Top 10 Rom-Coms Actors Regret Doing
#10: Gwyneth Paltrow “View from the Top” (2003)
The release of this Gwyneth Paltrow rom-com, about a woman trying to make it as a flight attendant, was delayed by more than a year. It maybe shouldn’t have been released at all, given its 14 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and dismal box office performance. Paltrow is the last person to defend the film, however. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, months after its release, Paltrow referred to it as “The worst movie ever.” We don’t know if we’d go that far, but we’re not itching to rewatch it anytime soon, either. As far as Paltrow’s career goes, “View from the Top” sits somewhere near the bottom.
#9: Matthew Goode “Leap Year” (2010)
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“Leap Year” was filmed and set in Ireland, but it didn't have much luck with critics. While Amy Adams’s charisma and acting talents can improve just about any movie, they reportedly couldn’t distract from “Leap Year’s” more obvious clichés. Adams’s on-screen love interest, English actor Matthew Goode, has been quite blunt about the film’s quality and why he signed on. In an interview even before the Irish release, Goode described the film as “turgid” and that he mainly did it so that he would be able to go home on the weekends. Still, there were no hard feelings, as he “had a nice time” and “got paid.” Which is all we can really ask for sometimes, right?
#8: Jude Law “Alfie” (2004)
This reimagining of the ‘60s dramedy about a womanizer trying to reform his ways certainly looked promising, especially with Jude Law in the role originated by Michael Caine. But while “Alfie” isn't terrible, it never makes a compelling case for its existence. And it performed terribly at the box office, earning $35 million worldwide on a $60 million budget. Its star has admitted to being disappointed with it as well. At the 2007 Venice Film Festival, Law tactfully said the film “didn't quite turn out the way [he] wanted it to.” Sometimes, what you hope for isn’t what you get.
#7: Julia Roberts & Nick Nolte “I Love Trouble” (1994)
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Julia Roberts has starred in plenty of classic rom-coms, but “I Love Trouble” is nobody’s first - or even fifth - choice for date night. Directed by Charles Shyer - who also made “Alfie” - and co-written with his then-wife Nancy Meyers, “I Love Trouble” stars Roberts and Nick Nolte as two rival newspaper reporters in Chicago who team up to uncover the truth behind a train accident. Sparks did not fly between the leads, as both Roberts and Nolte expressed active disdain for each other, with Roberts referring to Nolte as “completely disgusting” and Nolte describing her as “not a nice person.” Where’s Richard Gere when you need him?
#6: Ben Affleck “Gigli” (2003)
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One of the most notorious flops of all-time, “Gigli” was savaged by critics and ignored by audiences, who had no interest in seeing power couple Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez in this off-putting story about a mobster who falls in love with his handler. “Gigli’s” unbelievably bad dialogue has become the stuff of legend. When discussing the film shortly after its release on “The Tonight Show,” Affleck was critical but also diplomatic, saying it “featured good work” and that critics were pre-emptively plotting against it, but that it ultimately didn't work. And now, “Gigli” is remembered for being really bad.
#5: Sarah Jessica Parker “Sex and the City 2” (2010)
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You’d have to be a diehard “Sex and the City” fan to get much enjoyment out of this overlong and borderline offensive sequel, which finds Carrie and the rest of the ladies jetting off to Abu Dhabi where hilarity decidedly does not ensue. Star Sarah Jessica Parker has also voiced some reservations about the film, saying at the 2017 Vulture Festival that, while she loved making the film, she could “see where [they] fell short.” But with a revival series “And Just Like That…” coming to HBO Max, it seems Parker hasn't lost her love for playing Carrie Bradshaw.
#4: Kelly Clarkson “From Justin to Kelly” (2003)
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“American Idol” made Kelly Clarkson a music star, but “From Justin to Kelly” definitely didn’t make her a movie star. This spring break-set musical starring Clarkson and “Idol” runner-up Justin Guarini is considered to be one of the worst movies of all-time, and Clarkson is not proud of her involvement. In a 2006 interview with Time magazine, Clarkson stressed that she only did the movie out of contractual obligation, and “knew when [she] read the script it was going to be real, real bad.” “Idol” fever did not translate to ticket sales, and “From Justin to Kelly’s” only legacy is as a legendarily bad movie. Maybe Simon Cowell should’ve had some input?
#3: Gwyneth Paltrow & Jack Black “Shallow Hal” (2001)
Gwyneth Paltrow doesn’t seem to have the best track record with rom-coms. This Farrelly Brothers comedy, about a superficial guy who’s hypnotized into seeing the inner beauty of women, largely relies on cheap jokes about weight. Paltrow, who played the love interest to Jack Black’s Hal, has vocalized her displeasure for the film, both for its quality and for the difficulty of wearing the required makeup and bodysuit. Years later, she described “Shallow Hal” as a “disaster.” Paltrow's co-star isn't fond of “Shallow Hal,” either. In 2006, Black said he “wasn't proud of [the movie]” and that it felt like “a sell-out.” And who knows about the dangers of selling out better than a rockstar?
#2: Michelle Pfeiffer “Grease 2” (1982)
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The original “Grease” is a classic movie musical that continues to find a new generation of fans eager to soak up its ‘50s nostalgia, amazing looks, and iconic songs. “Grease 2” is the quintessential unnecessary sequel, with most of the original cast and all of the original spark gone. But it is notable for one thing: it gave Michelle Pfeiffer her first lead role. The future star of classics like “Scarface” and “Batman Returns” said she “hated [it] with a vengeance” and blamed her participation on youthful inexperience. Sheesh, tell us how you really feel...
#1: Katherine Heigl “Knocked Up” (2007)
Judd Apatow has worked with numerous actors multiple times, but “Knocked Up” might remain his only collaboration with Katherine Heigl. In the film, Heigl plays an ambitious woman whose life is turned upside-down after a one-night stand with a slacker, played by Seth Rogen. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Heigl spoke about her discomfort with the film's portrayal of women compared to men, saying the female characters were depicted as “shrews.” Heigl's words caused a good deal of controversy, with both Apatow and Rogen taking issue with them. However, Heigl has stressed she still enjoyed working with those involved. It just seems there were some issues with characterization.
