# Actors we thought would be stars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 17, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264 "2001-09-17T22:02:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/1 "2001-09-17T22:02:19Z")
Can you think of any actors or actresses who had what was called a ‘breakthrough’ performance and was predicted for stardom, only to fall by the wayside? I can think of Michael Pare, the guy in Eddie and the Cruisers. Mickey Rourke-like a Bruce Willis type, if he didn’t flip out. Eric Roberts Marisa Tomei Brad Renfro-the kid in The Client. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/2 "2001-09-17T22:18:36Z")
I think Juliette Lewis is becoming another. She was great in Cape Fear, and after that, she’s pretty much been playing the same role. Now she’s in Gap commercials. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/3 "2001-09-17T23:33:18Z")
I suppose he has reached some level of stardom, at least to a certain extent, but everyone was picking **Matt Dillon** to be the next great screen legend about 18 years ago or so when _“My Bodyguard”_ came out. He had some starring roles in major movies, but it never clicked. It was always somone else in the films that got noticed. Of course there is the cast of **Cheers,** but the jury is still out, I imagine. We’ll see in a couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/4 "2001-09-17T23:35:44Z")
I actually meant **Friends** not **Cheers** but I suppose it qualifies too. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2001, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/5 "2001-09-17T23:56:56Z")
Entertainment Weekly raved over Campbell Scott when he starred opposite Julia Roberts in “Dying Young.” Where is he now? ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/6 "2001-09-18T01:22:35Z")
Based on the amount of hype heeped on him a couple of years ago, the absolute KING has to be: **Matthew McConaughey** ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/7 "2001-09-18T02:31:52Z")
Pamela Reed – Looked like she might be a star after “Eyewitness,” but never made an impression after. Carrie Snodgress – “Diary of a Mad Housewife” should have made her a star, but she pretty much vanished afterwards. Barbara Harris – looked sure-fire, with “Nashville,” “Family Plot,” and “Freaky Friday,” but her career petered out after that. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/8 "2001-09-18T03:03:00Z")
I see on the IMDB that Treat Williams has been in a lot of movies, but has never seemed to live up to the hype I remember from the early 80s, when he was in “Prince of the City”. Icarus, we can only hope that Matthew McConaughey never becomes a huge star. If you’ve seen “Contact”, you know what I mean. His career doesn’t seem to be trending that way, fortunately. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/9 "2001-09-18T03:10:15Z")
I kinda thought Christian Slater would ultimately go further than he did. ---
**Author:** ![fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@fish\_in\_the\_sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fish_in_the_sky)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/10 "2001-09-18T03:12:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jk1245 \* > \*\*I think Juliette Lewis is becoming another. She was great in Cape Fear, and after that, she’s pretty much been playing the same role. Now she’s in Gap commercials. \*\* ::blink:: Is that Juliette Lewis in the commercial with the dancing robots? Huh. Thought she looked familiar. I had no idea Juliette Lewis had such nice tits. ---
**Author:** ![Revedge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@Revedge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revedge)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/11 "2001-09-18T03:31:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lunatic13 \* > …I had no idea Juliette Lewis had such nice tits. \*\* Amazing what can be done with computer effects nowadays. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/12 "2001-09-18T12:30:19Z")
I’d also add Ralph Macchio John Travolta- every movie he makes bombs now. He’s really only had 2 or 3 good movies, then the expectations are so high. Just wait for 2009 for Travolta comeback #2… or is it 3? ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/13 "2001-09-18T12:38:22Z")
**Jenny Agutter**. Who would’ve doubted, while watching _Logan’s Run,_ that she’d be a late-70s superstar? But then she wasn’t. I’d leave **Ralph Macchio** off the list. His flame burned pretty bright in the 80s; he’s more of a has-been than a never-was. **Katharine Ross**. She made _The Graduate_ with Dustin Hoffman, then what? Not much! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/14 "2001-09-18T12:47:43Z")
Rachel Ward was fantastic in Thorn Birds and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. She’s made a few movies since then, but nothing really special. Tom Selleck keeps making “almost” movies… they should cast him as Travis McGee. He’d be perfect. Edward Furlong seems to fall into this category, too. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2001, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/15 "2001-09-18T12:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ethilrist \* > \*\* > Edward Furlong seems to fall into this category, too. \*\* He’s still pretty young, I’d say he still has a chance. I thought he was pretty good in “American History X”. Of course, it’s hard to notice his performance when comparing it to Edward Norton’s. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/16 "2001-09-20T04:09:29Z")
pardon my dumbness, but would john malkovich be in this category?? i know he was hot and great in cycles, but i don’t think he got the stardom which he seemed destined to have. also, i don’t think that juliette lewis has very good tits either! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/17 "2001-09-20T13:26:02Z")
> [@](#): > > but would john malkovich be in this category?? I don’t know. Actors always fight to have their name above the title, but there are very few who have had their names IN the title. 🙂 Of course, Malkovich is too much of a character actor (i.e., not handsome enough) to be a bona fide star. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/18 "2001-09-20T14:56:09Z")
Malkovich has been nominated for an oscar a few times. He’s also pretty choosy about his performances. I think he’s too ‘artsy’ to really be a star, by choice. He could be if he wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/19 "2001-09-20T15:19:19Z")
Incidentally, **Oblong** , maybe this will amuse you, as it did me: when I first saw your thread title I thought immediately of Michael Pare, whom you named in your OP. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264/20 "2001-09-20T15:32:05Z")
I remember when Kevin Costner was the poor man’s version of **Mark Harmon** , not vice-versa. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-we-thought-would-be-stars/82264.md?page=2)