Not all actors are in the good graces of Sony Pictures, a major film studio in Hollywood today. Some of the studio's biggest film franchises include Spider-Man, Men in Black, and Underworld, which all pulled in huge numbers at the box office. Starring in a Sony film is a boost for any actor no matter what point they’re at in their career.
Since the Sony hack in 2014, when emails and correspondence between execs and film producers leaked, the public got a taste of what filmmakers really think of the actors starring in their films. Actors the public holds in high esteem were cast aside, disparaged by Sony’s top brass and exposed as—in their eyes—money-grubbing, spoiled performers who cause headaches for film studios.
We’re going to look at actors either Sony criticized or simply based on their track record who are less likely to get a gig working with the studio again.
18 Angelina Jolie
Sony execs didn’t have the nicest of things to say about Angelina Jolie, who’s practically Hollywood royalty. Amy Pascal, Sony Pictures co-chairperson at the time, was part of an email exchange with producer Scott Rudin that emerged from the leak. Rudin said Jolie was "a minimally talented spoiled brat" at the time, which suggests Sony wouldn't bring her aboard for another movie (The Guardian).
17 Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio’s roles went from Titanic heartthrob to grimy Wolf Of Wall Street and won audiences every step of the way. The Sony hack uncovered emails that revealed Pascal's view of DiCaprio at the time. Sony’s top brass, Amy Pascal, had some unpleasant things to say about him after he decided to pass on a role playing Steve Jobs (The Wrap).
16 Kevin Hart
Among the many celebs to get thrown under the bus by Sony, as a result of the hacked email scandal, was none other than lovable comedian Kevin Hart. The president of a separate film company called Screen Gems called him a name we can’t use here, suggesting Hart wanted more money than they were willing to shell out (The Wrap).
15 Adam Sandler
What ever happened to Adam Sandler’s career? While there’s no definitive answer, Sony may have had something to do with it. According to The Daily Beast, Amy Pascal, a major exec at Sony for years, painted him in an unflattering light. “Adam is an {expletive},” she said as part of a longer statement, which means Sandler may have less of a chance starring in a Sony film again.
14 Will Smith
One could argue that without Will Smith, Sony wouldn’t be what it is today. Franchises like Bad Boys and Men In Black both raked in huge numbers at the box office— among other films— thanks to Smith. Something sketchy happened while marketing the movie After Earth, where one of Sony’s records stated, "Conceal Will Smith's injury," in relation to his limited screen-time on film (Hollywood Reporter).
13 Seth Rogen
Back in 2017, Sony said they were going to clean up their act a bit. In a report by Vanity Fair, they launched a “Clean Version” program, where they edit their more mature movies to make them safer for wider audiences. “Please don’t do this to our movies,” Seth Rogen wrote on Twitter, which may not have sat well with the studio.
12 Tobey Maguire
Once a Sony star, Tobey Maguire may not have an invitation to come back and work with the studio. After Spider-Man 3, the studio brought Maguire back to begin work on a fourth entry, according to Looper. Ultimately, though, they cancelled the movie and recast a new actor as Spider-Man.
11 Jaden Smith
An email thread shared between two of Sony’s top execs and the head of TriStar division at the time revealed their thoughts on Will Smith's kids. According to The Wrap, Doug Belgrad, a top exec at Sony, sent a link to an article about Jaden Smith while adding the note, “they r home schooled: don't let this family date your movies!!!”
10 Mark Cuban
Shows like Shark Tank are possible thanks to Sony Pictures. The star of the show, Mark Cuban, had problems with the amount they paid him. “Seriously?” Cuban wrote in an email to Sony. “No chance...this is beyond an insult and it shows no one cares about the investments I have made or the entrepreneurs now it's really business..”
9 Kevin Spacey
After allegations surfaced about Kevin Spacey in 2017, Sony decided to reshoot his scenes with another actor. They brought in Christopher Plummer to replace him. This not only showed Sony was willing to remove Kevin Spacey from an entire movie, but more than likely to keep him from working with the studio ever again (The Verge).
8 Jeremy Renner
Sony and Marvel couldn’t come to an agreement about Spider-Man, so the deal it had with Sony is officially over. Actors like Jeremy Renner have sounded off publicly with their disappointment at Sony. “Hey @sonypictures we want Spider-Man back to @therealstanlee and @marvel please,” Renner wrote on Instagram in the wake of the failed deal (Cheat Sheet).
7 Denzel Washington
Sony said some pretty unpleasant things about actors still working in Hollywood today. Sadly, popular actor Denzel Washington was one such victim of the studio’s criticisms. Michael Lynton of Sony wrote of Washington, “He’s reliable at the domestic [box office], safe, but has not had a huge success in years.” Those kinds of comments suggest they could go with another lead actor for future films (The Daily Mail).
6 Sacha Baron Cohen
Sacha Baron Cohen has released some offensive yet successful films over the years. Even though Sony is a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen, they may not look to distribute his films going forward after the last one's middling performance at the box office. A Sony exec named Rory Bruer said to Variety, “Sacha is amazing and we love him, and we tried to crack the code on it, but it just didn't happen for us.”
5 Michael Fassbender
For the record, one of Sony’s top execs at the time, Amy Pascal, was a fan of Michael Fassbender. Yet the writer behind Steve Jobs, an upcoming film at the time, wasn’t buying him in the role. “I don’t know who Michael Fassbender is and the rest of the world isn’t going to care,” remarked Aaron Sorkin, which may have influenced Sony from wanting to hire him in the future.
4 Willow Smith
One of Sony’s box office bombs was a remake of Annie back in 2014. Despite having a $105 million budget, Business Insider reports it only made $62.2 million worldwide. According to Nicki Swift though, Willow Smith originally had a role in the film before dropping out, which may have harmed her future acting opportunities at the studio.
3 Andrew Garfield
The rebooted Spider-Man franchise with Andrew Garfield fell short at the box office. That may have been due to some off-screen drama between the actor and Sony Pictures. Den of Geek points there are rumors from 2015 that Garfield skipped a major event related to the third film in the franchise, which never happened. That may have been the last straw for Sony, cutting their ties with Garfield for good.
2 Jada Pinkett Smith
If Will Smith and his kids, Jaden and Willow, aren’t the most desirable actors over at Sony Pictures right now, then Jada Pinkett is probably on the list too. As Nicki Swift points out, Jada Pinkett Smith got a producer credit for the Sony movie Annie. It didn’t do so well at the box office, though, which could make them rethink hiring Jada Pinkett going forward.
1 Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz has been in her share of Sony films over the years. She even had a starring role in a remake of Carrie back in 2013. She’s been a little more outspoken as of late, however. This could ultimately affect her standing with the studio, considering what the studio’s leaked emails revealed about their opinions of stars.
Sources: The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, Nicki Swift, Business Insider, Looper, Vanity Fair, The Verge, Den of Geek, Cheat Sheet, Variety, The Daily Mail
