Some castings hit all the right notes, but when they don't... Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the celebs who surprised us with their triple-threat talents and the ones who made us answer “Do You Hear The People Sing” with “Yes, but we’d rather not.”
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00:00 [Singing]
00:07 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the celebs who surprised us with their triple threat talents,
00:14 and the ones who made us answer "Do you hear the people sing?" with "Yes, but we'd rather not."
00:19 "Madonna is a movie killer."
00:22 Number 5. Worked - Tim Curry, The Rocky Horror Picture Show
00:28 Tim Curry debuted as Dr. Frankenfurter in the original 1973 London stage production of The Rocky Horror Show,
00:35 practically building the character much like Frank builds Rocky.
00:38 "Don't get strung out by the way I look. Don't judge a book by its cover."
00:46 However, it was the 1975 film adaptation that catapulted him to stardom,
00:52 and cultivated his dedicated fanbase. He's a character of many layers.
00:57 Whoever steps into those heels has to be able to terrify and charm audiences,
01:01 make them love and hate him, and maybe even find themselves questioning their attraction.
01:06 "The plans are to be changed. I hope you're adaptable, Dr. Scott. I know Brad is."
01:15 Curry nails it, accent and all. Plus, he looks great in fishnets.
01:20 He's the gold standard against which we measure all other Franks. We always
01:25 "See you shiver with anticipation."
01:30 to see if they can rise to the challenge.
01:33 Number 5. Killed the movie - Elizabeth Taylor, A Little Night Music
01:39 Elizabeth Taylor is widely seen as one of the greatest actors of her time.
01:43 So naturally, it makes sense that she was cast to attract wider audiences.
01:48 "It gives me great pleasure to declare this tree open. That is, planted."
01:56 There was just one problem. She couldn't really sing.
02:00 Sondheim fans know his songs demand vocal power, which Taylor sorely lacked.
02:05 This made it tough for her to delve into the depths of Desiree Armfelt's character,
02:09 resulting in a performance that felt a bit lackluster.
02:12 "I thought that you'd want what I want. Sorry, my dear."
02:19 Sadly, this was also true when she wasn't singing.
02:24 Take her rendition of Send in the Clowns, which lacked the usual emotional wallop.
02:29 "Where are the clowns? There ought to be clowns."
02:41 This left audiences struggling to connect with the character and
02:44 didn't do justice to Sondheim's masterpiece.
02:46 Number 4. Worked - Liza Minnelli, Cabaret
02:51 Although she was already a Tony winner, Liza Minnelli was brushed off as
02:55 inexperienced for the original Broadway cast.
02:58 It seemingly took bagging an Oscar for her to get noticed.
03:07 After landing the part, Minnelli turned to her father,
03:10 famed director Vincent Minnelli, for acting tips.
03:13 His suggestion to take cues from actress Louise Brooks totally transformed the character.
03:18 Minnelli brought Sally to life with depth and strength,
03:21 brilliantly interpreting the subtext of her character and the story.
03:25 "Dinky little cottage in Cambridge. Playpen in the bedroom, diapers on the towel rack.
03:33 How soon would it be before we started eating each other?"
03:37 Thanks to her, Sally became this unapologetic symbol of empowerment,
03:42 standing firm in a chaotic world.
03:44 There have been many Sally's since then, but still, no one quite like Liza.
03:49 Oh, did we mention it earned her another Oscar?
04:02 Number 4. Killed the movie. James Corden, The Prom
04:06 The heart of The Prom lies in its messages of tolerance, acceptance, and pride.
04:11 Audiences, especially fans of the stage show,
04:14 were baffled by the casting of James Corden, a straight man,
04:18 as Barry Glickman, a gay Broadway actor.
04:20 Many theater fans could probably easily fill the film's runtime with names of
04:31 more suitable choices for the role.
04:33 Corden's performance seemed like a throwback to every tired stereotype of a gay man
04:38 that we'd hoped had been retired ages ago.
04:40 "But I am begging you, let me dress you for The Prom."
04:44 "Okay."
04:46 "Yeah? We're going to sax. Um, there's no sax here."
04:49 "We have a Kmart."
04:50 "A what?"
04:52 "A Kmart."
