# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/61 "2008-04-17T00:57:40Z")
I thought Michael Beck had a shot after **The Warriors** , but I guess making **Xanadu** screwed it up. Bai Ling’s acting wasn’t exactly electrifying in **The Crow** , but it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, and I thought she had enough dark beauty to make something of herself. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/62 "2008-04-17T01:24:38Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] Lord, yes. I just watched _The Mummy_\* again, twice, over the weekend – he’s incredible. Did you see him in _Sleeper Cell_ on Showtime? He was the heart of that series, even though he was the bad guy. \*The guy who played Imhotep wasn’t bad either. [/QUOTE] No, but I get Showtime now that I bundled my cable. I’ll see if I can catch it in rerun. (Where’s the swooning smiley?) ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/63 "2008-04-17T01:35:24Z")
[Michael St. Gerard](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0820544/), the [my-T-fine actor](http://www.freewebs.com/michaelstgerardfan/MichaelPhoto.jpg) from the original HAIRSPRAY who went on to play Elvis in several unrelated projects, sure as hell had the looks and was okay talent and even had a hella-cool name, but never went anywhere. I don’t know if he left show-biz or show-biz left him, but according to unsubstantiated reports he’s a minister now in NYC. Boy-next-door type [Chris Stafford](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0821256/) ([pic](http://www.tvguide.com/movies/dbpix/images/41525a.jpg)) starred in gay coming-of-age flick _Edge of Seventeen_ (lots of clips on YouTube) and certainly had a gay following (no idea if he is or isn’t in real life), but after that and a couple of supporting roles he left the business and went to law school. I think he could probably have made it as an actor. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/64 "2008-04-17T01:41:32Z")
I thought, after _Fast Times at Ridgemont High_ and _Beverley Hills Cop_, that Judge Reinhold was going places, but then he became Mr Direct-to-video. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/65 "2008-04-17T15:14:23Z")
[QUOTE=Linty Fresh] \ Bai Ling’s acting wasn’t exactly electrifying in **The Crow** , but it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, and I thought she had enough dark beauty to make something of herself. [/QUOTE] Bai Ling’s been busy winning the [Go Fug Yourself Fug Madness Championship.](http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/go_fug_yourself/2008/04/fug-madness-2-7.html) ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/66 "2008-04-17T15:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=SaharaTea] I’m watching _Scent of a Woman_ right now and am surprised \*\*Chris O’Donnell \*\* hasn’t done much lately. His career was hot in the early 90s. [/QUOTE] Chris O’Donnell is a die hard family man, kind of like Rick Schroeder. They both prefer to take extended abscences from the screen to spend time with their families. > [@Sampiro](#): > > ``` > Michael St. Gerard, the my-T-fine actor from the original HAIRSPRAY who went on to play Elvis in several unrelated projects, > > ``` Michael St. Gerard had trouble shaking the Elvis typecasting, but he left Hollywood rather than the other way around afer he had some kind of spiritual epiphany and does run a ministry in New York. The guy I thought would do a lot better was [Michael Schoeffling](http://www.sheilaomalley.com/archives/16candles4.jpg) who was the Matt Dillon lookalike who was Molly Ringwald’s object of desire in _Sixteen Candles_. He makes handcrafted furniture now running his own business. I didn’t think he’d ever be a “huge star” or anything, but I thought he’d end up doing more substantial stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/67 "2008-04-17T15:53:38Z")
()WTF is with the edit function???) I was trying to add, a Michael St. Gerard ministers at the Harlem Square Church that is/was affiliated with the Times Square Church and he’s a guest speaker at a lot of other ministries. A buddy of mine saw him speak as a guest pastor in Pennsylvania awhile back. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/68 "2008-04-17T16:09:09Z")
Seconding Alicia Silverstone and Thora Birch. Richard Grieco Andrew McCarthy Molly Ringwald ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/69 "2008-04-17T16:28:25Z")
**Christian Slater** was on the verge of superstardom, then rapidly faded. He’s been in lots of movies, but these days seems to be doing mostly guest spots on TV shows and second-rate sequels going direct to video. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/70 "2008-04-17T16:58:01Z")
I was just pointing out this phenomenon last night to my wife when F/X came on… **Bryan Brown**. First Breaker Morant, then to a great deal of exposure in The Thorn Birds. That was around the time of what seemed to be a growing US fascination with all things Australian (Crocodile Dundee) and it looked like Bryan was on his way. But after moderate success in F/X and Cocktail it’s seemed like he’s been curiously absent, in lesser or less successful roles ever since. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/71 "2008-04-17T17:23:31Z")
