Actors and directors who went from being hated to being legends

I remember back in the day, Ben Affleck had a pretty rough reputation. People were constantly making fun of him and dragging him through the mud, calling him a mediocre actor. He definitely took some heavy hits from movies that are now basically seen as some of Hollywood's biggest flops—think Pearl Harbor, Daredevil, and especially Gigli... But then, Ben Affleck decided to try his hand at directing. That was a total game changer, and things really peaked with Argo. It feels like ever since then, he’s earned a lot more respect than he used to.

Another good example would be Ryan Reynolds. I used to see his name popping up all the time on those lists of annoying actors who just couldn't act. Honestly, people even compared him to Ben Affleck back then... But then Deadpool happened. It was such a hit, and Ryan Reynolds himself really leveled up thanks to that role. His performance actually got decent praise, and lately, you don't hear people bashing him nearly as much.

Anyone else think of similar stories?

Matthew McConaughey, who was once pigeonholed as a king of cringe-worthy romantic comedies, pivoted toward serious roles in 2011. Since sweeping the Academy Awards for Dallas Buyers Club, hasn't his reputation as a heavyweight actor been firmly established?

Robert Downey Jr. used to be someone people forced into roles through connections and pure luck, but nowadays? People would practically kill to have him on their cast list.

Grace Fowler94 said:Matthew McConaughey, who used to be known mostly for those cringey romantic comedies, really started pivoting toward much heavier, more serious roles around 2011... eventually picking up an Academy Award for Dallas Buyers Club, and ever since then, people have actually started respecting him as a real actor.

He actually had some killer roles back in the 90s too. I mean, Time to Kill and Lone Star were great... I haven't gotten around to watching Dazed and Confused yet.

Jonah Hill could've really leaned into that after "The Wolf of Wall Street," where he proved he actually had some serious chops.
Too bad he didn't stick with that vibe.

Kristen Stewart?

Grace Fowler94 said:Matthew McConaughey used to be known for those cringe-worthy rom-coms, but since he pivoted to serious roles around 2011, he picked up an Academy Award for Dallas Buyers Club and finally earned some real respect as an actor.

Oh yeah, I still remember how much his early stuff used to get on my nerves.😁

Laura Palmer25 said:Oh yeah, thinking back to how much he used to get on my nerves during the early part of his career 😁

*second

Like Jessica Morris6 already mentioned, Matthew McConaughey had some pretty heavy roles back in the 90s and early 2000s—or at least movies that were actually fun to watch. 😁 Then from about 2002 to 2010, he just got stuck in that rom-com rut. That’s how I first met him, and honestly, I thought he was a terrible actor too... until I started digging through his older stuff and then checked out his more recent work (I still have a few of those left on my watchlist 😁 ).

Mark Wahlberg, definitely.
Morgan Freeman entered the film industry pretty late, I guess.
It seems to me that Clint Eastwood is actually more respected as a director than as an actor.

Wasn't Leonardo DiCaprio already kind of an irritant to most people after Titanic? I feel like he only really won everyone over once he started doing more serious work—you know, after those first few films with Matthew McConaughey.

Personally, I still find him annoying, though I suspect most people see him differently.

Honestly, considering one of his best performances was playing Arnie Grape when he wasn't even twenty yet—back when he actually landed an Academy Awards nomination—I have to disagree. He felt so much more genuine and likable, just a solid young actor in those early roles leading up to Titanic, before he started getting all moody and stuck in those pretentious, "serious" and "grown-up" parts later on...

It’s wild to think how Clint Eastwood evolved from those cheap old westerns and the whole Dirty Harry series into such a heavyweight actor and director.

Plus, Arnold Schwarzenegger actually pulls it off here, doesn't he? For an actor of his caliber, this feels like a massive step up.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1881002/

Roger Fowler said:Clint Eastwood managed to evolve far beyond those cheap westerns and his Dirty Harry series to become a truly top-tier actor and director.

I also thought Arnold Schwarzenegger was excellent in this one. For an actor of his caliber, this represents a significant step forward.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1881002/

Which movie are we talking about?

Kenneth Clark18 said:Mark Wahlberg, for sure.
Morgan Freeman got into the game pretty late.
And I feel like Clint Eastwood is actually more respected as a director than an actor.

Look, don't bring up Freeman or Anthony Hopkins here—that’s not what I’m getting at.
Sure, they became huge names later in life, but—as far as I know—they were never really hated by audiences.
On the flip side, Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck have already stacked up a bunch of recognizable roles and movies.

Roger Fowler said:Clint Eastwood went from those cheap westerns and the Dirty Harry series to becoming a top-tier actor and director.

Also, Arnold Schwarzenegger was great in this movie. For an actor of his caliber, this is a massive step up.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1881002/

But people love Clint *because* of those "cheap westerns" 🤦 and Dirty Harry.
From what I can tell, the consensus is overwhelmingly positive regarding both those films and his performances in them.

As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, maybe I could agree with you regarding his early career, back when he had that trashy Hercules in New York followed by a few minor roles.
But people love him specifically for The Terminator, Conan the Barbarian, Predator, Total Recall, and Command... He might be better in Maggie, but let's be real, those other roles are exactly why everyone knows and loves him. 🙂

bluecyclist64 said:Which movie?

Madison County, Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Perfect World... they’re all just stellar examples of Clint Eastwood's work, aren't they? They actually prove a man can be capable of something much deeper than just sporting a brooding stare and handing out lead.

Morgan Brown4 said:People actually dig Clint specifically because of those gritty, low-budget westerns 🤦 and Dirty Harry.
As far as I can tell, the consensus is overwhelmingly positive, both regarding those films and his performances in them.

I guess I could see someone agreeing about Arnold Schwarzenegger if we’re talking about the early days, back when he was doing that trashy Hercules in New York followed by a few minor roles.
But isn't it true that people love him because of The Terminator, Conan the Barbarian, Predator, Total Recall, or Command? Maybe he was better in Maggie, but aren't those earlier roles exactly why everyone knows and likes him? 🙂

Credit where credit is due for Clint, but the man has proven he offers way more than just that, hasn't he? And Arnold definitely showed with Maggie that he can handle a serious role too. I’d give him a shot.

Roger Fowler said:Madison County bridges, Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby, Mystic River, Perfect World. They're all top-tier Clint Eastwood films. They prove he can deliver much more than just a brooding stare and a quick draw.

Did Schwarzenegger star in any of those? I didn't catch him in them.
You mentioned one of his movies, but you didn't actually name it, which is why I was asking.

bluecyclist64 said:Did Schwarzenegger act in those movies? I didn't catch that.
You mentioned one of his films, but since you didn't actually name it, I had to ask.

Oh, I thought you were talking about Clint Eastwood. I dropped the link for the movie Maggie. Maybe the subject matter isn't your thing, but I think Schwarzenegger actually gave a really solid performance here. Give it a watch and tell me what you think. 😉

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1881002/

Roger Fowler said:Ah, I thought you were talking about Clint Eastwood. I dropped the link for the movie Maggie instead. You might not be particularly fond of the plot or the story itself, but I think Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a really solid performance here. Give it a watch and let me know what you think. 😉

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1881002/

Thanks, will do.👍

Where on earth did you guys get Clint and Schwarzenegger from? Everyone loved the other guy back when he’d roll straight from the gym to the set; after Conan the Barbarian, he was basically a god. We're talking about guys who actually faced the threat of getting pelted with sticks by angry crowds—they were totally hated by the media and the public alike (think McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Robert Pattinson and his girlfriend, or Robert Downey Jr.).

btw I still can't wrap my head around Robert Downey Jr. today.