A-List: Megan Fox

In the What the Hell Happened series, I take the long view of an actor or actress’ career.  That series explores whether or not an actor or actress ever reached the A-list.  If not, why not?  If so, what happened?  There is a full career arc from unknown to household name to What the Hell Happened subject.  In this series, which I am simply calling A-list, my focus is not on what happened but on what is happening right now and what may happen in the future.  Sure, that’s going to involve looking back on what brought us to this point.  But the focus is primarily on the now.  

My subjects will be actors or actresses whose status has recently shifted up or down.  Some of them may be A-listers who have suffered a set-back.  Others may be A-list hopefuls. This past weekend, Michael Bay’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dominated the box office.  Not only was it the number one movie of the week, it outperformed even the most optimistic projections.  It’s a clear victory for Bay who took a lot of heat when certain plot elements leaked to the public.  But what it means for Megan Fox is less certain.

Fox’s first acting job was in a direct-to-video Olsen twins movie.  In 2003, Fox was an extra in Michael Bay’s Bad Boys 2.  She was only 15 years old at the time.  So naturally Bay put her in a stars-and-stripes bikini and had her dance under a waterfall like 15-year-olds do.  

“They put me in six-inch heels and a stars-and-stripes bikini,” Fox said. “Sent me to Michael. He approved me. Then they put me in the scene under a waterfall. You got $500 extra if you were willing to get wet, and I was thrilled to get wet. I was still a child, but for those two days I was being treated like a grown woman. I felt like I should be in a bikini dancing under a waterfall: that is where I thought I belonged.”

lohan - confessions

The following year, Fox played the bitchy girl in the Lindsay Lohan movie, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.  This was a transitional movie for Lohan who was going from Disney princess to mean girl.  For Fox, it was a chance to be seen.  According to Fox:

“I played the bitch, of course.  I was always cast as the bitch. The light-haired girl is the sweet leading lady, and the dark girl is the sexy bitch.” She paused. “I didn’t know how to act when I did that movie. I just mimicked all the bitches I’d seen other people play on TV.”

From 2004-2006, Fox appeared on the sitcom, Hope & Faith.  The show starred Faith Ford, Kelly Ripa and the legendary Ted McGinley.  Fox played Ford’s daughter in the show’s second and third seasons.  The role was originated by Nicole Paggi.  While appearing on the show, Fox met former Beverly Hills 90210 star, Brian Austin Green.  She was 18 and Green was 30.  They started dating.  Contrary to Fox’s wild girl image, they stayed together.  They were married in 2010.

Fox - Transformers

In 2007, Michael Bay cast Fox opposite Shia LaBeouf in his Transformers movie.  Now, I have to admit, I have never seen a single Transformers movie.  And odds are, you have.  So you probably know more about Fox’s role in this movie than I do.  But from my understand, the movie is about a bunch of robots that turn into cars.  And all of them have more personality than Fox’s character.  Fox’s job was to look hot under the hood of a car.  I have never seen the movie, but even I recognize this picture in which a scantily clad Fox bends all the way over the car engine like a stripper mechanic.

Her role was described in script breakdowns as “a 16-year-old Angelina Jolie”.  Fox had a new agent at the time.  Transformers was the first audition he sent his client to.  He knew it was a slam dunk because in his mind Fox was the heir apparent to Jolie.

Fox knew how to make the most of the spotlight.  She did interviews in all the men’s magazines and played up her “bad girl” image.  She had tattoos and claimed to be bisexual.  She talked about a relationship with a female stripper and said she was too much woman for a pretty boy like Robert Pattinson.  Men ate it up.  But she didn’t win over a lot of female fans.

