# Actresses Who Didn't "Stick to the Wall" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692 "2009-02-06T13:05:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/81 "2009-02-09T04:04:29Z")
Every now and then I wonder what happened to **Penelope Ann Miller**. She had a small string of at least somewhat successful films (“Kindergarten Cop”, “Other People’s Money”, “Carlito’s Way” – which got her a Golden Globe Nomination, “Chaplin”) which culminated in her starring role in “The Relic”. Which was a pretty God awful movie but I can’t believe it single handedly torpedoed her. According to IMDB, she’s since been in a bunch of small one-off roles in second string films and television. Her last major role was in 2007 “The Messengers” which I’ve never heard of and looks like it was another of the low rated Japanese import/Redone horror flicks that’ve come out recently. Her bio states that _“Miller was named “Star of Tomorrow” by the Motion Picture Bookers Club and “Most Promising Actress” by the Chicago Film Critics Association”_ so someone must have had faith in her at some point. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/82 "2009-02-09T04:22:21Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > While I appreciate the snark, sir - surely you wouldn’t say that either has lived up to winning an Oscar - Davis in a failed TV show about a woman president and plenty of other fizzles (and please don’t get me wrong - I think she is great and am bummed that she and, say, Margaret Colin, couldn’t end up with higher-profile careers - very tall, intelligent, cheek-bony brunettes are my weakness), and Tomei pops up regularly, like in the Wrestler, but not much and with baggage (heck, Mickey Rourke is talking smack about her - Mickey Rourke?!). Mira Sorvino is an obvious addition to that group. Anyway - wouldn’t you agree that, in some fundamental way, they didn’t stick? I just can’t agree with Geena Davis and Marisa Tomaei as being in the same class as Gretchen Mol. Yes, Davis and Tomei have been in some unsuccessful projects, but both are estemmed actors, Oscar winners, and have had successes over a reasonably broad period of time. Mol, by comparison, was anointed an up and coming star and then never really arrived. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Which proves you don’t watch it. How I Met Your Mother is awe… wait for it… some. I watched one episode of this show and it was worse than “Hannah Montana.” An absolute peice of shit. Maybe I caught the worst episode they ever made, but Lord, it was just awful tripe, and Hannigan in particular was mesmerizingly inept. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/83 "2009-02-09T04:40:12Z")
I also have to disagree with Marissa Tomei being included in this list. Hell, she’s currently nominated for an Oscar for her performance in The Wrestler. IMO, she’s stuck to the wall more than most. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/84 "2009-02-09T04:57:36Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Every now and then I wonder what happened to **Penelope Ann Miller**. She had a small string of at least somewhat successful films (“Kindergarten Cop”, “Other People’s Money”, “Carlito’s Way” – which got her a Golden Globe Nomination, “Chaplin”) which culminated in her starring role in “The Relic”. Which was a pretty God awful movie but I can’t believe it single handedly torpedoed her. > > According to IMDB, she’s since been in a bunch of small one-off roles in second string films and television. Her last major role was in 2007 “The Messengers” which I’ve never heard of and looks like it was another of the low rated Japanese import/Redone horror flicks that’ve come out recently. > > Her bio states that _“Miller was named “Star of Tomorrow” by the Motion Picture Bookers Club and “Most Promising Actress” by the Chicago Film Critics Association”_ so someone must have had faith in her at some point. I always remember thinking that she was one of the most striking women I had ever seen, at least when she was in a flattering light. Absolutely stunning… I also think that Elizabeth Perkins is also a very lovely woman. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/85 "2009-02-09T09:33:36Z")
Then there are the John Hughes Brat Pack babes–Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy and Mia Sara. The whole group was held up as tomorrow’s-stars-today, but these three flamed out surprisingly fast. Molly Ringwald carried several of the decade’s high-grossing comedies and never really transitioned into adult roles. Ally Sheedy never burned quite as bright and does a lot of basic cable dramas. Mia Sara, so unbelievably gorgeous and funny in **Ferris Bueller** , last made a splash in the “Didn’t Stick to the Wall Actress” magnet **Birds of Prey**. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/86 "2009-02-09T10:34:31Z")
Ellen Burstyn ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692/87 "2009-02-09T14:29:43Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > And after having written all that out, I finally got the joke. Well done. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/actresses-who-didnt-stick-to-the-wall/484692.md?page=4)