never quite 'made it' actors...

zombie no.one · May 08, 2009, 05:48:28 PM

which actors managed to be on the brink of becoming world famous/hollywood a-list standard in throughout their career but somehow never quite got there?

Emilio Estevez springs to mind for me...

zombie no.one · May 08, 2009, 06:26:23 PM

Ray Liotta - Goodfellas should/could have propelled him into the big time but he's been in weirdly low-key films since, but they're not 'obscure' films

also Sean Penn maybe?

ghouck · May 08, 2009, 10:04:21 PM

Quote from: DCA on May 08, 2009, 05:48:28 PM
which actors managed to be on the brink of becoming world famous/hollywood a-list standard in throughout their career but somehow never quite got there?

Emilio Estevez springs to mind for me...

I think Emilio did OK, he had some good ones, , maybe not Tom Cruise money, but he didn't do too bad (intentionally ignoring the 'mighty ducks' franchise).

Hey, he was in 'Repo Man', it doesn't get much better than that.

Judd Nelson has made quite a few films, but mostly garbage since he was a kid.

Jim H · May 09, 2009, 12:41:08 AM

John Stockwell is a good example, I think. Not quite an obvious one, but he had some major Hollywood roles as a young man in films like Christine, Eddie & The Cruisers, My Science Project, and most importantly his significant role as Cougar in Top Gun. But then his acting career never went anywhere.

His story has a happy ending, though. He's now a fairly successful director and occasional writer, having made films like Breast Men, Turistas, and Middle of Nowhere.

Rev. Powell · May 09, 2009, 10:51:58 AM

Candace Hilligoss (CARNIVAL OF SOULS) retired to raise a family after making only two movies. She had a strange sort of otherwordly beuty and could act, and I think she could have been an iconic figure in the horror world (on the level of Barbara Steele) if she'd stuck around.

Doggett · May 09, 2009, 11:00:14 AM

Xander Berkeley

I guanteed eveyone here has seen this guy...but he never seems to get any roles as a leading man.

Type his name into the imdb and see what comes up.
This guy has been in loads of stuff all different genres.

Kinda feel sorry for him.

Mr. DS · May 09, 2009, 11:18:50 AM

I'd slightly argue Paul Reubens outisde from his Pee Wee gig. He honestly is a great performer but it seems as soon as he tries on something different, some scandal arrives about him then its back to Pee Wee land.

zombie no.one · May 09, 2009, 11:58:49 AM

joe spinell

Joe the Destroyer · May 09, 2009, 07:48:39 PM

C. Thomas Howell- He still gets a lot of work, but he hasn't been in very many major productions in ages.

Kirk Cameron- Religious films aside, he doesn't have much of a film resume. Hell, one could argue that being the case even with the religious films...

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio- Sure, you see her every now and then, but I just don't hear her name as often as I did before Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves came out.

Mr. DS · May 09, 2009, 08:00:07 PM

Quote from: DCA on May 09, 2009, 11:58:49 AM

joe spinell

He was on the verge of doing great things at the time of his death.

Psycho Circus · May 09, 2009, 09:28:42 PM

Don Johnson
Craig Sheffer
Adrian Pasdar
Dan Hedaya

ghouck · May 09, 2009, 10:08:57 PM

Paula E Sheppard. She was the Lesbian that sang like she was retarded in 'Liquid Sky', and hasn't done anything since. Bummer though because all in all she was pretty good looking. I read on some fansite that Hollywood just plainly wasn't for her and she now has completely different career, family, etc. Anne Carlisle from the same movie is another.

zombie no.one · May 10, 2009, 03:38:26 AM

Quote from: The DarkSider on May 09, 2009, 08:00:07 PM
Quote from: DCA on May 09, 2009, 11:58:49 AM

joe spinell

He was on the verge of doing great things at the time of his death.

there's a good documentary on his life on the Maniac DVD. apparently he was good friends with Sly Stallone but they fell out and never spoke again. maybe that couldve affected his career within the industry. I think it also said he was the highest paid actor on The Godfather!

RCMerchant · May 10, 2009, 04:47:07 AM

Brad Davis. He played Billy Hayes,the poor shmuck who is busted with dope and sent to a Turkish prison in MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (1978). He was excellent in that film....then he seemed to fade into minor roles in TV....

The Burgomaster · May 10, 2009, 07:44:47 AM

Eric Roberts - He was always on the fringe of stardom and turned in some fine performances in movies like THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, STAR 80, and RUNAWAY TRAIN. Then he seemed to slip into a lot of made-for-cable and direct-to-video movies. I was glad to see him in THE DARK KNIGHT, though . . .

Also, Gary Oldman and Christian Slater never reached the heights I expected of them.

never quite 'made it' actors...

Joe the Destroyer