Who was that odd-looking girl in Magic Mike? Jeng jeng jeng...

How did this girl get cast as Channing Tatum's romantic interest in a wide-release picture?

I watched Magic Mike really late in a second run cut-rate cinema because the trailer had me thinking it was a ditsy mainstream rom-com, especially with Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey in it baring butt to a pop tune.

Turns out that was a pretty cleverly cut trailer and that Steven Soderbergh was at the helm, so it had to have *some* artistic merit, even if it were only as substantial as the G-strings that kept these male strippers within the last realms of decency.

For what it's worth, the movie had its moments but I was taken aback with Cody Horn, an actress I'm not familiar with. Unremarkable in stature and appeal, she was piss poor to the point of distraction. How can a girl who looked like this and acted in a role like this get cast as Channing Tatum's romantic interest in a wide-release picture?

Cody Horn: Can anyone say... Frances McDormand?

She had a mouth like Frances McDormand and did absolutely nothing with her part, except to impersonate Kristen Stewart's already trademark scowl. Talent is talent and everyone has to start somewhere - but anyone who sat through Magic Mike will find her presence most contrived, even compromising the integrity of the film to an extent.

Well whaddya know? This topic had already been covered and it's not even a secret. Her father is none other than then Warner Bros President and Chief Operations Officer, Alan Horn. Most of her previous TV and film work had also been Warner affiliated. A recorded interview contained her bizarre account on just how she landed the role.

Yu Nan: Horribly miscast

Can anyone say Tori Spelling?

Now it has been pointed out that WB only acquired the indie picture much later in the proceedings - so we may only legitimately speculate on just how much daddy played a hand in getting daddy's girl a nice little push towards superstardom. Still, you'd think that an aspiring actress with such industry connections would've done more to make her most prominent role to date less jarring. To have come away with "that girl was boring" would've been much easier to live down than "how did that girl get the role?".

She's in the upcoming End Of Watch (2012), from the folks behind Training Day (2001) but with a very iffy trailer to boast. I hope she'll put a better account of herself in that.

On a related note, what did you guys think of Yu Nan in Expendables 2? Now that is one female performance that made me cringe in every scene. Absolutely disgusting!