• 8 months ago
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!"
15:02 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo.
15:06 And be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
15:11 [Music]

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