequels are heading to movie cinemas this year.

Earlier this year, DC Studios co-CEOS James Gunn and Peter Safran announced a full slate of film and television projects that will launch the newly minted DC Universe in the coming years, but one thing that has remained a big question mark is whether or not stars from the existing DC Extended Universe canon will be returning in their respective roles. Today, we have learned that at least three actors are set to be back as their established characters, but their existing continuity will not be maintained.

As he has been known to do, James Gunn took to his personal Threads account this morning to answer questions from fans, and in one of his posts, he confirmed that Xolo Maridueña, Viola Davis, and John Cena are all a part of the plans for the DC Universe. Or in his words,

Admittedly most of this isn't super new information. Viola Davis was confirmed to return as Amanda Waller when the news came out that she was getting her own TV show, and James Gunn went on record earlier this summer calling Xolo Maridueña's Blue Beetle "the first DCU character." 

But here's where things get a bit complicated.

In another post on Threads, James Gunn was asked "will the audience/viewers need to watch ANYTHING prior to Creature Commandos to understand what's going on?" The filmmaker/executive offered a succinct response:

That's a pretty big deal. It seems that in the DCU, Jaime Reyes, Amanda Waller, and Christopher Smith will look exactly like their counterparts from movies and TV shows like Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, but they will be different versions of the characters. We can expect that some details will remain consistent between the canons, but otherwise the slate is being cleaned (if it makes it easier to digest, think about the supporting characters in the James Bond franchise who carry over after a new 007 is announced). 

This presumably means that fans shouldn't expect a direct follow-up to the end credits scene in Blue Beetle, and it raises a whole lot of questions about what is being planned for Peacemaker Season 2.

With their roles in the DC Universe, Xolo Maridueña, Viola Davis, and John Cena are presently part of a rather small group. The other actors who are confirmed to be in the franchise are limited to the announced casts of Superman: Legacy and the animated series Creature Commandos. The former will include David Corenswet as Superman, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Isabela Merced as Hawkgirl, Nathan Fillion as Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan as Metamorpho, and Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific. The latter will have Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Alan Tudyk as Doctor Phosphorus, David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Sean Gunn as G.I. Robot, Indira Varma as Bride of Frankenstein, and Maria Bakalova as Ilana Rostovic.

As described by James Gunn, Creature Commandos is coming out next year as an "aperitif" to the DC Universe, and then Superman: Legacy, which will be released on July 11, 2025, will be the first big dive for audiences into the rebooted franchise. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news and updates about what's going on behind the scenes, and to keep track of everything that is on the way in the new canon, check out our Upcoming DC Movies and Upcoming DC TV guides.

From Julia Roberts to Jennifer Lawrence to Viola Davis, the list of women who have taken a stand and fought for pay equality is long and inspiring. Many actresses, including the three named above, have worked hard to ensure equal pay for themselves, and they have been transparent about the pay disparity they have experienced compared to their male co-stars. So, let’s take a look at a few examples of women who have stood up against the gender pay gap in Hollywood. 

Julia Roberts 

Julia Roberts was a pioneer when it came to fair compensation for actresses, and she helped break the glass ceiling when she sought better pay for her role in Erin Brockovich. The Oscar winner -- and she won for this movie might I add -- demanded $20 million to play the leading role in Steven Soderbergh’s 2000 film. Ultimately she became the only woman during that time to make as much as a male actor, and she had to fight for it, as she explained in 2022 during History Channel’s History Talks in Washington D.C. (via Variety):

Not only did Roberts have the box office success of some of her best films like Pretty Woman and Notting Hill, among others, to show her worth, but she also explained just how hard she works on set, explaining that she’s “all-in. So, show me the money.”  

Jennifer Lawrence 

Jennifer Lawrence penned a brutally honest essay on the pay gap in Hollywood back in 2015, which was years after she won her Oscar and around the time the final Hunger Games film came out. In the open letter to Lenny Letter, the Silver Linings Playbook star explained why she found it unacceptable that she, and many actresses, weren’t making as much as their male colleagues. She wrote: 

The three actors she named were her co-stars in David O. Russell’s American Hustle, and she and Amy Adams also starred in the film. All five were advertised on an equal level on the poster, but as Lawrence noted, she was worried she’d be called a “brat” if she negotiated like her male co-workers probably did. However, with this letter, she put her foot down and made her worth known. 

Viola Davis 

Viola Davis has spoken candidly about the pay gap and how women of color are specifically affected by it. The actress, who joined the list of EGOT winners recently, spoke about how she’s had a similar career to other prominent actresses like Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore. However, she has not received the same treatment as them. The Fences star explained during a conversation with Women in the World CEO Tina Brown in 2018 (via Mashable): 

She went on to say she thinks Black actresses probably get “a tenth of what a Caucasian woman gets,” noting that she’s “number one on the call sheet,” and still doesn’t make as much. Davis makes a valid point, she has had a career that is just as prestigious as all the actresses she names, and she’s been awarded for it at the highest caliber. However, when it comes to her paycheck, as she said, it’s not so equal, and it needs to change. 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas 

Priyanka Chopra Jonas was a wildly successful Bollywood actress before making her debut in the United States in the hit ABC drama Quantico. However, she didn’t receive equal pay until this year for her show on the 2023 TV schedule, Citadel. While speaking at the South by Southwest Film Festival, the actress explained that even though she’s been working for 22 years, and has over 70 credits to her name, pay parity wasn’t something she received until recently. According to THR she said:  

Chopra Jonas explained that Jennifer Salke being the head of Amazon Studios probably helped her receive equal pay. The actress starred in the show alongside Richard Madden, and they were billed as co-leads, which logically meant they both made what they deserved and there wasn’t a pay gap when it came to their respective salaries for the Prime Video series. 

Ellen Pompeo 

Before leaving Grey’s Anatomy as a series regular last fall, Ellen Pompeo had led the show for 19 seasons. She saw the changing of the guard both in front of and behind the camera, and she always led the cast as Meredith Grey. However, despite her character’s name being in the title of the show, she had to fight to get fair pay, and she’s been very open about that battle. 

In 2018, the actress explained to THR that she tried to negotiate a higher salary when Patrick Dempsey left the show in 2015, saying:

Well, in 2017, she was finally able to come to a deal that made her “the highest-paid woman on television” as she signed a $20 million per year contract. The Merideth Grey actor also explained she was able to take on producing too, saying what they were able to do to close the pay gap on this show and provide more opportunities for women in entertainment was “unprecedented.” 

Zoë Saldaña 

If you look at a list of the highest-grossing movies of all time, the common denominator among the top three is Zoë Saldaña. As one of the stars of Avatar, Avengers: Endgame and Avatar: The Way of Water, she has played a role in films that are pivotal to modern cinema, and she deserves to be paid equally for them. 

To show her support for the fight for equal pay, the actress celebrated Latina Equal Pay Day on Instagram in 2018, as she, and others posted this message:

Along with Saldaña, Latina actresses including Sofia Vergara, Gina Rodriguez, Melissa Barrera and more posted the same message to their socials, as ET compiled, so they could all shine a light on the pay disparity that Latina actresses face. 

Thandiwe Newton

Groundbreaking work was done during Season 3 of Westworld when it was confirmed that Thandiwe Newton and Evan Rachel Wood had negotiated their contracts to finally get equal pay to their male co-stars. While speaking with Vanity Fair in 2018, Newton opened up about the entire cast of the HBO hit getting equal pay, as she said: 

She went on to talk about how the negotiations went, and why she felt it was important to work toward an agreement that closed the pay gap on the show. She said:

Considering how big of a hit Westworld was, it feels logical that its female stars would receive the same pay as the male ones. And, thank goodness they did. 

