10 Great Actors Who Played The Worst Versions Of Characters

Few historical figures have been portrayed by more actors than Jesus Christ himself, with the coveted part played by the likes of Max von Sydow (The Greatest Story Ever Told), Donald Sutherland (Johnny Got His Gun), John Hurt (History of the World, Part I), Willem Dafoe (The Last Temptation of Christ), Christian Bale (Mary, Mother of Jesus), Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ), Ewan McGregor (Last Days in the Desert), and many more.

And when Joaquin Phoenix was cast to play Jesus in Garth Davis' 2018 drama Mary Magdalene, it seemed like a very real possibility that he'd give the definitive cinematic take on the character, and perhaps even nab himself some serious awards attention.

But that couldn't be more off the mark. Phoenix's snoozy, Ambien-chugging take on the Son of God is a soul-crushing bore to sit through, and were it not for Rooney Mara's slightly more spirited take on Mary, this would be an unrelenting slog to watch.

Phoenix was clearly trying to do something different and give audiences a screen rendition of Jesus unlike any other, which he technically did, but the result is a rare acting whiff from one of our finest performers.