10 More Great Actors Who Played The Worst Versions Of Characters

It's always exciting when a brilliant, beloved actor gets cast in a cherished, coveted role that's been previously inhabited by numerous talented performers. 

But it's also fair to say that casting a terrific actor in a worthy role alone isn't enough to guarantee a successful fusion of player and part.

There are so many other factors that go into a successful performance, from the writing to the direction, the chemistry among the wider cast, and yes, the actor's own interpretation of the character.

As a result, it's perhaps more common than you think that, for one reason or another, fantastic actors end up whiffing their shot to portray iconic screen legends.

And so, as a sequel to our recent article on the very subject, here are 10 more great actors who, believe it or not, played the worst versions of characters.

From those who divisively gave statuesque screen characters a radical reinvention, to those who were sadly given nothing to do by the script, and those who simply couldn't match the brilliance of what came before, these potential-rich performances all missed the mark - and then some...

Now, the running for Best Willy Wonka is admittedly just a three-horse race, but let's get the obvious out of the way first - there's simply no beating Gene Wilder's iconic, note-perfect performance as the character in 1971's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's hilarious, it's charming, and it's just unnerving enough.

More recently we have Timothée Chalamet's surprisingly pretty-good turn as a younger version of Wonka. 

Sure, he's never going to replace Wilder and comes off a tad too sanitised at times, but given the vocal outcry when Chamalet was first cast, he acquitted himself admirably.

And that leaves Johnny Depp as the worst of the trio, with his inexplicable performance in Tim Burton's 2005 take, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

To Depp's credit, he sensibly avoids trying to merely imitate Wilder's prior performance, though his creepy-to-a-fault Michael Jackson impersonation has only become more polarising as the years have passed.

Depp's bold version of Wonka isn't without its defenders, but if you ask most, he's definitely the least palatable of the three.