There are tons of other examples of women standing up for themselves, and demanding better and equal pay for actresses. Michelle Williams spoke at the Democratic Women’s Caucus four years ago about her experience negotiating a higher salary after finding out her male costar was making a lot more than her. Emma Watson also gave a now-famous speech to the United Nations about feminism, women’s equality and equal pay. Plus many others, including Aunjanue Ellis, Meryl Streep and more have spoken out about women’s rights to make a fair and equal amount of money. Luckily, steps forward have been taken, but there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to closing the pay gap. 

As a longtime fan of Jennifer Lawrence’s work, I’ve always been in awe of all her films, of course, between The Hunger Games, The Silver Linings Playbook and the X-Men prequels. However, there’s always been the funny duality of her also being an absolutely hilarious person in real life who frequently goes viral for interview moments where her personality seems quite the opposite of a deep and dark dramatic actress. So, when No Hard Feelings hit theaters earlier this summer, I ran to my local cinema, and I was absolutely living for J-Law bringing out her comedy chops in a movie that I thought was equally raunchy, silly and very heartfelt. In honor of this, I was thinking about a host of Oscar-winning actresses who need to lead their own comedy next.

Why must there be lines drawn between who can be funny and who is a serious actress in Hollywood? Real talk, but I see male actors slide between movies with ridiculous concepts to award-buzzy ones all the dang time. I mean, just look at Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler or Owen Wilson. Why does Hollywood put so many talented (and already funny) women in boxes? Let’s look at more actresses with a golden trophy who fall in this serious trap who I’d love to see in their very own comedy, stat, especially because they have the power to give a ridiculous concept more gravitas. 

Olivia Colman 

One of my absolute favorite Oscar moments happened when Olivia Colman’s Best Actress win became the biggest bombshell of the 2019 awards show. At the time when Colman won, I wasn’t personally very familiar with the actress outside of The Favourite, in which she played a moody queen without the vibrant personality of the British actress. 

Colman has a really interesting career right now, between being part of more critically-acclaimed dramas like Empire of Light and The Lost Daughter, along with being part of the Secret Invasion cast, Heartstopper and Wonka this holiday season. But, I’d honestly love to see her fully bring out her truly hilarious natural comedic timing. I’m picturing her playing a socially-awkward British woman who travels cross-country through Europe to reconnect with a high-school crush or something random and endearing like that. 

Cate Blanchett

The same goes for absolute Oscar darling Cate Blanchett, who has been turning out dramatic performance after dramatic performance for years, between roles like Tár, Carol and Blue Jasmine. I’m a massive fan of her work, but if you’ve ever seen her in interviews, she looks like a super fun and interesting person, who deserves to totally let loose in a future role. 

Some offbeat highlights here are when she played the wicked stepmother in Cinderella and a monkey named Spazzatura in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, but what I would give to see her play a silly character that just goes off the rails. Hey, even if she were the star of a Judd Apatow movie, I don’t doubt she would earn an Oscar nomination for that, too. 

Michelle Yeoh 

Then there’s our most recent Oscar winner, Michelle Yeoh, who took home Best Actress for her trippy role in Everything Everywhere All At Once. Yeoh is known primarily for being an action star in epics like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but she's also made stoic turns in movies like Crazy Rich Asians. After dancing with hot dog hands and so forth in her Oscar-winning role, I hope she follows that thread and leads a comedy of her own. Look, no matter what she does, I’ll follow her anywhere. 

Viola Davis 

Then there’s EGOT winner Viola Davis, who is beloved for nailing a host of powerhouse performances in movies like The Woman King, The Help, Fences and in the DCU. So many of Davis’ roles have her character pushing through some serious struggles, so I absolutely love the idea of her starring in a romantic comedy or musical comedy. 

I’m not sure it will ever happen, but I definitely think she deserves to emulate some more joy on screen at some point, and I’m sure she’d have a blast doing it. Since she’s frequently compared to Meryl Streep, perhaps she needs her own version of something like The Devil Wears Prada or Mamma Mia, ya know? 

Halle Berry

Then there’s Halle Berry, who became the first (and only) Black woman to win Best Actress for her role in Monster’s Ball. In recent years, she has primarily done action or science fiction movies like Moonfall, Bruised, and her incredible role in the third John Wick movie, but I’d love to see her take on another comedy where she has top billing (she has 1997's B.A.P.S. under her belt, of course). 

Berry is a really talented actress who I feel is underutilized. She’s always been very charming, thinking back to her role as Jinx in Die Another Day or even her breakthrough rom-com with Eddie Murphy, Boomerang, back in 1992. Give her a new silly comedy – perhaps of the action variety!!   

Brie Larson

And, what about Brie Larson? The actress who won for her emotional performance in Room is, of course, also Captain Marvel in the MCU, and recently lived her dream of being in the Fast and the Furious franchise, it’s not like Larson is constantly in a super realistic dramatic space. That being said, I find her to be a really genuine personality, who would absolutely thrive in a big Hollywood comedy of her own to lead. I could see her doing well in a buddy comedy, in particular, or a rom-com like 30 Going on 30. She already directed herself in the underrated film, Unicorn Store, but I’d love to see her in even more roles like it. 

Angelina Jolie 

Finally, Angelina Jolie desperately needs to be in a future comedy, in my humble opinion. She’s obviously an incredible talent and we’ll never forget her bringing out the funny in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Her career has certainly showcased that she’s more interested in the real meaty and emotional roles, but there must be the right one out there for her to explore the lighter side of life someday. Maybe after all that divorce drama with Brad Pitt is over? 

What can I say, Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings really made me happy and reminded me how the comedy space is still vastly male-driven. Hollywood, how about you call up these talented women for your next big silly movie? 

Hollywood has lost another legendary actor: Alan Arkin, who has died at the age of 89. After Arkin’s three sons broke the news of his death on Friday morning, a host of famed actors have taken to social media to pay tribute to the star of Little Miss Sunshine and Argo, noting their own experiences with him and why he’s been such a bright spot in the industry. 

No cause of death was given regarding the death of Alan Arkin, but we do know he passed away in his home in Carlsbad, California on June 29. Amidst the news becoming public, people around the world are remembering Arkin’s body of work across his over 50 years as an actor. Among them, fellow Oscar winner Michael Douglas, who memorably starred alongside him in The Kominsky Method. Check out his Instagram post: 

Douglas called his experience working with Alan Arkin some of his “most memorable” along with sharing how “deeply missed” the actor will be. It suddenly feels like the perfect weekend to binge their series, The Kominsky Method, which is available through a Netflix subscription. Though, be warned, the final season seeing the exit of Arkin’s character might hit harder than ever right now. The two actors were a great combination! 

Another former co-star of Alan Arkin who spoke fondly of him following his passing is Seinfeld star, Jason Alexander. He wrote this: 

Both actors were in the 1994 movie, North, alongside Elijah Wood, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bruce Willis. Sopranos and The White Lotus actor Michael Imperioli also remembered the actor’s work with this post: 

While Imperioli may not have worked with Arkin, he was still a huge fan and looked to 1979’s The In-Laws, where Columbo actor Peter Falk plays the son-in-law-to-be of Arkin’s father character. 

