# Almost, But No Cigar--Actors Who Showed Promise of Superstardom, then... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2005, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766 "2005-01-03T01:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/41 "2005-01-03T18:19:59Z")
> [@Mr Jim](#): > > **Juliette Lewis**. I loved her early work. She’s trying to be a rock star nowadays. I was out on NYE, dancing to Tiësto, when he taked a mid-set break and out comes this horrible rock band to play a set and do the countdown 😕. Turns out to be fronted by Juliette. Boy was that a bad idea all around. Killed the groove for the dancers and the band had to play for a hostile crowd. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/42 "2005-01-03T18:20:04Z")
I probably shouldn’t play this game, as I am terrible with names. The guy who played Jake Ryan in 16 Candles. Daphne Z-something from The Sure Thing. Helen Hunt’s sister in Mad About You–I thought she’d have a great sitcom career, but I don’t even know her name. Honeycutt on M_A_S\*H. or Radar, for that matter. Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway (I never liked him, though)–also thought they’d have TV careers. All of Seinfeld. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/43 "2005-01-03T18:23:57Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Honeycutt on M_A_S\*H. or Radar, for that matter. Radar now does dinner theatre across the country. He comes to Kansas City quite frequently. 😃 What about most of the people of “Cheers”? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/44 "2005-01-03T18:24:45Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > **Michael Keaton** > > He was big in the '80s as a comedy actor, and then made it big as Batman in the early 1990s. And then he started taking crappy role after crappy role and now he’s doing TV cameos and box-office bombs (_Jack Frost_ and _Desperate Measures_ to name a couple). [Now he’s got a boner to do a sequel to _Beetlejuice_.](http://us.imdb.com/news/wenn/#celeb5) ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/45 "2005-01-03T18:25:32Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > **Lucy Lawless**. After Xena she hasn’t done a hell of a lot. What, no roles for kickass babes who really look like they can kick ass? Or is she turning those roles down in droves? Lawless suffered a miscarriage shortly after the **Xena: Warrior Princess** series ended. This probably put a damper on any immediate post-Xena work. She also had a toddler at home already (born during the run of the show), and has since had another baby. I think she’s more interested in her family than her career at this point, and is happy to take only the occasional cameo role. > [@](#): > > \*Even more to the point, **Renee O’Conner** … she was great in Xena, she’s had virtually no work since Xena – according the IMDB, a short film and currently in production on a role Lawless turned down. \*Last I heard of O’Connor she was doing theater. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/46 "2005-01-03T18:26:31Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Daphne Z-something from The Sure Thing. Daphne Zuniga. I had the hots for her after _The Sure Thing_. I’m all better now. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2005, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/47 "2005-01-03T18:35:51Z")
\*\*Woody Harrelson Michael J. Fox \*\*(we know why) \*\*Eddie Murphy Denzel Washington \*\*(still a chance) \*\*Whoopi Goldberg LeVar Burton \*\*(was headed for superstardom after “Roots”) \*\*Wesley Snipes Dennis Quaid \*\*(still a chance) \*\*Kurt Russell \*\*(he was just cracking the ‘A’ list when he fell back) **Val Kilmer** (still a chance) **Matthew Broderick** (huge on broadway, but AWOL from movies) ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/48 "2005-01-03T18:36:38Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > Wasn’t Matthew McConaughey groomed to be the next Tom Cruise? Couldn’t quite crack the A-list, and now you don’t see him much. I thought the same thing. I saw him in an interview when “A Time to Kill” was being released, and the interviewer was absolutely gushing. I know it wasn’t James Lipton, but it was a dead-on imitation. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2005, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/49 "2005-01-03T18:38:50Z")
With the young guys, we should not forget the lesson of John Travolta: One starring turn in a major feature can completely revitalize your career. But speaking of which: **John Travolta**. Maybe he’s a marginal case because he’s already made a huge name for himself, but it seems to me that after making a string of great movies right after ‘Pulp Fiction’, and zooming to the top of the ‘A’ list, he’s been fading. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/50 "2005-01-03T18:44:44Z")
I would agree with the addition of Bruce Campbell to this list. Speaking of which, how about his stunning co-star **Angela Dotchin** in “Jack of All Trades”? What became of her? I thought she’d go on to starring roles. I always thought **Teresa Russell** was really going to hit the big time, especially after her performance in “the Black Widow”. Not only good looks but a fine actress. Seems she only does an occassional film and usually not very mainstream ones either. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/51 "2005-01-03T18:58:27Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > What about most of the people of “Cheers”? Well, Kelsey Grammar did okay for himself, and Bebe (“Lilith”) Neuwirth is set to play a major role in the upcoming _Law & Order: Trial by Jury_, though whether the show can survive the death of Jerry Orbach and the glut of L&O shows is unclear. Woody Harrelson had the best shot at superstardom but his chance drifted away like so much acrid-smelling smoke. Of all the _Star Trek_ actors, past and present, I can picture Patrick Stewart picking up the sexy-older-British-guy roles upon the death/retirement of Sean Connery, assuming Stewart keeps himself in shape. It’s hard to picture anyone else carrying a major film. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/52 "2005-01-03T19:11:57Z")
