The biggest award nights in Hollywood honor actors for their performances; meanwhile the Razzies help keep them grounded, honoring the year’s worst performances. The Golden Raspberry Awards, popularly known as the Razzies, are actors’ worst nightmare. Ironically, the Razzies are held the night before the Academy Awards.
What started as a parody award ceremony among friends at John J. B. Wilson’s potluck party in 1980 became one of Hollywood’s most popular awards. With the Razzies honoring the worst in film, actors naturally avoid getting a nomination, let alone a win. Yet, every year, several actors make the Razzies nomination lists. Here are 10 actors you’d be surprised won Razzies.
10. Madonna
Madonna is a household name for her successes as a singer and songwriter. Like several other musical artists, Madonna dabbled into acting from the mid-80s to the mid-2000s, starring in over 25 feature films. Although a Golden Globe Award winner, Madonna isn’t considered among the greatest actors in Hollywood. Madonna getting nominated and winning a Razzies Award isn’t that much of a surprise. However, Madonna makes the list for the record number of times she has won it.
If Madonna kept all of her Razzies statuettes, she would have seven of them up on a shelf. Madonna won her first Razzies in 1987 as the Worst Actress for her work as Gloria Tatlock in Shanghai Surprise (1986). Madonna won the category again the next year for her work as Nikki Finn in Who’s That Girl (1987). Madonna repeated her wins for the Razzies’ Worst Actress in 1994, 2001, and 2003. Also she won Worst Supporting Actress in 1996 and 2003. This means Madonna won both Worst Actress and Worst Supporting Actress in 2003. Madonna tied with Britney Spears in 2003 as Worst Actress playing Amber Leighton in Swept Away (2002) and Worst Supporting Actress as Verity in Die Another Day (2002).
9. Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone is one of Hollywood’s most popular and successful action genre actors. With a face as popular as his name, just about anyone with an interest in movies can recognize him. However, Stallone is often criticized for his lack of acting versatility. Like Madonna, Stallone earning a Razzies nomination and win isn’t as surprising as the number of Razzies wins (not nominations) he has received.
Stallone won his first Razzies in 1985 for playing Nick Martinelli in Bob Clark’s musical comedy Rhinestone (1984). His subsequent wins were in 1986 for playing John Rambo and Rocky Balboa in Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV, respectively. Stallone won again in 1989 as John Rambo in Rambo III and 1993 as Sgt. Joe Bomowski in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot. As a supporting cast, Stallone also received a Razzie in 2004 for playing The Toymaker in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over.
8. Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry is an American actor and filmmaker famous for playing the character of Madea. Perry has won the Razzies two times, in 2014 and 2018. However, Perry’s Razzies are both for Worst Actress for playing Mabel “Madea” Simmons. Perry’s 2014 win was for his work in A Madea Christmas (2013), while his 2018 win was for the movie Boo 2! A Madea Halloween.
7. Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock is a successful American actress with accolades like an Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards win. However, sometime within her over 35 years of acting, Bullock was nominated and won a Razzie. Bullocks’ Razzie came for her performance as Mary Horowitz in All About Steve (2009). Bullock attended the ceremony to personally receive her award, handing out DVD copies of the movie to the ceremony audience. Ironically, Sandra Bullock won her first Oscar for Best Actress the next night at the 82nd Academy Awards for her performance in The Blind Side.
6. Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando was one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, rated as one of the industry’s greatest actors. Brando was a two-time Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards winner, amongst other reputable award wins. However, Brando was nominated for and won a Razzie in 1997 for Worst Supporting Actor. Brando won for playing Dr. Moreau in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996).
5. Al Pacino
Al Pacino began his professional acting career in 1967. Throughout his 55+ years of acting, Al Pacino has managed to win a Razzie. Al Pacino’s Razzie came in 2012 for Worst Supporting Actor. Of all the possible ways to get a Razzie, Al Pacino got his win for playing Himself in Dennis Dugan’s comedy Jack and Jill (2011).
4. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy has starred in over 40 films throughout his 45+ years as an actor. Murphy is known for playing multiple characters in the same film. Eddie Murphy has won two Razzies, one as a supporting actor and the other as the lead actor. Funnily enough, both wins came in 2008. For Worst Actor, Murphy received the win for playing Norbit Albert Rice in Norbit (2007). Murphy’s Worst Supporting Actor win was for playing another character Mr. Wong in the same Norbit movie.
3. Will Smith
Will Smith has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest and most successful movies. There aren’t many black actors that can boast of the level of success Smith has enjoyed in his acting career. However, Smith got his only Razzie in 2014 for Worst Supporting Actor for playing Cypher Raige in the post-apocalyptic action film, After Earth (2013).
2. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks is an American cultural icon and one of the most respected and recognized actors internationally. Hanks had avoided a Razzie win for most of his career but landed his first in 2023. Hanks was nominated for and won Worst Supporting Actor for playing Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s biographical drama Elvis (2022).
1. Tom Cruise
Unarguably one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood, Tom Cruise has focused his time and energy on performing his stunts in movies to make them more believable. However, despite receiving four Academy Awards nominations, Cruise is yet to win one. While he waits to add an Academy Award to his award collections, Cruise had his Razzie in 2018. Cruise’s Razzies win for Worst Actor was for playing Nick Morton in The Mummy (2017).
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