The Karate Kid actor Ralph Macchio also took to social media to say this of Alan Arkin: 

Facts! Alan Arkin did a bit of everything throughout his career, from comedies to dramas, with his final role being among the voice cast of Minions: The Rise Of Gru. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 26, 1934, and he got his start with the Second City comedy troupe before becoming an Oscar winner for his supporting role in the Little Miss Sunshine cast. 

Here’s another tribute from Patton Oswalt: 

The actor’s death also inspired Viola Davis to remember the legend by highlighting one of Arkin’s most beloved scenes in Little Miss Sunshine. Check it: 

Such a precious scene! 

Alan Arkin’s legacy will forever live in his work across over 100 acting credits. Arkin is survived by his wife Suzanne, sons Matthew, Anthony and Adam, grandchildren Molly, Emmet, Atticus, and Abigail, and great-grandson Elliott. 

We here at CinemaBlend send our condolences to the family and loved ones of Alan Arkin. May he rest in peace. 

Acting can be a lot of hard work. You have to travel extensively, sometimes have long set days and need to access feelings for big character moments, which can be emotionally exhausting. It is no doubt a full time job, but some actors decide to go the extra mile, wanting to extend their talents into different areas of the creative process. Some of them become directors or singers, and some become producers. As producers, they get more say in how their projects get made and work towards helping other important projects get made outside of their own. It’s a popular venture amongst many movie stars, and it turns out Brad Pitt, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Will Smith are doing it best. 

In a recent piece of data calculated by Venture Smarter, these actors are some of the most successful actor producers in the game. Not only do Pitt, Davis, DiCaprio and Smith all have Oscars for their acting work, but they are also leading the game with their own respective production companies. Much of this is based on the success of their produced projects critically and financially, and how many projects they are able to produce per year. Other Oscar-winning actor producers on the list include Jackie Chan, George Clooney and Ben Affleck. 

Pitt takes the overall lead with his production company Plan B Entertainment, which is responsible for producing 263 films. These films have had great success, with Best Picture winners The Departed, 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight being in the repertoire. He was so involved with 12 Years a Slave that he personally took home an Oscar when the drama won Best Picture. One of the next major films he is undertaking as a producer is Wolfs, which he is set to star in with pal George Clooney. This is all in addition to receiving a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

DiCaprio comes in second to the Babylon star, with 157 films under his production company Appian Way. The company is responsible for some big ticket films like The Ides of March, The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street, for which the Don’t Look Up star was nominated for both acting in and producing the film. The next big film under the Appian Way umbrella is Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which premiered at Cannes to incredibly high praise. All this producing work is in addition to the movie star winning his Best Actor Oscar for The Revenant in 2016. 

Following DiCaprio on the list is Will Smith who has 86 producing credits with his production company Overbrook Entertainment. The company is responsible for many of the Emancipation star’s films like Hancock, Pursuit of Happiness, and I Am Legend. Currently, it is the production company behind the hit series Cobra Kai, which is available with a Netflix subscription. Smith’s producing work has garnered him a Best Picture Oscar nomination for King Richard. The Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum also won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in that film.

The most successful Oscar winning female acting/producer on the list is Viola Davis, who has 41 producing credits to her name under her production company JuVee Productions. The company is responsible for such films as The Woman King, Lila & Eve, and The First Lady series on Showtime. There are several projects in development with JuVee, including I Almost Forgot About You, which Davis would star in. The Air actress in addition has been nominated for several Academy Awards for her acting work, and won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2017 for Fences. 

Clearly these are some multitalented movie stars with a lot of big projects under their belts. The awards race gets heated when one of these four get in the mix, and I'm looking forward to what other potential awards contenders these actors can make happen. There also are several upcoming films starring some of these actors coming out this year, so make sure to consult our 2023 movie release schedule to see what this year has in store. 

It’s been three weeks now since Jamie Foxx was first hospitalized, for an as yet unclear medical complication. For a long time, little was known about what happened and what the Django Unchained actor’s status actually was. However, following Foxx’s first public social media post since being hospitalized, fans and friends of the actor are sending the actor well wishes for a speedy recovery, now that recovery is seeming more likely.

Social media has been flooded by both those that consider Jamie Foxx a friend, and those that are simply big fans of the actor's body of work. While there’s still a lot we don’t know, and so there’s still a real concern for the actor’s health, there are a lot of people pulling for him.

How Fans Of Jamie Foxx Have Responded

As an actor who has appeared in superhero movies and Quentin Tarantino films and who has won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Ray Charles, there are a wide variety of fans that Jamie Foxx has cultivated over the years. It seems that every role of Foxx’s is somebody’s favorite and several fans are supporting Foxx on Twitter by drawing attention to their personal favorite of his films.

Still other fans are simply pointing out the incredible width and breadth to his entire career. Even if you don’t consider yourself a major Foxx fan, there is probably at least one of his movies that you love simply by virtue of the fact that he has done so much over the years. And fans hope that there will be many more opportunities to see him shine. 

Foxx was busy filming a new movie with a recently unretired Cameron Diaz when this “medical complication,” as it has been called, occurred. The staus of the movie itself without Foxx is murky at this point. It’s still largely unclear what exactly happened, whether he was injured or was afflicted by some internal malady. But whatever the issue, seeing Foxx post publicly indicates that he is on the mend and that certainly has fans happy.

Of course, if those that are simply fans of Jamie Foxx are happy he’s doing better, one can only imagine how those that actually know him are feeling.

What Friends Of Jamie Foxx Are Saying

In the era of social media it’s easy to feel like you have a closer relationship with a public figure, but Jamie Foxx certainly has friends who are very much personally invested in their friend’s health struggles. Fellow Oscar winner Viola Davis posted a picture of herself with Foxx that included a statement that the world needs Foxx in it.

LeBron James is, his team probably hopes, focused on the ongoing NBA playoffs, but the Los Angeles Lakers star took a moment to give a shoutout to Foxx, who he called his brother.

One of Jamie Foxx’s most vocal friends since his hospitalization has been Nick Canon. The two are close enough that Canon says Foxx has asked him to do an important favor, though he has not yet revealed what that is.

We certainly all hope that Jamie Foxx does have a speedy recovery and is able to get out of the hospital soon. We will likely learn more about exactly what happened to him soon. Until then, his friends hope to see him again and the rest of us hope we get to see hm back on the screen before too long. 

It's time to go back to The Hunger Games... or more fittingly back in time – to the 10th Hunger Games to be exact. It's been almost a decade since Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen saw the end of her harrowing journey as a tribute for District 12. Now, the prequel based on Suzanne Collins' 2020 novel is set to be brought to life with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. You can check out the first trailer above. 

As the first look at one of 2023 new movie releases sets up, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will follow a teen President Snow, played by Tom Blyth, long prior to his tyrannical reign. Before he terrorized the people of Panem and their symbol of resistance decades later, he was the mentor to one District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird, played by West Side Story and Shazam!: The Fury of the Gods actress, Rachel Zegler. 

The trailer begins with Viola Davis’ Volumnia Gaul, the Head Gamemaker of the 10th Hunger Games, as she introduces Peter Dinklage’s character, Casca Highbottom, the creator of the games and dean at the Capitol Academy, which young Snow attends, as he swigs a vial of liquid. It’s a reaping ceremony for the latest games where each of the students will be asked to mentor a tribute, which in Snow’s case is District 12’s Lucy Gray Baird. Check out the movie's two leads on the newly released poster as well: 

On the side, Snow is asked to make his tribute a “spectacle” rather than “survivor,” but Lucy is, of course, concerned with actually getting out of the Capitol’s twisted games alive. As the trailer teases a bit, the tribute and mentor will become a bit closer than the Capitol would like them too, bringing them both in additional danger. As if living in a dystopian society isn’t enough! 

