11 Actors Who Hate The Roles That Made Them Famous

Published on September 11, 2015.

For actors, scoring the biggest role of a lifetime isn’t necessarily a gift. For many actors and actresses it can become a nuisance, or lifelong annoyance. Nobody is going to shed a tear when it comes to a Hollywood star experiencing regret that likely earned them millions of dollars, but there is some universality in regret… or not wanting to dwell on the past. Just imagine a stranger walking up to you, and asking about high school, everyday, for the rest of your life. The following 11 actors and actresses aren’t fond of the roles that made them famous.

11. Kate Winslet – Rose DeWitt Bukater-Dawson-Calvert

Who wouldn’t hate having all those names as a single character? Yes. There are certain things that Kate Winslet loathes about her experience on Titanic. Working with Leonardo DiCaprio? Not one of them. In truth, Kate’s disdain isn’t for the film itself, rather the acting choices she made in making the film. This auditing process is something that all the greatest actors do when judging past performances, but they should realize that there is something incredible intriguing about their less refined, youthful performances where talent is unfurled ahead of craft. Sure, the notoriety was more than Kate could have possibly expected, but she and Leo took us for a ride, and the film holds up. You can’t go wrong with historical fiction. Still, if you ask her about the film, prepare to see some eyes roll. She claims the song “My Heart Will Go On” haunts her to this day.

10. Thomas F. Wilson – Biff Tannen

When you play a bully, and that bully becomes iconic — then legendary — it’s understood how an acting job could potentially spoil a lot of life ambitions on the backside. Thomas F. Wilson played the role of Biff Tannen in the 1985 classic, Back to the Future. Biff was the stereotypical, big, bad bully. For those who haven’t seen this gem, stop what you’re doing, leave work, go home and watch it. So, what does Thomas Wilson hate about the role? The fact that people always approach him, and ask him questions about the making of the film and the science of time travel. No joke. Thomas has combated these odd encounters by allegedly developing a FAQs card that he hands to fans if they want much more than a picture or autograph. Still, he didn’t hate the role so much that he said no to the sequels. That’s incredible money.

Source: Universal

9. Crispin Glover – George McFly

Staying in the world of Back to the Future, and the role of the stereotypical nerd who is picked on by everyone and everything, including bullies, trees, cars and life in general: George McFly. The role of George McFly was played by Crispin Glover, and it was complete, and total perfection. Crispin Glover is an interesting guy, and he loved being a part of the first Back to the Future film; however, remains bitter about the fact that they didn’t bring him back for the sequels, and used prosthetic facial pieces built from Crispin’s makeup mold. To say the least, Crispin — in his enigmatic glory — was so angry about this that he fought it, and rules were changed to protect actors moving forward. Still, he’s chapped from ever getting involved with writer-producer Bob Gale. He went on to work with director, Robert Zemeckis, again, however, in Beowulf.

Source: Universal

8. Megan Fox – Mikaela Banes

Megan was quite well known in Hollywood as a sweet, young starlet, before she was cast in Transformers. As Michael Bay is known to do, he hypersexualized Megan to the point of absurdity. She was uncomfortable on set being told to make things more on-the-nose sexy, regardless of how sexy she may be. There was no “time” to discuss it during shooting, so she repressed the inhibition and did what she was told to do. Sure, it seems odd, but it does make sense. You can’t offer your best as an artist when you’re uncomfortable. Eventually it boiled over, and she said a few things about Michael Bay that he didn’t appreciate. This turned into a public shaming of Megan after she was “booted” from the third film. At that point she regretted getting the boot, because it spoiled her reputation of being amiable. A lose-lose for Megan.

©Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection

7. Marlon Brando – Stanley Kowalski

The sexy factor can go both ways. Sometimes when you’re sexy, the thing you hate the most is that people refer to you as a sex symbol. Such was the case for Marlon Brando when he appeared as Stanley Kowalski in the the film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire. Marlon spent a lot of time in an old school A-Shirt — known these days as wife-beaters. While many military men were familiar with these undershirts during the World War II era, it was Marlon Brando who made it a look. And he hated this. He hated that fact he offered a stellar performance, and all the press wanted to talk about was his body, “the look” and how handsome, and appealing he was to female fans. Maybe this explains why Marlon went the Michelin Man route in his older years — a figurative “screw it” to anyone who might call him sexy.