She followed up Transformers with roles in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People and Whore.  The titles write their own jokes.

fox - transformers 2

In 2009, Fox was back for the Transformers sequel: Transformers 2: Things Go Boom!  As I said, I have never seen a Transformers movie.  So I can’t really comment on the merits of the franchise.  However, I will quote Roger Ebert’s infamous review of the second Transformers:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments. One of these involves a dog-like robot humping the leg of the heroine. Such are the meager joys. If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together. Then close your eyes and use your imagination.

Okay, so Ebert wasn’t a fan.  Apparently, neither was Fox.  When asked about working with Michael Bay, she compared him to Hitler:

God, I really wish I could go loose on this one. He’s like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he’s a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he’s not in director mode, I kind of really enjoy his personality because he’s so awkward, so hopelessly awkward. He has no social skills at all. And it’s endearing to watch him.

Three anonymous member’s of Bay’s crew responded with a blistering open letter.  This is long, but I’m going to go ahead an post the whole letter:

This is an open letter to all Michael Bay fans. We are three crew members that have worked with Michael for the past ten years. Last week we read the terrible article with inflammatory, truly trashing quotes by the Ms. Fox about Michael Bay. This letter is to set a few things straight.

Yes, Megan has great eyes, a tight stomach we spray with glycerin, and an awful silly Marilyn Monroe tattoo plastered on her arm that we cover up to keep the moms happy.

Michael found this shy, inexperienced girl, plucked her out of total obscurity thus giving her the biggest shot of any young actresses’ life. He told everyone around to just trust him on his choice. He granted her the starring role in Transformers, a franchise that forever changed her life; she became one of the most googled and oogled women on earth. She was famous! She was the next Angelina Jolie, hooray! Wait a minute, two of us worked with Angelina – second thought – she’s no Angelina. You see, Angelia is a professional.

We know this quite intimately because we’ve had the tedious experience of working with the dumb-as-a-rock Megan Fox on both Transformers movies. We’ve spent a total of 12 months on set making these two movies.

We are in different departments; we can’t give our names because sadly doing so in Hollywood could lead to being banished from future Paramount work. One of us touches Megan’s panties, the other has the often shitty job of pulling Ms. Sour pants out of her trailer, while another is near the Panaflex camera that helps to memorialize the valley girl on film.

Megan has the press fooled. When we read those magazines we wish we worked with that woman. Megan knows how to work her smile for the press. Those writers should try being on set for two movies, sadly she never smiles. The cast, crew and director make Transformers a really fun and energetic set. We’ve traveled around the world together, so we have never understood why Megan was always such – the grump of the set?

When facing the press, Megan is the queen of talking trailer trash and posing like a porn star. And yes we’ve had the unbearable time of watching her try to act on set, and yes, it’s very cringe-able. So maybe, being a porn star in the future might be a good career option. But make-up beware, she has a paragraph tattooed to her backside (probably due her rotten childhood) easily another 45 minutes in the chair!

So when the three of us caught wind of Ms Fox, pontificating yet again in some publication (like she actually has something interesting to say) blabbing her trash mouth about a director whom we three have grown to really like. She compared working with Michael, to “working with Hitler”. We actually don’t think she knows who Hitler is by the way. But we wondered how she doesn’t realize what a disgusting, fully uneducated comment this was? Well, here let’s get some facts straight.

Say what you want about Michael – yes at times he can be hard, but he’s also fun, and he challenges everyone for a reason – he simply wants people to bring their ‘A’ game. He comes very prepared, knows exactly what he wants, involves the crew and expects everyone to follow through with his or her best, and that includes the actors. He’s one of the hardest working directors out there.

He gets the best from his crews, many of whom have worked with him for 15 years. And yes, he’s loyal, one of the few directors we’ve encountered who lowered his fee by millions to keep Transformers in the United States and California, so he could work with his own crew.

Megan says that Transformers was an unsafe set? Come on Megan, we know it is a bit more strenuous then the playground at the trailer park, but you don’t insult one of the very best stunt and physical effects teams in the business! Not one person got hurt!

