50 God-Tier Acting Moments Buried in Bad Movies
33. R. Lee Ermey - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Though horror films are famously shunned by most major awards bodies, the genre does provide fertile ground for memorable performances. There are many great actors out there who have given some of their very best performances in the horror genre, and such films do have a lovely habit of attracting strong casts - even the very worst ones, such as this.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is a wretchedly bad prequel, but nevertheless, it does bless viewers with the chance to see the late, great R. Lee Ermey devouring scenery as the villainous Sheriff Hoyt, one of the members of Leatherface's serial killer family.
Ermey was one of the best things in the thoroughly mediocre 2003 remake, and in this case, he's pretty much the only genuinely great element in this godawful movie. He plays a sadistic villain that'll make your skin crawl, and every line he speaks - delivered in a sinister Texas drawl - overflows with malice. Hoyt is icky, vile, disgusting, and he's absolutely awesome. Come to think of it, this role is an arguable career highlight for Ermey, which is a reminder that actors will often deliver some of their best work in unexpected places.