# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/101 "2005-01-05T06:47:29Z")
Well, not that a couple of good movies means anything, but **Patricia Arquette** had tons of buzz for a while after _Ethan Frome_ and _True Romance_. But then she starred in a huge flop (_Beyond Rangoon_) and a lot of movies that critics liked, but movie goers hated (_Lost Highway_). Then she settled for smaller parts in other flops (_Little Nicky_) and other movies that had potential, but flopped due to poor execution or scripting (_Bringing Out the Dead Stigmata_). Sad, really, because she was such a little hottie. I never thought she become “A” list or anything, but I thought she’d do far more with her career than she did. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/102 "2005-01-05T13:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=li’l Dickie Dirtz] The first actor I thought of (and I scanned and didn’t see him mentioned) was **Mickey Rourke**. He seemed to have the world on a string. A nice supporting role in **Body Heat**. Several lead roles ( **Angel Heart** , **Johnny Handsome** , **Barfly** , **9 1/2 Weeks** , and my all-time favorite, **The Pope of Greenwich Village** ). Turns out… he was just too weird. Rourke did a great job as a gonzo meth “chemist” in “Spun.” He might succeed as a latter-day Robert Mitchum type, though I don’t know if they’re doing Robert Mitchum kinda roles nowadays. ---
**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:** [January 5, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/103 "2005-01-05T13:43:44Z")
He seems to have a fairly Mitchum-like role in the upcoming film \*\*Sin City[/ib]. ---
**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 5, 2005, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/104 "2005-01-05T14:13:19Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > He seems to have a fairly Mitchum-like role in the upcoming film \*\*Sin City[/ib]. Though his face is going to be obscured by heavy prosthetic make-up, the role of Marv in Sin City could revitalize Rourke’s career the way Pulp Fiction brought John Travolta back from obscurity to superstardom. Oh, and Angel Heart was AWESOME. ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/105 "2005-01-05T14:52:03Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > **The Corey’s.** > Corey Feldman & Corey Haim. > > They were _everywhere_ in the 80’s and no where to be seen now. > **Lucy Lawless** had a small part in \*\* EuroTrip\*\* as a Dominatrix. Quite funny. > > **Karen Allen** was excellent in **Indiana Jones & the raiders of the lost ark** and then she disappeared. You really should check out a song by **The Thrills** called **"Whatever Happened To Corey Haim?"** ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/106 "2005-01-05T14:58:16Z")
> [@Brynda](#): > > My nomination goes to Mark Hamill. How could he be in Star Wars and _not_ turn that into a huge career? > [@the OP](#): > > true potential of being the next … Mark Hamill never had any innate potential. But you’re right, the simple fact of him having been _Luke Skywalker_ should have been sufficient. I second this nomination. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/107 "2005-01-05T16:45:45Z")
> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#): > > My nomination would be Christopher Walken - haven’t heard of him for years. Christopher Walken is EVERYWHERE! Check out his [IMDb listing](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000686/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9Y2hyaXN0b3BoZXIgd2Fsa2VufGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1). He does mostly supporting roles, but he’s in 3 or 4 movies per year minimum, plus frequent appearances on \*Saturday Night Live \* ([enough to warrant a “Best of SNL” DVD all about him](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002I84EE/qid=1104943922/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-0779798-4292040?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846)). He’s not exactly a hermit. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Crunchy\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Captain\_Crunchy\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Crunchy_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/108 "2005-01-05T17:01:54Z")
[Michael Biehn](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000299/) of **Terminator** and **Aliens** fame. The guy just looks like an A-List actor. He had such a good start with Terminator and Aliens and then…Psst, fade to black. It’s a shame. ---
