If you’re a huge Hollywood actor and you’ve just poured your heart out in an emotionally exhausting dramatic role, taking a job in a dumb thriller in which most of the work is done by a stunt double must feel like going on a vacation. Sure, everyone needs a break every once in awhile, but a lot of actors have been stuck in vacation mode for too long. This week, it’s Denzel Washington who’s grabbing a quick paycheck, starring in “2 Guns” opposite Mark Wahlberg. I haven’t seen the movie, but I think it’s safe to say it won’t earn Washington his third Academy Award. When he’s given a complex part, Washington is one of the best actors around – see his brave, daring, Oscar-nominated performance in last year’s “Flight” – though he spends most of his time playing indistinct characters in forgettable action films. It’s really too bad/Nathan Weinbender, Spokane/7. More here.

Question: When did you last see a good actor in a bad role?