10 Most Cringeworthy Performances By Otherwise Great Actors

8. John Wayne - The Conqueror (1956)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq1K0Y-I6vg Why the hell was this movie made? I€™m not sure anybody knows. John Wayne signed on to play Genghis Khan, and the rest is history (if €œhistory€ means €œforgotten and ridiculed forever€). And though we all know that John Wayne wasn€™t the best actor in the world, he was an icon, so it didn€™t matter €“ as long as he stuck to roles that were suited to him, he was great. Cowboys. Veterans. You know: men. American men. And then he€™s here, as the infamous Mongol Emperor Genghis Khan, in The Conqueror. On first viewing, you might be convinced that Wayne isn€™t even trying to imitate a historical figure, but you€™d be wrong. Apparently the Duke made sure that he changed his voice to imitate something of Khan€™s supposed accent, and decided that talking slowly and emphasizing the occasional word would be enough to justify the fact that he wasn't American.
 
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