The trailer showcased The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes stacked cast list, also showing a first look at Jason Schwartzman as an ancestor to Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman, who conducts a much more old-timey version of the Hunger Games broadcast likened to the ‘50s. Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer as Snow’s cousin Tigris also makes an appearance, serving as a confidant to Snow in one moment where she tells him “it’s not just about winning.” 

If you’re a fellow longtime Hunger Games fan who read the 2020 novel, you know the world of epicness and pain we’re all in for. For those of you who love The Hunger Games movies, but are not yet familiar with the story, get ready! Suzanne Collins’ prequel has always had a lot to say about the human race and their hunger for power and by the looks of the trailer, this upcoming book-to-screen adaptation looks like it will do the story justice.  

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is set to hit theaters on November 17. 

When it comes to some of the latest and greatest movies, you can’t get much better than Air. The new film, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis and so many more, tells the story of how Nike created the famous sneaker brand, Air Jordans, because of the legendary basketball player, Michael Jordan, before he was even the big star he'd eventually become. 

The film is loaded with stars, and I’m sure you’ve seen at least one or two of them in something other than this film. Let’s get into the Air cast, and where you might have seen them before. 

Matt Damon (Sonny Vaccaro)

First up on the list is the main man himself, Matt Damon, who plays Sonny Vaccaro in Air. Damon has been in Hollywood for some time, and has appeared in many films that have truly made him become a huge star. One of his breakout roles was in Good Will Hunting, alongside Robin Williams and Ben Affleck, where he also co-wrote the script with Affleck and won an Academy Award for it, but he’s been in many other roles besides that as well. 

These include the Julia Roberts-led rom-com, Mystic Pizza, the Jason Bourne franchise, the Ocean’s trilogy, The Departed, Syriana, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Last Duel, Saving Private Ryan, True Grit, Ford v. Ferrari, and many more. He was also the lead of The Martian cast, where he truly shined and even earned an Academy Award nomination for the role. 

Damon has also had some time in television as well, guest-starring on the popular show, 30 Rock, as well as a critically acclaimed role in Behind the Candelabra.

Ben Affleck (Phil Knight)

Next up is Ben Affleck, who plays Rich Knight. Affleck is actually also the director of Air, but it’s always awesome to see him take on a role in a movie that he is directing, like what he did with Argo. 

Affleck has been in many movies, including Good Will Hunting, but some of his other big roles are in films that include Dazed and Confused, Armageddon, The Sum of All Fears, Hollywoodland, Gone Baby Gone, The Way Back, The Tender Bar, and more. He also portrayed Batman in the DCEU for several movies, and was also recently in Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel. 

Jason Bateman (Rob Strasser)

Jason Bateman has been in the business for some time, and he’s playing Rob Strasser in Air. Bateman has had a big career on television, with his career being revitalized by Arrested Development, and he gained even more acclaim for his main role in the Netflix series, Ozark. Besides this, he’s also appeared in many films. 

Some of his best include Teen Wolf Two, Necessary Roughness, Hancock, the coming of age comedy Juno, Game Night, the great Zootopia (which is getting a sequel from Disney), This Is Where I Leave You, Office Christmas Party, and more. Truly, so awesome to see him in a role such as this. 

Chris Messina (David Falk)

Chris Messina plays David Falk in the film, and the actor has been around in movies and on TV for some time. Primarily, many know him from the sitcom, The Mindy Project, but he’s also been in many other famous television shows such as the HBO series, Six Feet Under, Damages, The Newsroom, The Sinner, and Gaslit. He was also part of the main cast of Sharp Objects. 

Besides this, Messina was also in movies such as Julie & Julia, Ruby Sparks, Devil, I Care A Lot, Celeste and Jesse Forever, and Birds of Prey, among many others. 

Matthew Maher (Peter Moore)

Playing Peter Moore is Matthew Maher, who is primarily known for his smaller roles in movies and television shows, but he’s had a few bigger ones that you might recognize him from. In terms of movies, he’s appeared in Four Letter Word, The Killer Inside Me, Live by Night, The Outside Story, Captain Marvel, Funny Pages and others. 

On television, he has a main role on the hilarious HBO comedy, Our Flag Means Death, had a recurring role in Outer Range, and also appeared in a recurring role in Mozart in the Jungle. 

Marlon Wayans (George Raveling)

Moving on, we have Marlon Wayans, a famous comedic actor who is taking on the role of George Raveling in Air. Wayans has had experience in a dramatic role before, where he had a main part in Requiem for a Dream back in the early 2000s, but he’s mainly known for his hilarious comedies. 

These include many of the Scary Movie movies, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Heat, Norbit, A Haunted House and its sequel, and On the Rocks on Apple TV, as well as others. 

He was the star of the popular television show The Wayans Bros. alongside Shawn Wayans, and was also the star of his own short-lived sitcom on NBC, Marlon. He recently had his own comedy special, Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me, on HBO Max.  

Julius Tennon (James Jordan)

Next up on the list is Julius Tennon, who portrays James Jordan, Michael Jordan’s father. Tennon is actually married to Viola Davis (another one of the stars) in real-life, so it’s cool to see them play a husband and wife together in this film. 

Tennon has appeared in a variety of films prior to this, including The Woman King, Lila & Eve, Get On Up, the 2009 version of Fame, and more. For television, he appeared in many small guest roles, including How To Get Away With Murder, ER, The Jersey, The Closer, Criminal Minds, 7th Heaven, Walker, Texas Ranger and more. 

Chris Tucker (Howard White)

Chris Tucker, a famous actor and comedian, plays Howard White in Air, and the actor has been around for some time in the movie industry. He acted in all the Friday films, as well as had parts in movies such as The Fifth Element, Silver Linings Playbook, Jackie Brown and Money Talks. He became even more well-known when he starred in the Rush Hour films alongside Jackie Chan. 

Tucker has also had success in television with his stand-up comedy specials. 

Viola Davis (Deloris Jordan)

Last but not least, we have Viola Davis, who plays Deloris Jordan in Air, Michael Jordan’s mother. Davis is a prominent figure in the acting world and has been in many movies for a long time. In 2022, she was the lead in The Woman King cast – with many people feeling she deserved an Academy Award nomination for it.

Some of her other major roles that she has been in include The Help, Fences, both Suicide Squad movies, Get On Up, State of Play, The Unforgiveable, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Life is Not A Fairytale, and more. 

She was also the lead of the popular TV drama, How to Get Away with Murder, and portrayed Michelle Obama in The First Lady. 

With such a star-studded cast, it’s no wonder we have seen all of these stars somewhere before their time in Air, and I for one can’t wait to see what they do next.  

Unfortunately, it’s well-documented that Hollywood has a tendency to be sexist and ageist as told by various women in the industry over the years. As we continue to observe Women’s History Month this year, we’re looking at the actresses across movies and television currently working today that have carved out a place for themselves despite the status quo favoring younger actresses, whilst it's the norm for the male actors to enjoy careers well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. 

It was reported a few years back by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media that while characters over 50 make up a fifth of characters on television, only a fourth of them are played by women (via Buzzfeed). With that in mind, there’s a gender gap with opportunities being favored for older men much more than women. Thankfully, these actresses have found a way to thrive in Hollywood after turning 50.  

Michelle Yeoh 

Recently, at the 2023 Oscars, the ceremony actually celebrated numerous actresses that are thriving after 50, including Best Actress winner, Michelle Yeoh. The Everything Everywhere All At Once lead accepted the award not only as the first Asian actress to win in the category, but as a “beacon” of hope for more women her age to be seen in major roles. As she accepted the trophy, she said: "Ladies, don't let anybody tell you you are past your prime." 

