Duos where only one goes on to superstardom and...

Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The Fresh Prince is Will Smith, of course. DJ Jazzy Jeff went on to become a prominent producer after the breakup. He still works with Will from time to time.

If you’re just talking acting acting, instead of voice acting, you have a case. However, Mark Hamill has had a pretty stellar career as a voice actor and has done extremely well for himself. It’s said that his Joker should be the definitive Joker, but I don’t think enough people pay attention to cartoons.

Eliott Gould and Tom Skerrit in MAS*H. Gould (and Donald Sutherland) became film superstars. Skerritt – who had about as much screen time and lines as the others – worked regularly and even won an Emmy or two, but never was a superstar (and no one even remembers his character, since it was dropped from the TV show).

In the cartoon “I Haven’t Got a Hat,” the lead – Beans the Cat, introduced here in an attempt to be a cartoon star – have been completely forgotten as cartoon characters. His partner – Porky the Pig – is a cartoon icon.

Ted Healy and his Stooges got started in films together. Healy is now just a footnote on the Stooges’ career.

Just after high school, Penn Jillette had a juggling act with Michael Moschen. Moschen in a hell of a juggler, but he doesn’t have a long-term contract in Vegas.

Re: Stephen Fry, I know he’s big in England (I just watched all of QI on youtube), but I’m posting from the U.S., where Hugh Laurie is much more well known.

Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo.

I’m not sure Jennifer Aniston’s career is in much better shape than David Schwimmer’s, but she does spend more time in the public eye.

Tom Cruise and Rebecca DeMornay. Demi Moore and Michelle Johnston. Not sure which of these shocks me more.

Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch did a stage show together before they were “discovered.”

Schwimmer seems to be doing some more work behind the camera these days (directing, producing), plus he does some theater productions, including Broadway works and being involved in Chicago’s Lookingglass Theater, which he co-founded.

I doubt Ridgeley is complaining. He’s married to the hot chick from Bananarama, has millions and spends his days surfing and playing golf. He’s a partner in some surf gear manufacturing company and occasionally writes songs for other artists (which gives him serious coinage without having to do any performance-related stuff).

I would love the brand of success that keeps my bank account full while I goof around in the ocean!

Ryan Seacrest & Brian Dunkleman

[Johnny Carson]I did not know that![/Johnny Carson]

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Elton John & Bernie Taupin

“Stellar”? Without a single Pixar or Disney theatrical feature to his credit? :dubious:

Don’t get me wrong–I’m glad the guy continues to work steadily and I’m glad he’s, by all accounts, very good at what he does, but the trajectory of his post-Jedi career to Ford’s is not even in the same universe. Aside from a few avid animation aficianados, Hamill is on nobody’s radar anymore. Ford, while having lost a bit of b.o. luster of late, is still a household name, not just a nostalgia artifact.

So which is which in your eyes? After all, Rice did win a pair of Oscars for a couple of low-profile productions called Aladdin and The Lion King (you may have heard of them).

Annie Lenox and Whatshisname from Eurythmics.

Rice has done good, but he has not reached the megasupergoggleginormous stardom of ALW.

Dave Stewart is doing more than just fine - very wealthy and very active in the music business, just not out front. It’s not like he’s Pete Best or anything…

I’d add **Madonna **and **Jellybean Benitez **- back in the day, Jellybean was the man, as a dj and producer. It was a big deal that this unknown girl got close enough to him to get him to work on her stuff - co-writing and producing - his involvement is something that really brought attention to the newbie Madonna. They had a relationship for a while but after her first album blew up, I am not sure he had any involvement after that…

Coincidentally, he also married a member of Bananarama.

George Clooney and anyone else from Facts of Life/Roseanne/E/R

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That’s comparing apples to oranges. ALW is a composer, Rice is a lyricist (and sometimes author) who’ve worked together, sure, but also with a whole whack of other people. And Elton John isn’t just a composer he is also the performer who stands in the spotlight in front of the crowd.

It’s almost like saying the Lone Ranger is way more famous than Tonto.

IMHO, the composer/performer in composer/lyricist partnerships is the one who gets the bulk of the glory. You could ask any sixth grader if they’ve heard he name Mozart, and they probably have, but it’s not likely that they would know the name Lorenzo da Ponte.

Speaking of…

How about Michael McKean and David Lander (Lenny and Squiggy)? McKean has had a pretty solid acting career, while Lander has not worked nearly as much, or as visibly (though, looking them up on Wiki, I wonder if Lander’s situation has been impacted by having MS?)