The Worst Actress in Film History, According to Research

by

A new study tried to determine the worst actress in movie history, and the results point to Madonna. Researchers at Stats Significant used a variety of data – including critic reviews, box office performance, and Razzie Awards (both wins and nominations) – to create a fair ranking.

Although Madonna is world-renowned as a musician, her work as an actress has frequently faced criticism. Far Out Magazine reports that her films generally received poor reviews, averaging a 4.98 rating, and were often unsuccessful at the box office. She’s also won nine Razzie Awards – given to the worst films – from sixteen nominations across seven categories, including the particularly dubious honor of being named Worst Actress of the Century for her performances in films released between 1900 and 1999.

Madonna acted in several films, including Swept Away, Body of Evidence, Four Rooms, and Shanghai Surprise. Although she was a world-famous singer, critics generally didn’t like her acting in these movies.

The researchers expected some pushback, acknowledging that Madonna isn’t a trained actress. They even re-analyzed their data without including her, looking only at actors who work professionally. In that revised ranking, Steven Seagal ended up among the five worst, demonstrating how the results shift when considering only professional performers.

This research shows how both critical numbers and public opinion shape how we view acting. The authors point out that bad reviews or even a Razzie Award don’t always ruin an actor’s career. In fact, they’ve found that “some actors actually become popular favorites because of their unsuccessful roles.”

People are still really interested in movies considered “bad,” and debates about the worst performers prove we enjoy making rankings. It also shows we understand that what makes a movie successful or not isn’t always clear-cut.

Read More

2026-02-22 14:14