# 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:** 2\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/81 "2011-09-23T03:20:29Z")
I expected Joseph Fiennes to be a bigger star after his breakout role in _Shakespeare in Love_. Most of the movies he’s been in since then (Enemy at the Gates excepted) have been smaller films that few people have seen. He was the lead in the canceled-after-one-season tv show _FlashForward_ and is now playing Merlin in a _Camelot_ series (which I haven’t seen), but I really thought he’d have a higher profile movie career. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044/82 "2011-09-23T05:17:45Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > There was a period where every major motion picture had to have Stoltz in it – even briefly. It seemed that he was framed in such a way to illict “Hey it’s that guy!” moments from the audience. > > Best example is in Jerry Maguire where he appears in (I think) one scene. Even better was his appearance in [Singles](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105415/) as “The Mime.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actors-youre-surprised-never-made-it-big/587044.md?page=4)