Yeoh has been over 50 in Hollywood for over a decade now, and is enjoying an exciting era in her career by finding key roles in successful movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, or finding empowering roles in recent TV series like Star Trek: Discovery and The Witcher: Blood Origin. 

Jamie Lee Curtis

Yeoh’s Everything Everywhere co-star Jamie Lee Curtis also took home an Oscar for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category after over 45 years working in Hollywood. Curtis was a teenager when she found her breakout role in Halloween, but decade after decade she has continued to be cast in exciting roles, especially after turning 50. In Curtis’ fifties and sixties the actress has revived her role as Laurie Strode in a new Halloween trilogy, starred in Knives Out and has a wealth of roles on the horizon, including Borderlands and Haunted Mansion. 

Angela Bassett 

Curtis’ fellow nominee in the Best Supporting Actress category in 2023 was Angela Bassett, for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, who also remains a working icon into her mid-sixties. Aside from starring as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel franchise, the actress continues to lead the network series 9-1-1 along with appearing in multiple seasons of American Horror Story and recently being part of the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Helen Mirren

One of the most iconic actresses to consistently nab interesting roles for herself following turning 50 is Helen Mirren. The British talent hit the milestone in 1995, before she’d made some of her most beloved and best movies, like 2001’s Gosford Park, 2003’s Calendar Girls or her 2006 Oscar-winning performance in The Queen. Mirren has continued to play leading roles in the past decade, such as starring in the Red films, her incredible role in the Fast and the Furious movies along with leading 1923 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods within the past year. 

Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin

While I could certainly talk about Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in their own right, the fact that this pair got themselves their own hit comedy series, Grace and Frankie, in their late seventies (across seven seasons, no less) deserves to be celebrated. These two have modeled, brought life to and joked about the lives of older women who are best friends, and we’re so blessed it exists. The pair hit 50 in the late ‘80s and thrived, remaining booked and busy. Among the 2023 new movie releases, they are in back-to-back movies together, too, 80 For Brady and Moving On. 

Rita Moreno

One of Rita Moreno’s first roles was in 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain. Seventy years later her career is still very much popping, between starring in Netflix’s sitcom, One Day At A Time, and voicing the role of Carmen Sandiego for the original animated series. This year, Moreno also starred in 80 For Brady and has joined the Fast and the Furious franchise as Dominic Toretto’s grandma. 

Sally Field

Speaking of 80 For Brady leads, Sally Field has continued to remain relevant and very much respected in Hollywood at the age of 76. From being nominated for an Oscar for her role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln to bringing new life to Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, or starring in critically acclaimed movies like Hello, My Name Is Doris and Spoiler Alert, Field has continued to impress after a massive first half of her career. 

Emma Thompson

In the nearly 15 years that Emma Thompson has been over 50, she has accomplished a lot. She gave a powerful performance as P.L. Travers in the sweet Saving Mr. Banks' movie alongside Tom Hanks, she gave Cruella a formidable foe of her own in the titular 2021 Disney prequel, and tackled the usually taboo topic of exploring sexuality past one’s “prime” and filmed nude scenes for Good Luck To You, Leo Grande. 

Ming-Na Wen

When Ming-Na Wen turned 50 back in 2013, she was just getting her start playing Melinda May on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, a badass and highly-skilled operative she continued to play for over 100 episodes. Since finding success with that series, which is now her most famous role outside Mulan, Wen has joined the Star Wars universe as Fennec Shand, a female bounty hunter and master assassin. 

Catherine O’Hara

Catherine O’Hara is well-known to an entirely new generation than those who grew up seeing her in movies like Best In Show, Beetlejuice or Home Alone, thanks to her beloved role in Schitt’s Creek as Moira Rose. O’Hara will go down in history as playing one of the funniest TV characters in a big role she found well after 50. 

Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch booked her most popular role of Sue Sylvester on Glee right as she was turning 50 and played the character for six seasons before finding all sorts of work in showbiz otherwise. She notably voices the role of Calhoun in the Wreck-It Ralph movies, along with having major roles in the hit shows The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Party Down and with hosting 75 episodes of the original celebrity game show, Celebrity Game Night. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

The Seinfeld star not only found herself a whole other well-loved TV show to lead and produce after 50 with HBO’s Veep, which she also won nine consecutive Emmy awards for, but she’s a major player in the Marvel universe now. Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been consistently quick on her feet on the comedy front and proved to be an impressive dramatic actress as well, with roles in films like Enough Said. 

Jennifer Coolidge

Then, there’s Jennifer Coolidge’s recent comeback for The White Lotus that has the actress literally everywhere right now. Along with the 61-year-old recently winning her first Emmy for her hilarious role as Tanya McQuoid, Coolidge has had loads of projects she has stolen the show in, in the past couple of years in particular, like Promising Young Woman, The Watcher and Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez.

Jessica Lange 

Four decades after Jessica Lange became a star for roles like her Oscar-nominated work in Tootsie and Frances, she is still a huge name, particularly thanks to her move to TV in collaboration with Ryan Murphy on his numerous shows. Lange always provides strong performances in her ever-changing American Horror Story roles, along with portraying Joan Crawford in Feud. 

Allison Janney 

Allison Janney is another actress who got wide recognition for being in one of the best-regarded TV shows of all time, The West Wing. After starring in 155 episodes of the drama, Janney has continued to explore all sorts of interesting characters across her career, especially after 50, whether it be in the sitcom Mom, winning an Oscar for her chilling mother role in I, Tonya or her booked 2022 that put an additional three movies under her belt. Janney is even more famous now than she was when she was a younger actress. 

Julianne Moore 

A new role from Julianne Moore is never too far away these days. The 62-year-old actress has accomplished a lot over 50 and has even been in with the kids because of her key role in the Hunger Games franchise or starring alongside Stranger Things’ Finn Wolfhard in the recent indie, When You Finish Saving the World. Moore has starred in so many great movies just within the past decade that it can be hard to recall she’s also the same actress from Boogie Nights and Far From Heaven. 

Tilda Swinton 

We don’t have enough female character actors in the world, but Tilda Swinton embodies someone new so frequently that we can barely imagine what she’s like in real life. The majority of Swinton’s best roles have occurred since she turned 50, such as We Need To Talk About Kevin, or her numerous times working with Wes Anderson and Bong Joon-Ho. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis is one of the most acclaimed actors of our time right now and it feels like she’s also just getting started. Recently, the actress did just about every stunt as a warrior and leader in The Woman King and has become the most-nominated Black actress in Academy Awards history. 

Meryl Streep 

I mean, it’s Meryl. What else do we have to say? The 73-year-old actress has always been magnificent on screen no matter her age and has proven her great talent and ability to be a chameleon on the screen again and again. Since turning 50, Streep has starred in all-time great movies like The Devil Wears Prada, Mamma Mia, and Iron Lady, and looking forward, she's about to guest star in Only Murders In the Building. 

It’s great to see so many women have broken through and found roles for themselves after 50 in the industry. It really comes down to great roles being written for women of all ages for their opportunities to exist. 

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are set to appear on the big screen together again, and this time they’re taking on the GOAT. Or, the GOAT’s shoes, as it were, as the biographical sports drama Air will tell Nike shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro’s story of trying to lock down Michael Jordan for a partnership with the fashion brand. Air premiered at South by Southwest this past weekend, and critics are here with their opinions of the Air Jordan origin story ahead of its April 5 theatrical release.

