# Actors who looked like they would become big stars, but didn't **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552 "2008-04-16T03:20:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/21 "2008-04-16T12:09:21Z")
[Adrien Lester](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504412/), who played Henry Burton in Primary Colors. I thought he was the Next Big Thing, but apparently I wuz wrong. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/22 "2008-04-16T12:22:31Z")
Isn’t a Gretchen Mol mention obligatory in a thread like this? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/23 "2008-04-16T12:28:46Z")
They were clearly hoping for Great Stuff from [BN]Horst Buchholz\*\* when they gave him an “introducing” in the credits for **The Magnificent Seven** , and he got a part combining Toshiro Mifune’s role with Isao Kimura’s role as The Young Kid. Apparently he was pretty big in Germany, but his career in the US didn’t get all that big: > **[Horst Buchholz | Actor, Additional Crew](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001976/)** > > Known for: Life Is Beautiful, The Magnificent Seven, One, Two, Three ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/24 "2008-04-16T12:41:54Z")
John Savage was striking, talented and very intense in _Hair_ and _The Deerhunter_; really thought he’d be a big star. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/25 "2008-04-16T13:07:54Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] John Savage was striking, talented and very intense in _Hair_ and _The Deerhunter_; really thought he’d be a big star. [/QUOTE] And his co-star in _Hair_, Treat Williams, is the guy I always mention in these threads. Successful working actor, but someone I thought could have become a Tom Cruise level superstar. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/26 "2008-04-16T13:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] Elizabethtown Kingdom of Heaven [/QUOTE] OTOH, those were both huge failures at the box office. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/27 "2008-04-16T13:38:47Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Matthew Modine [/QUOTE] He also did a stint on Weeds, like 12 episodes…but if you haven’t watched the show yet you’d need to start from the beginning to have any clue about what is going on. He is for sure in season 3 and maybe a slight bit at the end of season 2 but I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/28 "2008-04-16T14:11:17Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] Isn’t a Gretchen Mol mention obligatory in a thread like this? [/QUOTE] I really liked her in Rounders, The 13th Floor, and The Notorious Bettie Page (all great movies), and she was my choice for years to play Susan Storm-Richards, the Invisible Woman, for a Fantastic Four movie. Think about it – she would’ve been so much better than Jessica Alba. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/29 "2008-04-16T14:16:56Z")
No names to contribute, but applause for not going into the long lists of people who were removed (by death, drugs, jail time or some other calamity) from consideration at the peak (or near it) of their fame. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/30 "2008-04-16T14:26:06Z")
[QUOTE=Rube E. Tewesday] And his co-star in _Hair_, Treat Williams, is the guy I always mention in these threads. Successful working actor, but someone I thought could have become a Tom Cruise level superstar. [/QUOTE] I read an article awhile back (in _Premiere_, IIRC, which is a pretty reputable Hollywood mag) that suggested Williams’s career stalled after he played superagent Michael Ovitz in a movie. Ovitz didn’t like his portrayal, and spread the word around town to freeze him out. Dunno if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/31 "2008-04-16T14:33:39Z")
Sara Gilbert. I had no doubt in my mind that she would go on to do amazing things in Hollywood but seems to stick mostly to guest spots or short recurring characters on various TV shows. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/32 "2008-04-16T14:37:42Z")
I always thought Diane Franklin (Last American Virgin, Better Off Dead) should have been a bigger star. I really liked her! ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/33 "2008-04-16T15:05:26Z")
Thora Birch. She was terrific in Ghost World and American Beauty, but she’s done almost nothing since then. Also Alicia Witt! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/34 "2008-04-16T15:12:40Z")
I thought **Michael Biehn** would become a bigger star than he ever did. After his turns in **Terminator** and **Aliens** he seemed poised to have a good career in action movies, at least. He’s still working, but the last thing he worked in that wasn’t shit was **Tombstone**. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/35 "2008-04-16T16:22:43Z")
[QUOTE=JohnT] [Adrien Lester](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504412/), who played Henry Burton in Primary Colors. I thought he was the Next Big Thing, but apparently I wuz wrong. [/QUOTE] Well, he’s pretty darn huge in Britain (watch **Hustle** - it’s spectacular!) and he’s part of Kenneth Branaugh’s group… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/36 "2008-04-16T16:25:04Z")
[QUOTE=Scumpup] I thought **Michael Biehn** would become a bigger star than he ever did. After his turns in **Terminator** and **Aliens** he seemed poised to have a good career in action movies, at least. He’s still working, but the last thing he worked in that wasn’t shit was **Tombstone**. [/QUOTE] I think it was typecasting - remember, this is a guy who played a Navy SEALs officer in three unrelated films ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/37 "2008-04-16T16:45:49Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] Sometimes it seems like an actor or actress really gets a “push,” and then they fade away. Julia Ormond should be the poster girl for this. She was in First Knight with Richard Gere and Sean Connery, the Sabrina remake with Harrison Ford, and one or two other high-profile movies with big-name actors in the '90s, and then… nothing. [/QUOTE] Great call on Julia Ormond, and you forgot her biggest role of the time: Legends ff the Fall with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. The last thing of note I saw her in was The Prime Gig opposite Vince Vaughn, and that was released back in 2000. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/38 "2008-04-16T17:02:18Z")
I thought Terrence Trent Darby had all the makings of the next big pop/funk star, but he just sort of fizzled out and disappeared. I also loved Jaye Davidson in his role in _The Crying Game_, and I’d like to see him again, but he vanished as well. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/39 "2008-04-16T17:27:52Z")
Helen Hunt. She was very good in _Mad About You_, and I know she did a few movies, but I get the sense she’s a very private person and doesn’t do a lot. [IMDB](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000166/) lists her as doing one role a year, if I’m reading it correctly. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/40 "2008-04-16T17:31:23Z")
Mark Hamill. He’s not that great-looking and his acting is ordinary, but you’d think that starring in three blockbuster movies would be the beginning of something. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552.md?page=3)