Adrien Lester, who played Henry Burton in Primary Colors. I thought he was the Next Big Thing, but apparently I wuz wrong.
Isn’t a Gretchen Mol mention obligatory in a thread like this?
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:
John Savage was striking, talented and very intense in Hair and The Deerhunter; really thought he’d be a big star.
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.
OTOH, those were both huge failures at the box office.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I always thought Diane Franklin (Last American Virgin, Better Off Dead) should have been a bigger star. I really liked her!
Thora Birch. She was terrific in Ghost World and American Beauty, but she’s done almost nothing since then.
Also Alicia Witt!
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.
Well, he’s pretty darn huge in Britain (watch Hustle - it’s spectacular!) and he’s part of Kenneth Branaugh’s group…
I think it was typecasting - remember, this is a guy who played a Navy SEALs officer in three unrelated films
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.
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.
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 lists her as doing one role a year, if I’m reading it correctly.
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.