Role regret

 Sarah Taryam, Arts Editor

Just because we enjoy watching a particular actor in a particular role, it does not mean that actor enjoyed being in that particular role. This week we are looking at some big Hollywood names who regret taking on certain roles, despite box office success and critical acclaim.

Jessica Alba was one of the first actresses to join the superhero craze which started in the mid-Noughties. She played Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four and the experience, she claims, made her want to quit acting for good. Apparently the role left her feeling worthless as an actress after being repeatedly asked to “stop trying to act so much” and play down her emotions.

Academy Award winning actress Viola Davis regrets playing a maid in The Help which is set in 1960s Mississippi. In spite of receiving a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the role, Davis felt it was largely centred around the white characters with the voices of the maids not being heard. She was dissatisfied with the plot and critics agreed.

Robert Pattinson could not even wait until the final Twilight movie hit the cinemas before declaring his regret at having acted in the vampire films. Pattinson explained that playing heartthrob Edward Cullen was difficult as he was representing something he did not particularly like. He also went as far as saying that he would have “mindlessly hated” the series had he not appeared in it.

In other news this week, turn to our Parenting pages as we ask the question how young is too young for a child to have a smartphone? It seems to becoming the norm to see five year olds running around with smartphones in their hands. What could they possibly need them for? Let us know your thoughts on the matter.