Matt Damon stars as the Nike employee who has the bright idea to cut a deal with NBA rookie Michael Jordan. Ben Affleck pulls double duty, starring as Nike boss Phil Knight as well as serving as Air’s director. The dynamic duo is joined by an A+ cast that includes Viola Davis as MJ’s mother, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and more. Let’s take a look at what the critics are saying after the SXSW premiere. 

Valerie Complex of Deadline says every cast member’s performance is award-worthy, and while it’s hard to choose a standout, Ben Affleck shines in his fifth directorial project. The critic writes: 

Matthew Monagle of The Playlist agrees that Ben Affleck’s return to directing is something to be celebrated and says Matt Damon projects a kind of everyman confidence that makes the audience believe his character has the smartest voice in the room. The critic gives the movie a B, saying: 

Ryan Scott of SlashFilm rates Air 8 out of 10, noting that in the same way that Moneyball was a baseball story that wasn’t really about baseball, Air is a basketball movie that’s not about basketball. It’s a Michael Jordan story that’s not about Michael Jordan. You don’t have to like or be familiar with either subject to appreciate what Affleck and the stacked cast are doing. The review continues: 

James Preston Poole of Discussing Film calls the film a “crowd-pleaser,” and agrees with the above critic that it lives and dies by the performances. The talent delivers both in front of and behind the camera, the critic says, rating this one 4 out of 5 stars. More from the review: 

Richard Whittaker of the Austin Chronicle calls Air a “charming origin story” and says Ben Affleck disguises a powerful parable as crowd-pleasing entertainment. The critic echoes previous sentiments that moviegoers don’t need to be a fan of the Chicago Bulls great or basketball in general to like this movie:

Critics who caught the SXSW premiere of Air are giving high praise to Ben Affleck in his return to directing, as well as to the performances. Audiences don’t have to wait too long to catch this one on the big screen, as it’s set for theatrical release on Wednesday, April 5. 

While you apparently don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate Air, if you are one, check out some of the best sports movies and how to watch them. You can also revisit some of Ben Affleck’s best work, and be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to stay up to date on what’s coming to theaters soon. 

Let me tell you something that truly changed my life as a young girl – women in movies. There are so many blockbuster films that I watched as a kid and fell in love with because of not only the content I was viewing, but the badass actresses I was watching on the screen. From sci-fi horror movies to dystopian young adult films, I have and will always be in love with these amazing actresses who put their all into leading these blockbuster movies to success – or having standout roles that I truly can’t forget. Here are some of my favorites, from Viola Davis to Sigourney Weaver.

Viola Davis (The Woman King)

Obviously, we need to start this list with a killer performance from 2022, Viola Davis in The Woman King cast. She's had plenty of awesome roles before that you might recognize her from, but her portrayal of General Nanisca, of the real-life warrior women, the Agojie, did something to me and wow, I’ve never been terrified of Viola Davis kicking my butt, but here we are. If you haven’t had the chance to watch her in this fantastic Black-led film, please do so.

Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road) 

The Mad Max: Fury Road cast was filled with stars who have gone on do plenty, but everyone always talks about Charlize Theron, who portrayed Furiosa in the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic action film. There’s a reason why there’s a prequel film coming out about her character – she was badass, a killer, and I would watch her over and over again if I could. 

Letitia Wright And Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)

After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a different turn in the world Black Panther, putting T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, and his mother played by Letitia Wright and Angela Bassett, at the forefront. Through their strong performances in a story about Wakanda post-T’Challa, and their journey through grief, they gave compelling performances. Bassett was even nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the film. 

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde)

If you want to talk about one of the most iconic college films of all time, Legally Blonde needs to be on that list. The story is of a former fashion student, played by the lovely Reese Witherspoon, who goes to Harvard in order to win her boyfriend back. Elle Woods is the picture perfect example of when you put your mind into something and being able to achieve it – and she did that and more once she got into that school. Witherspoon's Elle was the perfect casting. 

Zoe Saldana (Avatar Films)

Let’s be honest – when it comes to the Avatar films, we all remember Neytiri more than Jake. He’s cool and all, but Neytiri. 

In both Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water, Zoe Saldana gave an incredible performance as Neytiri, not only as a warrior but as a mother in the sequel, showing amazing emotions through a motion capture performance. 

While Zoe Saldana is known for many other amazing roles (like playing Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy series, and Uhura in the Star Trek franchise), showing just how much of a badass she is, there's really nothing quite as amazing as her role in these films.  

She’s right up there with Andy Serkis with these incredible motion-capture roles. You can’t help but love her. 

Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once)

If you haven’t had the chance to watch the Best Picture winner, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, I’d highly suggest watching it, if not just for Michelle Yeoh’s incredible performance. Winning the Oscar for Best Actress, Yeoh is electric in her starring role as the matriarch of this movie’s family, and displays an impressive range of emotions and badass martial arts that makes this film fantastic. Trust me when I say every bit of time viewing this movie is worth it. 

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games Series)

Jennifer Lawrence was someone that I grew up watching in The Hunger Games franchise, and while I am excited for the prequel film that will star another great young actress (Rachel Zegler), no one can defeat the powerful performance that Lawrence gave through all four movies. A revolutionary like Katniss, living in a world that is overcome with chaos and unfairness, and leading a war for freedom is the perfect example of what a reluctant leader is, even though she rocked her responsibilities at the same time. 

Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

You want to hear a fun story? When I saw Marvel’s Avengers with my dad, way back in 2012, when I was thirteen years old, I knew nothing about superheroes, only that most of the popular ones were male. Then I saw Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson) and looked up at my dad and said, “she’s a girl.”

Ever since then, my love of superheroes blossomed, but it always started with me seeing someone like me on the big screen. While I personally believe Black Widow should have happened sooner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s no denying that Johansson delivers a stellar final performance playing the role that made me love Marvel in the first place. 

Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman)

Let’s talk about another female superhero – one I did know way back when, Wonder Woman, and how Gal Gadot is literally the perfect person to play the iconic role, both in Wonder Woman and its sequel. She had the beauty of the famous character, but was able to bring a fierceness I had never seen, a bravery that made me want to go out and be as strong as her. I’ll always be upset that the chances of her continuing to play her are low now, but I enjoyed her as the hero for the time that we got her. 

Uma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 1 And 2)

God, do I love a vengeful woman. There’s something about watching a girl be a complete badass and take down her enemies that I adore, and both Kill Bill movies, starring Uma Thurman, are just that. While she has been in plenty of other amazing films, her as the Bride was utter perfection and I would, hands down, dress up as her for Halloween if I could. Definitely one of Quentin Tarantino’s best – and yes, I still want to see a sequel years later. 

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

An icon among icons; you can’t have a list like this and not bring up Sigourney Weaver. Famous for her role in the sci-fi horror film, Alien, she is the blueprint for badass female action stars. Ellen Ripley is an iconic character in every shape and form, but she could only become as historic as she is now thanks to Weaver’s portrayal. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for her performance. 

Angelina Jolie (Maleficent)

Disney villains sometimes get a bad rap, but let me tell you, I never thought I would feel bad for Maleficent, who seemed to be the pure portrayal of evil in Sleeping Beauty – that was until the live-action Maleficent, where she was portrayed by Angelina Jolie. 

I swear, anything Jolie touches ends up turning to gold, but her as Maleficent did something to me. She was able to still accurately portray that viciousness that made her such a good villain in the first place, but add so much heart to the character I never thought possible, including a backstory that truly shook me. In terms of live-action Disney villain movies, you can’t get better than this.  

