Tim Burton Names This Actor “The Greatest Bad Actor of All Time”
Tim Burton once shared his thoughts on films and actors in a candid interview with Rotten Tomatoes, and he had some striking words about Charlton Heston.
Burton described Heston as “the greatest bad actor of all time”, while discussing the 1971 film The Omega Man.
Burton explained his fascination with Heston, saying, “I was kind of obsessed by him, because he’s like the greatest bad actor of all time. Between this and Planet of the Apes and Soylent Green and The Ten Commandments — I know that was a religious film but I always thought it was like the first zombie movie. He starts out like this real person and by the end he’s like this weird zombie.”
Burton added playful observations about Heston’s performances, noting, “Seeing Charlton Heston reciting lines from Woodstock and wearing jumpsuits that look like he’s out of Gilligan’s Island — there are lots of good things. The thing I liked about this is that the vampire characters were played by real people. They had a really cool look to them — black robes, dark glasses. Not Charlton Heston with his shirt off.”
Charlton Heston, who passed away in 2008, had a career that spanned decades and included a wide range of roles. He became an icon of Hollywood’s Golden Age with epic films such as The Ten Commandments, where he played Moses, and Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Heston also starred in Planet of the Apes, Soylent Green, and numerous other films that cemented his legacy as a versatile but often larger-than-life performer. Despite Burton’s playful jab at his acting style, Heston’s presence on screen has remained unforgettable, with many remembering his commanding performances and iconic voice.
Burton, known for his own distinct visual style, admitted in the Rotten Tomatoes interview that he doesn’t always focus on traditional “good” filmmaking. “I really wouldn’t know a good movie if it bit me in the face — up to a certain point,” he joked.
He shared that his favorite films include a mix of acclaimed movies like the original Wicker Man (1974), notorious flops like Dracula A.D. 1972, and even obscure titles such as The War of the Gargantuas.
Heston’s long and varied career left a mark on both mainstream and cult cinema, making him the kind of actor who could inspire admiration and playful critique from a filmmaker like Burton.
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