Scarlett Johansson As Dante ‘Tex’ Gill (Rub & Tug)
When it was announced that Rupert Sanders and Scarlett Johansson were working on a biopic called Rub & Tug in 2018, they made headlines once more. Dante “Tex” Gill, a 1970s gangster who managed to run a major steroid ring and also used massage parlors as a front for prostitution, would be the subject of the film. Johansson might have been a better fit for the part if Gill had been a woman. However, because Gill was a trans man, activists from all over the world protested her casting.
Cameron Diaz (Gangs of New York)
Diaz’s performance as an 1860s pickpocket/prostitute in Gangs of New York was a rare serious dramatic role for her, and she just wasn’t up to it, giving her character a spotty-at-best Irish accent and simply not being convincing as an 1860s pickpocket/prostitute. It doesn’t help that she’s frequently the focus of the film’s weakest scenes, as Jenny and Amsterdam’s love story feels forced and distracts from the narrative’s much more compelling revenge plot. It’s a shame, because Diaz is the film’s only prominent female character, and it’s difficult not to believe that a more capable actress could have done a better job in the role.