E. Reid Ross lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

E. Reid Ross - Lists at Ranker

Entertainment

For a working actor, getting a steady gig on a popular television program is like winning the lottery (especially when you&rsquo;re Bryan Cranston and go from being the dad in Malcolm in the Middle to featuring in the new Power Rangers&nbsp;movie). The hard truth is&nbsp;that - for many of them -&nbsp;it will be the last time they&rsquo;ll enjoy a high-profile job in entertainment. So, years later, when filmmakers in Hollywood decide to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-based-on-tv-shows/ranker-film" target="_blank">make a movie based on the show you were in</a>, it can be a great opportunity to show the world you&rsquo;re still <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-to-watch-while-drinking/anncasano?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">fun to watch</a>, relevant, and/or alive.

Vote up the actors who showed up in a cameo role in the movie version of their TV show and totally nailed it.

TV Actors Who Appeared In Movie Versions Of Their Shows

Actor

E. Reid Ross

The whole reason we watch horror movies is to be, you know, horrified. Even if it&#39;s just&nbsp;a little bit, like with a Tim Burton stop-motion musical or something. But while some scare flicks reward us for watching with endings that are cathartic and satisfying -&nbsp;with the baddies getting their comeuppance -&nbsp;others present us with <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/horror-movie-alternate-endings/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">finales that are so bleak and dismal</a> that it&#39;s an emotional -&nbsp;almost physical - blow to the gut that&rsquo;s too much to bear.

Vote up the disturbing <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/horror-movies-with-the-most-satisfying-endings/ranker-horror?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">horror movie endings</a> that are so upsetting, you had to spend the following day watching nothing but cartoons and funny cat videos.

The Most Upsetting Horror Movie Endings Of All Time

Film

Exploring the special effects that bring entertainment to life.

Movie Magic

Total Nerd

In recent years there's been a renewed appreciation for practical effects, the kind of props and sets that actually exist in reality and can be physically touched. The ideal situation is when the digital and the practical work in harmony, but thanks to incidents like Attack of the Clones'&nbsp;floating CGI pear, Jeremy Renner's CGI arms in Tag, and the CGI dog poop in John Wick's yard, many moviegoers have come to dislike arguably <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-brought-own-by-one-bad-cgi-character/jacob-shelton">unnecessary computer fakery</a> simply on general principle.Vote up the times filmmakers took the CGI route when other options would have done the trick more effectively, more believably, or much less ridiculously.

13 Times Movies Used CGI For Absolutely No Good Reason

It&rsquo;s shocking enough when comedians like Robin Williams and&nbsp;Steve Carrell <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-serious-movies-starring-comedians" target="_blank">manage to shed their funnyman persona</a> and deliver knockout dramatic performances in films like Good Will Hunting and Foxcatcher, respectively. But just as impressive is when actors known for their onscreen gravitas pull a&nbsp;reversal&nbsp;and manage to make the audience laugh by playing the fool every once in a while. And frankly, it&#39;s borderline unfair that some of Hollywood&#39;s best-looking, most-respected stars just&nbsp;happen&nbsp;to be funny&nbsp;too.

Vote up the best funny serious actors who made you laugh just as much as those who specialize in comedy.

16 Serious Actors Who Have No Business Being As Funny As They Are

Pop Culture

Sometimes a group of dedicated filmmakers simply have the necessary passion and skill (along with a little bit of luck) for their project to be duly rewarded when awards season rolls around. Other times a film is made with the full expectation that those involved will get a shiny little statue, and they succeed because the actors manage to deliver Oscar-worthy performances.

And then there are the unfortunate times that Oscar bait actors throw out Oscar bait performances and the Academy doesn&rsquo;t even nibble - either because the thespians in question tried way too hard and came off looking ridiculous, or as a result of numerous other factors that can cause a movie intended&nbsp;to garner prestige to wind up merely making audiences&nbsp;laugh at the sad attempt (<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/oscar-bait-movies-that-failed/anncasano" target="_blank">or worse, roll their eyes and walk out due to boredom</a>). Vote up the actors you think obviously wanted a new trophy for their bookcase but instead gave dollar stores something to toss in their bargain bin.

16 Oscar Bait Performances No One Asked For (Or Wanted)

Performances

As a general rule, actors are known for their sole expertise in either dramatic or comedic roles, with their occasional forays outside their comfort zone ranging from uncomfortably unconvincing to uncomfortably atrocious. There are very few performers who can <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/surprisingly-good-comic-book-movie-performances/josh-plainse" target="_blank">swap between far-ranging skill sets with ease</a>, and it&rsquo;s especially entertaining to watch serious thespians&nbsp;in supporting comedy roles who completely nail it and steal&nbsp;the attention away from the comedians whose names hog the top of the movie posters.

