Actors Who Have The Longest Streak Of Box Office Bombs
Box office bombs are interesting because a film's financial success isn't always indicative of its quality. Movies like "It's a Wonderful Life," "The Right Stuff," and "Blade Runner" all bombed at the box office but are now beloved and critically acclaimed. Actors who consistently appear in bombs aren't necessarily bad at their jobs, and plenty of B-movie actors make great livings appearing in low-budget duds.
Of course, it's always more interesting to study an incredibly successful and talented actor and look into their filmographies. Every once in a while, you'll stumble across a famous movie star who made one box office bomb after the other, and the list of actors who meet that description is considerably long. For a film to be deemed a box office bomb, it has to make less than its budget and the estimated marketing costs. Movie math is complex, but a good rule of thumb is to double the budget to find the break-even point. While many of these actors lent their vocal talents to animated films that flopped, those aren't considered here, as they fall within a different category, as do TV movies and movies made exclusively for streaming or video on demand.
There are many reasons a film might bomb, whether due to the story, actors, director, or competition from other films. Still, it's worth noting when a talented actor appears in something that utterly bombs at the box office.
Daniel Day-Lewis has had a surprising number of bombs
Daniel Day-Lewis is one of his generation's greatest actors, having repeatedly proven his skills in films like "There Will Be Blood" and "Gangs of New York." Day-Lewis' career consists of memorable performances of challenging characters; for most of them, he went the full method acting route. Day-Lewis throws himself into his work in ways few actors can mirror, much less comprehend, and it's earned him numerous accolades.
It stands to reason that such a talented actor would star in nothing but hits, but while he's lauded for his performances, Day-Lewis isn't a guaranteed box office hitmaker. His filmography consists of 20 films, his most successful film of which was the historical drama "Lincoln," for which he won an Oscar for best actor. For some time before its release, however, Day-Lewis had a string of box office bombs.
One of his most celebrated movies, "The Last of the Mohicans," failed to break even at the box office, grossing $75.5 million on a budget of $40 million. He followed this with Martin Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence," which recouped $2 million less than its production budget. Irish Republican Army drama "In the Name of the Father" came close to doubling its $13 million budget, while "The Crucible," an adaptation with many big-name actors at its center, was a more straightforward flop, making about $7 million domestically on an estimated $25 million budget. It wasn't until 2007's "There Will Be Blood" that he starred in an unambiguous hit after so many of his films underperformed.
Olivia Wilde starred in two strings of duds
These days, Olivia Wilde spends more time behind the camera as a director than she does in front of it as an actor, but she's starred in plenty of television series and feature films. The "Booksmart" director got her start on the small screen, appearing in "Skin" and "The O.C." before taking on a leading role in "House." As her television roles expanded, she landed more films, playing supporting roles in "Year One," "Tron: Legacy," and "Cowboys & Aliens."
She's also unfortunately had two separate strings of box office bombs. The first began with 2012's "Butter," a $10 million movie that grossed under $200,000. Her next film, "Deadfall," released the same year, also flopped, yielding $1.6 million on a budget of $6 million. Wilde's next two bombs were "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" and "Drinking Buddies," both of which earned less than their budgets.
Wilde's second string of bombs began with "Life Itself" in 2018, which earned about $8 million worldwide on a $10 million budget. Though there's no budget information available for 2019's "A Vigilante," in which Wilde had the lead role, the film had a limited release and including VOD and video sales, barely crossed $100,000. The string of flops closed out with Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell," which was critically acclaimed but barely made its budget back. Her next three major films, luckily, were "Ghostbusters: Afterlife," "DC League of Super Pets," and "Don't Worry Darling," all of which were financially successful.
Eddie Murphy's movies don't always make bank
Eddie Murphy was box office gold for much of his moviemaking career. The "Saturday Night Live" star started strong with "48 Hrs.," "Trading Places," and "Beverly Hills Cop" in the 1980s before branching out into more diverse projects into the '90s. While Murphy has had more than a few box office bombs sprinkled throughout his career, he only has one string of them, and it's five films long.
By the late 2000s, Murphy's huge hits like "Coming to America" were in the rearview mirror. Beginning with "Meet Dave" in 2008, Murphy consistently starred in projects that made less than their budgets. For every "Shrek" film, in which he voiced Donkey, that made hundreds of millions of dollars, Murphy had a film like "Imagine That" or the ensemble caper "Tower Heist," which made $22.4 and $150 million on budgets of $55 and $85 million, respectively.