And who is the real Megan Fox? She is very different than the academy nominee and winning actors we’ve all worked around. She’s as about ungracious a person as you can ever fathom. She shows little interest in the crew members around her. We work to make her look good in every way, but she’s absolutely never appreciative of anyone’s hard work. Never a thank you. All the crewmembers have stopped saying hi to Ms. Princess because she never says hello back. It gets tiring. Many think she just really hates the process of being an actress.

Megan has been late to the sets many times. She goes through the motions that make her exude this sense of misery. We’ve heard the A.D’s piped over the radio that Megan won’t walk from her trailer until John Turturro walks first! John’s done seventy-five movies and she’s made two!

Never expect Megan to attend any of the 15 or so crew parties like all the other actors have. And then there’s the classless night she blew off The Royal Prince of Jordan who made a special dinner for all the actors. She doesn’t know that one of the grips daughters wanted to visit their daddy’s work to meet Megan, but he wouldn’t let them come because he told them “she is not nice.”

The press certainly doesn’t know her most famous line. On our first day in Egypt, the Egyptian government wouldn’t let us shoot because of a permit problem as the actors got ready in make up at the Four Seasons Hotel. Michael tried to make the best of it; he wanted to take the cast and crew on a private tour of the famous Giza pyramids. God hold us witness, Megan said, “I can’t believe Michael is fucking forcing us to go to the fucking pyramids!” I guess this is the “Hitler guy” she is referring to.

So this is the Megan Fox you don’t get to see. Maybe she will learn, but we figure if she can sling insults, then she can take them too. Megan really is a thankless, classless, graceless, and shall we say unfriendly bitch. It’s sad how fame can twist people, and even sadder that young girls look up to her. If only they knew who they’re really looking up to.

But ‘Fame’ is fleeting. We, being behind the scenes, seen em’ come and go. Hopefully Michael will have Megatron squish her character in the first ten minutes of Transformers 3. We can tell you that will make the crew happy!

-Loyal Transformers Crew

Unprofessional?  To be sure.  Fair?  Not really.  Hysterically funny?  Hell yeah.

Publically, Bay denounced the letter.  But he still posted it on his website which lead many to believe Bay himself may have written it.

fox - jennifer's body

Later that year, Fox got her first starring role in the horror-comedy, Jennifer’s Body.  The script was from Juno-writer, Diablo Cody and it co-starred former Mean Girl, Amanda Seyfried.  In the movie, Fox and Seyfried share a brief and highly publicized kiss.  But even the promise of a lesbian kiss wasn’t enough to bring out Fox’s heavily male audience.  This was the first test of Fox’s star power and it failed.  According to Fox:

“People expected ‘Jennifer’s Body’ to make so much money.  But I was doubtful. The movie is about a man-eating, cannibalistic lesbian cheerleader, and that pretty much eliminates middle America. It’s obviously a girl-power movie, but it’s also about how scary girls are. Girls can be a nightmare.  ‘Jennifer’s Body’ wasn’t rated PG-13 like ‘Twilight.  It was a hard R, and kids couldn’t get in. So they bought a ticket to another movie and snuck in.”

Fox likes to use that phrase “girl power”.  It’s sometimes hard to distinguish what she finds empowering and what she does not.  Posing on the cover of Maxim is I guess some form of girl power.  Posing similarly in Michael Bay’s robot movies is clearly not.  Kissing Amanda Seyfried and playing a zombie cheerleader is apparently Fox’s brand of empowerment.

“If I was to have a message, it would be to be a different kind of role model to girls. With ‘Jennifer’s Body,’ I want to say, It’s O.K. to be different from how you’re supposed to be. I worry that’s totally lost.”

Speaking as someone who has seen Jennifer’s Body, any message was indeed lost on me.