Vote up the actors who made you laugh out loud, thereby shattering all your assumptions that they were only as funny as a late-night commercial featuring Sarah McLachlan singing about neglected puppies.

13 Serious Actors Who Went Above And Beyond In Completely Ridiculous Comedy Roles

Few successful actors get to begin their careers by playing weighty historical figures or heroic, world-beating swashbucklers. Most have to start <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-who-started-as-extras/matthewcoleweiss" target="_blank">a little farther down the totem pole</a> and put in some time doing a little grunt work.

Literally. There are lots of actors you may have forgotten were in war movies a long time ago, playing unsung soldiers before settling into their current superstar status. Vote up the biggest &quot;Oh yeah!&quot;&nbsp;moments where you suddenly smacked your head and remembered&nbsp;these performers were once members of an ensemble armed forces cast.

14 Movie Stars You Forgot Played Grunts In War Movies

Sometimes movies can veer a bit further&nbsp;into the silly lane than they originally intended and need to correct course by injecting some seriousness into the mix. One of the best ways to give films some of that instant gravitas is by hiring respected (arguably overqualified) actors to serve as authority figures and communicate plot points with credibility, dignity, and - if at all possible -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-british-actors-of-all-time" target="_blank">an upper-class British accent</a>.

Here is a roundup of times filmmakers cast prestigious thespians solely to give their projects an aura of prestige. Vote up your favorite - and most trusted - onscreen authority figures.

20 Times A Prestigious Actor Was Cast Just To Give A Movie An Air Of Credibility

20 Times A Prestigious Actor Was Cast Just To Explain Things To Us With An Air Of Credibility

Whether we&rsquo;re talking about nostalgic movies for millennials, Generation X&rsquo;ers, or Boomers, we all have those theater experiences from our childhoods that automatically give us the warm happies in our collective tummies when we think of them.

However, when held up to the cold hard light of scrutiny, many of the films that made us <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/movies-you-wish-you-watch-for-the-first-time/anncasano" target="_blank">squeal with glee</a> when we were young are more likely to make us <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-guilty-pleasure-movies" target="_blank">cringe with shame</a> now that we&rsquo;ve matured into cynical grumps. Here are some of the &ldquo;classic&rdquo; movies that actually aren&rsquo;t very good but people may still love anyway thanks to the power of nostalgia.

Vote up the movies you sorta love even though you know you shouldn&#39;t.

17 Movies You Probably Only Love Out Of Childhood Nostalgia

Movies You Probably Only Love Out Of Childhood Nostalgia

Looking at standout roles, unforgettable performances, and behind-the-scenes drama of famous and forgotten actors.

Casting Calls

Showbiz

Some movie stars are so ridiculously good looking or possess so much innate panache that they&rsquo;re allowed to get away with always essentially playing themselves on film. But for most thespians, the ones who&rsquo;ve trained for years to pretend to be other people, things can get challenging when the skin they&rsquo;re asked to step inside is their own.

Here are some&nbsp;times actors playing <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/keanu-reeves-always-be-my-maybe-memes/maggie-clancy" target="_blank">fictionalized versions of themselves</a> did just as well as they do portraying people who don&rsquo;t really exist. Vote up the actors you think pulled it off best.

18 Actors Who Starred As Themselves And Totally Nailed It

Person

As highly as they tend to think of themselves, successful actors aren&rsquo;t always the smartest or the most capable humanity has to offer. Yet a few of them do indeed have <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/celebrities-with-hidden-talents/zack-howe" target="_blank">skills and abilities outside the realm of make-believe</a> and would very much like you to know it. So, occasionally, they will take the opportunity to make weird flexes in the films they appear in, whether or not it&rsquo;s in the best interests of the plot or the film overall.

Below are some&nbsp;memorable times movie stars couldn&rsquo;t help but show off the real-life things they could do on screen - or otherwise give themselves a little shoutout. Vote up the weirdest celebrity flexes that you think are actually pretty impressive.

12 Times Actors Worked Weird Flexes Into Their Own Movies

It&rsquo;s always a winning formula when movies include heartwarming scenes of redeemed villains performing at least one good and selfless act to make up for all their former misdeeds. Who can forget <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/saddest-star-wars-ends/jordan-love" target="_blank">Luke cradling a dying Darth Vader</a>&nbsp;after he finally renounces the Dark Side and charbroils the Emperor? Or when Captain Barbossa finally teams up with Jack Sparrow and sacrifices himself to save his daughter?

But wait a minute&hellip; did those two really deserve the sudden &ldquo;OK,&nbsp;you&rsquo;re <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-very-best-of-the-good-guy-lucifer-meme/robert-wabash?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">a good guy</a> now&rdquo; treatment? When you weigh their last acts against their total offenses, it becomes a lot harder to be sympathetic. In fact, a whole lot of fictional characters probably don&rsquo;t deserve the instant absolution they receive after their <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-irredeemably-evil-villains/williamsbrianjake" target="_blank">lifetimes spent indulging in cruelty</a>, sin, and/or avarice. Here&#39;s a chance to weigh in on the characters you think don&rsquo;t deserve forgiveness at the end of their stories.