Murphy's career was in full-on freefall when he starred in the 2012 comedy "A Thousand Words," which barely made back half of its $40 million budget. His follow-up saw him take on a more serious role in "Mr. Church," but that made $650,780 on an $8 million budget. This was Murphy's first film in four years, and it utterly bombed at the box office. Critics weren't kind, but Murphy didn't call it quits. Since 2016, Murphy has starred in several lauded films on streaming services, including "Dolemite Is My Name" and "Coming 2 America," but nothing that's seen a theatrical release.
Matt Damon had a string of misses between Bourne films
Matt Damon's career involved a meteoric rise to fame thanks to "Good Will Hunting," and he continued churning out blockbusters for decades. Granted, Damon appeared in several movies that underperformed, like "Rounders" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance," but these were interspersed with huge hits like "Saving Private Ryan," "Ocean's Eleven," and "The Bourne Identity." The man has several popular franchises to his name while also appearing in numerous profitable one-offs.
After introducing Jason Bourne to cinemagoers in 2002, Damon's career took a slight turn, as his next five movies failed to generate nearly as much money at the box office. This began in 2002 with "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," which only grossed $33 million with a $29 million budget. Following this, Damon starred as the titular character in Gus Van Sant's "Gerry" opposite Casey Affleck. The film only played in 15 theaters at its peak and earned $719,699 — significantly less than its $7 million budget.
After this, Damon's "Stuck on You" in 2003 grossed $63.5 million on a budget of $55 million, and he had a memorable cameo in "Eurotrip," which brought in $20 million on a budget of $25 million. His final box office bomb before "The Bourne Supremacy" pulled his career back into the black came via "Jersey Girl," which didn't break even, bringing in $37 million on a $35 million budget.
Halle Berry's Oscar win saved her losing streak
Halle Berry is an incredibly talented actor with many accolades to her name, including being the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award for best actress. She's appeared in numerous high-profile franchises, including Fox's "X-Men" franchise, the James Bond series, and "John Wick." Berry also starred in "Catwoman," earning a Golden Raspberry for worst actress, so she's had some ups and downs.
Between her role in 1994's "The Flinstones" and her Oscar-winning turn in "Monster's Ball," Berry appeared in a string of duds that made very little money at the box office. This began in 1996 with "Girl 6," which didn't even make back half its budget, and continued until 1998 with "Race the Sun" and "The Rich Man's Wife." "B*A*P*S" grossed over $7 million on a $10 million budget, 1998's "Bulworth" came close to matching its $30 million internationally, and "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" from that same year grossed $12.5 million on a budget of $7.5 million.
To break her wave of bombs, Berry played Storm in "X-Men," completely reinvigorating her box office draw. Her follow-up, the hacker crime drama "Swordfish," reunited her with Hugh Jackman and slightly underperformed on an $80 million budget, but it was "Monster's Ball" that fully broke Berry's bad streak, grossing more than 10 times its $4 million budget.
Ben Affleck's string of bombs is getting longer
Like Matt Damon, numerous doors opened for Ben Affleck after they wrote and starred in "Good Will Hunting." For the next few decades, Affleck made many high-profile films that pulled in tons of cash, including "Pearl Harbor," "Shakespeare in Love," and "Armageddon." Across the 35 films he's starred in, Affleck has grossed more than $4 billion. But Affleck isn't immune to a downturn at the box office, and while he's had a few short strings of box office failures, his longest streak consists of six films.
The first box office bomb in this series is 2016's "Live by Night," which Affleck also wrote and directed, and which grossed far under its $65 million budget — a severe misfire in a year that also saw him appear in profitable films like "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Suicide Squad," and "The Accountant." The string of flops continued with "Justice League," which made over $650 million but wound up losing Warner Bros. an estimated $50 million to $100 million. After "Justice League," Affleck appeared in the basketball drama "The Way Back," which unfortunately was released in March 2020 at the start of the coronavirus lockdowns. His Ridley Scott film "The Last Duel" famously underperformed, too, grossing $30 million on a $100 million budget. 2023's "Air," which he directed, cost $90 million to produce and made back about that much internationally. A few months after "Air," he starred in "Hypnotic," a mystery-thriller that fumbled at the box office, grossing $11.4 million on a budget of $65 million.
Jennifer Aniston was a TV superstar whose films never succeeded
While most audiences met Jennifer Aniston through "Friends," she began her career appearing in various TV series before landing the role that made her famous. Over on the silver screen, her first leading role in a film came via 1993's "Leprechaun," and over the next couple of decades, Aniston filled theaters with her work in "Bruce Almighty," "Along Came Polly," and "Marley & Me."
