10 Exact Moments Actors Stopped Trying

7. Modern Day Gay Panic - Will Ferrell

Old Dogs John Travolta
Warner Bros.

Despite being one of the most famous and successful comedians on the planet, Will Ferrell hasn't had an acclaimed starring role since 2013's Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.

And the movie which confirmed Ferrell had basically written off making an effort was 2015's embarrassingly awful "comedy" Get Hard.

Ferrell stars as James King, a hedge fund manager sent to jail for embezzlement, and who enlists the help of a car wash attendant, Darnell (Kevin Hart), to prepare him for life in the slammer.

It'd be one thing if Get Hard was a familiar odd couple comedy and actually funny, but it is ultimately emblematic of everything wrong with studio comedies today - and of course, it was a solid box office hit regardless.

The film's cringe-inducing assault of tasteless, unfunny comedy culminates in the awful sequence where Darnell takes James to a gay cruising spot in order to learn how to perform oral sex.

The gay panic couldn't feel any more like Ferrell trying to reclaim the crude glory of his earlier Hollywood days, yet in our more enlightened 2015, it landed with a total thud.

Sadly this wasn't a one-off, though, and every single studio comedy Ferrell's appeared in since - including both Daddy's Home films, The House, and Homes & Watson - has been a sure dud.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.