Villains Turned Heroes Who Don’t Deserve Their Redemptions

Fictional Character

Some bad guys just want to watch the universe burn.

Villains and Bad Guys

Closely scrutinizing some supposed cinematic &ldquo;heroes&rdquo; can sometimes expose&nbsp;them&nbsp;as having been awful people the whole time (<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-heroes-who-are-actually-villains/anncasano" target="_blank">Ferris Bueller being a good example</a>).&nbsp;And sometimes movies like to throw you a curveball, making you like someone who later turns out to be a class-A jerk who makes the main character&#39;s life miserable. It seems to be a phenomenon that&#39;s popular in everything from Pixar movies to gritty superhero flicks to films where Al Pacino is a (not-so-secret) Satan.

Here are the characters who took heel turns in movies after making you - and, more importantly, our heroes - think they were one of the good guys. Vote up your favorite villains that were <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-villains-in-disguise-secret-identity/jake-williams" target="_blank">hiding in plain sight</a> the whole time.

20 Benevolent Characters Who Turn Out To Be The Bad Guy, Ranked By How Quickly You Saw It Coming

Benevolent Characters Who Turn Out To Be The Bad Guy

Film Trivia

Movie directors pride themselves on their creativity, but even the most groundbreaking <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-greatest-living-directors" target="_blank">directors</a> are influenced by past films, and some of them find creative ways to pay homage to those movies. One such way is to re-create a scene from a favorite film - but in a subtle way that most people might not even notice.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

We&rsquo;re not talking about movies like Spaceballs&nbsp;that are parodies. We mean the instances where filmmakers paid sneaky homage to past masters in interesting and respectful ways. Here are the films that surreptitiously re-created scenes right under our noses.

Movies You Didn't Realize Were Re-creating Other Movies

Movies You Didn't Realize Were Paying Tribute To Other Films

A closer look at the greatest performances by some of the best, most versatile, most unforgettable actors on the big and small screens.

Master Classes

Cate Blanchett

Some famous actresses have a career driven by&nbsp;their unique looks, while others use their skill at performing to play believable supporting characters. Only a few are just as stunning to look at as they are capable of handling just about any part you throw at them.

And then there&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-cate-blanchett-movies-filmography/ranker-film" target="_blank">Cate Blanchett</a>, who&#39;s just as convincing as a regal matriarch as she is as someone you might meet pushing a cart at the supermarket. From Elvish queen to crooked housewife to the Goddess of Death, here are the roles that prove just how incredibly versatile she is. Remember to vote up your favorite Blanchett roles.

18 Performances That Prove Cate Blanchett Is The Most Versatile Actor Of Her Generation

Cate Blanchett Roles That Prove She Is The Most Versatile Actor Of Her Generation

Kings & queens, princes & princesses. They're made of blood and bones like the rest of us, but they're told they can do whatever they damn well please. Sometimes, this causes problems.

Royal Pains

Interesting

Many historical royals&nbsp;were born with an abundance of expendable income along with plenty of free time. And although some have been content to collect&nbsp;the standard piles of jewels and properties,&nbsp;other <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/who-married-into-the-british-royal-family/setareh-janda" target="_blank">royals</a> have amassed more bizarre collections.

Here are the&nbsp;weird royal collections&nbsp;that cater to some noble folks&#39; eccentric personal tastes - and fit right in with their often <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-english-monarchy-facts/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">strange real-life stories.</a>

The Weirdest Things Historical Royals Have Collected

Robert Downey Jr.

Robert Downey Jr. pretty much owns the role of&nbsp;Iron Man, but many other roles as well. His abilities go way beyond playing a snarky billionaire with&nbsp;a metal suit in a blockbuster superhero film. Like other things you <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/robert-downey-jr-facts/jonathan-kantor" target="_blank">might not know about Robert Downey Jr.</a>, he&#39;s acted&nbsp;in films like&nbsp;Tropic Thunder (2008), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Only You (1994), and The Judge (2014). Downey,&nbsp;son of director Robert Downey Sr. and actor Elsie Ford,&nbsp;has&nbsp;also had TV roles, including a stint on&nbsp;Ally McBeal.&nbsp;

Moviegoers should count their lucky stars he was able to overcome personal issues and get back in front of the camera, because he&#39;s pulled off an array of memorable characters.

