EXCLUSIVE: Brit Comic Brutally Mocked for 'Pathetically Limp Attempt' at Playing a Psycho in 'Malice' Opposite David Duchovny — 'Why Didn't They Get a Proper Actor?'

RadarOnline.com can reveal Jack Whitehall is facing a torrent of ridicule from viewers who say his turn as a deranged predator in Prime Video's new thriller Malice is a "pathetically limp attempt" at menace, sparking an online pile-on accusing him of being "about as scary as an old English grandmother."

The six-part series, set between Greece and London, casts Whitehall, 37, as Adam, a seemingly charming tutor who worms his way into the wealthy Tanner family before dismantling their lives. He stars opposite David Duchovny, 65, whose résumé includes The X-Files, Californication, and multiple major film roles.

But instead of praise for Whitehall's ambition, fans have flooded forums with abuse, mocking the British stand-up comic for attempting the same late-career pivot into darker roles that Hugh Grant successfully achieved with his horror film Heretic.

This time, they say, the gamble has not paid off. One fan said, "Jack ain't no Hannibal Lecter, he should stick to soft comedies... he doesn't have the acting chops for this."

Another added: "He's a limp as bad lettuce and flops around while Duchovny stands strong. David makes him look even more pathetic than he is."

Fans also think they have spotted derision from Duchovny during one of the pair's press junket chats to promote Malice.

Duchovny – who once starred alongside Brad Pitt as a fearsome redneck serial killer in the movie Kalifornia and the hit TV show Aquarius centered around the psychopathic Manson family – "praised" Whitehall by saying he saw during their scenes what the actor was "attempting" to achieve, adding he admired his "ambition."

Fans say the use of the word "attempting" says it all.

One sneered: "David is an intelligent man and chooses his words carefully. If he'd wanted to praise Jack in that junket interview, he'd have said he 'achieved' what he wanted on screen – not 'attempted' to."

Critics have also been unforgiving, noting Whitehall's attempt at a blank-eyed stare is wooden and his monotone delivery leaves his character looking more bewildered than threatening.

One industry insider said: "When you put him opposite a TV heavyweight like Duchovny, he just looks ridiculous. The gap in experience is brutal."

The story follows Adam as he insinuates himself into the Tanner household, headed by venture capitalist Jamie, played by Duchovny, and fashion designer Nat, portrayed by award-winning Dutch actress Carice Van Houten, 49.

From luxurious Greek villas to sleek London homes, Adam executes a melodramatic revenge plot involving poisoned nannies, sabotaged reputations, and conveniently planted pet snakes and animal poison.

But audiences say the tension collapses because Whitehall simply cannot sell the unhinged mastermind behind the schemes.

A production source said: "Viewers aren't buying him as a psycho. It's like watching a stand-up comic read cue cards in a haunted house."

Duchovny has spoken warmly about why he took the role, declaring most of his motivation was filming in luxury locations.

The actor said: "Well, I'd be lying if I said coming to Greece wasn't part of the reason because I've never been here, and it's figured prominently in my thinking for my entire life."

He explained the demanding shooting schedule allowed little sightseeing, but he planned to return. Duchovny's relaxed enthusiasm for the Greek sunshine has only fueled complaints neither he nor Whitehall appears fully invested in the psychological depth the genre demands.

But viewers argue that while the older actor still retains enough gravitas to coast through the material, Whitehall "just looks lost and clueless about what to do," as one commentator put it.