# Actors and actresses you're suprised didn't become bigger stars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2010, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195 "2010-01-16T14:17:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/81 "2010-01-20T00:55:46Z")
George Clooney’s movies don’t pull in $200 million dollars, that’s true - but they aren’t meant to be big blockbusters! He isn’t starring in, or making, those kinds of movies. There just can’t be an endless stream of Batman, Spiderman, CGI critters, or big 'splosion movies, there has to be room for movies that don’t cater to the 12-40 male viewer. I think he’s been very successful, he has clout in the industry, and I applaud him for not dumbing himself down to star in romantic comedies … or whatever. He is rather unique in his choices. Teri Garr is dealing with multliple sclerosis, symptoms of which started in the early 80’s. Dana Carvey underwent a botched heart operation in 1997. And it’s too darned bad for both of them, because they are two of my favorites. The cast of Friends might have stuff lined up in the future, but none of them went into anything noteworthy after the show, did they? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/82 "2010-01-20T01:43:41Z")
> [@BKReporter](#): > > And how many of those films were blockbusters? > I disagree with Superhal’s assertion that George Clooney is a loser and isn’t a star, but he does have a point. As famous as he is, he doesn’t seem to have very much box office muscle. The money an actor’s movies make are only part of the equation of their star power. Mike Meyer’s probably made more blockbuster movies than Clooney, but Clooney’s as big or bigger a star. He’s uber-famous, can do pretty much whatever movie he wants, has major studio backing, etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/83 "2010-01-20T01:53:33Z")
Dana Carvey’s career got interrupted by heart disease. He talked about it on Leno. He went in for a bypass and they did the wrong side. He had to go back and get the other side done. That put him out of work two or three years. He returned to work but he’s not had the same success. > [@BKReporter](#): > > Dana Carvey especially. He was supposed to be _the_ break out star from that generation of late 80s/early 90s SNL players and he was being set up to reach the levels of stardom that Jim Carrey would later attain. > It’s really too bad, because he was wicked hilarious on SNL and would probably rate as one of the top 5 performers to ever work on the show, but he ended up in a lot of shitty movies like \*Clean Slate, Trapped in Paradise \*and the aforementioned _Master of Disguise._ > In fact you can probably include a lot of former Not Ready For Prime Time players in this thread - Chris Kattan, Jan Hooks, Jon Lovitz, Victoria Jackson, etc. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/84 "2010-01-20T03:20:04Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Oh yeah! Her _Wings_ character was a helicopter pilot, right? She was really hot. A favorite (paraphrased) quote about Alex (Farrah Forke): **Joe:** Alex is dating you, Brian? I thought she had more taste than that. **Brian (self-satisfiedly):** Well, obviously she doesn’t… ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/85 "2010-01-20T04:15:36Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Just in case you’re serious: > > O’Neal was already a huge star when he made \*Barry Lyndon _- one of the biggest stars of the 1970’s, actually. Ht movies he made before BL include_ Love Story, What’s Up, Doc \*and \*Paper Moon. \*His career faltered in the 1980’s and never really recovered, but you can’t say he never became a bigger star: he \*was \*a bigger star. yep, he was one of the big boys back then. I can’t remember what happened to him…i think just no good scripts, and him getting bumped for younger, cheaper actors. maybe. dunno. hh hold on. I just noticed the Barry Lyndon thing. I never saw it, but I believe that it was a period piece just at the time when that particular period had NOBODY’s interest. Can’t say for sure, but I noticed that at the time. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/86 "2010-01-20T04:33:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Dana Carvey’s career got interrupted by heart disease. He talked about it on Leno. He went in for a bypass and they did the wrong side. He had to go back and get the other side done. That put him out of work two or three years. He returned to work but he’s not had the same success. Hold on…if I recall correctly, he was already heading downward by 1994. I can’t remember the name of it, but he was just tepid in the movie i saw. I can’t even remember what it was about, it was so limp, and I even remember most of Captain Ron! I think that he just had too few good scripts, or he passed over the good ones. I was really hoping for him to make it big, too. So, I know Malkovich is pretty hot stuff, but I thought that he’d still be a giant even now, but not so. Oh, Judge Reinhold. I thought he’d be among the luminaries also, but he tanked right after Ridgemont High. I was thinking during RH that he’d go straight into the top 3. I can’t recall anything after Beverly Hills cop with him in it. hh ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/87 "2010-01-20T05:06:04Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > So, I know Malkovich is pretty hot stuff, but I thought that he’d still be a giant even now, but not so. He’ll be the Vulture in the next Spider-Man movie. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/88 "2010-01-20T05:20:54Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > [Noah Taylor](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0852965/). > > When I first heard that “the guy who played David Helfgott in _Shine_” had been nominated for an Oscar I said “Oh yeah - the one who played him as a teenager, right?” Er, no. And not to begrudge Geoffrey Rush his accolade but I thought Taylor had acted rings around him, an opinion confirmed when I later saw him in _Simon Magus_. > > Mostly since then I’ve only spotted him in supporting roles, like the tech guy in the _Tomb Raider_ films or as Charlie’s dad in the Tim Burton _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ film. A pity, methinks. Have you seen [The Year My Voice Broke](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0852965/)? Excellent movie, and I presume, Taylor’s first big role. I also thought he was a rising star, but no. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/89 "2010-01-20T17:12:50Z")
