# Movie careers that petered out while you were looking the other way. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858 "2019-06-01T01:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/1 "2019-06-01T01:59:50Z")
Another one I’m not quite sure how to explain… except to explain. I am watching Black Dog, the 1998 Patrick Swayze movie. One I had never heard of, and obviously had never seen. And it is a bad movie, but bad in the right enough ways to be entertaining. Of course I checked for it on Wiki, seeing how early it was in his career. and was surprised how it was after his “peak”, (Road House to City of Joy, IMO ) However when he died, I was thinking he was an A list actor, although in reality he hadn’t been in anything since 1992\*. - yeah I see Wong foo, that was a character role, not a career role. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/2 "2019-06-01T02:02:29Z")
Rick Moranis just walked away from Hollywood to raise his kids after his wife died. If he ever decided to make a return in a serious role, I guarantee an Oscar. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/3 "2019-06-01T02:13:03Z")
Patrick Swayze? The Timex watch guy? ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/4 "2019-06-01T03:58:49Z")
Pee Wee Herman? Cause he took his peter out while I was looking the other way. ---
**Author:** ![guitario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@guitario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guitario)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/5 "2019-06-01T05:05:28Z")
Ignoring older actors who will.naturally work less as they approach retirement… the one A-lister that pops to mind is Angelina Jolie - voice work aside, see has one major acting credit since 2010’s ‘The Tourist’. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/6 "2019-06-01T05:10:50Z")
Bridget Fonda. Last year, I was watching an older movie which she was in and it made me curious what she had been doing lately. I checked on Wikipedia and found that she quit acting and hasn’t made a movie in over fifteen years. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/7 "2019-06-01T10:14:47Z")
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is now The Biggest Thing Ever, right? But that blockbuster Spider-Man flick, the one that earned $880 million? Not as big a hit as Tobey Maguire’s last outing as Peter Parker — which was bigger than the THOR flicks, or the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY flicks; and maybe compare his first and second ones with, oh, the DEADPOOL flicks, which made a billion-and-a-half (!) but still fall short (!!); and so on, and so on. And he then parlayed that into other stuff; why, he was up for a Golden Globe due to BROTHERS, and then he was Nick Carraway to DiCaprio as THE GREAT GATSBY! And that smash hit was — uh, six years ago? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/8 "2019-06-01T10:21:05Z")
What’s Dakota Fanning doing these days? Turns out, a lot, but nothing of any particular note. Seems I see her sister Elle in a lot more visible stuff than Dakota. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/9 "2019-06-01T11:19:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Bridget Fonda. Last year, I was watching an older movie which she was in and it made me curious what she had been doing lately. I checked on Wikipedia and found that she quit acting and hasn’t made a movie in over fifteen years. She had a really bad car accident and badly injured her back. I think that’s at least as big a factor as starting a family with someone who makes tons of money so she doesn’t have to work. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/10 "2019-06-01T12:15:47Z")
Alicia Silverstone. I think \*\*\*Batman and Robin \*\*\*did her in. Alicia Silverstone, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! :o ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/11 "2019-06-01T12:17:03Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Patrick Swayze? The Timex watch guy? That was John Cameron Swayze. “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/12 "2019-06-01T12:39:33Z")
Brendan Fraser was huge for awhile and we hardly see him in things now. I thought he was A-list level when The Mummy came out. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/13 "2019-06-01T13:14:52Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Brendan Fraser was huge for awhile and we hardly see him in things now. I thought he was A-list level when The Mummy came out. He’s doing a great job right now as Cliff/Robotman in the new Doom Patrol (which I’d be watching if it weren’t on yet another “Give Us Your Money Every Month Because We Have One Good Series” proprietary network … DC Non-Access?). ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/14 "2019-06-01T13:29:44Z")