Robert Downey Jr. Roles (Besides Iron Man) That Prove He's A Great Actor

Robert Downey Jr. Roles That Prove He's A Great Actor

Willem Dafoe

Some A-list Hollywood stars succeed by playing variations of one character throughout their entire career. Some examples would be John &quot;I&#39;m always an American Tough Guy&quot;&nbsp;Wayne, Jason &quot;I&#39;m always a British Tough Guy&quot;&nbsp;Statham, and Seth &quot;Whoa, I&#39;m a totally stoned guy&quot;&nbsp;Rogen. Then there are the skilled thespians who can inhabit just about any role you throw at them. Willem Dafoe, over his long and illustrious career, has shown himself to be a venerable member of the latter category.

Here are some of the parts he&#39;s played that prove he can deftly handle every genre and be believable in every role, from tropical fish to the almighty Son of God. Vote up your favorite Dafoe performances.

22 Weird Willem Dafoe Performances That Show He's Great In Everything

Willem Dafoe's Weird Performances Prove He's Great In Everything

When a person who&rsquo;s known for something other than acting is given a small role or brief <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/small-cameos-by-famous-actors/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">cameo</a> in a movie, the expectations aren&rsquo;t all that high. But sometimes, out of the blue, a non-actor delivers a knockout performance that outshines all of the fancy thespians in their midst. From sports stars to musicians to relatives of the filmmakers, these are the folks from outside the film industry who managed to make movie history.

Non-Actors Who Totally Stole Scenes And Sometimes Entire Movies

You don&#39;t always need an expensive <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-useless-college-majors/school-buddy" target="_blank">theater degree</a> or a five-day-a-week personal trainer&nbsp;to be in&nbsp;a Hollywood movie. Sometimes a filmmaker will instantly recognize that someone, despite the fact they&#39;ve&nbsp;never acted a day in their life, has innate qualities that might make them <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-stunt-casting-in-movies/ezra-hendren" target="_blank">perfect for a particular role</a>. And these are the times those&nbsp;hunches&nbsp;were&nbsp;exactly right.

Non-Actors Who Got Thrown Into Movies And Totally Nailed It

Best Performances By Non Actors

Graveyard Shift

Not every movie scene that shows a character getting the heebies and/or jeebies scared out of them can be credited to a thespian&rsquo;s acting skills. Sometimes, whether it be by the cruel hand of fate or&nbsp;the even crueler machinations of a scheming director, the on-screen terror is genuine. In everything from <a href="/list/kids-who-didn-t-know-they-were-in-horror-movies/lisa-a-flowers" target="_blank">horror flicks</a> to children&rsquo;s movies, these are the times memorable movie moments were the result of someone actually being frightened out of their wits.

Movie Scenes That Genuinely Terrified The Actors

Lists of great, unforgettable, and weird scenes in film and TV - and how they got made.

And... Scene

Ask anyone who&rsquo;s been an onscreen actor - in everything from Hollywood&nbsp;films to TV shows and commercials&nbsp;- and they&#39;ll tell you repetition is a big part of the process. Filming&nbsp;a scene using only one take is rare.

But sometimes, with a little bit of luck,&nbsp;skill, and occasionally a dash of <a href="/list/actors-who-stay-in-character-off-camera/celebrity-lists" target="_blank">method acting</a>, an actor&nbsp;gets everything right on the first take and gets to return to their trailer early. These are the times actors (and stunt people) totally nailed it.

Famous Movie Scenes That Needed Only One Take

Nowadays there&rsquo;s so much digital trickery and computerized tomfoolery in the movies we watch, we take it for granted that most action sequences are purely fake. But sometimes the stunts you see that look too awesome to be real <a href="/list/photos-of-practical-special-effects/aaron-edwards" target="_blank">actually are</a>, with honest-to-goodness humans,&nbsp;vehicles, and whatnot doing amazing things. These are the times filmmakers created&nbsp;newfangled results <a href="/list/movies-made-before-cgi/anncasano" target="_blank">the old-fashioned way</a>. As stunt coordinator Guy Norris said of Mad Max: Fury Road&nbsp;and its no-CGI thrills,&nbsp;&ldquo;We wanted to make it&nbsp;real.&nbsp;Real vehicles, real locations, real movement, and real stunts.&rdquo;

Movie Special Effects You Didn't Know Weren't CGI

Best Practical Effects In Modern Movies

Looking closer at the actors who have played cold-blooded bad guys—and totally nailed it.

Playing the Villain

When an actor is cast as a beloved (or at least likable) character <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-thor-movies-characters/ranker-film" target="_blank">in a celebrated&nbsp;movie</a>, it becomes hard to imagine anyone else in the role. Even harder to wrap one&rsquo;s mind around is the idea of&nbsp;the villain in that movie playing that part. But fate nearly pulled a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-who-played-both-superheroes-and-supervillains/anncasano" target="_blank">switcheroo</a> just like that multiple times. From superhero movies to prison comedies, these are the times the people we think of as the bad guys and gals nearly got the job as the hero.

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