Some actors are born to play certain roles, while other actors make us cringe in their attempts to play difficult characters. In light of the "50 Shades of Grey" (Charlie Hunnam and Dakota Johnson) and "Batman" (Ben Affleck) casting decisions, Neon Tommy counts down five times casting directors got it right... and five times they didn’t. 

The BEST...

Ryan Gosling as Noah Calloway (“The Notebook”)

To say this role made Gosling into a star would be putting it lightly. Following one of the most successful movies comedies ever made, every woman in America wanted to date him, and every man wanted to be him. Gosling's southern charm, mixed with a little bit of scruff and sensitivity made for the perfect man. Gosling also has a motivational book inspired by him.  

Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden (“Fight Club”)

No one was born to play the lead in "Fight Club" like Mr. Pitt. From his frank sarcasm to his enlightened view on consumerism in America, the character known as Tyler Durden could not be personified by anyone other than this actor right here. This was one of Pitt's many prominent roles.

Morgan Freeman as Red (“Shawshank Redemption”)

Though his personal life seems a bit unsettling, no one can deny that Morgan Freeman is one of the best actors of all time. A fantastic actor combined with a powerful film and its captivating plot can only lead to a stellar cinematic masterpiece like "Shawshank Redemption." 

Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly (“The Devil Wears Prada”)

We’ve all heard the horror stories of Anna Wintour (the “Vogue” editor whom Miranda is based off of). Now couple that persona with the most Oscar-nominated woman in history and you get a character that is more intimidating than the real life woman herself. Would you want to order the wrong size of Starbucks for her? You certainly shouldn't. 

Heath Ledger as the Joker ("The Dark Knight") 

This is hard to say because some people believe the reason why Ledger overdosed was due to the character he was playing. Because he was such a method actor, Ledger was cast in one of the darkest characters to spook the cinema and yet we could not imagine it any other way. 

 ...The WORST

Josh Hutcherson as Peta Mellark (“The Hunger Games”)

"The Hunger Games" is undoubtedly one of the biggest sensations currently among tweens and adults everywhere. However, when the leading man was cast, audiences expected a man with more of a charm or to have more striking features. Definitely not Josh Hutcherson. Hutcherson didn’t have to be a model, but he needed to have a little more personality and charisma for the role. Also, he's shorter than Jennifer Lawrence... Huge no-no.

Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan (“Twilight”)

To call this a case of 'bad casting' is putting it mildly. The only conclusion possible is that the casting directors at Summit Entertainment must have put all the names of the “actresses” who auditioned for the part in a fish bowl and drawn a lucky winner. Unfortunately for us, Stewart’s name was selected and we had to watch her stoic, open-mouth acting for the entire series. 

Kate Winslet as Rose (“Titanic”)

Though this is one of the best tearjerkers of all time and Winslet is a reputable actress, it was hard to ignore the fact she looked so much older than Leonardo DiCaprio at the time (though he is actually a year older than her). Perhaps it was the makeup artist or the dated costumes, but she looked well into her thirties.

Cameron Diaz as Jenny Everdeane (“Gangs of New York”)

Like Stewart, it is extremely hard to sit through a Diaz movie (except when she played a crazy girl in "Vanilla Sky"). Nevertheless, when she is trying to act in a dramatic role as dark as "Gangs of New York," her attempt at the character seems completely forced. 

Charlie Hunnam as Christian Grey (“50 Shades of Grey”)

Last, but not least, the newest member of the bunch would have to be Hunnam as the suave Christian Grey. Not to say he is a bad actor (just watch a few “Sons of Anarchy” episodes), but he does not fit the dark-featured, smooth, and cultured man that Grey is supposed to be. But who knows? It may be too soon to tell. Until he proves us wrong when the movie is released, he has a spot on this list.

Contact Staff Reporter Jillian Morabito here.