**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 5, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/109 "2005-01-05T17:10:53Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > Christopher Walken is EVERYWHERE! Check out his [IMDb listing](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000686/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9Y2hyaXN0b3BoZXIgd2Fsa2VufGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1). He does mostly supporting roles, but he’s in 3 or 4 movies per year minimum, plus frequent appearances on \*Saturday Night Live \* ([enough to warrant a “Best of SNL” DVD all about him](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002I84EE/qid=1104943922/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-0779798-4292040?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846)). He’s not exactly a hermit. He was even nominated for an Oscar as recently as a couple of years ago. ---
**Author:** ![tesseract](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/110 "2005-01-05T17:52:29Z")
Re the strange inclusion of Denzel Washington: If you’re currently on the A-list, I don’t think you can be on the OP’s list. Denzel Washington belongs nowhere near THIS thread, but he’s on the A-list to stay. Mark my words. ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/111 "2005-01-05T18:01:30Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > Christopher Walken is EVERYWHERE! Check out his [IMDb listing](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000686/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9Y2hyaXN0b3BoZXIgd2Fsa2VufGh0bWw9MXxubT1vbg__;fc=1;ft=20;fm=1). He does mostly supporting roles, but he’s in 3 or 4 movies per year minimum, plus frequent appearances on \*Saturday Night Live \* ([enough to warrant a “Best of SNL” DVD all about him](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002I84EE/qid=1104943922/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-0779798-4292040?v=glance&s=dvd&n=507846)). He’s not exactly a hermit. Yea, but he hasn’t had any real big ‘hit’ starring roles since the ‘Deerhunter’. I liked ‘Prophecy’ though - I didn’t realise there had been sequels to it. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tanstaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaf)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/112 "2005-01-05T20:27:32Z")
I’d have to nominate Cheryl Ladd. It seems just about all the other Charlie’s Angels group did _something_ following up their stint on that show. She seemed to do a few TV movie type projects, but never did anything even remotely approaching the popularity of the TV series. ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/113 "2005-01-05T22:05:57Z")
Michelle Forbes of “Star Trek - The Next Generation”. I thought she was a compelling, talented actress, but she seems to have gone nowhere. ---
**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 5, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/114 "2005-01-05T23:51:52Z")
> [@well he's back](#): > > Michelle Forbes of “Star Trek - The Next Generation”. I thought she was a compelling, talented actress, but she seems to have gone nowhere. She had a leading role set up in a hospital-type show that was unfortunately scheduled opposite _E.R._ and was subsequently destroyed. Pity, really. We really don’t have enough cool, intelligent, sardonic dark-haired babes in TV and movies these days. Damn you, youth culture! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/115 "2005-01-06T00:22:47Z")
Not that it was ever huge (although it was the best written of the five) but Forbes was offered a starring role on Deep Space Nine but when she turned it down, the character of Kira Nerys was created instead. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/116 "2005-01-06T01:16:09Z")
On the subject of Star Wars, [Carrie Fisher](http://www.imdb.com/find?q=carrie%20fisher;tt=on;nm=on;mx=20) has never had any big hits, although she has appeared in many movies. ---
**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 6, 2005, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/117 "2005-01-06T05:51:25Z")
Carrie Fisher has a great life, being one of the most in-demand writers in Hollywood. Aside from writing some great scripts of her own (“Postcards From The Edge”), she’s apparently a very good script doctor. I’ve often wondered if Lucas will be tempted to go back to the original actors for a third series in the trilogy, this one set after the first three, and concluding the struggle between the Empire and the Rebellion. Maybe Hamill will come back as Luke Skywalker, the 70 year old Jedi Master, and Leia as Queen Leia or something. ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/118 "2005-01-06T06:04:24Z")
Never said I didn’t like her, just said she’s not a superstar. In fact, I am mystified by the popularity of some superstars like Tom Cruise. And I think Harrison Ford should go to his own special circle of hell for making **Hollywood Homicide.** ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/119 "2005-01-06T06:19:48Z")
Nick Nolte seemed like he was going to be a lot bigger in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766/120 "2005-01-06T06:33:50Z")
Maybe she still has time, but **Liv Tyler** , I thought would be one of those $20 million a picture actresses after the late 90s, but she has continued her Supporting Actress roles and while has done very well there hasn’t exploded like I thought she would. I also thought **Giovanni Ribisi** would be bigger now than he is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/almost-but-no-cigar-actors-who-showed-promise-of-superstardom-then/282766.md?page=7)