Jonah Hex

In 2010, Fox co-starred opposite Josh Brolin in the comic book Western, Jonah Hex.  Continuing her special brand of feminism, Fox played a pouty prostitute.  Fox described the experience:

“I had my first sex scene in that movie.  I had on underwear and silicone covers that you wear over your breasts. I would never be naked in a film. You should never say never, but my body parts are all I have left that are only mine. The world owns everything else.”

Jonah Hex was Fox’s second shot at stardom outside of the Transformers franchise.  And it bombed big time.  The verdict was in.  Fox could not deliver male audiences.  Good thing she had the Transformers to fall back on.

transformers 3

Only she didn’t.  Instead of having Fox’s character killed off in the third Transformers movie, Bay simply replaced her with a lingerie model.

Later, it was revealed that the decision was actually made by Steven Spielberg.  Spielberg took offense at Fox’s Hitler comments.  Which is understandable.  He demanded that Bay fire Fox.

So the Transformer series carried on without Fox.  And Fox faded into near obscurity.  She popped up from time to time in movies like This is 40.  But only in minor roles.  In 2013, she was reduced to video game commercials.

Fox - TMNT

Having fallen short of the A-list and fallen off of the B and C-lists, Fox had no choice but to apologize to Michael Bay.  Which she did.  Publically.  Bay welcomed her back with open arms.  Not to Transformers which was no carrying on without its temperamental star, LaBeouf.  Instead, Bay used the reunion with Fox to get some buzz for his new take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  Fox was cast as wannabe Lois Lane, April O’Neil.

Word of Bay’s plans for the Ninja Turtles leaked early angering fans.  According to the leaks, the new turtles would be aliens, not mutants.  Fans of the 80s toys and cartoons cried foul.  Expectations for the movie were not overly high.  The release date was moves around repeatedly which is never a good sign.  Advance word of mouth was not good.  And the reviews were largely negative.  And yet, the damn thing opened to over $70 million in the US surpassing all expectations.

So, does this blockbuster hit put Fox on the A-list?  Hell no.  This is Transformers all over again.  Nostalgia is selling tickets, not Fox.  However, this franchise should prove to be a new gravy train that she can ride for a while.  It should put her back in the spotlight and give her a few more shots at cracking the A-list.

Do I expect she will ever actually make it?  No.  Being on the A-list doesn’t make you a great actor.  But it does require a certain amount of screen presence.  And Fox doesn’t have it.  She’s easy on the eyes and that’s about it.  But even if the A-list isn’t in the cards for Fox, there’s no doubt that her future looks a lot rosier than it did a week ago.  Ninja Turtles probably extended her career in mainstream movies by 3-5 years.

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Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

7 Former Hollywood “It Girls” Whose Careers Totally Fizzled:
http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/7-former-hollywood-it-girls-whose-careers-totally-fizzled/3/

  1. Megan Fox

Megan Fox was deemed to be an “It Girl” by Nylon Magazine in their October 2009 issue. We personally think she received this honor based her looks and attitude – not on her acting abilities. To date, the sultry young actress hasn’t demonstrated that she possesses a lot of talent as an actress, but she has definitely proved that she has a lot of sex appeal. Sadly, in Hollywood, that isn’t enough. Her career these days seems fairly non-existent.

Myso
Myso
9 years ago

She has a career with Michael Bay projects for sure. But gosh I hope he doesn’t get involved with anything else from my childhood! I watched my beloved Transformers series self explode while the humans kept chattering on and on. And the new TMNT? The turtles look demented! I’d rewatch TMNT 3 instead of the new CGI enhanced turtles! Even Vanilla Ice disapproves of the new Ninja rap. Looking at her face, I think she had plastic surgery. Which is a shame since she is quite beautiful and really young! In order to appeal more to women, she’s gone public… Read more »

frug
frug
9 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Yeah, I think Fox has realized that if is going to have a future in feature films it is going to be as eye candy in action movies. She’s still young enough that she can probably hang around for a few years doing that as long as she doesn’t talk to the press.