Most of Aniston's films do well at the box office, but she's had a few bombs over the years — especially at the beginning of her career. "Leprechaun" made enough money to spur a whole series, and her next few films, "Til There Was You" and "Picture Perfect," were barely profitable. After this, Aniston starred in "The Object of My Affection," which didn't fare as well. "Dream for an Insomniac" underperformed and was followed by "Office Space," a cult classic that, at the time, barely grossed over its budget. She starred alongside Mark Wahlberg in "Rock Star" in 2001, and though it was at the height of her "Friends" success, the musical made back only half its budget.
Anison's streak was broken when 2002's "The Good Girl" made $16.5 million on an $8 million budget. The following year saw "Bruce Almighty" released, which effectively saved her film career and led to a decade-plus of more or less financially successful rom-coms for the "Friends" superstar.
Matthew McConaughey had a ton of flops throughout his career
Matthew McConaughey entered popular culture in 1993, uttering his iconic catchphrase for the first time on film: "Alright, alright, alright." Since then, McConaughey built up an impressive filmography in all kinds of movies. But McConaughey had to reinvent himself after a string of rom-com duds saw his popularity diminish. He corrected this with brilliant performances in "Dallas Buyers Club," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and the HBO series "True Detective."
While McConaughey appeared in a few bombs throughout his career, his most significant downturn actually began after he won his Oscar, in 2016, with "Free State of Jones." That film, a Civil War drama, made $23.2 million on a $50 million budget. After that, he appeared in six financial flops. "The Sea of Trees" didn't even crack $1 million on an estimated $25 million budget, and 2017's "Gold" made $12 million on an estimated budget of $20 million. His Stephen King adaptation, "The Dark Tower," massively underperformed, too, as did his dramas "White Boy Rick," "Serenity," and "The Beach Bum."
McConaughey wasn't all flops in this period, either. His voicework as an enterprising koala bear in "Sing" and its sequel brought in more than $1 billion combined. But as far as live action is concerned, "The Gentlemen," a Guy Ritchie joint about marijuana sellers, ended his streak in 2019, scoring $113 million on a $22 million budget.
Bruce Willis had a list of bombs in the early 2000s
Bruce Willis has had an interesting career, beginning with success on the small screen with "Moonlighting" and taking moviegoers by storm in "Die Hard." That movie established Willis as an action star, breaking the mold established by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Willis spent the next few decades appearing in all kinds of movies, bringing in more than $5.29 billion at the box office.
For all of his hits, Willis had a string of duds, too. Beginning in 2001, "Bandits" made a few million shy of its budget. After this, he appeared in five movies that either made less than their budgets or failed to break even. "Hart's War" in 2002 made just $33 million on a budget of $70 million. The next year, "Tears of the Sun" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" did okay financially but failed to double their budgets. "The Whole Ten Yards" didn't make back its budget, and the action-thriller "Hostage" only managed $77.6 million on a budget of $75 million.
Luckily, in 2005, "Sin City" pulled in audiences and quadrupled its budget, putting Willis back on top. He continued making films — mostly video-on-demand titles — for another decade and a half. Willis' last successful live-action film before his retirement was 2019's "Glass."
Armie Hammer's filmography is filled with one bomb after another
Armie Hammer has courted a lot of controversy, especially since allegations about rape, physical abuse, and cannibalistic fantasies upended his public image in 2021. Before that, though, he appeared in several high-profile movies, many of which failed to make much money, failing to hit the break-even mark, beginning in 2013 with "The Lone Ranger."
That movie made $260 million but lost money due to the overall costs of production and promotion. After that, Hammer cameoed in the 2015 "Entourage" movie, which failed to break even, and the same year, he starred in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," a Guy Ritchie remake that made $108.5 million on a budget of $75 million, not quite breaking even. Follow-up independent films "The Birth of a Nation," "Nocturnal Animals," "Mine," and "Free Fire" similarly failed to break even internationally. Hammer broke that streak of seven box office bombs with the Oscar-winning "Call Me by Your Name," which grossed 12 times its budget and turned things around for Hammer.
Despite this indie success, in recent years, Hammer's phone hasn't been ringing like it used to. His most recent film that missed the mark at the box office was "Death on the Nile," which didn't hit its break-even point after making $130.3 million off a production budget of $90 million.
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Colin Farrell's career has been full of ups and downs
Colin Farrell got his start in movies, but it took him a few years to gain the attention of fans. This happened with his breakout role in "Tigerland" in 2000, followed by high-profile performances in "Hart's War," "Minority Report," "S.W.A.T.," and "Phone Booth." Farrell went on to lead several big-budget films that decade, though few made much money at the box office.