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Fun fact – Gravity is one of the only films in my life that I ever felt sort of sick while watching – because who wants to imagine spinning around in space for hours. But that doesn’t mean Sandra Bullock’s performance wasn’t amazing. Featuring the story of astronauts who are stranded in space after their shuttle is destroyed, Bullock truly shows what terror is like with her performance, and made me quite scared of space. She even got an Academy Award nomination for it. 

Carrie Fisher (The Star Wars Movies)

While we can talk about iconic Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker or Han Solo, let’s be honest – they wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher. Featuring an iconic performance in all three original films, as well as the sequels later on, Carrie Fisher made young girls want to travel the galaxy and be just as brave as her, as she did for me. While Natalie Portman and Daisy Ridley also brought us iconic characters like Padme and Rey, there’s no one quite like Leia. 

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman)

Julia Roberts is a queen of rom-coms and has truly helped create some of the best movies, and one of my favorites from her is Pretty Woman. An iconic film about a sex worker getting to live a life of luxury after being hired and falling in love with a rich man, Roberts gave the performance of a lifetime and made us all believe in love – also receiving several nominations and awards for her performance in the film. 

Neve Campbell (Scream)

Scream is probably one of the most iconic horror franchises of all time and certainly one of the best horror movies ever, but what is Scream without its final girl, Sidney Prescott? Portrayed by Neve Campbell, the actress brought the character to life for five Scream films before ultimately not coming back to the role for Scream VI. However, she became many people's favorite final girl with how she always made it out alive – with a gun in her hands. 

Meryl Streep And Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!)

Last but not least, we need to talk about Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried, both of whom are just amazing in Mamma Mia! Admittedly one of my favorite movies, these two actresses perfectly capture the relationship between a mother and daughter, while also having their own compelling storylines of finding love on a remote Greek island. You really can’t get better than them. 

These are just few performances from blockbuster movies that are led by women, and I’m sure there are some I'm missing, but if you choose to watch any of these films for any reason, you won’t be wasting your time. Every single one of them is absolutely amazing. 

When you think of basketball superstar Michael Jordan, you naturally think of the Nike Air Jordan sneakers he’s known for wearing. And if it wasn’t for a Nike Super Bowl commercial starring M.J., we wouldn’t have gotten his cult classic movie Space Jam. We’re about to get a movie all about Michael Jordan’s deal with Nike starring Matt Damon, with Ben Affleck directing and co-starring in it. Although the NBA champ did have a request for Affleck on what needed to be included in Air.

Ben Affleck’s new movie Air is about how Nike’s deal to sign NBA athlete Michael Jordan back in the ‘80s. This decision rescued this sports apparel corporation and the sneaker world in general. Affleck collaborated with his best friend Matt Damon, who plays Sonny Vacarro aka the man responsible for encouraging Michael Jordan toward his first sneaker deal. But the Fargo director and actor was aware that there could be no movie about Michael Jordan’s deal without the former Chicago Bulls star himself. In an interview with USA Today, the Oscar winner revealed the one request Jordan had for Air: Viola Davis had to play his mother. 

Michael Jordan couldn’t have picked a better actress to take on this important role. She was a force of nature in the historical action drama The Woman King, doing nearly every stunt in the movie. Not to mention all of the other critically-acclaimed dramas she’s done like The Help, Fences, and Doubt. So casting one of The New York Times’ greatest actors of the 21st century to play one's mom is a great way to guarantee it'll have a recipe for success. And here’s a fun fact: you can meet Davis’ real-life husband in Air, Julius Tennon, who will be playing Michael Jordan’s father. 

The Armageddon actor’s intention in making Air was to show that Michael Jordan was more than just an athlete. He had a huge influence on the sports world, sports marketing, and made an impact on the treatment of athletes at large. But try not to be disappointed in not seeing a cameo appearance from the celebrated athlete, or even seeing him being portrayed by another actor. Affleck reportedly felt that audiences would never be able to buy anyone playing Michael Jordan on-screen except for the real man himself. 

On the other hand, it doesn’t mean Jordan didn’t have a role in the film’s involvement. Affleck told USA Today that he had a few interactions with him about what else needed to be included in the movie that was meaningful to him.

It’s always a good sign when a director listens to the input of a film's subject. The most important thing about educating an audience about an important moment in history is to be as truthful as possible as well as positive representation. Another thing to know about Air other than some ‘80s fashion choices accompanied by Ben Affleck’s curly hairpiece is that Affleck will reunite with his best friend and writing collaborator Matt Damon on their third writing piece together. Previously, their most recent was The Last Duel. This was originally a spec script written by Alex Convery, but sat on the Black List of unproduced screenplays. Luckily, Affleck and Damon were willing to put two heads together to bring this untouched screenplay to life.

Now we all know who to thank for Viola Davis’ role in Air, which I have no doubt will be another memorable role for her. Be sure to add Ben Affleck’s 2023 movie release to your watchlist for its wide theatrical release on April 5th.

Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, Nike’s Air Jordan brand has been the premier name in sports apparel, especially when it comes to the highly sought after shoes that have helped turned the sneakers, and the NBA icon whose name they bear, into a financial and cultural behemoth the likes of which had never been seen before. And the story of how the shoe came into existence will be told in great detail with Ben Affleck’s upcoming directorial effort, Air.

If this is the first you’re hearing about the upcoming release from Amazon Studios, or perhaps you saw the trailer alongside other 2023 movies like the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 preview during the big game, there’s a good chance you want to know more about the movie starring Affleck and longtime friend Matt Damon. If that’s the case, stick around because we’re about to break down everything we know about the Air Jordan origin story…

What Is The Air Release Date?

It is going to be an extremely busy time at the box office over the Easter weekend, as Ben Affleck’s first directorial effort in more than six years, Air, is slated to open Wednesday, April 5. Several high-profile movies, including the highly anticipated The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Pope’s Exorcist are scheduled for release on April 7, so it'll have some fast-approaching competition.

According to Deadline, the movie will be the first Amazon Studios release to come out in theaters before coming to Prime Video since 2019’s Late Night starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson. The movie will eventually call the streaming service home, but no date for that has been announced at this time.

Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, And Viola Davis Lead The Air Cast

When Air opens in theaters in April, it will feature a cast anchored by some of the most prolific names in Hollywood in recent years. Leading the cast is Matt Damon, who will take on the role of Nike sports marketing executive and creator of the Air Jordan line of shoes and apparel, Sonny Vaccaro. Appearing alongside him will be director and longtime friend Ben Affleck, who is set to portray Nike founder Phil Knight. 

Viola Davis, who joined the list of EGOT winners after winning a Grammy in February 2023, is set to portray Deloris Jordan, the mother of the basketball GOAT, with Julius Tennon taking on the role of MJ’s late father, James Jordan Sr.

Other members of the Air cast include Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and multiple others.

The Movie Chronicles The Creation Of The Air Jordan Nike Brand

Set in the early 1980s, Air will focus on Sonny Vaccaro (Damon) and his quest to take Nike from the third-place shoe company to the leader of the market by signing Michael Jordan and giving him a signature shoe, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This will prove to be no easy task, as when the movie is set, Jordan is not yet the legendary sports icon he is now, but a young rookie coming out of the University of North Carolina. Along the way, Vaccaro will cross paths with Jordan’s parents, coaches, and various Nike executives who don’t see what all the fuss is about.

