Casting Calamities - Volume Two

Five Baffling Hollywood Casting Choices

The Critical Drinker returns with five examples of what he considers Hollywood’s most baffling casting choices, criticizing both the performances and the decisions behind them.

1. John Wayne as Genghis Khan in The Conqueror

The video opens with the 1956 film’s infamous mismatch: the all-American Western star playing a Mongolian warlord. The host calls it a spectacular case of Hollywood whitewashing and notes that the film was panned and flopped.

He also recounts the production’s grim history: filming took place downwind of a nuclear test site, and many cast and crew members later developed cancer, including Wayne and director Dick Powell.

2. Emilia Clarke in Terminator Genisys

The host argues that Clarke’s popularity after Game of Thrones didn’t make her a convincing Sarah Connor. He says she lacked Linda Hamilton’s toughness and physical presence, joking that she often seemed afraid of the guns she was holding.

He also criticizes her lack of chemistry with Jai Courtney and points to the film’s wider failure.

3. Denise Richards in The World Is Not Enough

Richards’ casting as nuclear physicist Christmas Jones is presented as a Bond-film misfire. The host pokes fun at her scientific dialogue, her Lara Croft-style outfit, and the character’s name—especially the “I always wanted Christmas in Turkey” gag.

His verdict is that the role needed more than looks and that Richards couldn’t make the scientist believable.

4. Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II

The host says Pascal was miscast as Roman general Acacius, lacking the commanding presence he associates with Russell Crowe’s Maximus. He compares the two to “a pug next to a Doberman” and complains that Pascal’s constant visibility contributed to “Pascal fatigue.”

The critique is sharp, though he concedes the film wasn’t unsuccessful solely because of Pascal.

5. Sophie Turner in Dark Phoenix

Turner’s move from the ensemble cast of Game of Thrones to a blockbuster leading role is presented as a leap she wasn’t ready for. The host says she couldn’t convey Jean Grey’s menace or power, joking that she seemed like a frightened child who’d forgotten her lines in a school play.

He closes with a jab at her announced return as Lara Croft.

Personalities Discussed

John Wayne, Dick Powell, Marlon Brando, Emilia Clarke, Linda Hamilton, Lena Headey, Jai Courtney, Denise Richards, Pedro Pascal, Russell Crowe, Sophie Turner, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.