Farrell's string of box office bombs kicked off in 2003 with "Veronica Guerin," though he only has a cameo in the film. His subsequent seven films all made less than their budgets or failed to hit their break-even point. Two small-scale indies, 2004's Irish black comedy "Intermission" and the drama "A Home at the End of the World," failed to recoup their small budgets. Oliver Stone's "Alexander" was a significant film for Farrell, in which he played the titular hero, Alexander the Great. Unfortunately, the film was a commercial failure, grossing $167.3 million against a budget of $155 million. His collaboration with Terrence Malick, "The New World," only grossed $26 million on a budget of $30 million. His next film, "Ask the Dust," only made $2.5 million internationally, though no budget has been reported for the project.
Farrell next starred in Michael Mann's 2006 film adaptation of "Miami Vice," which made $164 million on a budget of $135 million. His last film in his string of eight bombs was Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream," which made $22.7 million on an estimated budget of $15 million. Farrell's turn as a hitman in "In Bruges" managed to make a small profit at the box office, finally busting his streak of bombs.
John Travolta's career suffered in the 2010s
John Travolta's career began in the 1970s when he made a name for himself via "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease." He spent the next decade appearing in several flops, and some massive hits, but his career fizzled out until 1994's "Pulp Fiction." But even that second wind wore off eventually, leading to a string of eight flops throughout the 2010s.
The streak kicked off in 2010 with "From Paris With Love," which barely matched its $52 million budget. After this, Travolta appeared in several forgettable movies, some of which made under $500,000 at the box office. While 2012's "Savages" had a so-so run at the box office, his other films — "Killing Season" with Robert de Niro, "The Forger" and "Criminal Activities" in 2015, "I Am Wrath" and "Life on the Line" in 2016, and his Western "In a Valley of Violence" with Ethan Hawke — all made most of their money from DVD and Blu-Ray sales. As far as budget information is available for these films, none of them recouped their budgets.
Perhaps Travolta's biggest disappointment was the highly anticipated "Gotti," a comeback vehicle for the actor that cost $10 million to make and only brought in $6.6 million, making it a box office bomb. After that, Travolta has worked primarily in direct-to-video films, so there's little box office data to keep his streak going after "Gotti."
Clive Owen's films haven't made a profit since 2006
Clive Owen worked for a few years before gaining international attention in 1998's "Croupier." After that, he appeared in several high-profile movies, including "The Bourne Identity," "King Arthur," and "Sin City." Over the years, Owen worked on several movies that were critically acclaimed but failed to make enough money at the box office to become profitable, and the list is long.
Owen's longest streak of box office bombs is still ongoing at 23 movies long, making him the A-lister with the second-longest streak. Interestingly, this kicked off with the highly lauded "Children of Men," which didn't make as much as its production budget. His follow-up, "Shoot 'Em Up," was a box office disappointment, as was "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." Alongside small projects that failed to make money, like 2008's "Savage Grace," 2009's "The Boys Are Back," and 2011's "Trust," his big-budget films disappointed as well.
"Killer Elite," with Robert de Niro and Jason Statham, yielded $65.4 million internationally on a budget of $70 million. The "Sin City" sequel, "A Dame to Kill For," severely underperformed, making only $40.6 million on a budget of $65 million. Owen also starred in "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets," which made over $215 million but missed its break-even goal due to its $180 million budget. His last high-profile release was "Gemini Man" starring Will Smith, which grossed a disappointing $166.5 million on a budget of $140 million. The actor hasn't made a profitable film since 2006's "Inside Man."
Nicolas Cage's streak of bombs is legendary
If you know anything about Nicolas Cage, odds are you expected to find his name somewhere in this article. Cage has had an incredibly successful and costly career, which has brought him great fame and fortune, both of which diminished considerably as time passed. Cage won an Academy Award for his work in "Leaving Las Vegas," but he has appeared in all kinds of terrible movies since. Cage went broke around the late aughts, so he was open to taking whatever he was offered without discerning whether or not it would be good for his career.
While he's had some strings of bombs throughout his career, his longest streak of box office bombs is still ongoing with 36 films — only 15 of which had proper US theatrical releases. The streak kicked off in 2012 with "Stolen," which failed to match its $35 million budget. Serial killer thriller "The Frozen Ground," acclaimed indie drama "Joe," and revenge film "Rage" all were commercial failures as well, though his Christian apocalypse film "Left Behind" came close to breaking even on a $16 million budget. Budget information isn't readily available for many of Cage's films, but among the biggest bombs were 2016's "The Trust" and "Army of One," which were released internationally and were on home video in the US. Neither film hit $1 million. Even his high-profile films from this time, like Oliver Stone's "Snowden" and "Renfield," proved to be box office failures, too. Cage hasn't had a hit since "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," though critically lauded projects like "Pig" and "Dream Scenario" came close to breaking even.