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
9 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Ninja Turles is definately a hit, but I honestly don’t think the films’ success is going to advance Fox’s career much. She already had her chance to prove herself as a box office draw/leading lady with a few different films. I think Hollywood at large understands this Ninja Turtles movie opened strongly based on the property alone, not because Fox had a role in it. In the past week, in the various movie websites I’ve visited and people I’ve talked to who have seen the movie, not once have I heard any buzz about Fox or her performance in the… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Myso

Re: Lindsay Lohan: Train Wreck Edition – Part 2:

http://forums.superherohype.com/showpost.php?p=29811595&postcount=35

Lohan is like Megan Fox. Instead of having tasteful plastic surgery that most of these girls have they just went way overboard and look too fake now. Except Lohan had it to fix her busted up crack face and Megan Fox had too much of it because Hollywood is evil and can convince any woman, no matter how beautiful, that they aren’t beautiful enough.

You can’t act well when your face can’t move ladies.

frug
frug
9 years ago

I know and a few others have broached the possibility of Johnny Depp and Tom Cruise WTHHT, but is there any chance of them getting articles in this series?

It seems pretty clear both there careers are rapid decline (especially domestically).

frug
frug
9 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Now that you mention it, I do vaguely recall the Tom Cruise article.

That said, his next film is Mission Impossible 5 which seems as safe a bet as possible.

Joe
Joe
9 years ago

The story I heard about Fox in Transformers was that for her audition, Bay had her wash his car. Just because it’s a step above the actual casting couch doesn’t make it any less sleazy, IMO.

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

I think the success of turtles could lead to more franchise roles for her . She is smart for sticking to roles that dont require acting skills she knows she no cate blanchett

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

she sould at least roles that require acting try to branch out

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

when has tried branching out all she did was comedy hope and faith and mindless actions movies she might do well if she did dramatic role she might more acting training but she might have potential. 4 years ago if i told people matthew mccounghey would win more oscars before peter o toole u would tell me to stop smoking the pot lol kidding

krytal
krytal
9 years ago
Reply to  shitbrick

She also branched out when she did Friends With Kids and her performance was really great. I don’t get why she’s good in films like that but sucks in so many others.

JJ
JJ
9 years ago

Have u thought of Kristin Scott Thomas career. I think she’s very underrated but her screen presence is magical. I love her in The English Patient. she should be in WTHH.

HHGeek
HHGeek
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Don’t. You’ll find that she’s had an excellent and ongoing career, working in French cinema as well as Anglophone. Oh, and theatre. Most H’wood actors would part with a limb to be so versatile and critically lauded.

JJ
JJ
9 years ago

KST was so sexy in bathroom scene in TEP. I’m also saddened by the lost of Anthony Minghella. His films are poetic and beautiful to look at. He chose great novels and direct it well I think. Even his producer films are great like The Reader. He was unfairly criticised for TEP.I wanna see great old literatures to become films instead of computer effects movies and pointless teen novels like hunger games and twilight.

shitbrick
shitbrick
9 years ago

warren beatyy deserves one.

JJ
JJ
9 years ago

Lol it’s alright I’m just a fan u’re critic different perspectives TEP defeat of fargo is hard to swallow for some I guess I like fargo too it’s terrific movie can’t decide which one is better even from TEP fan.

JJ
JJ
9 years ago

Ok I’ll stop talking abt TEP. It’s a sensitive movie not gonna get along in internet discussing abt tht movie lol. My point is kristin Scott Thomas .I wish she’s a bigger star maybe because of she was in TEP 🙂

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Original April O’Neil Reveals Why She Wasn’t In The Sequel: http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Teenage-Mutant-Ninja-Turtles-Original-April-O-Neil-Reveals-Why-She-Wasn-t-Sequel-66693.html By Eric Eisenberg 2014-08-10 17:12:36 While actress Judith Hoag was the first actress to bring intrepid reporter April O’Neil to life, starring in 1990’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from director Steve Barron, her tenure as the character was rather short-lived. Not only was she replaced by Paige Turco in both Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, but the brand has since moved even far beyond those movies with the animated TMNT (featuring Sarah Michelle Geller… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

