Reinvention keeps Hollywood alive, but not every role leaves a positive mark. Some actors look back on their past work and cringe, feeling embarrassed by choices they made early in their careers. Many of these controversial roles sparked backlash due to issues like whitewashing, stereotyping, or misrepresentation of marginalized communities, leaving the performers with lingering regret. Here’s a countdown of 15 roles that stirred controversy and left the actors wishing they could hit rewind.
15. Emilia Pérez and the Trans Representation Debate
Netflix’s crime-musical Emilia Pérez was promoted as groundbreaking, but many trans critics disagreed. Numerous viewers argued that it leaned on outdated stereotypes, used the protagonist’s transition as a plot device, and reduced the trans lead to a manipulative and violent character. The controversy was intensified by the lack of Mexican voices in a story set in Mexico, sparking broader debates about who has the right to tell trans narratives.
14. Benedict Cumberbatch in Zoolander 2
Cumberbatch portrayed a non-binary model called “All” in a performance that soon came under fire for ridiculing gender identity. Years on, the actor confessed he would not accept the role today, admitting the pain that it had inflicted. Activists went so far as to call for a boycott, stating that roles such as these should be offered to non-binary or trans actors.
13. Rooney Mara in Pan
Mara was hired as Tiger Lily, a traditionally Native American character, for the 2015 fantasy Pan. The outcry was swift. Mara has since explained that she “hated” being on the “wrong side” of the issue of whitewashing and never wants to make the same error again.
12. Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl
Redmayne’s performance as trans trailblazer Lili Elbe was a hit at the time, but he later termed it a mistake. The actor confessed the role must have belonged to a trans woman and accepted the wider issue of trans exclusion from casting ranks.
11. Emma Stone in Aloha
Casting Stone as a character of part-Chinese and Hawaiian descent sparked widespread criticism. She later apologized—famously shouting “I’m sorry!” at the Golden Globes—and said the experience taught her about the damaging prevalence of whitewashing in Hollywood.
10. Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Portraying a Persian hero in Disney’s hit movie, Gyllenhaal was criticized for perpetuating Hollywood’s casting of whites to play Middle Easterners. He would later confess that the scandal made him work more critically to determine which roles he takes on.
9. Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell
Johansson’s casting as Major Motoko Kusanagi, the original Japanese character, elicited outrage about whitewashing. Rumors that studios had even thought of digitally transforming her look only added to the backlash. Johansson subsequently commented that she wouldn’t portray somebody of another race again.
8. Tilda Swinton in Doctor Strange
Marvel hired Swinton as the Ancient One, a Tibetan man in comics, in a bid to be respectful, but ultimately canceled out a potential Asian casting opportunity altogether. Years after, Marvel leader Kevin Feige confirmed that they got it wrong.
7. Gary Oldman in Tiptoes
In this quirky indie, Oldman portrayed a man with dwarfism—though he didn’t have it himself—using prosthetics and camera illusions. Peter Dinklage, co-star, attacked the way the film made light of dwarfism. Oldman has never spoken about the controversy, but the film is a warning example.
6. Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder
Downey’s Australian actor in blackface was intended to be satirical, but satirical or not, it made many uneasy. Even Downey himself has said it was risky, although he explains he can see why people were offended, even if he still maintains the film was for the right reasons.
5. Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Rooney’s over-the-top performance as Mr. Yunioshi, a Japanese man, is now notorious yellowface. Rather than apologizing, Rooney once admitted that he forgave those who were offended—remarks which only added to criticism.
4. C. Thomas Howell in Soul Man
This 1986 comedy made Howell wear blackface to impersonate a Black student. Although the actor maintains the film contained an anti-racist message, audiences and critics broadly condemned it as offensive and tone-deaf.
3. Hilary Swank in Boys Don’t Cry
Swank’s Oscar-winning performance as Brandon Teena, a trans man, was hailed then, but she later admitted that such casting would be wrong now. She has since stated that trans performers could have the right to play their own stories.
2. Gwyneth Paltrow in Shallow Hal
After putting on a fat suit for this romantic comedy, Paltrow got really embarrassed, and the message of the movie—”inner beauty” being synonymous with ignoring the other person’s weight—that didn’t age well. Paltrow didn’t hesitate to declare the movie a “disaster,” telling how uncomfortable she was during the shoot and how it exposed the film industry’s attitude towards body image in Hollywood.
1. Viola Davis in The Help
Although Davis received praise for her performance, she went on to regret it, stating the movie did not prioritize the voices of the Black maids it represented. She acknowledged feeling as if she’d “betrayed” herself for having been a part of a narrative that was not completely truthful.
Those roles also point to how frequently Hollywood has let down communities through miscasting and destructive stereotypes. But they also illustrate how much has changed—actors are now more outspoken about regrets, and audiences expect more. With any luck, the stars of tomorrow won’t have to look back at their résumés with shame.