Normally, I wouldn’t even bother with news like this. You just chalk it up to another washed-up actor/celebrity being a moron. But something came out in the news this week that kind of makes my blood boil. This weekend marks the release of Marvel’s Black Widow MCU film starring Scarlett Johanssen. It’s a film that’s garnered some pretty decent reviews. It looks to make a good deal of money this weekend and over the next week or so. I’ll get to whether or not I’ll see it in a bit. According to Hollywood Reporter, actor Stephen Dorff sat down in an interview with the U.K.’s Independent, and tore into Black Widow, saying he was embarrassed for Scarlett Johanssen and Marvel’s movies in general. Here’s what he said in its entirety: “I still hunt out the good shit because I don’t want to be in Black Widow. It looks like garbage to me. It looks like a bad video game. I’m embarrassed for those people. I’m embarrassed for Scarlett! I’m sure she got paid five, seven million bucks, but I’m embarrassed for her. I don’t want to be in those movies. I really don’t. I’ll find that kid director that’s gonna be the next [Stanley] Kubrick and I’ll act for him instead.” Dorff isn’t the first person to go after the movie industry and he certainly won’t be the last, but what gets my goat is the degree of hypocrisy. Has the general public ever heard of Stephen Dorff? Probably not, but let me fill you in. See, back in 1998, Stephen Dorff was cast opposite Wesley Snipes in the Marvel film, Blade. Dorff played the vampire Deacon Frost. He actually made a pretty cool bad guy.
If you noticed, I mentioned that Blade was a MARVEL movie. So, for him to tear into the company that really put him on the map is incredibly self-defeating. But the real reason that this makes me angry is that Dorff made it personal. It would’ve been one thing for him to say that Marvel movies aren’t for him and that he prefers other kinds of film. That would’ve been just fine, and nobody would’ve cared. Not only did he rip into Scarlett, but the film’s director as well as the fans who enjoy these movies. There’s a reason most of his garbage is basically direct-to-video, and not the best DTV either. Statements like the one that Dorff made can kill careers faster than a bullet. Look what happened to Shannon Dougherty on the set of Charmed. Most notably, pay attention to the drunken tirade of Mel Gibson from over a decade ago. Now, are Scarlett Johanssen and Black Widow director Cate Shortland going to give this idiot the time of day? No. Nor should they. Scarlett Johanssen has been on a hot streak since The Horse Whisperer. She’s one of the most successful actresses in the industry and she staked her reputation on getting Cate Shortland to direct Black Widow. What the fuck has Stephen Dorff done, aside from putting both of his feet into his mouth? This guy was NEVER an A-list actor. Quite frankly, he’s not even C-list. I would put him on the F-list of actors. This guy has audacity to say that he’s holding out for the “good shit” when he’s been a part of some of the worst movies ever made like Alone in the Dark. He doesn’t have the standing to complain about Black Widow. He hasn’t even seen it yet, which makes this situation all the more appalling. Passing judgment on something you haven’t seen yet, makes you look stupid, but I will admit that I have done that from time to time, as have we all. But Dorff takes it to another level.
Initially, I was not super-interested in going to see Black Widow this weekend. But since Stephen Dorff decided to open his stupid mouth and spew arrogant and short-sighted bullshit, I’ve decided that maybe Black Widow is worth a look-see. Will Mr. Dorff have a career after this fiasco? It certainly couldn’t be any worse than it is now. Now that all this is on the Internet, he’s going to have a hard time walking it back and convincing anybody else to work with him. It sucks because he’s legitimately talented as an actor, he’s just made some questionable film choices. Congratulations, Mr. Dorff: You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.