Just a quick aside, Brendan Fraser was great in _The Quiet American_. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/15 "2019-06-01T14:12:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Bridget Fonda. Last year, I was watching an older movie which she was in and it made me curious what she had been doing lately. I checked on Wikipedia and found that she quit acting and hasn’t made a movie in over fifteen years. This post is close to what I’m going to post, which is: pretty much every Hollywood starlet of the past 40 years, unless they’re Scarlett Johansen or Sandra Bullock. Bridget Fonda Christine Ricci Thora Birch Anne Heche Linda Hamilton Amy Adams Linda Fiorentino Meg Ryan Courtney Cox Patricia Arquette Jennifer Tilly Jennifer Lopez Pam Grier has disappeared twice on us ffs I noticed more than 30 years ago that the average career of a Hollywood actress seemed to be about 2-4 years. For 4 years, she’d seem to be in ddamn near every movie that was released, and then a slightly younger woman with a different hairstyle would become the go-to “it” girl (prolly because it’s cheaper that way). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/16 "2019-06-01T14:19:44Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This post is close to what I’m going to post, which is: pretty much every Hollywood starlet of the past 40 years, unless they’re Scarlett Johansen or Sandra Bullock. > > Bridget Fonda > Christine Ricci > Thora Birch > Anne Heche > Linda Hamilton > Amy Adams > Linda Fiorentino > Meg Ryan > Courtney Cox > Patricia Arquette > Jennifer Tilly > Jennifer Lopez > Pam Grier has disappeared twice on us ffs > > I noticed more than 30 years ago that the average career of a Hollywood actress seemed to be about 2-4 years. For 4 years, she’d seem to be in ddamn near every movie that was released, and then a slightly younger woman with a different hairstyle would become the go-to “it” girl (prolly because it’s cheaper that way). I didn’t look up anyone else but Amy Adams struck me as being wrong. She has worked steady and just had a Golden Globe nomination and she has multiple projects in production. Her career seems to be doing just fine so far. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/17 "2019-06-01T14:20:50Z")
James Woods seems to have taken quite a rest since 9/11. He got toxic fast. Or maybe he wanted it that way. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/18 "2019-06-01T15:01:45Z")
> [@digs](#): > > He’s doing a great job right now as Cliff/Robotman in the new Doom Patrol (which I’d be watching if it weren’t on yet another “Give Us Your Money Every Month Because We Have One Good Series” proprietary network … DC Non-Access?). Off-topic, and a nit-pick, but DC Universe is more than just a “Give Us Your Money Every Month Because We Have One Good Series” proprietary network. It also includes digital access to their comic book library, at a comparable price point to the competing Marvel Unlimited service, which is only a digital comic book library service. DC Universe also includes a pretty complete back catalog of almost every DC TV series, movie, and animated project, other than the Nolan Batman movies and the recent DC cinematic universe movies. It has some really obscure titles that I had no idea existed, such as a failed 1980s pilot for a TV series based on Will Eisner’s “The Spirit”. Oh, and since it also includes new episodes of the Young Justice animated series, I personally think it’s more like “Give Us Your Money Every Month Because We Have Two Good Series…” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/19 "2019-06-01T16:31:24Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > This post is close to what I’m going to post, which is: pretty much every Hollywood starlet of the past 40 years, unless they’re Scarlett Johansen or Sandra Bullock. I was just surprised by how sudden Fonda’s disappearance was (in large part because I didn’t notice it when it happened). She was a major presence in the nineties; she made twenty-seven movies in ten years. But then she stopped completely. Most careers taper off before fading away. I understand that her car accident and marriage were factors in this. But in keeping with the topic of the thread, I was commenting on how Fonda ended her career so abruptly without it getting more notice. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2019, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858/20 "2019-06-01T16:54:41Z")
Matthew Modine: his career didn’t exactly “peter out,” as he’s worked steadily since the mid-1980s, but he had a brief stint as a leading man in the late 80s/early 90s (Full Metal Jacket, Gross Anatomy, Memphis Belle, Pacific Heights, etc.), and then in the late 90s to today he became more of a supporting character and seemed to have “found his level.” Similarly, Eric Stoltz. According to his IMDb page he’s also worked steadily since the 80s, with a few starring and/or high-profile roles (Mask, The Fly II, Killing Zoe, Pulp Fiction), then seemed to be happy with supporting roles in smaller, independent movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-careers-that-petered-out-while-you-were-looking-the-other-way/834858.md?page=2)