Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson - I dug their stuff from early on (the underground and German tracks) but lets face it; rock and roll flute just ain’t gonna have legs much past the first album or two.
The GTOs I thought would be around forever. Their music was cute as Hell and they were cute as Hell - which seemed a majorly big winning hand at the time.
I thought actress Tammy Blanchard was going to be a major star. She works steadily, but still isn’t a recognizable name.
OTOH, I picked Demi Moore to be a superstar when she was only 19 years old, and I was right about her (although I haven’t liked her much in many years).
That was my thought as well; I never really thought of him as anything other than a talented pretty-boy actor up through about “Catch Me If You Can”.
Then I didn’t end up seeing any of his subsequent movies until “Inception”, and was totally stunned that he ended up not only not girly looking, but quite the magnetic leading actor.
Along those lines (mentioning “Inception” reminded me), Joseph Gordon-Levitt is an actor I never really expected to have much of a career when he first showed up in “3rd Rock from the Sun”. I really expected French Stewart and Kristen Johnston to be the ones whose careers would continue along strongly.
I know that lots of people think he’s great, but I see him and think ‘annoying punk-ass kid’. I cannot take him seriously in anything.
Justin Timberlake. When he first surfaced as one of the guys in N’Sync or The Backstreet Boys (not sure which), I figured he’d go the way of all the other frosted-tips guys from those groups. But he has impressed me with his acting and business sense. I realize he’s still making music, but I don’t have much opinion about it because it’s not my style and I don’t listen to it. The kid is genuinely talented in many areas.
I distinctly remember saying, at age 15, that Aerosmith were just going to be a flash in the pan. Still together, still touring.
I’m baffled that Joss Stone hasn’t collected arms full of Grammy awards. She’s beautiful and so talented.
Jim Carrey (and the Vera character) was on In Living Color not MadTV.
I first saw Penelope Ann Miller in a production of Our Town that was on television in the late 80s. I thought she was fantastic and that she would be huge. She was in a couple of movies in the early 90s where she was just ok (I remember Kindergarten Cop and Other People’s Money). I don’t think that she really ever achieved star status.
I agree with the above posters regarding Leonardo di Caprio. For the longest time I though that he was just a pretty boy with little talent. But starting with The Aviator or Catch Me If You Can, whichever came first, it seems like he’s been spectacular in everything he’s in.
He should host SNL every week.
His SNL appearances did impress me. I only thought he was some kind of teen idol before that, never expected to hear about him again.
This is really weird – I was thinking about *Animal House *just a few days ago, and wondered what happened to the guy who played D-Day. Turns out, he’s been right in front of me all these years. I had no idea “that guy who’s on television almost every night in some form or another” was the same guy who played D-Day.
Didn’t they lampshade that once on Rizzoli & Isles? Someone said something was like in that movie, Animal House, and McGill’s character said he hadn’t seen it.
Well, on one hand, yes. I love Hamburger Concerto, (I have it on my smartphone as we speak), but, they never went anywhere did they? (Or, did they?)
I loved Akkerman, too, and his album Tabernakel. After that, even Tabernakel’s side B, he started his weirdness (jazz).
I saw Akkerman in 2005. Hate to say it, but, he sucked big time. Of course, it was an acoustic set, and he was doing his usual bizarre prog jazz crap. And, poorly, I’d say.
Kramer (Michael Richards) surprised me.
He was on something called “Fridays”, IIRC, in the mid 80s. He was hilarious, but, the show kinda was undefinable. I thought that he’d end up on Skid Row (the street, not the band.)
Glad he made it so far.
She is the lead singer in a new band called Trigger Hippy with Jackie Greene as one of the guitarists. Almost all original material. They are great and Joan looks fantastic. I don’t know if they will make it big but they are doing well on the club circuit and very popular with jam band aficionados.
In 1999 when Britney Spears and Christina Aguillara hit it big, I figured they were the 90s versions of Tiffany and Debbie Gibson - teen idols that would have one big hit album, an adequate followup, then obscurity and a Playboy spread a decade later. Surprisingly (to me) they both still have music careers in their 30s.
When the Beastie Boys released Licensed to Ill in 1986, I failed to realize the dumbass fratboy shtick was just an act, and figured they’d disappear in a year after the white-rappers novelty wore off. Boy, was Paul’s Boutique a shock.
I was a little young for animal house. I just googled the name and he’s the actor i remembered from the Macgiver series.
Speaking of, I kinda of thought Richard Dean Anderson would’ve had more of a career after that show.
McGill put on weight after Animal House so his look changed. And he really is a good character actor so you see him more in the role than think of him as an actor. He also had memorable roles as the Sheriff in My Cousin Vinny and as Edward Stanton in Lincoln.
Richard Dean Anderson did pretty well. He was the star of Stargate which ran for 10 years. I recall hearing that at the end of the run he was semi-retiring to be a father. He had his kid late in life and didn’t want to miss her childhood. I don’t know if I am remembering correctly.
That was pretty much my impression of him: from WOW! This guy is outrageous. He is going to be the first person to ever make someone laugh to death. Then when he did get big he got really annoying. Amazingly he did a complete 180 from that. As annoying as he can be (maybe that was just the coke?) he has great range as an actor. Number 23 freaked me out!
David Bowie had the same impression of them. He was so sure he was backing a winner and if they kept something even close to their original sound I’d agree with him.
Yeah and his music is actually very enjoyable. It isn’t my type of music but when girlfriend has the radio and one of his comes on I’m not mentally writhing.
My contribution: John Lithgow. I had seen him in Third Rock as a kid and figured I had his number…but when he played the Trinity Killer on Dexter I realized this guy was an acting powerhouse. I mean I know he is big but I didn’t realize how many pans that guy has on the stove. He stays busy because he LOVES acting. I’d hate to be competing with him.
Hmm.
Channing Tatum - aka, The Thumb? He’s, like, the Movies version of **Ashton Kutcher **(who is another nominee) - come across as lightweights who maybe can play a “type” - who figure out ways to stay relevant, control the material, get roles and make a ton of money.