For this thread, take TV show (ongoing or not), and identify the least-successful and most-successful former cast members.
For example: The Facts of Life:
The least successful actor/actress post-FoL would probably be Nancy McKeon (Jo), who compared to her castmates (all of whom have found steady, if not remarkable, work since the show ended), has faded into almost obscurity.
The most successful actor/actress post FoL would probably be a bit actor who played a secondary character, whose name is George Clooney.
Or Saturday Night Live:
The most successful post-SNL would probably be Adam Sandler or Eddie Murphy*, recent box-office flops aside.
The least successful would be any number of out-of-work bit actors who probably don’t even have a wikipedia page.
*In terms of financial success, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss probably beats Sandler or Murphy. She inherited an amount that, IIRC, was in the billions, from her family.
SCTV
Least successful: Joe Flaherty
Naming the most successful is difficult. I’d go with Harold Ramis over John Candy; much of Ramis’s success was as a director/screenwriter. But most of the rest of the cast (Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, Rick Moranis) have had very successful careers.
Star Trek (original)
Probably Shatner for most successful.
Grace Lee Whitney has the least success.
She’s worked fairly steadily; Blair/Lisa Whelchel has gotten more press lately because of Survivor and her divorce, but she’s been pretty much retired since the '80s other than for FOL related reunions. (She’s trying to jump-start her career now that her kids are grown and she needs the money.)
I didn’t realize Mindy Cohn was as busy as she is; she’s a voice actress now. (Not career related, just trivia: she’s also godmother to some of Brad & Angelina’s brood.)
TAXI
Most successful: Danny Devito
Several- most in fact- have worked steadily- but I’d give him the nod since he probably had the biggest paychecks and definitely has the most big-screen cred.
Lease successful (even before his death): Jeff Conaway
He was faded pretty-boy in looks and just a total sad train wreck due to drugs. I wonder how actors like him pay the rent.
Anyone remember Melanie Hutsell from SNL? One critic called her “the woman of a thousand characters, all of them Jan Brady”.
Looked her up out of curiosity: left show business altogether, taught at a college for a while, had a small role in Bridesmaids.
Victoria Jackson has no career other than for her occasional contributions to the field of batshit crazy and dogshit stupid. (Even Bill O’Reilly could barely keep from calling her a nut on a recent interview.)
I had a crush on Gary Kroeger when I was a teenager- he was really cute. Never did anything of note after leaving SNL. (He was part of a performing trio with Brad Hall and Julia Louis Dreyfuss when he joined the cast.)
For Growing Pains, I’d guess Jeremy Miller as least successful acting-wise; he hasn’t done much post GP, but I don’t know that he’s really tried. For most successful, Brad Pitt if bit parts count, Alan Thicke if they don’t.
More than Doc Brown and Professor Plum? I must just watch more Christopher Lloyd movies than Danny Devito movies Although he does get extra points for Always Sunny.
It’s hard to say for the cast of Seinfeld - at least for most successful. I think Jerry Seinfeld has stayed relatively important while the others dipped in and out of success. Jason Alexander is crazy popular on Broadway, right? And Julia Louis-Dreyfus had her own show and now another with Veep, which is quite good.
Most successful: Allyson Hannigan, who’s in another hit show and people also know her from the American Pie movies. Seth Green is also very popular, but because he was well-known before he joined Buffy, Hannigan wins the title.
Least successful: Sadly, Nicholas Brandon has not done much else in showbiz since Buffy and he’s had some problems with the law. It’s a shame because I really liked Xander and I would have liked to see Brandon in other films/TV spots.
Has anybody from Boy Meets World done anything of note since the show ended?
The Cosby Show-
Most successful: Phyllicia Rashad (stage and TV successes)
Least successful: Sabrina Labeauf (though she may be active in theater)
[QUOTE=Renifer]
Least successful: Sadly, Nicholas Brandon has not done much else in showbiz since Buffy and he’s had some problems with the law. It’s a shame because I really liked Xander and I would have liked to see Brandon in other films/TV spots.
[/QUOTE]
My best friend swears that he sees him drinking at a bar he goes to in Atlanta a good bit now (unless it’s his identical twin- he does have one). Anyone know if he’s moved?
Yeah, after I posted I checked her Wiki page and it seems that my hatred of Pat led me to believe that no one who could stand behind such an asinine and irritating character couldn’t possibly have done much else afterward.
And, no, I’ve never even heard of Dan Vitale.
Point to you
I still maintain - despite paycheque size - that Bill Murray is the most successful
That’s a good point. Bill Murray’s career is in smaller films these days because he chooses to do that. And he refuses to be in a Ghosbusters 3, should there be one.
Although he does get extra points for Always Sunny.