Actors typically support their roles, even when their films fall short. However, sometimes the gap is too wide to overlook. Comedian Tim Dillon is one such example, who, despite a brief cameo as an Arkham Asylum security guard in *Joker: Folie à Deux*, hasn't hesitated to voice his criticism of the film.
Labelling it “the worst film ever made” during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Dillon joins a surprising roster of stars who've publicly criticised their own past projects. Here’s a look at some other high-profile instances when actors were less than thrilled with the final cut.
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds has been vocal about his disappointment in starring in Green Lantern. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures
Although he’s found major success portraying Marvel’s Deadpool, Reynolds has openly expressed his disappointment with his 2011 film Green Lantern, calling the experience a "learning process". The film, which was intended to launch a new superhero franchise, failed to resonate with audiences and critics alike.
"There was just too many people spending too much money and when there was a problem rather than say: 'Okay, let’s stop spending on special effects and let’s think about character'... the thinking was never there to do that," Reynolds said at Just For Laughs comedy festival in London last year.
In interviews, Reynolds has suggested that the project suffered from a lack of clarity and direction, ultimately making it one of the roles he regretted. The experience even led him to add a humorous reference to it in Deadpool 2, where his character travels back in time to "prevent" himself from taking the role. Reynolds has described watching Green Lantern for the first time as uncomfortable, calling it "not a feeling I wanted to repeat".
Jessica Alba
Alba has been vocal about her dissatisfaction with the Fantastic Four films she starred in, particularly regarding her experiences during production.
In a 2010 interview with Elle, she described a frustrating moment while filming Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, where the director asked her to tone down her emotions during a crying scene, even suggesting they could CGI her tears instead. This experience left her questioning her abilities and wondering if her instincts as an actor were being valued at all.
This critique contributed to her ambivalence toward her involvement in the Fantastic Four franchise, which she later described as a “not great” part of her career, largely due to the disappointing scripts and lack of fulfilment in her role.
Shailene Woodley
Woodley openly voiced her discontent with how the Divergent series unfolded, especially after Ascendant, the planned fourth film, was restructured as a TV movie.
In 2016, Woodley admitted she was hesitant to continue in the role, telling Screenrant: “I didn’t sign up to be in a television show. Out of respect to the studio and everyone involved, they may have changed their mind and may be doing something different, but I’m not necessarily interested in doing a television show.”
She also mentioned her disappointment with the trajectory of the series and found it challenging to maintain the same level of enthusiasm as the story shifted away from her expectations.
Mark Wahlberg
Zooey Deschanel and Mark Wahlberg starred in 2008's The Happening. Photo: 20th Century Studios
Wahlberg hasn’t been shy about his dislike for M Night Shyamalan's 2008 film The Happening, where he starred as a science teacher trying to survive a mysterious pandemic. Wahlberg said, “It is what it is. You can’t blame me for wanting to try to play a science teacher… but I was trying to play a science teacher.” He humorously admitted to regretting the project, which was also a critical flop.
A couple of years later, during a press conference for his coming film The Fighter, Wahlberg addressed The Happening when discussing his The Fighter co-star Amy Adams, who was up for Zooey Deschanel’s role in the Shyamalan film: “We had actually had the luxury of having lunch before to talk about another movie, and it was a really bad movie that I did. She dodged the bullet.”
Katherine Heigl
Although she had made a name for herself in television, starring in Grey’s Anatomy (for which she won an Emmy in 2007), Heigl quickly gained a reputation as "difficult to work with" due to her comments not only about the show that gave her a breakout role, but also about the film she starred in, Knocked Up.
In 2007, Heigl told Vanity Fair that she felt the romantic-comedy was "a little sexist," criticising its portrayal of women as "shrews, humourless, and uptight". Her remarks, coupled with other controversies, continued to get attention. In 2008, Heigl also withdrew herself from Emmys consideration, stating that she didn’t think her season four material warranted a nomination – a move that upset Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes.