Every Actor Who Copied Liam Neeson's Taken Comeback - Ranked
4. Vince Vaugh - Brawl In Cell Block 99
Why The Actor Needed It: Vince Vaugh blew up as the wild-card supporting player in the movie Swingers, before attempting to become a dramatic leading man. That didn't pan out, but he found success through his likeable comedy persona in films like Old School and Wedding Crashers.
The humorous schtick grew old over the years. He then attempted to revamp his image by playing a morally conflicted gangster in HBO's True Detective Season 2 - but its disastrous reception overshadowed the hint of interesting performance.
Film In Question: Coming off the subversive Western/Horror movie Bone Tomahawk, director Craig S. Zehler had movie buffs excited for his sophomore project. It would be a hard-R nihilistic Action movie starring...Vince Vaugh?
Correct, the doughy beer buddy went bald and trim and became a baffling brute that's thrown into a deep, dark prison hellhole with his only option to fight his way out.
Did It Work?: While the movie barely a blip on the box office, amongst movie buffs and film festivals it was a massive buzzworthy success.
It was an uncompromising yet strangely humorous balls-to-wall rollercoaster with Vaugh breathlessly transforming his tired persona into something lean, fierce and frightening even.