‘Ninja Turtles’: What Happened to the Actress Who Played the Original April O’Neil? https://www.yahoo.com/movies/ninja-turtles-what-happened-to-the-actress-who-94170905367.html This weekend, Megan Fox plays April O’Neil in Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but she’s not the first actress to portray the character. In 1990, Judith Hoag originated the role of the intrepid reporter who befriends the pizza-loving heroes, although she almost turned down the part. “When I first heard of it, I thought it was a horror film,” Hoag recalls on a recent telephone call with Variety. “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is such a strange name. I wasn’t into the comic books at all.” Hoag,… Read more »

krytal
krytal
9 years ago

I think she sill has a chance. She f’ed up her career with a couple of bad films and plastic surgery that diminished her looks. But once she lets the surgery settle and makes better choices she has a chance. Her performance in Friends With Kids was excellent. With the right script and the right director she has talent.

Also, even though Jennifer’s Body bombed, it’s kind of a cult classic. People love it. I see gifs on tumblr constantly. She was good in that role. She should work with Diablo Cody again.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Derailed Film Stars: Retracing Megan Fox: http://www.twcc.com/articles/2014/11/02/d/derailed-film-stars-retracing-megan-fox Equally famous for what she says on-screen as she does off-screen, Megan Fox has always been a controversial sex symbol. The self-proclaimed homebody and mother of two created a scandalous image of herself that fueled the 24-news cycle and kept her in the press more than on screen. But with a recent box office hit under her belt and a new leading role in the film Zeroville, starring opposite James Franco, things are looking up for the tatted-up bombshell who was formerly only praised for having a symmetrical face. See the hits and… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

9 Celebs Who Looked Better Before Plastic Surgery: http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/9-celebs-who-looked-better-before-plastic-surgery/7/ Megan Fox Megan Fox’s looks have changed dramatically over the years. Although she denies doing anything to alter her appearance, it seems pretty obvious that she has. She was so pretty when she was first starting out in the business. She was fresh-faced, but unique looking, with her dark hair and striking eyes; however, it looks like Fox wasn’t satisfied with what she had and wanted to make some changes. According to one plastic surgery expert, the “Transformers” star has had Botox, eyelid surgery, a nose job, cheek fillers, laser skin… Read more »

HHGeek
HHGeek
8 years ago

Suggestion for a series: How The Hell Did They Ever Make A List? 🙂

HHGeek
HHGeek
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Meh. She may be easy on the eye, but has she ever displayed even 10% of the acting talent required for a WTHH?

Carl
Carl
8 years ago
Reply to  HHGeek

Since when was acting talent a requirement for WTHH? It is about A-List actors or ones that were on the A-List track that have fallen into varying degrees of obscurity. And being A-List is basically a combination of how popular you are and how much weight you carry in the industry (the two being connected themselves to a large degree).

HHGeek
HHGeek
8 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

Fair enough.

forrestbracket
forrestbracket
8 years ago

lebeau u thinkk when megan ages and loses her looks she will have a career she cant do anything but look pretty she never developed any acting skills yet anyways.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What is Megan Fox Doing Now? What Happened to Megan Fox? http://gazettereview.com/2015/06/what-is-megan-fox-doing-now-what-happened-to-megan-fox/ Megan Fox is a famous American actress and model. After beginning her acting career in 2001, she started landing a large quantity of roles in the industry until she hit stardom with the blockbuster action film Transformers, where she starred alongside actor Shia LeBeouf. This was her breakout role, and as she reprised this role in the following movies in the franchise, Megan Fox had become a household name. She become one of the modern female sex symbols and has appeared in many magazines such as Maxim, Rolling… Read more »

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