Honest question. I don't think she's a terrible actress. In the right roles, she's actually pretty good (Alias and 13 Going On 30). That being said...she is really, really, really awful in those Capital One Commercials. Odd facial expressions, looks totally uncomfortable, etc. I'm really asking here - does anyone have an answer for how a movie star actress who once carried a TV series can look like a high school drama student all of a sudden?
shareShort answer: Her acting approach changed.
Even on Alias you could see the change. There were a few scenes from season 1 of the show that they redid, reshot, and rewrote for the 5th season for some sort of "interactive flashback." Her acting was so different in the 5th season version. There were more tears, for sure, but it didn't feel as heartfelt as the original scenes. Her acting just sort of changed, I'm not sure why. I first thought it was because she lost interest in Alias because of what the show turned into, which meant less dedication from her. But even in her recent projects there's something about her acting that I can't quite buy. She sometimes comes off too "acted."