# Sad Moments in an Actor's Life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2018, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917 "2018-11-03T00:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/21 "2018-11-07T15:58:50Z")
> [@bump](#): > > So while you’re unlikely to see say… George Clooney doing a TV series anytime soon, you’ll see Benedict Cumberbatch going between TV, movies and commercials without a hitch. I’m now in your debt for you getting me to take a look, because I see that Clooney is set to do a six-episode run on Hulu’s upcoming CATCH-22 miniseries. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/22 "2018-11-07T16:05:04Z")
When I was about 10 years old (1968) Sid Ceaser did some kind of show with Imogene Coca at Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena. They had a small orchestra for the show, and my friend’s dad was a cellist in the Pittsburgh Symphony, plus he was good friends with Ceaser. So, he took us to the show and we got to sit in the pit with the orchestra (a terrible place to watch a performance). After the show my friend’s dad took us backstage to Ceaser’s dressing room. I remember him in boxers, t shirt, socks and garters telling me to stay out of acting or I’d find myself an old man in my underwear entertaining friends one day. He may have been kidding, but I thought he was close to tears when he said it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/23 "2018-11-07T17:00:25Z")
At least he’s still in Stage Two/Three. 1—”Who is James Corden?” 2—”Get me James Corden.” 3—”Get me a James Corden type.” 4—”Get me a younger version of James Corden.” 5—”Who is James Corden?” ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/24 "2018-11-07T20:45:01Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’m now in your debt for you getting me to take a look, because I see that Clooney is set to do a six-episode run on Hulu’s upcoming CATCH-22 miniseries. Huh, didn’t know that. Maybe things are changing, but even at that, you’re not going to see him on major network, 22-episode-a-season TV. Plus, he’s an executive producer, and directing several episodes. I think he’s acting in it because this is a pet project of his. I’m speaking in generalities anyway- there are obviously American counterexamples like Mark Harmon who started in TV, had a pretty good film career in the 1980s/1990s, and then came back to TV. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/25 "2018-11-07T22:56:28Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > going from playing the lead to playing the lead’s parent. Not necessarily. It depends on the role. For example, the actual leading character of **The Godfather** is Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) rather than Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). However, nobody has ever thought Brando’s presence in the movie constituted a sad moment in his life. ---
**Author:** ![phreesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@phreesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phreesh)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/26 "2018-11-07T23:15:39Z")
Hasn’t the concept of ‘selling out’ basically disappeared? Everybody needs to make a buck. There’s a legion of cases of ‘serious’ actors or musicians doing endorsements. Who am I to tell somebody how they’re allowed to make their money? That sort of elitism is slowly being drained out of celebrity and I say good riddance. If you don’t like it, don’t buy what they’re endorsing and don’t go to their concerts/movies/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/27 "2018-11-08T22:02:02Z")
For some reason I always feel a little bad for C list actors who end up doing cartoon voices, but why not? It’s not like the offers are rolling in for John DeLancie. I couldn’t help wondering if David Tennant will be doing Scrooge McDuck in Season two of Ducktales now that he’s doing Good Omens. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/28 "2018-11-09T12:54:42Z")
Is the OP not familiar with James Corden being a host of one of the major American late night shows? I would guess that 99% of people in the US who know him at all would have no idea of him as a “British actor.” ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/29 "2018-11-09T13:04:07Z")
what happens is some people have a really expensive lifestyle and then the work dries up so they have to do something to make a living. retired pro sports people have the same issues , many go bankrupt when their career is over. A famous example is Ed McMahon who had a lot of money problems after the tonight show and Trump made an offer to help him out by buying his house and leasing it to him but it looks like McMahon turned down Trump’s offer of help… ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/30 "2018-11-09T13:13:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When I was about 10 years old (1968) Sid Ceaser did some kind of show with Imogene Coca at Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena. They had a small orchestra for the show, and my friend’s dad was a cellist in the Pittsburgh Symphony, plus he was good friends with Ceaser. So, he took us to the show and we got to sit in the pit with the orchestra (a terrible place to watch a performance). > > After the show my friend’s dad took us backstage to Ceaser’s dressing room. I remember him in boxers, t shirt, socks and garters telling me to stay out of acting or I’d find myself an old man in my underwear entertaining friends one day. He may have been kidding, but I thought he was close to tears when he said it. Caesar, not Ceaser. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/31 "2018-11-09T13:16:55Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > what happens is some people have a really expensive lifestyle and then the work dries up so they have to do something to make a living. retired pro sports people have the same issues , many go bankrupt when their career is over. > > A famous example is Ed McMahon who had a lot of money problems after the tonight show and Trump made an offer to help him out by buying his house and leasing it to him but it looks like McMahon turned down Trump’s offer of help… Of course he would! If you are sane you don’t accept “help” from The Donald. It will turn into anti-help. An actor famous for having to accept crappy work to pay off IRS and other debts is Nicolas Cage. Lots of single digit [RT rated movies](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicolas_cage) in recent years. (E.g., _A Thousand Words_, 2012, 0%.) But note that it’s not all “He did good movies now he does bad ones.” So back in 1993 he did _Deadfall_, also 0% but he just did _Mandy_: 92%. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/32 "2018-11-09T13:38:53Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Caesar, not Ceaser. Dammit. I had it spelled correctly, then changed it when I saw it (misspelled) in an article about the history of the Civic Arena. ☹ ---
**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:** [November 9, 2018, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/33 "2018-11-09T14:54:51Z")
Don’t know about sadness, but Carl’s Junior’s [new ads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scPAemhdkrk) with Celeste Barber are fucking hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/34 "2018-11-09T14:59:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > At least he’s still in Stage Two/Three. > > 1—”Who is James Corden?” > 2—”Get me James Corden.” > 3—”Get me a James Corden type.” > 4—”Get me a younger version of James Corden.” > 5—”Who is James Corden?” 5 is “Whatever happened to James Corden?” I love that progression. First time I heard it was from Joey “pants” Pantoliano. I thought he created it, but probably not. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/35 "2018-11-09T15:08:42Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > An actor famous for having to accept crappy work to pay off IRS and other debts is Nicolas Cage. Lots of single digit [RT rated movies](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicolas_cage) in recent years. (E.g., _A Thousand Words_, 2012, 0%.) > > But note that it’s not all “He did good movies now he does bad ones.” So back in 1993 he did _Deadfall_, also 0% but he just did _Mandy_: 92%. I have to wonder- are some of those vanity projects of his buddies, or are they pretty much engineered as some kind of way for cash-strapped actors to make money, and for crap directors to have recognizable actors in their movies? I can’t believe these were “serious” movies meant to actually compete in today’s box office. I mean, “Arsenal” has Cage, Adrian Grenier and John Cusack. “Inconceivable” has Cage, Faye Dunaway and Gina Gershon. “Army of One” has Cage, Rainn Wilson and Russell Brand. “Dog Eat Dog” has Cage and Willem Dafoe. Seems like a surprisingly high number of recognizable actors for what appear to otherwise be shit movies that go straight to video. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/36 "2018-11-09T15:15:14Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > An actor famous for having to accept crappy work to pay off IRS and other debts is Nicolas Cage. Lots of single digit [RT rated movies](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nicolas_cage) in recent years. (E.g., _A Thousand Words_, 2012, 0%.) _A Thousand Words_ is actually an Eddie Murphy flick, Nicolas Cage is just listed as a producer. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/37 "2018-11-09T15:24:33Z")
We have to realize that these people are professional actors who are plying their profession as a business to make money. “What do you want me to do, and how much are you offering?” That’s all there is to it as far as they are concerned. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/38 "2018-11-09T19:10:37Z")
Exactly. If they’re free and someone offers them money to act, why the hell shouldn’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/39 "2018-11-09T19:35:09Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Exactly. If they’re free and someone offers them money to act, why the hell shouldn’t they? “First of all, I choose the great roles, and if none of these come, I choose the mediocre ones, and if they don’t come, I choose the ones that pay the rent.” – Michael Caine ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2018, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917/40 "2018-11-09T20:05:45Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > going from playing the lead to playing the lead’s parent. Yeah, that killed James Earl Jones’ career. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sad-moments-in-an-actors-life/823917.md?page=3)