Charmian Carr. Absolutely enchanting as Liesl in The Sound of Music. Karen Allen. One of the most incredibly beautiful women I have ever seen in a movie. She did a knockout job in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Starman, then did a string of second-raters. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/90 "2010-01-20T19:03:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I was surprised how much much older Hutton looks these days. It’s only been 3 years since he played Archie Goodwin. He’s changed a lot. Nero Wolfe on A&E was done in 2002 (great series, total shame it wasn’t on longer), so you can cut Hutton a little slack. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/91 "2010-01-20T20:23:38Z")
What about Mark Hamill? After Star Wars and the sequels, admittedly there was nowhere to go but down - but THAT far down, where now 95% of his roles are cartoon voiceovers? Even an awesome role such as the Joker’s voice was a huge step down. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/92 "2010-01-20T20:40:17Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > What about Mark Hamill? > > After Star Wars and the sequels, admittedly there was nowhere to go but down - but THAT far down, where now 95% of his roles are cartoon voiceovers? Even an awesome role such as the Joker’s voice was a huge step down. IIRC, he had a fairly successful theatre career post-Star Wars. Some people would consider that a step up from film 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/93 "2010-01-20T21:20:12Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Karen Allen. One of the most incredibly beautiful women I have ever seen in a movie. She did a knockout job in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Starman, then did a string of second-raters. You forgot where she looked her best - Animal House. I was always amazed that Jordanna Brewster didn’t do more. Absolutely gorgeous, and has been great in everything I’ve ever seen her in. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/94 "2010-01-20T21:26:08Z")
While Shatner and Nimoy went on to other prominant TV roles, [Deforest Kelly](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeForest_Kelley#Later_career)didn’t. and most of the rest of the crew didn’t either. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/95 "2010-01-20T21:31:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Dana Carvey’s career got interrupted by heart disease. He talked about it on Leno. He went in for a bypass and they did the wrong side. He had to go back and get the other side done. That put him out of work two or three years. He returned to work but he’s not had the same success. I remember reading that he’s really more interested in spending his time with his wife and kids now, to which I say more power to him. He was one of my favorite SNL performers in his heyday, and I’d love to see him perform again, but when you’re that close to death I bet your priorities change a bit. He did just do a stand up special for HBO, didn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/96 "2010-01-20T21:52:26Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > George Clooney has always struck me as a loser. He lucked out with the Ocean’s X+1 series, but he’s been in nothing but flops, and the only success he’s had were on the shows he’s left (General Hospital, ER.) O Brother Where Art Thou, Three Kings, Good Night and Good Luck are all excellent movies. The Peacemaker’s not bad either. And he made Sexiest Man Alive at least once. An actor can do worse than George Clooney. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/97 "2010-01-20T22:17:42Z")
> [@john\_b\_2](#): > > I’d have guessed that at least one of these four hippie chip ingenues from the 80s,–Roseanna Arquette, Rebecca De Mornay, Rae Dawn Chong and **Meg Tilly** –would crash through and make the big time. Each enjoyed her fifteen to twenty minutes of fame, appeared in some high profile films, then faded from view. Another one like that: Sandra Bonet. Big impression in ANGEL HEART, failed to make it to the big leagues. bolding mine This. Who would hae guessed that today Jennifer Tilly would be the bigger star? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/98 "2010-01-21T00:59:07Z")
> [@john\_b\_2](#): > > Sandra Bonet. Big impression in ANGEL HEART **Lisa** Bonet 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BKReporter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@BKReporter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BKReporter)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/99 "2010-01-21T05:03:35Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > yep, he was one of the big boys back then. I can’t remember what happened to him…i think just no good scripts, and him getting bumped for younger, cheaper actors. maybe. dunno. > > hh > > hold on. I just noticed the Barry Lyndon thing. I never saw it, but I believe that it was a period piece just at the time when that particular period had NOBODY’s interest. Can’t say for sure, but I noticed that at the time. It also probably didn’t help that Ryan O’Neal had (and apparently still has) a reputation for being a giant douchebag. ---
**Author:** ![john\_b\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@john\_b\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/john_b_2)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195/100 "2010-01-21T16:38:26Z")
Yes, that Tilly did better than the others is a bit surprising. Roseanna came on strong at first but failed to sustain her momentum. De Mornay fizzled after a few films despite being conventionally attractive enough to make it on her looks. Chong was the hardest sell, made some odd career moves. Yup, it was LISA Bonet. My mistake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-and-actresses-youre-suprised-didnt-become-bigger-stars/525195.md?page=6)