Everett Collection

6. George Reeves – Superman

Actor George Reeves was the first to play Superman in the 1950s TV series, Adventures of Superman. Playing the Man of Steel seems like a dream job; unfortunately, it’s so iconic, it’s tough to get the nod to play anything else after you’ve donned the cape. For George, he was a very talented actor who couldn’t break free of Supe, and he hated the legacy left by the role. He was cast in the classic, From Here to Eternity. Hollywood lore suggests several audience members heckled the first scene that featured Reeves: “Hey! There’s Superman!” and that didn’t exactly promote his presence to producers and directors. Obviously, there was no independent gold that George could do in order to prove his skill set. Sadly, he was killed — listed as suicide, but the mystery remains — in 1959 at the age of 45. The film Hollywoodland offers a great look into the case.

Everett Collection

5. Robert Pattinson – Edward Cullen

This should come as no surprise. Of course Robert Pattinson hates that he took the role of Edward Cullen. Does he regret it? Nah. He might suggest such, but when he’s laying his head down to sleep on the finest pillow that money can buy, and snuggling into his 800 thread count, Egyptian cotton sheets, he’s probably pretty happy that he took the role. That stated, we understand Robert’s plight. He — like all actors — want to be known for their versatility, and their ability to tackle any role that is considered a challenge. Robert expected that the Twilight series would be quite popular, but he didn’t expect the backlash that would come with it. In interviews, Robert has stated that playing Edward Cullen was the hardest role he’s ever played, because the source material was so bad. It’s true. Robert hates Twilight.

Mary Evans Picture Library

4. Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia Organa

In the most tongue-in-cheek way possible, Carrie Fisher has famously stated that George Lucas ruined her life. We feel your pain Carrie. Did you happen to see Star Wars Episodes I – III? In truth, Carrie adores George, counts him as a genius storyteller and incredible innovator in the realm of cinema, but she was not a fan of the side buns and the bikini. In a 2008 interview with Matt Lauer on Today, Carrie suggested that she’d have turned Star Wars down if she’d known how big of a hit it would become. Ultimately, the film “stole her identity,” and at 19 years old, the film’s success was something that she couldn’t even imagine. Regardless of how she felt about the role in the past, there’s no separating herself from it now, and everyone is thrilled that she returned to play Leia in Star Wars Ep. VII.

3. Alec Guinness – Obi Wan Kenobi

We’ll stay in the galaxy far, far away for #3. Sir Alec Guinness, one of the finest actors of his generation, was another actor who wished he’d said no to his iconic role in Star Wars. For the late Alec Guinness, playing Obi Wan (Ben) Kenobi did not make him famous. It simply introduced him to another generation. Like Carrie Fisher — and everyone for that matter — Alec could not have imagined the success of Star Wars. He was looking forward to doing a lot of work as he aged, after having starred in classics such as The Bridge on The River Kwai and Lawrence of Arabia, but the success of Star Wars was a phenomenon. He was Obi Wan Kenobi from that point forward, and sadly — to this day — it’s not uncommon to hear someone ask, “Isn’t that Obi Wan Kenobi…?” even in the films he did 20 years prior.

Everett Collection

2. Sean Connery – James Bond

Sean Connery hates James Bond. Who would have guessed? That’s surprising. Or maybe it’s not? What does Sean Connery hate about James Bond? A lot of things… but Sean is a true gentleman, and was never quite into the silliness that was associated with the character at times. And, as you can imagine, when your name is Sean, and strangers address you as James Bond, it would grow a little exasperating. It’d be interesting to know if Sean feels differently about the character in the films of today — the ones starring Daniel Craig. The films featuring insight into Bond’s womanizing — the result of intense pain and loss. Surely, the Scottish actor would have preferred to play such a role with more depth, and legitimate physical challenges. That said, his official statement remains: he hates James Bond, and wishes he could kill him.

Everett Collection

1. Jake Lloyd – Anakin Skywalker

Jake Lloyd never really had the opportunity to become an actor, because he was thrust into one of the crappiest things ever made: Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace. George Lucas doesn’t really explore performance with actors — that’s why they’re so loose in these films. He offers blocking, let’s the actors go, then molds a performance to his liking, while focusing on the VFX in his head space. When he casts heavyweights who are definitive craftsmen and women, he gets the goods… but thrusting a child into the mix with no legitimate acting experience? Of course Jake Lloyd hates playing the role of Anakin Skywalker, even if he says otherwise. It killed his career before he ever had a chance to explore it. Fans were ruthless when it came to his performance, and every bit of that weight should have been thrust onto the shoulders of Lucas.

Source: E! Online