04:52 It's no wonder the film received mixed reception from critics and audiences.
04:59 Corden's portrayal felt shallow and forced, sacrificing depth for easy laughs.
05:04 It's disappointing at best and downright offensive at worst.
05:08 "Stop! Hold it! What you are doing here is wrong."
05:13 Number 3. Worked. Julie Andrews, Mary Poppins
05:18 Although Andrews had missed out on making her film debut in My Fair Lady,
05:21 the winds of fortune soon blew Mary Poppins her way.
05:25 "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious.
05:31 If you say it loud enough, you'll always sound controversial."
05:34 Incidentally, she'd beat out Audrey Hepburn for the Oscar that year.
05:37 With her natural talent, warmth, and charm, Andrews became a household name in no time.
05:43 Balancing humor, sternness, and more heartfelt moments,
05:47 her portrayal truly was practically perfect in every way.
05:51 "As I expected, Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way."
05:55 "Mary Poppins, is that your name? It's lovely."
06:00 "Thank you, I've always liked it."
06:02 Dick Van Dyke as Bert was another spot-on casting choice,
06:05 even if he son-and-daughtered the accent.
06:08 Flash forward to 2018, and Emily Blunt had the tough job of stepping into Andrews' boots,
06:13 but just like her predecessor, her performance was like a spoonful of sugar.
06:17 "Some answer when adventure calls, can you imagine that?
06:22 And sail straight over waterfalls, can you imagine that?"
06:26 Number 3.
06:27 Killed the movie.
06:28 Madonna, Evita.
06:30 If you ever needed proof that singing and dancing skills and a strong following
06:34 don't guarantee success in leading a movie musical, this is it.
06:37 "Hello, Buenos Aires. Get this.
06:43 Just look at me, dressed up, somewhere to go.
06:45 We'll put on a show."
06:48 Madonna essentially brought her pop star persona to the role,
06:51 which meant she lacked the depth to explore the character's complexities and intricacies.
06:55 "I'm that product, it's vital you sell me, so Machiavelli."
07:02 While yes, she can sing, she doesn't make Andrew Lloyd Webber's score sore
07:06 like say, Patti LuPone or Elaine Page.
07:09 Even then, Argentinian President Carlos Menem, a fan of her own,
07:13 blasted it as quote, "an insult to Argentinian women."
07:16 Yeesh.
07:17 "Don't cry for me, Argentina."
07:23 This was definitely one of those times stunt casting hurt the material.
07:27 Don't just take our word for it, even LuPone wasn't a fan and she knows her stuff.
07:32 "Madonna is a movie killer.
07:35 She's dead behind the eyes, she cannot act her way out of a paper bag.
07:38 She should not be on in film or on stage."
07:41 Number 2.
07:42 Worked - Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago.
07:45 Chicago boasts a killer cast, from John C. Reilly as Amos Hart to Richard Gere as Billy Flynn.
07:51 "Give 'em an act with lots of flashing, and the reaction, you'll be passionate."
07:59 Even Taye Diggs as the band leader leaves his mark.
08:02 Renee Zellweger also became the name on everybody's lips,
08:05 wowing audiences with her triple threat talents.
08:08 "The name on everybody's lips is gonna be Roxy."
08:15 Of course, she's just one half of this perfect double act.
08:18 Catherine Zeta-Jones slays as vaudevillian performer Velma Kelly,
08:22 bringing sass, sex appeal, and fierce determination to the role,
08:26 while keeping audiences hooked on her every word and move.
08:29 "They had it coming, they had it coming, they had it coming all along.
08:34 I didn't do it, but if I'd done it, how could you tell me that I was wrong?"
08:41 Like Minnelli, she also apparently took inspiration from Louise Brooks,
08:45 but made the character her own while showing excellent musicality.
08:49 She earned several awards, including the well-deserved Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
08:54 "Fly, yeah, that job."
09:04 Number 2.
09:05 Kill the movie.
09:06 Gerard Butler, The Phantom of the Opera.
09:09 The Phantom is rather picky about the opera house's prima donna's vocal style.
09:13 Sadly, he had no say in casting for the musical's movie adaptation.
09:17 "The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind."
09:29 Maybe if he had, we might have had a Phantom with a suitable high baritone or a tenor.
