The ‘Norbit’ Scale: Which Oscar Nominee Has the Most Embarrassing New Project?

This story first appeared in the Jan. 30 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

Boyhood‘s Patricia Arquette starring in CSI: Cyber

Ads for the March 4 launch of CBS’ procedural spinoff could remind snooty Academy voters that Arquette, 46, is mostly a television actress.

Whiplash‘s J.K. Simmons starring in Farmers commercials

Many top actors supplement their incomes with commercials. But few are as ubiquitous as Simmons, 60, who is shilling for Farmers. Will voters still “insure” a victory?

The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne starring in Jupiter Ascending

Redmayne, 33, has worked hard to establish an auteur image this season, but his turn in the Wachowskis’ delayed Feb. 6 opus could lead to a campaign descending.

Still Alice‘s Julianne Moore starring in Seventh Son

Moore, 54, so amazing in Still Alice, probably isn’t loving the Feb. 6 release date of Seventh Son, another troubled sci-fi pic in which she slums it as a malevolent witch.