Movies - TV
Sci-Fi Movie Actors That Took Things Too Far
By LIAM GAUGHAN
Gary Oldman
In "The Fifth Element," Gary Oldman plays insane villain Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg, a wicked industrialist who is decked out in elaborate makeup and chews the scenery whenever he gets the chance. Oldman admitted he can’t stand rewatching the film or his performance, even describing the film’s cult fanbase as "wacky."
John Travolta
"Battlefield Earth" is one of the biggest disasters in science fiction movie history, made worse by John Travolta's over-the-top performance as Terl, the head of security for the aliens known as "Psychlos." The film's screenwriter, J.D. Shapiro, even publicly apologized for writing the film, claiming that "out of all the sucky movies, mine is the suckiest."
Ian McDiarmid
For his role as Emperor Palpatine in the "Star Wars" franchise, Ian McDiarmid wanted Palpatine to have a reptilian characterization to bring out his dark side, which meant being in a makeup chair for four hours before each day of filming and wearing orange contact lenses. Seeing his commitment to the role, it’s admirable that McDiarmid had so much energy on set.
Jack Nicholson
"Mars Attacks!" is a grim satire about how cowardly humans would act if they had to face an alien invasion, aided by Jack Nicholson's hilarious performance as U.S. President James Dale. According to director Tim Burton, Nicholson was "willing to do anything, no matter how crazy it [seemed]" so he also ended up playing real estate tycoon Art Land in the film.
Christopher Lloyd
In "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," Christopher Lloyd played Klingon villain Kruge, a bizarre warlord who refuses to accept logic. Kruge had an element of theatricality about him, and Lloyd admitted he loved "doing that kind of thing, a far-out character."