# Forgettable, Mediocre Actors and Actresses Who Were Nevertheless Successful **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2016, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445 "2016-01-17T21:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/121 "2016-01-21T20:13:25Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > This is clearly a parody thread, similar to the meme about nerd shut-ins critiquing actress looks: “Jessica Alba is hideous; look at those knees!” > > Forgettable actors: Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Arnold fucking Schwarzenegger? > > Parody is the only explanation. I think it’s more “people unclear on the concept”. Some people are just listing actors they don’t like, rather than forgettable mediocrities. Yeah no, Robin Williams is not a forgettable mediocrity. You might not like his movies or his shtick, but you’ve clearly misunderstood this thread. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/122 "2016-01-21T20:16:01Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Parody is the only explanation. The thread was started in good faith. It is inevitable that it would become a grindstone for actors people just don’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/123 "2016-01-21T20:24:41Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > John Schuck? Forgettable? > > \< SNip SNip SNip\> > > Color me puzzled as to why you think he’s forgettable. Yes I obviously remember him too, but I believe if you asked 100 random people who played YoYo, or any of his other roles or if you asked the same people what did John Schuck do, less than 15 would be answer… anything better than a 70s actor?? That is why I think he forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/124 "2016-01-21T20:46:24Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I am wondering if this might not be a case where gender bias is the cause of the disagreement. Women might not respond so well to Bulloch’s charm as men. Though, to be honest, I like Bulloch, but I don’t find her all that sexy. Maybe it’s residual sexism, me finding a grown woman cute in the same way you might find a child cute. Female here, and I don’t find her sexy. She is the tomboy, the girl next door, the girl a guy could have a beer with. The men she has acted with and been friends with truly seem to love her as a cool and genuinely nice person, but not a bombshell. She laughs at being called People’s Sexiest. Her romance with Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice is uncomfortable; with Bill Pullman in While You Were Sleeping it makes sense because he is down to earth and attainable as well. But not forgettable. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/125 "2016-01-21T21:24:25Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Female here, and I don’t find her sexy. She is the tomboy, the girl next door, the girl a guy could have a beer with. The men she has acted with and been friends with truly seem to love her as a cool and genuinely nice person, but not a bombshell. She laughs at being called People’s Sexiest. Her romance with Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice is uncomfortable; with Bill Pullman in While You Were Sleeping it makes sense because he is down to earth and attainable as well. > > But not forgettable. Agreed. _While You Were Sleeping_ made me finally decide to move to Chicago. Though to be honest, it wasn’t Sandra Bulloch that tipped the balance; it was the scene where she gets out of bed at 3:00 a.m. and gets on an El train to go visit Peter Gallagher. I decided I wanted to live in a city where I could get in a subway at 3 a.m. But I still have a soft spot for Sandra, because of that flick. _Miss Congeniality_ is one of my wife’s favorite movies. ---
**Author:** ![Haldurson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Haldurson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haldurson)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/126 "2016-01-24T03:46:13Z")
> [@DrForrester](#): > > Shatner - He can’t do it all - act, sing, dance. He’s had a powerful career for 60 years, for no particular reason. > > That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy his work. I do. I just don’t know why. Going to spin up his version of “Rocket Man” now… Shatner can be funny – have you ever seen him in Boston Legal? Those scenes with him and James Spader are classic. I also know that he’s not the greatest actor, but that does not stop me from enjoying him as Kirk in ToS and about half of the early Trek films (about half of them were enjoyable) I’m not going to argue that he’s great, but he’s done some good work. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/127 "2016-01-24T04:14:53Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > Yes I obviously remember him too, but I believe if you asked 100 random people who played YoYo, or any of his other roles or if you asked the same people what did John Schuck do, less than 15 would be answer… anything better than a 70s actor?? > > That is why I think he forgettable. If you asked a hundred people if they ever heard of those three shows he was in, you _might_ get some hits on _MacMillan and Wife_. You ask them about _Holmes and Yoyo_, they’re just going to look at you funny. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/128 "2016-01-24T04:49:06Z")
> [@Tread](#): > > Yes I obviously remember him too, but I believe if you asked 100 random people who played YoYo, or any of his other roles or if you asked the same people what did John Schuck do, less than 15 would be answer… anything better than a 70s actor?? > > That is why I think he forgettable. > [@Miller](#): > > If you asked a hundred people if they ever heard of those three shows he was in, you _might_ get some hits on _MacMillan and Wife_. You ask them about _Holmes and Yoyo_, they’re just going to look at you funny. I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree, then. Leaving everything else aside, I’ll bet more people remember him from _McMillan and Wife_ than you suspect. It’s not as if people never get a chance to see him. Reruns of _McMillan_ run in rotation on MeTV about once every three or four weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Lorne\_Armstrong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@Lorne\_Armstrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorne_Armstrong)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/129 "2016-01-24T05:16:54Z")
