3. Ryan O'Neal - Paper Moon (1973)
The Orlando Bloom of his day, Ryan ONeal had the looks to be a movie star but none of the talent. Overbearingly earnest and flat as a pancake, O'Neal had a brief stint as a star before Hollywood figured him out and he disappeared into drunken oblivion. Nonetheless, Ryan O'Neal, the Ryan O'Neal responsible for
this moment of cinematic hideousness, had time to pop out one good performance.
Paper Moon is a classic depression-era comedy from director Peter Bogdanovich about a conman posing as a bible salesman. Playing Moses Pray, O'Neal's artificial acting style is put to good use by Bogdanovich, who moulds the actor into a dashing silhouette of '30s Hollywood cinema. O'Neal never fared well in serious roles (
Barry Lyndon aside), but
Paper Moon shows his flair for comedy. It also shows how well he does when he stops taking himself seriously - as a smarmy, conniving drifter,
Paper Moon makes a case for O'Neal being a canny comedian that foolishly spent a career trying to be a serious actor.