Science Just Named the Most Hated Actor Alive—and It's Not Who You Think
In what might be the most unnecessary use of scientific method this side of ranking potato chips, a new data study has officially named the most hated actor alive.
And no, it's not who you've spent years blaming for every cinematic war crime.
According to research conducted in March 2025 by Daniel Parris of Stat Significant (yes, really), the crown goes to Adam Sandler.
Parris didn't just wake up and pick names from a hat. He put actual parameters around the data, starting with a simple rule: no forgotten flops. Only movies that were widely seen and widely hated were considered — specifically, any film that had at least 20% of its reviews marked one star or worse.
After crunching the numbers, the results leaned heavily into the genres critics love to hate — action and comedy — with a predictable murderer's row of repeat offenders.
Here's a rundown of who made the top 10, based on how many films they've headlined that qualify as statistically loathed:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme — 4 films (Street Fighter, Knock Off, Double Team, Universal Soldier: The Return)
- Sylvester Stallone — 4 films (Driven, Escape Plan 2, Rocky V, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot)
- Pauly Shore, Rob Schneider, Tom Arnold, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy — all in the mix with multiple appearances
- And at the top…
- Adam Sandler — 5 films:
• The Ridiculous 6
• Grown Ups 2
• Jack and Jill
• Going Overboard
• Little Nicky
To be fair, Sandler has spent a good chunk of his career making movies that look like dares. But calling him the "most hated" actor alive? That's where the data starts to short-circuit.
Because while critics might want to throw Jack and Jill into the sea, Sandler remains one of the most commercially bulletproof names in Hollywood. Netflix keeps handing him hundred-million-dollar deals, and audiences keep showing up. He's also managed to stun everyone with films like Uncut Gems, Punch-Drunk Love, and Hustle — just to remind the world that, yes, the man can actually act when he wants to.
Also, he's weirdly well-liked. Ask anyone in the industry. Executives love him. Directors love him. Other actors practically line up for his wedding-videographer-style ensemble comedies just to hang out at a fake resort for six weeks.
So maybe "most hated" doesn't mean what it used to. Science might have the numbers, but Hollywood still has the Sandman — Hawaiian shirts, silly voices, and all.