# "One Hit" Actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2021, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569 "2021-09-12T23:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/182 "2021-09-15T18:09:00Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > I’ve read that Bateman was supposed to be the main kid on “Family Ties”, but with the success that Fox had with audiences, they retooled the show to focus more on him. That was the mother, I think. Meredith Baxter (then Baxter-Birney) was meant to be the centre of the show then Fox’s star rose so much the show began to orbit around him. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/183 "2021-09-15T21:16:37Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > Topher Grace is also a good one–he steadily grew his stature throughout That 70s Show’s run, had a bit of a “introduction to the big screen” Rom Com movie aside Scarlett Johansson and Dennis Quaid that wasn’t a major box office hit, but finished in the green and he actually got good reviews as a “serious actor”, got a pretty good role in the third Toby Maguire Spider-Man (as Venom) that was highly hyped and anticipated (the movie itself ended up not being great.) I do not have a cite handy, but I remember reading somewhere that Topher Grace made a lot of money from _That 70s Show_, invested it wisely, and now has enough to live comfortably and be picky about what roles he will accept. He only takes roles that are personally interesting for him, and he has free time to devote to his hobby of making fanedits of movies. Smaller character roles are often more satisfying and interesting for actors than leading roles. Character roles can also provide greater long-term job security than spending five or ten years at the top. “Be a character actor and you’ll work forever” is a quote that has been attributed, with variations, to many actors with long, sustained careers. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/184 "2021-09-16T07:41:35Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > No love here for Jack? I thought Jack was pretty damned good at playing crazy! No, he was just good at playing Jack Nicholson. That’s all I saw in his Joker. I would have said he was the worst Joker ever, but then Jared Leto was all “hold my Jägerbomb !”. ---
**Author:** ![TXAstorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9e8a1a/32.png) [@TXAstorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TXAstorian)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/185 "2021-09-16T16:23:05Z")
Carrie Snodgress made a huge impression in “Diary of a Mad Housewife”, but never had another similarly memorable role. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/186 "2021-09-17T01:00:45Z")
Among other things, Justine Bateman earned a degree in computer science from UCLA. I’m sure that took some time away from acting. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2021, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/187 "2021-09-17T05:07:07Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > Hamill played Mozart when the play was on Broadway and also was part of the first touring production Decades ago, I was in NYC, walking near Times Square one nigh. On a whim I walked into the theater with a huge ‘Amadeus’ on the marquee. I bought a ticket, found my seat, then it wasn’t until I opened my program that I realized it starred… Luke Skywalker?!? (He was great. Funny, but also very physical, prancing from a chair back to an end table to an armoire…) I feel lucky to have been there. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/188 "2021-09-17T15:41:29Z")
Hamill performed in a stage production of _Guys and Dolls_ as well. [https://youtu.be/X2XOuF\_slYI?t=25](https://youtu.be/X2XOuF_slYI?t=25) ---
**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:** [September 17, 2021, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/189 "2021-09-17T16:49:39Z")
Nia Vardalos earned award nominations for writing and starring in the $368m-on-a-$5m-budget smash hit that was **My Big Fat Greek Wedding**. She followed that up by writing and starring in **Connie and Carla** , which — got her no love from anybody handing out awards, and which failed to break even at the box office. From there, we could of course talk about her starring roles in **My Life In Ruins** and **I Hate Valentine’s Day** and **Helicopter Mom** , but (a) it’s going to be a short conversation about disappointing numbers, and (b) granted, we could _instead_ talk about **My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2** , but that’s kind of my point. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/190 "2021-09-17T20:33:11Z")
I like Malcolm McDowell. He also was the bad guy in the highly underrated _Blue Thunder_, had a briefly recurring role in the series _Community_, was the evil team leader in Rob Zombie’s films _31_ and _Halloween I & 2._ ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/191 "2021-09-17T21:17:52Z")
Huh… huge fan of _Community_, and never realized he played one of the profs. Neat. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/192 "2021-09-17T21:33:03Z")
Probably Irene Cara, also. She had “Fame” and “Flashdance”, but nothing else of note that I can remember. She’s probably better known for her singing career. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/193 "2021-09-17T22:12:32Z")
I’d forgotten that Malcolm McDowell was in _Blue Thunder_. For all his villainous roles, he plays the hero in _Time After Time_. When you’re in a movie with David Warner, you don’t get to be the bad guy. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/194 "2021-09-17T22:41:52Z")
I’d like to give a special mention here to a No-hit wonder. Klinton Spilsbury was a model and bit player in a couple of TV shows (under the name (Max Keller) when he was picked to be the star of [The Legend of the Lone Ranger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_the_Lone_Ranger). The production got off to a bad start when the producers got an injunction against Clayton Moore, the beloved star of the old TV show, from appearing as the Lone Ranger on the nostalgia circuit. Meanwhile Spilsbury did not endear himself to the producers, crew or cast, and reportedly got into off-camera fights with several members of the company. Eventually all his dialog was dubbed by another actor. The movie bombed, and when you throw in a Spilsbury interview with Andy Warhol that even Warhol called “weird,” you have a prime example of a lead character in a motion picture who never worked in the industry again. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2021, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/195 "2021-09-17T22:48:18Z")
Peter Billingsley, of Christmas Story fame? ---
**Author:** ![HelenABucket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/258eb7/32.png) [@HelenABucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenABucket)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/196 "2021-09-18T01:13:08Z")
Didn’t Tomei win TWO Oscars? She isn’t an A-lister, but she’s great in everything she does. ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/197 "2021-09-18T01:14:53Z")
Having just seen him for an eyewear commercial, how about Jamie Foxx ? He was amazing in **Ray** , and has worked in a number of movies in a number of different roles. But he didn’t quite become the “next Denzel” as it seemed he was being hyped as. I think his relatively small part in **Baby Driver** was the last thing I saw him in. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/198 "2021-09-18T01:39:38Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Probably Irene Cara, also. She had “Fame” and “Flashdance”, but nothing else of note that I can remember. I don’t think she was in Flashdance. She just sang the song. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/199 "2021-09-18T01:57:38Z")
Tomei only won for _My Cousin Vinny,_ but she was nominated for _The Wrestler_ and _In the Bedroom._ Her win and two nominations were all in the Best Supporting Actress category. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/200 "2021-09-18T02:42:51Z")
Ah right. That was Beals. ---
**Author:** ![Polarity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7cd45c/32.png) [@Polarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polarity)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2021, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569/201 "2021-09-18T22:08:45Z")
Colin Farrell had a great run around 2002. After minority report, I was pretty sure he was gonna be the next Tom Cruise type leading man for action movies. Didn’t turn out that way tho. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-hit-actors/950569.md?page=11)