Back when Fast Times at Ridgemont High was released, I would have bet my life that Judge Reinhold would have had something similar to, well frankly to what Tom Hanks’ or Steve Martin’s career has amounted to since that era.
Reinhold was likable, attractive and a skilled actor … but pfft. Sure he worked, but did not come close to producing the material I expected him to.
I would also include a personal favorite, David Naugton, whose turn in An Amerian Werewolf in London was certainly a starmaker (before that he was the Dr. Pepper guy!), but no, forgettable roles since. He was hot and had skillz, for Og’s sake!
Please understand, I am not making fun of or flaming these talented actors, but am lamenting what I imagined could have been.
Anyone else have any other personally appreciated actors who didn’t make it big despite their talent?
A surprising candidate might be George C. Scott, whose spectacular early / mid career also spectacularly flared out IMHO post Patton. See all the crap TV work he did.
Brad Renfro may be the best example of this in recent times. He managed to outdo both Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in The Client, but hasn’t done anything phenomenal since. I liked that he avoided teen mags and such, skipping the Leo DiCaprio level of fame and going straight to the bloated criminal, but it may have cost him some decent gigs. But there’s still hope…
Bruce Campbell is a successful B-movie actor with a devoted cult following, but I always thought he had what it took to be a major Hollywood superstar: matinee idol good looks, great comic timing and a self-deprecating sense of humor, and a lovable roguish quality as an action hero.
As I’ve mentioned before in this type of thread, I thought Treat Williams had superstar potential. Watch him in Hair – he’s mesmerizing. He’s had a decent career – being a working actor is, in itself an accomplishment – but nothing like what could have been.
Edward Furlong started with a flare but then just peaked and levelled (due in part to a dysfunctional family and terrible taste in girlfriends).
Paul Rudd has worked steadily but has never broken out of “sexy guy next door” roles. Ditto Ryan Reynolds.
Rick Moranis had several big screen, big budget and very good performances to his credit and then his career just stopped ala Joe Pesci. (I think Rick intentionally quit for a couple of years when his first wife died as he wanted to be a stay at home dad for his kids, but it’s never picked back up.)
An actress named Mary Page Keller had more sitcoms and TV appearances to her credit than most actresses will ever get but she just never took off. Ditto for her co-star Scott Baio, who 20 years later is still struggling with Chachi-dom.
A few without as much commentary:
Campbell Scott
Khrystyne Haje (and co-star Robin Givens)
Edward Albert Michael St. Gerard
Treat Williams (his career never really made the leap to A-List) Timothy Bottoms (from Paper Chase to really bad Land of the Lost remake)
Laraine Newman
Gene Wilder (icon status, but his great performances were all in the 70s)
Rob Morrow
Janine Turner (though I think her stalling is by choice)
The Baldwin Brothers Who Aren’t Alec
Carrie Fisher (though she works a lot as a writer)
Rick Moranis did quit acting to spend more time with his kids, but he hopes to start again soon, since he has one kid in college and another one almost there. He has reinvented himself as a country singer-songwriter with a streak of self-deprecating humor, and just released his debut album, The Agoraphobic Cowboy. Check out http://www.rickmoranis.com if you don’t believe me! I actually hope he finds success and a new audience with this venture.
I think Ryan Reynolds’ career is on an upswing, though. Even though he makes a lot of stupid teen sex/grossout comedies like the truly awful Van Wilder and the new Waiting, he really seems to be a solid charismatic leading man with good comic timing – much better than someone like Freddie Prinze Jr., who has played many similar roles in the past. He was supposed to be the best part of Blade: Trinity, where he played Wesley Snipes’ wisecracking new partner Hannibal King, and there has been talk about him starring in a spinoff movie. He is also the frontrunner to be cast in a Flash movie, based on DC Comics’ super-speedster hero. Flash would definitely propel Reynolds to the A-list.
Much like Edward Furlong, put it down to dysfunctional family, substance abuse, etc. Of course, he didn’t start dating his tutor (13 years his senior) when he was 15.
While he’s had a MUCH better career than anyone here, I think Christian Bale should get a hell of a lot more recognition than he does.
Phoebe Cates quit acting to take care of her kids.
I remember seeing the movie Clueless in 1996 or 1997 (it was released in 1995). If you’d asked me then, I would never have imagined that Alicia Silverstone’s career would have stalled as it seems to have while Brittany Murphy’s career seems to have taken off.
Matthew McConaughey, though still playing leads, hasn’t become the major star most people predicted of him.
James Dean. Made three great movies in the 50s, but his career crashed and burned after that.
Carrie Snodgress. Did a star turn with Diary of a Mad Housewife, but dropped out of films (to travel with Neil Young) and never caught on.
Jo Ann Pflug – supposed to be a star to watch with MAS*H, but vanished.
Candy Clark – got raves and an Oscar nomination for American Graffitti, but her career went nowhere.
Most of the actors in Hill Street Blues looked poised to break out, including Daniel J. Travanti, Veronica Hamil, and Brice Weitz, but none could build on it.
Bernadatte Peters: For the younger Dopers Trance on Andromeda looks like her. She very good at acting, comedy, and singing. She got cancer about the time she was becoming popular on TV. She’s been back for quit a while now, but not on television.
Chris O’Donnell is a doll and not a terrible actor, and he had some high profile roles early in his career (Fried Green Tomatoes, Scent of a Woman, Batman Forever) but has never hit it really big. His role in Kinsey could have been played by anybody from Danny Devito to Isaac Hayes without anybody really noticing any difference.
Paul Le Mat, who got billed well ahead of Harrison Ford in American Graffiti.
I saw Caren Kaye on a lot of shows in the 1970’s, and thought her combination of looks and comic ability would propel her to “household name” status. As this page informs us, she’s now retired from showbiz after earning a doctorate in psychology.
Bruce McGill stood out in the cast of Animal House (his second movie) - I figured his career would grow. But 27 years later, he’s basically still at the exact same level - a strong supporting actor. Certainly a respectable career (he’s been in four films this year) but I’m surprised it didn’t lead to more.