Top 10 Amazing Overacting Actors
Better hide the scenery because these guys are chewing it up. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our top picks for the top 10 overacting actors. For this list, we're looking at the guys who love it ham it up. These actors aren't exactly big on subtlety. They love dramatic gestures, and they emphasize everything. Sometimes they're campy, other times they're Oscar-worthy, but they're always totally over-the-top.
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Top 10 Amazing Overacting Actors
Top 20 Amazing Overacting Actors
Better hide the scenery because these guys are chewing it up. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our top picks for the top 10 overacting actors. For this list, we’re looking at the guys who love it ham it up. These actors aren’t exactly big on subtlety. They love dramatic gestures, and they emphasize everything. Sometimes they’re campy, other times they’re Oscar-worthy, but they’re always totally over-the-top.
#10: Samuel L. Jackson
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He’s one of the busiest actors in Hollywood today, churning out four or five films a year - and in most of those movies, he’s shouting. And that’s just fine with us because nobody does “angry” better than Samuel L. Jackson. Whether he’s quoting Scripture or commenting on the local wildlife, Jackson is always forgetting to use his indoor voice. And while he’s toned it down a bit for “The Avengers” movies, he more than made up for it in pretty much everything else he’s ever made.
#9: Daniel Day-Lewis
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If you’ve only seen “Lincoln,” then you might not know Daniel Day-Lewis has a tendency to ham it up from time to time. Need proof? Look no further than “Gangs of New York.” This period piece stars Day-Lewis as Bill the Butcher, a ferocious crime boss with strong ideas on interior decorating. But the piece de resistance is without a doubt his Oscar-winning turn as Daniel Plainview in “There Will Be Blood.” He’s John Huston meets Captain Ahab…and you better keep him away from your milkshake.
#8: Robin Williams
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He could be tender, thoughtful, or incredibly creepy, but despite his nuanced performances, Robin Williams will always be remembered as the king of the clowns who just couldn’t slow down. When it came to comedy, nobody had more pent-up energy than this guy. With his manic intensity and insane improv abilities, Williams was the perfect choice for films like “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “The Fisher King.” Seriously, who else would you cast as a wisecracking genie with a penchant for impersonations? Nobody, that’s who.
#7: John Malkovich
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Behind that icy persona, there’s a whole lot of ham. Cast John Malkovich as a drug-addled conspiracy theorist, and things will definitely get intense. Stick him in a fantasy flick, and well, you asked for it. But Malkovich should’ve won an over-the-top Oscar for his turn as Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom. You’ve never seen a scarier little girl impersonation, and the man knows how to threaten a stuffed rabbit. What makes Malkovich especially scary, though, is his ability to go from cool to crazy in less than a second.
#6: Tim Curry
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When your first big part is a cross-dressing, bisexual, rock-n-roll alien, you know your career is going to be nuts. With his creepy English accent, Tim Curry has played some of the most over-the-top villains in cinema. It doesn’t matter if he’s playing a crafty cardinal, a singing pirate, or the devil himself, Curry never ever holds back. Even when he’s animated, the guy is bonkers. What’s really impressive is how Curry blends his over-the-top theatrics with genuine terror. All we really need to say is “Pennywise.”
#5: John Travolta
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He’s pretty laid back in “Pulp Fiction,” but when he’s not chatting about Big Macs, John Travolta can get a little crazy. Whether he’s hijacking a subway or dancing in a fat suit, Travolta always finds a way to make his character stand out…for better or for worse. For example, his Nic Cage impersonation in “Face/Off” is totally psycho in the best way possible. But in “Battlefield Earth,” he falls into the “Just Plain Awful” category with his wacky accent and overblown Shakespearean performance.
#4: Al Pacino
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It’s hard to believe the same person who played cool and collected Michael Corleone is the same person who played this guy. One of the most iconic actors ever, Pacino has made a name for himself playing some truly outrageous characters. Few people even come close to matching Pacino’s panache. Nobody else can interrogate a witness like Al, and can you imagine De Niro holding a theological discussion like this? We didn’t think so, and that’s because it’s hard to get hammier than Al Pacino. Hoo-ha!
#3: William Shatner
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When it comes to overacting, William Shatner has boldly gone where no man has gone before. One of the most parodied celebrities of all time, Shatner is infamous for his bizarre delivery, which alternates between dramatic pauses and spitting his sentences out as quickly as possible. While he’s awkwardly awesome in movies like “Kingdom of the Spiders” and shows like “The Twilight Zone,” Shatner really shines as Captain James T. Kirk, especially when he’s acting alongside Ricardo Montalban. All right, let’s shout it together….
#2: Jim Carrey
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Riddle me this, who’s the kookiest comic in Hollywood? Without a doubt, it’s Jim Carrey. Crazier than Jerry Lewis on crack, Carrey burst into the big time as the weird and wild pet detective, Ace Ventura. Winning audiences with his over-the-top slapstick and goofy physical comedy, Carrey went on to play characters like Lloyd Christmas and Stanley Ipkiss…all of them completely insane. Sure, every-so-often he makes an “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” but for the most part, he’s the overacting king of the comedy world. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Raúl Juliá - Jack Nicholson - Terence Stamp - Dennis Hopper - Alan Rickman
#1: Nicolas Cage
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It doesn’t matter if he’s reciting the alphabet or just waiting in line, this man is a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, he’s going to blow up. Nicolas Cage has starred in everything from Oscar-winning pictures to B-movie crap, and he always manages to lose his mind. Cage calls his acting style “Nouveau Shamanic.” Whatever that is, it’s certainly loud. Whether he’s playing an inquisitive cop or a deranged crook, Cage is an expert at turning characters into absolute lunatics. Just look at those bulging eyes. Do you agree with our list? Who are your favorite overacting actors? For more incredible Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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