Back in the ‘90s and early-‘00s, there weren’t many actors that were as famous as Stephen Dorff. Appearing in films such as “Blade,” “Cecil B. Demented,” and others, Dorff established himself as the go-to handsome bad boy in Hollywood. But in 2021, his star isn’t as bright as it once was. That said, according to Dorff himself, the main reason he’s not in modern blockbusters is because of his own desire to keep doing smaller features with indie filmmakers that could become “the next Kubrick.”
Speaking to The Independent, Dorff talked about the current state of the film industry, while promoting his recent MMA film, “Embattled,” and he took specific aim at the big film that is being released this weekend, “Black Widow,” and its star, Scarlett Johansson.
“I still hunt out the good shit because I don’t want to be in ‘Black Widow,’” he said. “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 Kubrick and I’ll act for him instead.”
As mentioned, Dorff has previously done superhero films in the past, appearing as the villain in “Blade.” And it’s unclear if his reluctance to star in films like “Black Widow,” which is likely to be a massive box office hit and has already earned pretty solid reviews, is mainly driven by his own desire to not appear in them or if it’s more caused by not receiving the offers. Because honestly, it’s hard to believe any actor on the planet would turn down Marvel Studios if the right deal came along.
During the interview, Dorff was on a roll, also taking aim at this year’s Oscars telecast, which was partially produced by Steven Soderbergh and utilized a different style to make up for the lack of a massive audience, and just the industry, as a whole.
“This year’s Oscars were the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever seen,” Dorff said. “My business is becoming a big game show. You have actors that don’t have a clue what they’re doing. You have filmmakers that don’t have a clue what they’re doing. We’re all in these little boxes on these streamers. TV, film – it’s all one big clusterfuck of content now.”
READ MORE: Steven Soderbergh Defends Oscars Decisions: “Actors’ Speeches Tend To Be More Dramatic”
Clearly, Dorff has issues with the film industry, as it is currently. He’s also someone that likes to keep his whole bad boy persona alive and well. So, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, though it does seem like Dorff might be a little unnecessarily upset.