Projecting confidence is not only acceptable but also highly valued in Hollywood. If you’re expected to dress in bizarre costumes, cry spontaneously, and deliver dramatic monologues to a green screen tennis ball, you can indulge in a little ego as a treat. But there are actors who don’t do all that and yet still act like they’re royalty. Some of them cling to their long-gone heyday. Others are still convinced their big Marvel role will come any day now. However, none of these reasons allow you to act as if the world is centered around you.
Here are the D-list actors who still carry themselves like they’re one Met Gala invite away from world domination.
Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider is most closely associated with the Adam Sandler universe, akin to allowing friends to stay on your couch while they search for work. Schneider has also been known for taking criticism personally, including publicly clapping back at reviewers in the most unhinged manner. Throw in a habit of using his platform for controversial takes, and you get the full package: actor, commentator, and professional grudge-holder. Does that sound like an A-list actor to you? Because it does to Rob.
Amanda Bynes
In the 2000s, Bynes brought hope to the comedy genre. She had that perfect comedic timing, strong screen presence, and loved the chaos. Then, for whatever reason, her life took a U-turn. Money, fame, and various substances caused her career to regress. Years went by, she got older, smarter, but the ghosts of her past still haunted her. Still, Bynes got over that ugly phase and is now trying to come back to acting. But the issue isn’t whether she can act; it’s whether the nonstop commentary, invasive attention, and a fanbase that treats real life like bonus content would come back into her life again.
Charlie Sheen
For a while, Charlie Sheen could back up the chaotic behavior with actual hit projects and real momentum. These days, the mythology is bigger than the work, and he often feels less like an actor and more like a walking “Where are they now?” segment of the Internet. The most notable aspect of Sheen in recent years has been his belief that he is still performing at his highest level. He believes every headline is proof of relevance, even when the headlines are basically trashing him. Is that what one would call “winning”?
John Travolta
If you think about it, John Travolta has had one of the strangest career graphs in Hollywood history. With the variety of roles this guy’s starred in, he had massive peaks, reinventions, and moments that feel like they were designed to become memes. When he locks in, he’s great. But when he falls off, it’s like watching a dumpster fire doing loopty-loops on a rollercoaster. To prove to everyone that he’s still Hollywood royalty, Travolta now shows up at big events, where one small screw-up can be the end of your career. And somehow, even when the moment doesn’t go well, his confidence remains untouched.
Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts’s IMDb page has so many entries that scrolling through them will tire your fingers before you reach the end. That alone is very impressive. However, in reality, it reads more like he’s ready to take on any role, regardless of the quality. It’s textbook “prestige by association”: if you’ve been in a few big titles, you can sound like a big deal, even if most people only recognize you as “that guy who was also in that thing.”
Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton will always have “Stand By Me” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” as part of his collection of legitimate cultural achievements. However, these days, he focuses more on being an “official” spokesperson for geek culture, which can sometimes come across as overly serious and introduce unnecessary pretentiousness. There’s nothing wrong with fandom, advocacy, or showing up at conventions. The problem arises when the persona transforms into the product, leading to an energy that acts as a gatekeeper. Whatever it is, it’s not A-list material.
Tara Reid
Tara Reid used to be called the romcom queen a long time ago, but then the roles stopped coming in, the headlines got more and more unhinged, and eventually her life turned into chaos. That’s when she started getting invites to those questionable projects that feel like they were pitched in a back alley of a Chinese restaurant at 3 a.m. Her Sharknado era is the perfect example of D-list reality with A-list confidence. Even if the first one was lots of campy fun, the later ones turned into a joke so bad that not even her radiant beauty could save them.
Tommy Wiseau
Tommy Wiseau is a unique case on this list because he’s not pretending to be an A-tier actor. No, he genuinely believes he is one, and the world kind of enabled it. The Room went from the most ridiculed piece of cinema in decades to a cult phenomenon, and suddenly, all eyes were on Wiseau—everything according to his plan, probably. He’s got the sunglasses, the mystery, and the classic “genius artiste” vibe. At this point, it’s hard to be mad at it, because he’s operating on a plane where normal rules don’t apply.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Van Damme is living proof that doing one thing very well (yes, we’re talking about the iconic split) can sustain an actor’s career for decades. At his peak, JCVD was a legit action star with millions of fans, a ton of merchandise, and even action figures made after him. Later, his legacy became a mix of nostalgia and straight-to-DVD movies that feel like they spent more on the cover designer than they invested in the movie itself. The funny part is that Van Damme still thinks he’s “that guy” and that everyone should gasp in awe whenever he enters the room. Despite all that, the man keeps showing up, doing Van Damme things, as if the world desperately needs that one dramatic, badass-looking split to be healed, and he’s the only one who can do it.
Steven Seagal
Steven Seagal has spent years trying to become a household name in Hollywood. The martial arts, the tough-guy image, and the deadpan delivery made him somewhat popular in the 90s and early 00s. But the main problem is that he basically played himself in every movie. Even as the projects got smaller, his performances got lazier, and the reputation got weirder. He’s also become known for controversial associations with Russia and made some outlandish political statements that he should’ve kept to himself. At this stage, Seagal doesn’t act like the guy who thinks the action genre owes him something.
