Riding The Coattails: 15 Actors Who Ride High on Talent Tidal Waves

They always say that successful people surround themselves with successful individuals, though does this count for actors? A recent online post shares internet users’ choices for actors who appear skilled primarily due to the talented individuals around them.

1- Nicholas Braun

When you have such a strong cast as Succession does, you may get away with not being the best actor on the call sheet. Braun has good improv skills and his character is iconic, but compared to the rest of the cast, it looks like he’s playing himself. 

2- Jerry Seinfeld

Not to attack Jerry Seinfeld’s stellar stand-up talents, but some people feel his acting isn’t the best. However, Seinfeld himself would be the first to agree, admitting part of the reason for Seinfeld’s success was the talent of his co-stars. 

3- Harry Styles

Some stars make the step from music to acting look easy; Cher, David Bowie, and Sting all had decent acting careers, but Harry Styles still needs work, say some commenters. One notes he wasn’t good in Don’t Worry, Darling, and another called his cameo at the end of Marvel’s Eternals laughable. 

4- Gal Gadot

One fan said that Chris Pine acted circles around Gadot in Wonder Woman. Though, we have to be fair to poor Ms. Gadot; playing Wonder Woman means you spend 85% of the movie acting in front of a green screen. 

5- Orlando Bloom

The next film fan claims Orlando Bloom would struggle getting a job if he didn’t have roles written perfectly for him. I couldn’t help but feel Bloom had a smirk on his face during most of his Legolas stint. Who can blame him? He was playing Legolas!

6- Kate Hudson

I first encountered Hudson in Almost Famous, and I found her a brilliant emerging talent, but a spate of romcoms since distracted from her talent. If she has a strong cast and director around her, she’s excellent. Without either of those, she falls short. 

7- Selena Gomez

It seems some moviegoers have a bone to pick with Selena Gomez. Several commenters noted she’s being carried by her costars in Only Murders in the Building. Luckily for Selena, she is a warm, kind, and decent person — I think that also comes through in her characters. So, there.

8- January Jones

Mad Men was a huge success, launching the high-flying career of John Hamm et al. However, Hamm’s on-screen wife, played by January Jones, was a cast member the others carried for sure. She was perfect for the role she played, but, according to those on the forum, won’t ever find a role that suits her again. 

9- Norman Reedus

Norman Reedus is another great example of how a supporting cast can make or break the way someone is perceived. While Reedus doesn’t have many other features than low-fi naval talking and grunting, the character he played on The Walking Dead fit the bill. 

10- Jamie Lee Curtis

Many fans feel Curtis fell short in Everything Everywhere All At Once, though she won the Academy Award for a supporting role in the highly acclaimed film. However, one must ask why they waited so long; she was better in earlier movies.

11- Lindsay Lohan

Sadly, the Mean Girl star is more renowned for her off-stage behavior than her on-stage ability. However, was that ever not the case? It’s hard to say. Many forum members believe her acting is mediocre when compared to the rest of the cast she’s surrounded by. 

12- Blake Lively

The Gossip Girl star is firmly entrenched in the joys of motherhood these days and appears less on screen. However, she has detractors from her time as New York’s favorite young socialite.

13- Charlie Hunnam

One rule for convincing acting is not letting the audience suspend disbelief, which isn’t easy when you have an English Geordie (Newcastle native) playing a Californian biker. The rest of the cast was so good that they left Hunnam in the dust. 

14- Kit Harrington

Game of Thrones was such a phenomenal series that it is hard to find fault (outside Season Eight — but let’s not go there!) in anything. However, on second viewing, Jon Snow is a little wooden. Let’s be fair; Harrington was surrounded by names like Peter Dinklage, Pedro Pascal, and Charles Dance.

15- Jennifer Aniston

Did Friends really need Rachel? Some viewers think not, though it didn’t help that the rest of the friends were given distinct roles and personalities, while she was just Rachel. 

Source: (Reddit).