A truly talented actor can turn crappy writing and a lack of direction into something watchable. A decent actor, who might be fine in any other situation, cannot.

I had this thought a few weeks ago when I decided to re-watch True Blood. True Blood is full of cringey writing, nonsensical plotlines, and shoddy directing choices. A handful of good actors carry the show, and the remaining cast, who are good-to-middling in other things, are almost physically painful to watch.

I tested the theory by applying it to the Star Wars prequels. Hayden Christiansen is actually a decent actor. He's not world-class or anything, but he's not unwatchable. On the other hand, people don't usually complain about Natalie Portman or Ewan MacGregor's performances in Star Wars, even though their dialogue is just as cringey.