I know Tori Spelling only got her part on _90210_ because she was the producer’s daughter, but she’s not a bad actress and I would have expected such a high-profile part to launch a real career. I guess she’s just not pretty enough. Very good-looking by met-on-the-street standards, but she was always the ugly duckling of the _90210_ cast. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/72 "2008-04-17T17:47:51Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I know Tori Spelling only got her part on _90210_ because she was the producer’s daughter, but she’s not a bad actress and I would have expected such a high-profile part to launch a real career. [/QUOTE] I think you could say the same thing about most of the _90210_ cast, as the majority of them are doing Lifetime movies now. Tori’s the only one who’s had her own reality show, although I would pay good money to see a reality show based on Shannen Doherty’s life. ETA: Who would have thought Hilary Swank would have the most successful career of all? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/73 "2008-04-17T17:56:55Z")
[QUOTE=SaharaTea] although I would pay good money to see a reality show based on Shannen Doherty’s life. [/QUOTE] Who could ever have predicted that her fate was to be _fired by Alyssa Milano_? How humiliating. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/74 "2008-04-17T18:16:46Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] I was just pointing out this phenomenon last night to my wife when F/X came on… **Bryan Brown**. First Breaker Morant, then to a great deal of exposure in The Thorn Birds. That was around the time of what seemed to be a growing US fascination with all things Australian (Crocodile Dundee) and it looked like Bryan was on his way. But after moderate success in F/X and Cocktail it’s seemed like he’s been curiously absent, in lesser or less successful roles ever since. [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure he married his Thorn Birds co-star \*\*Rachel Ward \*\* - otherwise known as Mrs. WordMan when I was a pining fanboy of dark, sultry, British hotties who can’t act. I think they kinda checked out and ended up owning a ranch in Australia or something… ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/75 "2008-04-17T18:22:22Z")
Why didn’t STARWARS actors Mark Hamil and Carrie Fisher get bigger careers out of this? Harrison Ford went on to fame and fortune! ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/76 "2008-04-17T18:24:46Z")
Scott Wilson. So excellent in “The Grissom Gang” & “In Cold Blood” - and then…kinda petered out. Pretty substantial supporting work and always interesting to watch, but I really would have thought he would have been a biggie. As a PS - anyone know where Michael Schoeffling has his furniture store? I heard it was in PA, and I bet an ENTIRE generation of admirers would love to buy some of his stuff (OK - visit his store and drool all over him again) 😉 VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/77 "2008-04-17T18:33:09Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] Molly Ringwald [/QUOTE] My WAG is that, while (as a teen) she had the looks for the vulnerable/cute girl-next-door, she wasn’t destined to be a leading lady type when she got older. Michelle Trachtenberg I’ll posit will have the same problem; not typecast so much as that she’ll always look younger than her real age, and hence probably won’t get many roles with significant _gravitas_. Looking over Michelle’s 3 future releases on IMDB, they all seem to be supporting roles as someone’s daughter. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/78 "2008-04-17T18:36:46Z")
[QUOTE=Veuve\_ClicquotNJ] As a PS - anyone know where Michael Schoeffling has his furniture store? [/QUOTE] Newfoundland, PA accorning wi Wiki. ---
**Author:** ![A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@A\_qui\_profite\_le\_crime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_qui_profite_le_crime)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/79 "2008-04-17T18:49:01Z")
**Matthew McConaughey**. After _A time to kill_ I remember reading almost everywhere that he was going to be the next huge movie star, the next Harrison Ford or whatnot. But nothing he’s done since has really left a mark. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552/80 "2008-04-17T18:51:40Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] Why didn’t STARWARS actors Mark Hamil and Carrie Fisher get bigger careers out of this? Harrison Ford went on to fame and fortune! [/QUOTE] I could ever figure out how Hamill never got at least a few decent roles. I’m glad he did so much voice work, he’s awesome with cartoons. But you’d figure that someone would have cast him in _something_ more worthwhile than Corvette Summer. Carrie Fisher is more understandable. With substance abuse issues and being bipolar, I can see her just having a tough time with the high-stress environment of movie-making. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-who-looked-like-they-would-become-big-stars-but-didnt/445552.md?page=5)