09:34 Instead, we got Gerard Butler, who had zero singing experience,
09:38 and reportedly only took four lessons before auditioning for Andrew Lloyd Webber.
09:42 "The darkness of the music of the night."
09:50 But apparently, Webber wanted someone who's quote, "not a conventional singer,"
09:54 and who had a quote, "rock and roll sensibility."
09:57 So we guess he fit the bill?
09:59 "Done that path into darkness deep as hell."
10:07 Still, fans would have been happier if they'd waited for Hugh Jackman to become available,
10:11 or if they just dropped the chandelier on this whole approach.
10:14 Before we unveil our top picks, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:19 Worked, Andrew Garfield, Tick Tick Boom.
10:22 Proof that when Lin-Manuel Miranda asks if you can sing, you say, "In what key?"
10:27 "Actions speak louder than words."
10:34 Worked, John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
10:37 We're definitely not angry about this casting.
10:40 Mitchell nailed every inch of the character.
10:42 "And then fire shot down from the sky and burst like shining blades of a knife."
10:52 Worked, Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof.
10:55 Keeping with tradition, Topol played Tevye the milkman and the movie was richer for it.
11:00 "If I were a wealthy man, I wouldn't have to work hard."
11:05 Killed the movie, Emma Watson, Beauty and the Beast.
11:12 Unfortunately, she failed to charm audiences.
11:16 We wanted so much more than her one-dimensional approach.
11:19 "I want so much more than they've got planned."
11:27 Killed the movie, Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine.
11:31 His performance was a bit like a big cloud on a star-studded night.
11:34 "But why take it so seriously?
11:37 After all, there's nothing at stake here, only me."
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11:58 Number 1.
11:59 Worked, Barbara Streisand, Funny Girl.
12:02 When Funny Girl made its way from stage to screen, it took its leading lady with it,
12:07 jump-starting her film career.
12:09 "Whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection,
12:11 or freckle on the nose of life's complexion,
12:14 the cinder of a shiny apple of its time."
12:20 With her Broadway roots, Streisand effortlessly embodies the character of Fanny Bryce with
12:25 natural confidence and charisma.
12:27 Even as a newbie to film, she exudes star quality,
12:31 captivating audiences with her unique humor, vulnerability, and stage presence.
12:35 "See, because I couldn't do it straight, as if I thought I was one of those other girls.
12:39 I mean, they would have laughed at me."
12:40 "And they did."
12:41 "Yes, but it was my joke, you see.
12:43 They laughed with me, not at me."
12:47 Her powerful vocals breathe life into the music,
12:50 while her impeccable comedic timing brings Fanny's humor to life.
12:54 Plus, she effortlessly belts out the film's big numbers and delivers on its emotional ballads.
12:59 Needless to say, Streisand sets a high bar, making her a tough act to follow.
13:04 She truly is the greatest star.
13:07 "I am the greatest, greatest star!"
13:20 Number 1.
13:21 Killed the movie.
13:22 Russell Crowe - Les Miserables
13:24 We dreamed a dream that every actor in the 2012 Les Mis movie was as perfectly cast as Anne Hathaway.
13:30 "I had a dream my life would be...
13:32 so different from this hell I'm living!"
13:40 Alas, that was not the case.
13:42 In the cast's defense, film actors rarely sing live,
13:46 so maybe stage veterans would have been better suited here?
13:49 Take Russell Crowe, for instance.
13:51 Surprisingly, he has a musical background and has even dabbled in musical theater.
13:55 "And I'm Javert! Do not forget my name! Do not forget me! 24601!"
14:07 Tom Hooper cast him mostly to provide a tough adversary to Hugh Jackman's Jean Valjean.
14:12 Unfortunately, as soon as Crowe opened his mouth to sing,
14:16 it was like a glaring spotlight on his lack of vocal chops.
14:19 "That those who falter and those who fall must pay the price."
14:26 Let's just say audiences were practically pleading for him to spare us from one note more.
14:32 "Shall his crimes be reprieved!"
14:42 Which movie musical casting do you think was genius and which felt like a castigation?
14:47 Let us know in the comments.
14:49 "It's over now, the music of the night!"
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15:11 [Music]