Discuss: With Phoenix Gone, Who Else Should Retire from Acting?
Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Newsstand
It's official -- Joaquin Phoenix will grace us no more with his onscreen presence. Judging from the Cinematical poll results, you guys are just as shocked and disappointed by his decision as we are. Considering we lost the talents of Heath Ledger earlier this year, may I beg the movie gods to cut us a break here?
But to make (somewhat) light of an awkward situation, we here at Cinematical thought we'd put this question to you -- who you like to see retire from acting altogether? This summer, I hinted I was rather disappointed in Brendan Fraser, who's semi-retired a few times now. A glance at his IMDB page shows it to be scarce. Maybe he should follow Phoenix's example before there's a Mummy 4 or 5, thereby ruining all my fond memories of his performance in Gods and Monsters.
What about Nicolas Cage? Would you rather he go before he makes Bangkok Dangerous 2? Spends the last bit of his Coen Bros cred in endless National Treasure sequels? What about popular whipping boy, Tom Cruise, who's couch-jumping antics have caused him some box-office pain and negative publicity? Maybe golden boy Shia LeBeouf, who was landing so many roles a t-shirt protest began. Maybe you just can't take another magazine cover with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
Then again, everyone on this list has some incredibly solid roles under their belt -- it's easy to pick on a guy like Cage for some of his choices, until you remember Adaptation. Perhaps you just wish the C-List would go away ... no more movies from Vin Diesel or Paul Walker, not another role from Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Take it away, Cinematical readers. And remember, this is in good fun, and we mean no disrespect to any of the names above.
But to make (somewhat) light of an awkward situation, we here at Cinematical thought we'd put this question to you -- who you like to see retire from acting altogether? This summer, I hinted I was rather disappointed in Brendan Fraser, who's semi-retired a few times now. A glance at his IMDB page shows it to be scarce. Maybe he should follow Phoenix's example before there's a Mummy 4 or 5, thereby ruining all my fond memories of his performance in Gods and Monsters.
What about Nicolas Cage? Would you rather he go before he makes Bangkok Dangerous 2? Spends the last bit of his Coen Bros cred in endless National Treasure sequels? What about popular whipping boy, Tom Cruise, who's couch-jumping antics have caused him some box-office pain and negative publicity? Maybe golden boy Shia LeBeouf, who was landing so many roles a t-shirt protest began. Maybe you just can't take another magazine cover with Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.
Then again, everyone on this list has some incredibly solid roles under their belt -- it's easy to pick on a guy like Cage for some of his choices, until you remember Adaptation. Perhaps you just wish the C-List would go away ... no more movies from Vin Diesel or Paul Walker, not another role from Paris Hilton or Lindsay Lohan. Take it away, Cinematical readers. And remember, this is in good fun, and we mean no disrespect to any of the names above.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-04-2008 @ 2:17PM
SkullRaidramon said...
Eugene Levy. His face literally makes me sick at this point.
O, and to counter other posts that may pop up, Steven Segal is IN HIS PRIME I TELL YOU. He should only stop making movies when he's dead.
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11-04-2008 @ 2:23PM
Gregory Moore said...
Canoe Reaves (Keanu to some)
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11-04-2008 @ 2:27PM
Joseph J. Finn said...
Julia Roberts, easily. Please spare us any more of her supposed performances.
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11-04-2008 @ 2:28PM
techstar25 said...
Al Pacino.
I didn't see "88 Mins" or "Righteous Kill", but I heard they weren't so good. Those two were supposed to be his big comeback.
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11-04-2008 @ 2:31PM
Matt said...
TOM CRUISE! TOM CRUISE! TOME CRUISE! TOM CRUISE!
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11-04-2008 @ 2:32PM
Scott said...
Ben Affleck and Ashton Kutcher. Easily two of the most irritating individuals I can think of.
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11-04-2008 @ 2:33PM
pAT said...
Leelee Sobieski. Girl, it's just not working out. It's not me, it's you.
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11-04-2008 @ 6:39PM
paul said...
holy cats, what's not to like?
http://tinyurl.com/53rdg5
11-04-2008 @ 10:48PM
MCW said...
That seems pretty out of left-field. She's a great actress who gets no work...
11-04-2008 @ 2:33PM
Scott said...
Oh yeah, Paul Walker too.
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11-04-2008 @ 3:25PM
Brian said...
Jamie Foxx. Ugh, cannot stand that man!!!!!!
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11-04-2008 @ 2:46PM
mcafee_matthew said...
This is a horrible post - who are we to decide who should and shouldn't be making films!!
Is there really a point to this post other than to make defamatory comments about actors who may or may not deserve them?!
You guys are better than this! Let's just except Phoenix's retirement and hope that some new talented blood will fill the void!
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11-04-2008 @ 6:09PM
Batzarro said...
Come on...kill a little! It's not like any of them actually will quit, or even weep upon reading this.
11-04-2008 @ 6:42PM
paul said...
I take exception to your exception.
11-04-2008 @ 2:48PM
Batzarro said...
Had a hard time thinking of one, until you mentioned Paris Hilton. Let her antics be banished to awefully fake Reality T.V.
And take Ben Afleck with you.
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11-04-2008 @ 2:55PM
Collin said...
Hayden Christensen.
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11-04-2008 @ 3:04PM
Sam said...
Ben Stiller needs to be on the list. His supposed 'comedy' has never elicited so much as a chuckle from me, and for the life of me I can't understand why anyone pays him to be on screen.
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11-04-2008 @ 3:13PM
frank cracolice said...
Uh, why not just refuse to watch these people if they bother you so much? Oh, that's right, you have to come up with pithy subject matter. In Cage's case, what happened in Vegas should have stayed in Vegas.
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11-04-2008 @ 3:15PM
Astin said...
Have to sort of agree with m_m up there, especially since (with the exception of Paris Hilton), I've liked every actor mentioned in at least one or two roles, and have faith that they can still find more that work for them. Paris might even be forgiven, depending on how she is in Repo!
One could easily have put Travolta on this list years ago and then there would have been a very different Vincent Vega. Or Bruce Willis and then no Sixth Sense. Even the worst actors who people know have their niche.
Now directors or writers... THERE'S a topic that could have legs.
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11-04-2008 @ 3:49PM
Rich said...
The top 5 that need to retire from acting/filmmaking
Tom Cruise
Brandon Fraiser
Kevin Costner
Cameron Diaz
Natalie Portman
#1 person who needs to be executed for Crimes against films:
George Lucas
Reply