Bad Acting and the Cultification of Bad Actors

Abstract

This chapter examines the characteristics of bad acting, drawing on a range of textual and other evidence to propose a means of understanding subsequent cultification and re-evaluation – or lack thereof. A range of case studies are included, from the cultification of ‘has-beens’ like Bela Lugosi, to bad acting in sexploitation films, as well as critical analysis of performances by director-actors, such as Ed Wood, and cult personalities like Criswell. As the various case studies demonstrate, bad acting reveals the work of acting and therefore has the potential to collapse the boundaries between actor and character. The complex interactions between text, character and viewer can become further complicated by the cult reputations of certain bad actors, collapsing the boundaries between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ acting. As demonstrated throughout this chapter, examining the relationship between bad acting and cult stardom also offers opportunities to further interrogate broader claims of badness, failure and incompetence, subjectivity, and the critical concept of ‘so bad it’s good’.