The Big List of Dubious Stars

[AndyC]

I got thinking about this while coming up with bad movie commandments in another thread. A fine tradition in bad moviemaking is giving star status to anyone within your budget who ever appeared in something a lot of people would have seen. Surprisingly, I actually found myself at a bit of a loss for specific examples. But I'm sure we can come up with quite a few.

I'll start the list with possibly my favourite bad actress, and a textbook example of a flash in the pan. Early success, one lucky break, big-time hype and rapid slide into obscurity, save for roles in such classics as Megaforce and Warrior of the Lost World. Yes, I'm talking about...

1. Persis Khambatta, whose name probably never appeared prominently in a movie ad without the title Star Trek: The Motion Picture somewhere near it.

[AndyC]

Nothing yet? Actually, I'm not surprised. This specific category is not so easy. A flash in the pan who achieves star status in the B-movies (or their modern equivalent) based on very limited mainstream success.

I can think of actors who had success and then dropped off the radar, such as Bill and Ted's Alex Winter (and yet Keanu went on to stardom, go figure). I can think of older actors who turned to the Bs after a decent career - John Carradine, Donald Pleasance. Actors who tragically destroyed their own careers and took what they could get - Bela Lugosi, Corey Haim. And guys who move comfortably between bit parts in good movies and starring in shlock - Clint Howard.

But actors who got just enough of a break to barely qualify as a "name" actor, but through bad career choices and/or lack of actual talent, followed it with a string of low-budget genre pictures where they received star billing based on their modest fame? Not so easy. Persis might well have been a perfect storm of incredible luck, non-existent acting ability, naivete and no small measure of hubris. I think that's why I find her interesting, aside from her performances cracking me up. But there have to be others. Right?

[Paquita]

What about Susan Tyrell?  I didn't know if she actually qualified because I think she is a good actress, and she's been in a buttload of movies, was nominated for a major award, but I wouldn't call her a big star.  I think the biggest role I know her from was the queen in Forbidden Zone, but I haven't seen all her movies.  It looks like she mostly plays prostitutes or someone's dirty mom.  I was watching From a Whisper to a Scream the other day and I swore I'd seen her other times and was pretty sure she was Pat Benatar and then I looked her up ..she's not Pat Benatar.

[Doggett]

Lance Henriksen

[The Burgomaster]

Eric Roberts - He should have fired his agent a long time ago.  The guy has talent and has several very good performances under his belt (THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE and STAR 80 to name a couple), but seems to have dropped off the radar screen and moved onto some unmemorable cable TV movies and other B-movies.  It was great to see him in THE DARK KNIGHT, though . . .

[AndyC]

Dean Cain. As far as I can tell, his only claim to fame is a respectable run on Lois and Clark. From there, it seemed like he went straight to starring in direct-to-video action flicks.

[Derf]

Lou Diamond Phillips. Got critical acclaim in La Bamba, and has since gone on to star in trashy B-flick after trashy B-flick.

He's done okay in television, but he never lived up to his early potential.

[Ash]

Cuba Gooding Jr.

He went from superstar after Jerry Maguire to direct to video action flicks.

[Chainsawmidget]

I think Lorenzo Lamas fits the bill. 

[Raffine]

C. Thomas Howell, although I think I actually prefer the craggy, grumpy, and somewhat insane version of Howell in stuff like The Day the Earth Stopped and War of the Worlds 2: The Next Wave than the 80's pretty boy.

[JaseSF]

Hmm just looking at my VHS copy of Amazon Women (AKA: Gold of the Amazon Women (1979) gives me the following names of interest: Bo Svenson, Donald Pleasance and Anita Ekberg.

Rutger Hauer probably deserves a mention in this thread too.

[AndyC]

I would put Pleasence in the category of actors who found themselves in cheesier roles as they got older. He had enough good work behind him to be called a star, although I'd consider him a character actor. But then, character actors often are better than stars in my book.

[joejoeherron]

would Eric Stoltz be considered on this list?

[Doggett]

Adrienne Barbeau.

Never quite made the big time, did she ?

[lester1/2jr]

all the non kim kardashian people

edit: I meant kim kardashian is a celebrity but her family are not.