I’ll nominate [**Jennifer Jason Leigh**](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000492/). She’s a fine actress, has a gorgeous face, and I find her voice incredibly sexy. After [Fast Times at Ridgemont High](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083929/), I would have bet almost any amount of money that it was her and not [Sean Penn](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000576/) that was headed for superstartdom. But Leigh seems to prefer the indy films and the most lurid roles possible. It’s a rare JJL movie in which she doesn’t play a substance abuser, a whore, or a rape victim (and occasionally she gets a role that combines all three). Frankly, I’d like to see more of her, but I have to admit that I always cringe when I go to her movies (“what are they going to do to that poor woman this time?”). I guess it’s hard to get to the superstar level when audiences feel like that about an actress. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/53 "2005-01-03T19:13:29Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > **John Travolta**. Maybe he’s a marginal case because he’s already made a huge name for himself, but it seems to me that after making a string of great movies right after ‘Pulp Fiction’, and zooming to the top of the ‘A’ list, he’s been fading. I agree. He’s been in a bunch of flops lately. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/54 "2005-01-03T19:22:46Z")
Up until a few months ago, I would’ve put \*\*Virginia Madsen \*\* on this list. Around the late 80’s and early 90’s, it looked like she was on the verge of taking off. Then, she did _Highlander 2_ and her career steadily faded away. Of course, now she’s getting great notices (and a possible Oscar nomination) for \*Sideways \* so she’s back on the verge again. (In many ways, her career trajectory parallels that of **Jennifer Connelly** whose career also finally took off after years of unfulfilled promise.) \*\*Micheal Keaton \*\* is an odd case. Since the debacle that was _Jack Frost_, it just seems like he’s stopped acting except for an occasional cameo or TV guest spot. Several years ago, Joe Queenan wrote a column wondering why, of all the annoying and untalented performers out there, it had to be Keaton that dropped out of the spotlight. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/55 "2005-01-03T19:26:33Z")
Garey Busey. Not much of a mystery why, either. The drug abuse and innate weirdness scotched what should have been a better career. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/56 "2005-01-03T19:26:58Z")
Two singers who are excellent, charismatic, AND photogenic actors: Harry Connick, Jr. and Chris Isaak. I know they’re busy with their musical careers, but I was always surprised neither made a bigger splash in Hollywood. At least Chris had his own premium cable show. Edward Norton may be second only to Johnny Depp as the greatest actor out there today, but that means he’s probably doomed to never being a top-of-the-A-list superstar like Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise. It is a damn shame that Bruce Campbell never became a household name or the idol of millions, but he seems quite content do do what he’s always done. I’m still waiting for Jimmy Fallon to arrive at superstardom, but after the flop that was Taxi, he probably has longer to wait. Still, I think he could achieve Adam Sandler/Ben Stiller-level fame and marquee value with a few choice roles and lucky breaks. I think as an actor and a writer, I think the sky is the limit for Tina Fey, who is still on SNL’s Weekend Update after Fallon left. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/57 "2005-01-03T19:29:26Z")
Mark Harmon. The big star of St. Elsewhere, made a great name for himself as a real actor by playing Ted Bundy in some made-for-TV movie… and then made the film _Summer School_ and dropped off the radar until he came back for NCSI. I remember back when Kevin Costner was considered the poor man’s Mark Harmon. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/58 "2005-01-03T19:36:38Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > I’m still waiting for Jimmy Fallon to arrive at superstardom, but after the flop that was Taxi, he probably has longer to wait. Fallon is destined to become the next Rob Schneider. He’ll make a long string of suckass Z-grade “comedies”. He’s a one-trick pony quickly heading for the glue factory. ---
**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:** [January 3, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/59 "2005-01-03T20:13:46Z")
**Tom Selleck** : He seemed to have what it took to become a big action star or western star or _something_. Where is he now? **Robert Forster** : Tarantino tried to pull a John Travolta-ish career revitalization for Forster, who is a fantastic actor and elevates every role he’s played. But no dice. He’s a nobody. How come? He’s got the looks, in a Fred Ward-ish sort of way. He’s a great actor. But he can’t buy a leading role. **Steve Buscemi** - another actor who rises way above the part almost all the time. Having Buscemi in a bit role can make a movie. His season on the **Sopranos** pretty much outshined every other actor except for perhaps Gandolfini. Yet, he can’t break through into leading roles. Too ugly, perhaps, or too idiosyncratic. But he deserves it. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/60 "2005-01-03T21:31:21Z")
I’m still wondering why Tom Hulce didn’t become a huge star after _Amadeus_. Or F. Murray Abraham for that reason (and he won the Oscar). I think Hulce prefers the stage more than movies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766.md?page=4)