7. Robin Williams - Being Human
There is an episode of Will and Grace where Karen has chastised a woman for not trusting Grace with her children, and in explaining to Grace why she spoke nicely about her, Karen says: "I just told her everything that I believe. Well, not everything. I didn't tell her that I think that Robin Williams shines in dramatic roles." Whereupon Grace replies: "Oh, thank goodness, I never would've seen those kids again." This one exchange triggered a major battle of conscience within my mind, for while I love Will and Grace, I do think Robin Williams shines in dramatic roles. I love Good Will Hunting, Insomnia, One Hour Photo...I even loved Bicentennial Man! So his inclusion here is a concession to populism, as he is one of two or three comics people regularly cite as being dreadful dramatic actors. And Being Human seems to be the film to include on this list, largely because director Bill Forsyth disowned it after Warner Bros. forced him to completely alter the film in the editing process. The film features a man in different incarnations through the ages of civilisation, with the salient point being that, while things change, the important things are always the same! Bless poor Robin, he did the best with what he had, but sometimes, you make the wrong choice. Feel free to comment listing all of the terrible dramatic performances Mr. Williams has given, and I will gladly point out in exact detail just how wrong you are. So there!