The Worst Black A-List Hollywood Actors

Even the most famous actors have projects that don’t succeed. Despite their success, big stars often have films that flop, receive poor reviews, or are simply not their best work. This list highlights well-known actors who have had some high-profile failures or periods where they made questionable choices, despite being incredibly famous. It focuses on consistent patterns in their careers, films that didn’t perform well at the box office, and movies that were widely criticized – films that earned their bad reputation. While everyone on this list is a household name, their film history includes enough missteps to earn them a spot on this ‘worst of’ list.

Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel consistently draws audiences in the ‘Fast and Furious’ movies, but his other films haven’t been as successful. Attempts to launch new franchises with movies like ‘The Last Witch Hunter’ and ‘Bloodshot’ haven’t worked, and generally, his solo projects don’t perform as well as those within the ‘Fast and Furious’ universe.

Will Smith

Following his biggest hits, Smith’s recent films haven’t performed well and have been critically panned. ‘After Earth’ failed to connect with audiences and became a cautionary tale of miscasting. ‘Gemini Man,’ despite its cutting-edge technology, didn’t earn back its high production costs. While ‘Bright’ attracted viewers through streaming, it received harsh reviews that likely ended any plans for sequels.

Eddie Murphy

Eddie Murphy’s career includes some famously unsuccessful films that significantly impacted how he was seen as a movie star. ‘The Adventures of Pluto Nash’ became well-known for going way over budget and earning very little money. While ‘Norbit’ attracted audiences, it received harsh reviews that stuck around for a long time. A series of predictable family comedies didn’t help improve his reputation.

Dwayne Johnson

Look, I love Dwayne Johnson, but let’s be real – his name alone doesn’t always equal a hit. While he’s great in certain franchises, some of his other movies haven’t quite lived up to the hype. ‘Baywatch’ didn’t really connect with audiences or critics, ‘Skyscraper’ didn’t reach its potential internationally, and ‘Black Adam’, despite being set up for a big cinematic universe, kind of fizzled out after a lukewarm reception. It’s a shame, because I really wanted those to take off!

Kevin Hart

Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart’s comedies often started strong at the box office but quickly lost momentum. Films like ‘Get Hard’ and ‘Night School’ received negative reviews despite being widely seen, and ‘The Man from Toronto’ ended up going straight to streaming without making a big splash. Overall, these types of high-concept comedies have had trouble attracting repeat viewers.

Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish’s rise to leading roles in films hasn’t been consistently successful. While some movies like ‘The Kitchen’ didn’t do well with critics or at the box office, and ‘Nobody’s Fool’ had a strong start but quickly lost momentum, other projects went straight to streaming and were quickly forgotten.

Halle Berry

Halle Berry’s career has seen both high points and notable disappointments. Following her Oscar win, she starred in films like ‘Catwoman’ which became well-known as an example of a superhero movie gone wrong. She also appeared in the critically panned ‘Movie 43,’ and several smaller thrillers that didn’t make a big splash. These less successful roles followed her early peak.

Cuba Gooding Jr.

After his Oscar nomination, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s films began to appear in smaller, less publicized releases. ‘Boat Trip’ received particularly harsh reviews and marked the start of this trend, with many of his later movies skipping major cinema releases altogether. Eventually, his work largely moved to direct-to-video, receiving little fanfare.

Jaden Smith

Jaden Smith seemed poised for leading man success with films like ‘After Earth,’ but negative reviews quickly ended that potential. While ‘The Karate Kid’ initially looked promising, it didn’t launch a long-running series. His subsequent movies had little impact in theaters, and he ultimately didn’t become a consistent A-list movie star.

Terrence Howard

Howard’s performances in supporting roles didn’t always lead to successful films. Movies like ‘Fighting’ and ‘Red Tails’ didn’t perform as well as hoped, and ‘Winnie Mandela’ received limited promotion and didn’t reach a wide audience. During this time, his most notable achievements were actually in television, not in leading roles on the big screen.

Marlon Wayans

Wayans’ comedic movies generally didn’t perform well with critics or keep audiences coming back. While ‘A Haunted House’ and its sequel initially drew viewers, interest quickly faded. ‘Fifty Shades of Black’ wasn’t well-received and didn’t earn much money. More recently, several of his films were released directly to streaming services, but they didn’t make a significant splash.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx has starred in both critically acclaimed films and some that didn’t perform well at the box office. Movies like ‘Robin Hood’ weren’t well-received, and action films like ‘Sleepless’ and ‘Bait’ didn’t generate much buzz. Recently, several of his streaming projects haven’t stayed in the public conversation for very long.

John Boyega

Okay, so after the whole Star Wars thing, it seemed like John Boyega was deliberately choosing projects that weren’t necessarily blockbuster material. Pacific Rim Uprising didn’t quite land with audiences, which unfortunately killed any plans for more of that franchise. Then he did Detroit, which critics really liked, but it didn’t make a ton of money. After that, he really started leaning into smaller, more independent films – the kind that play in a few cities instead of going nationwide. It’s cool to see an actor take risks, but it definitely felt like a shift away from those huge, mainstream roles.

Wesley Snipes

Wesley Snipes’ popularity in movies decreased after a series of unsuccessful projects. The third ‘Blade’ film, ‘Blade: Trinity,’ was poorly received, and subsequent movies like ‘Gallowwalkers’ were either delayed or released directly to home video. His efforts to regain a prominent role in mainstream cinema didn’t translate into significant box office success.

Chris Rock

Movies starring Chris Rock haven’t always been big box office hits. While ‘Top Five’ received good reviews, it didn’t reach a wide audience. ‘Spiral’ attempted to revitalize a horror series but received mixed reactions and quickly faded from theaters. Plus, a number of his comedies didn’t do well, even with significant marketing efforts.

Common

While Common tried to become a leading man in films, those movies didn’t typically perform well at the box office. He had more success and recognition in supporting roles, appearing as part of larger casts in films like ‘LUV’ and ‘Run All Night’. His attempts to carry a film on his own, such as with ‘A Happening of Monumental Proportions’, didn’t gain much attention in theaters. Overall, he was more visible to audiences when playing a supporting character than when starring in a film himself.

Ice Cube

Cube’s comedies and family films had mixed results. While ‘Are We Done Yet?’ initially attracted audiences, negative reviews hindered its long-term success. ‘First Sunday’ earned a small amount at the box office but quickly lost viewers. Subsequent films often depended on recognizable names without receiving positive reviews.

Let us know in the comments which actors you’d add to this list, and tell us what movies or shows demonstrate why they deserve to be included.

2025-11-04 03:46