I’m going to say Lee Majors. He was wooden as can be but had two hit series. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/130 "2016-01-24T05:20:08Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree, then. Leaving everything else aside, I’ll bet more people remember him from _McMillan and Wife_ than you suspect. It’s not as if people never get a chance to see him. Reruns of _McMillan_ run in rotation on MeTV about once every three or four weeks. Maybe I’m too young (mid-40s) but I’ve never heard of the actor, his roles, or any of the three shows that were mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/131 "2016-01-24T05:51:08Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > So the guy who was in Avatar and Clash of the Titans and Terminator is an actual example. He’s not a terrible actor, but he’s not memorable, even though he’s played the lead role in quite a few hit movies. If he walked into your local supermarket you might not even recognize him. > [@faithfool](#): > > Channing Tatumn has to be the poster boy for this. Ugh. Or as you may remember them from their most iconic roles, Marine #2 and Marine #3. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2016, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/132 "2016-01-24T07:20:00Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Maybe I’m too young (mid-40s) but I’ve never heard of the actor, his roles, or any of the three shows that were mentioned. Get off my lawn. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/133 "2016-01-29T21:13:48Z")
I’m gonna get flamed for this, but can I say Brian Cox? > [@Scumpup](#): > > A more accurate comparison would be the cast of _American Pie_ to the cast of _Porky’s_. FTARH wasn’t really all that similar to AP. AP was an example of the comedic over-the-top raunchy horny teen genre. FTARH, which isn’t a particular favorite of mine, aspired to something a little more sophisticated. Sophisticated? Really? FTARH is remembered for Phoebe Cates getting her tits out and Sean Penn being a stoner, and that’s pretty much it. It even has an embarrassing masturbation scene, only with no pie or superglue. > [@Grumman](#): > > Or as you may remember them from their most iconic roles, Marine #2 and Marine #3. I have him in the same category as that Brendan something guy who did the Kickboxer movies after Van Damme dropped out of the franchise. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/134 "2016-01-29T21:18:44Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Maybe I’m too young (mid-40s) but I’ve never heard of the actor, his roles, or any of the three shows that were mentioned. John Schuck performance in **Brewster McCloud** made him a favorite of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/135 "2016-01-29T21:42:45Z")
[Linda Fiorentino](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000400/?ref_=tt_cl_t3) came to mind when I read the OP. Of course, I had to look her up. I just know her as that actress from MIB and Dogma and other 90s crap. Looks like she had a steady flow of work throughout the decade. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/136 "2016-01-29T21:45:30Z")
Clearly, you never watched Showtime in the mid-nineties. She was a (rather memorable) softcore porn star before she in MIB. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/137 "2016-01-29T21:49:17Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > [Linda Fiorentino](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000400/?ref_=tt_cl_t3) came to mind when I read the OP. Of course, I had to look her up. I just know her as that actress from MIB and Dogma and other 90s crap. Looks like she had a steady flow of work throughout the decade. I think Sean Young is in that mold. She’s probably known as one of the replicants in Blade Runner. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/138 "2016-01-29T22:02:04Z")
Let’s not forget her classic turn as a helicopter pilot/love interest in the all-time great war film, _Fire Birds_. ---
**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 29, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/139 "2016-01-29T22:16:21Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I think Sean Young is in that mold. She’s probably known as one of the replicants in Blade Runner. Actually, she’s probably best known for her off-screen antics rather than most of her films. ---
**Author:** ![mattm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@mattm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattm)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445/140 "2016-01-30T03:30:06Z")
139 posts and nobody’s mentioned Shucks greatest role, [Capt. ‘Painless’ Waldowski](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0009470/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18) He made the theme song. But I’m no judge of actors. There was a [forgettable sitcom](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080202/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_77http://) about 2 guys who had to dress as women to live in a Ladies Residence because the rent was cheap (and to make a plot.) One dark haired guy and one blonde. I thought the [blonde guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0778642/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm)would go far and the [dark haired guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000158/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm)would just be one of those nameless character actors you see and go “Yeah, I’ve seen him but don’t remember his name.” What do I know? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forgettable-mediocre-actors-and-actresses-who-were-nevertheless-successful/743445.md?page=8)