The Trailer Shows How Air Jordans Went From A Longshot Idea To The World’s Most Popular Shoe

In February 2023, Amazon Studios offered up a quick glance at the ‘80s fashion (and hair), drama, and over-the-top personalities that will be on display in the movie with a quick trailer. The video, which shows how Air Jordans went from a longshot idea to the world’s most popular shoe, is loaded with the movie’s biggest stars, including Affleck and Damon’s characters in multiple exchanges that make it clear this won’t be the standard, stuffy biographical sports drama. Take a look!

One of the highlights of the trailer is definitely Davis, whose portrayal of Jordan’s mom, Delores, could be one of the standout performances of the year. Though that is to be expected with someone as talented as she is. And, sneakerheads will surely be excited to see all those early renderings of what would go on to become the Air Jordan (as well as other Nike shoes from the era).

Michael Jordan Will Not Be Portrayed In Air

Though Michael Jordan is at the center of the drama in Air, the future six-time NBA Champion, Professional Basketball Hall of Famer, and Space Jam star will not only not be showing up in the movie, he won’t even be portrayed in the upcoming movie. In June 2022, when cameras were starting to roll on the Amazon original movie, it was reported by People that no actor will take on the role of the iconic sports figure and that MJ would remain an unseen character.

In a strange way, the decision to not find an actor to portray him makes perfect sense, considering the scope of the story, as well as the fact that it could have become a distraction in the lead up to its release. Now, this isn’t to say there won’t be a highlights package at the end of the movie featuring archival footage of Jordan crushing it on the court, but we’ll have to wait and see once the movie is released. 

Ben Affleck And Matt Damon Reworked The Original Air Script After Boarding The Project

What started out as a spec script written by Alex Convery that sat atop the Black List of unproduced screenplays has since turned into another writing collaboration for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. In April 2022, The Hollywood Reporter announced that the longtime friends, who won an Academy Award for their Good Will Hunting script 25 years ago, reworked the screenplay after joining the project, making it their third time writing something together, and first since Ridley Scott’s 2021 historical drama, The Last Duel.

How much of Convery’s script was changed by Affleck and Damon remains to be seen, but the name did go through a slight change in the process, going from Air Jordan to the current title along the way.

Air opens in theaters on April 5, 2023, and will be available to stream for anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription at some point in the future. Until then, check out our list of the best basketball movies to hold you over in the meantime.

It’s no secret that the Academy Awards and diversity haven’t gone hand-in-hand in the past. And following the 2023 Oscar nominations being announced, many of the troubling trends for Hollywood’s biggest night remain prevalent. No women in the Best Director category, zero Black actors were nominated in the leading categories and the Best Actor category was completely composed of white men. Let’s talk about the numerous incredible performances by POC talent that could have been recognized at the 2023 Academy Awards. 

Before we get into it, it should be noted that this year marked a record-breaking year for Asian actors being nominated, between Everything Everywhere All At Once’s many grabs and The Whale’s Hong Chau getting the Supporting Actress nomination. 

Here are some of the performances we wish were in the running for a golden trophy. 

Jeremy Pope (The Inspection)

Jeremy Pope has been in award conversation for his role in The Inspection, a drama about a young man who decides to join the marines after being rejected by his mother for being gay. The actor earned nominations for his lead performance at the Independent Spirit Awards and Golden Globes after the movie received critical praise. It’s surprising to see Pope get shut out of the Oscar race after all of the acclaim he received leading up to the nominations. 

Danielle Deadwyler (Till) 

Danielle Deadwyler was absolutely incredible as the mother of Emmett Till in Till, a powerful film about how Mamie turned her grief into activism during the Civil Rights Movement after her 14-year-old son was abducted, tortured and lynched in 1955. The actress was also in the awards conversation for some time, finding nominations at the Critics Choice Awards, BAFTAs and winning Outstanding Lead Performance at the Gotham Independent Film Awards. Unfortunately, other actresses were picked above her in the very competitive leading category. 

Viola Davis (The Woman King) 

Speaking of Best Actress snubs, how the heck did Viola Davis get snubbed for The Woman King? Davis was recognized by the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes for her powerful performance as the leader of the all-female warrior unit of the Agojie, but when it came to the Oscars, she was not chosen. Sure Davis has been nominated four times by the Academy and won in 2017 for Fences, but you cannot deny the work she did here, including doing just about everything when it came to stunts. 

Tang Wei (Decision To Leave)

Park Chan-Wook’s Decision To Leave absolutely broke me. This movie missing out on Best International Feature certainly is on our Oscars snubs list, but if it were up to me, I would have also thrown in Tang Wei on the list for Best Actress. The actress gave a magnetic performance as Seo-Rae, the object of Hae-Jun’s suspicion in his detective case, and affections. The Chinese star was not nominated for any major awards this season for the role. 

Donald Elise Watkins (Emergency) 

Speaking of underrated roles, not enough people are talking about Emergency, which was among CinemaBlend’s top 10 movies of 2022. The independent film directed by Carey Williams premiered at Sundance and SXSW before it went to streaming on Amazon Prime. The movie is about a pair of Black college students who find an unconscious white girl in their place and have to contemplate calling the police. It had a standout performance from Donald Elise Watkins -- who played the role of Kunle -- who is just getting his start in Hollywood. 

Taylor Russell (Bones and All)

Another amazing performance I’m not going to forget anytime soon is Taylor Russell’s in Bones and All. Following a previously buzzy performance in 2019’s Waves, Russell beautifully and intricately brought life to a peculiar story of two cannibals who fall in love. She was a nominee at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Gotham Independent Film Awards, but when it came to the Academy, perhaps Bones and All was too weird for the voting body. 

Amber Midthunder (Prey)

Considering Prey went straight to streaming on Hulu, Amber Midthunder’s amazing performance in it was likely not qualified for the Academy Awards, but nonetheless it deserves some recognition. The unlikely Predator prequel had Midthunder playing a warrior in the Comanche Nation that shared a ton of success and praise from Hollywood and the Native American community. Sure, it’s an action thriller, but why are actors who give dramatic performances the one’s primarily being recognized by the Academy? 

Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness) 

The Best Supporting Actress category was stacked too, and it’s pretty amazing that Angela Bassett got in for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Stephanie Hsu got recognized for her amazing Everything Everywhere All At Once performance too. One snub that a lot of people are talking about though is Filipino actress Dolly De Leon missing out on an Oscar nomination for her role in Best Picture nominee Triangle of Sadness. The actress did an amazing job of portraying a cleaning lady who rises through the ranks of power when a luxury cruise goes down and its survivors end up on an island. 

Keke Palmer (Nope)

Once again the Academy also failed to recognize 2022 horror movies that deserved consideration. Jordan Peele’s latest movie, Nope, was absolutely cinematic and included a memorable performance by Keke Palmer that we won’t soon forget. While Palmer’s performance was in the awards conversation, it never quite made it to the nominations. That doesn’t mean her role didn’t deserve more recognition. Alien movies are worth Oscars too! 

Janelle Monáe (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) 

Then there’s Janelle Monáe’s role in Glass Onion. The supporting performance was a huge highlight in Rian Johnson’s mystery that was stacked with talented actors. Monáe stole the show as not one character, but two, one of which has to play someone playing someone else. It was pretty amazing and they were in the conversation, earning recognition from Critics Choice for her performance. 

There are so many incredible performances this year and those who were nominated deserve recognition as well, but here’s hoping more of the many diverse and talented actors in Hollywood are given the spotlight in years to come. The Academy Awards are set to air on ABC with host Jimmy Kimmel on Sunday, March 12.