# Actors you're surprised never made it big **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 27, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044 "2011-06-27T17:46:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/1 "2011-06-27T17:46:28Z")
Who are some actors who you swore were going to be top stars, but never really made it? I’m surprised and pleased that Madeleine Stowe has been in a lot of movies. But so few were really big pictures. I’ll always think of her as that woman in _Twelve Monkeys_. Kerri Green. I predicted big things for her. But it seems that once she reached the age of majority, she just stopped working. Balthizar Getty. Much like Stowe, he’s been working, mostly in bit parts on TV shows. After _Lord of the Flies_ and _White Squall_, I thought he was going to be huge. Instead he’s landed roles like “Gas Station Attendant.” ---
**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:** [June 27, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/2 "2011-06-27T17:52:30Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Balthizar Getty. Much like Stowe, he’s been working, mostly in bit parts on TV shows. After _Lord of the Flies_ and _White Squall_, I thought he was going to be huge. Instead he’s landed roles like “Gas Station Attendant.” He was also in 92 episodes of something called _Brothers and Sisters_. I’ve never seen it - was his a bit part? Besides, I could never tell him apart from Liev Schrieber. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/3 "2011-06-27T17:55:05Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He was also in 92 episodes of something called _Brothers and Sisters_. I’ve never seen it - was his a bit part? I’ve never even heard of it. But at 92 episodes you’d figure that he has a big part. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/4 "2011-06-27T17:59:14Z")
Michael Biehn. Sure Arnold was the breakout from Terminator…but I never understood why Biehn never did much more. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/5 "2011-06-27T18:01:28Z")
[Catherine McCormack](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001517/). She’s incredibly beautiful in a gut wrenching way, she’s a talented, classically trained actor, she brings an air of intelligence (which may very well be faked, but if so, it’s very well faked) to every role…and yet, she’s still best known as, “Oh…yeah…wait, isn’t she the chick from _Braveheart_?” Her third role, over 15 years ago. She’s done a lot of work since, but all small stuff or ignored stuff. Why isn’t she a star? It makes no sense. ---
**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:** [June 27, 2011, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/6 "2011-06-27T18:04:25Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > Michael Biehn. Sure Arnold was the breakout from Terminator…but I never understood why Biehn never did much more. Typecasting. Remember, this is a guy who played a SEAL officer in three unrelated movies; I guess casting directors couldn’t think of him as anything else. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/7 "2011-06-27T18:06:56Z")
[Julie Benz](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004748/) is my favorite actress who has never quite managed to become a household name. Part of that has to do with the choices she makes in roles. Her role in Dexter was major but wasn’t going to show off her chops to the casual observer and as popular as that show is, it’s going to get a smaller audience almost by design. Her role in Angel was only going to get seen by a small segment of the population so no matter how brilliant she was (and she _was_) it’s not going to be taken seriously, and No Ordinary Family is just a terrible show so there is nothing to do about that. She is freakin talented though. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/8 "2011-06-27T18:08:20Z")
You could probably mention a whole bunch of people from SNL, especially Dana Carvey, who was supposed to be huge, but whose career just foundered after he left the show. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/9 "2011-06-27T18:12:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He was also in 92 episodes of something called _Brothers and Sisters_. I’ve never seen it - was his a bit part? The role was hardly a bit part - he was one of the brothers on Brothers and Sisters and had many prominent segments in the series. I was always sort of surprised that [Catherine Burns](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Burns) career seemed to have ended after her Oscar nominated role in Last Summer. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/10 "2011-06-27T18:13:37Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > [Catherine McCormack](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001517/). She’s incredibly beautiful in a gut wrenching way, she’s a talented, classically trained actor, she brings an air of intelligence (which may very well be faked, but if so, it’s very well faked) to every role…and yet, she’s still best known as, “Oh…yeah…wait, isn’t she the chick from _Braveheart_?” > > Her third role, over 15 years ago. She’s done a lot of work since, but all small stuff or ignored stuff. Why isn’t she a star? It makes no sense. She appears [quite busy in this list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_McCormack), preferring the theater over film. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/11 "2011-06-27T18:17:31Z")
I’d say Valérie Kaprisky, but she’s done most of her work in France, and I have no idea how successful she’s been on balance. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/12 "2011-06-27T18:22:53Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > She appears [quite busy in this list](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_McCormack), preferring the theater over film. Busy, sure. And I absolutely hope it’s due to her preference as she says. But the OP asked who we are surprised never made it “big”. She’s a solid working actress with a resume a mile long who never made it “big” in terms of stardom or cultural awareness. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/13 "2011-06-27T18:26:11Z")
Edward Furlong. According to his IMDB page, he’s worked pretty steadily, but he’s never become a big star. I also understand, though, he also had some substance abuse problems during his teenage years. As a sidenote - I see from his IMDB page that he’s part Mexican, kind of interesting given his role as an up-and-coming white supremacist in “American History X.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/14 "2011-06-27T18:31:40Z")
Jason Carter- He played Marcus on Babylon 5. I’ve seen him in commercials since, but little else. I thought he’d be successful . ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/15 "2011-06-27T18:33:02Z")
Oh, and I sometimes picture **Ben Browder** from Farscape as the biggest movie star in Hollywood. I forget that he isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/16 "2011-06-27T18:39:32Z")
> [@joebuck20](#): > > Edward Furlong. Ooh, good one! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/17 "2011-06-27T19:16:52Z")
I always thought [Adrian Paul](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001600/) deserved much more than Highlander stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/18 "2011-06-27T19:29:11Z")
Diane Franklin. Loved her in Last American Virgin and Better Off Dead (also in Saturday the 14th IIRC). Bit parts in some TV stuff. She should have been huge! ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/19 "2011-06-27T19:30:27Z")
Not that I think that she’s especially a great actress or anything, but I’ve always been a little surprised that Piper Perabo didn’t get to be a bigger star than she is. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/20 "2011-06-28T09:45:59Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I always thought [Adrian Paul](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001600/) deserved much more than Highlander stuff. adrian paul was my pick to play sirius black. still with the highlander anthology, i thought clancy brown was a very good actor. after HL and a few forgettable minor roles, i saw him again as a middle-aged supporting player. sad. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044.md?page=2)