Actors that should have been bigger stars

[whaler11]

I would chalk Kilmer’s problems up to people have seen The Doors.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Great piece in New Yorker by Molly Ringwald looking back on her films.

 

[dbmill]

Great piece in New Yorker by Molly Ringwald looking back on her films.

Saw her a couple of years ago in "Wishin' and Hopin", a TV movie based on a Wally Lamb book. Definitely worth seeing.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Tom Sizemore. He should be rotting in a jail now, but keeps getting out of it because of his celebrity. He is a really good actor though.

 

[storrsroars]

Peter Dinklage

The Station Agent is a fantastic small film. A must-see for any Dinklage fan.

Fred Ward

Does the world really need another guy who can only play "pissed off at everyone and everything"?

 

[dbmill]

The Station Agent is a fantastic small film. A must-see for any Dinklage fan.

Agreed, my wife and I discovered The Station Agent several years ago. A great little film. Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, and Patricia Clarkson make for a wonderful trio in this film.

 

[ZooCougar]

I would chalk Kilmer’s problems up to people have seen The Doors.

Not his fault. I blame the director.

Kilmer has had some awesome performances, HEAT, Tombstone even Top Gun.

I wish he would get it together and start making movies again.

Last I heard he was asking to be included in the Top Gun sequel.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Not his fault. I blame the director.

Kilmer has had some awesome performances, HEAT, Tombstone even Top Gun.

I wish he would get it together and start making movies again.

Last I heard he was asking to be included in the Top Gun sequel.

I remember being in the minority at the time, but I liked the Doors movie - I like some Doors songs a lot (esp when I was in college) but not a Doors fan per se. I thought the movie was an accurate depiction of a self-destructive person. The Meg Ryan stuff was awful and probably wrong, but Kilmer was fine.

 

[huskyrob1]

Not his fault. I blame the director.

Kilmer has had some awesome performances, HEAT, Tombstone even Top Gun.

I wish he would get it together and start making movies again.

Last I heard he was asking to be included in the Top Gun sequel.

Him and Elizabeth Shue were great in the Saint, made the best of a mediocre script. Arguably his worst movie was Ghost and the Darkness, which if done right could have been a great film.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Not his fault. I blame the director.

Kilmer has had some awesome performances, HEAT, Tombstone even Top Gun.

I wish he would get it together and start making movies again.

Last I heard he was asking to be included in the Top Gun sequel.

I think he has some health issues recently, although he is still working. He rarely had a bad performance in his prime, but that prime has past, and he hasn't made the transition to father/mentor character.

 

[ZooCougar]

I think he has some health issues recently, although he is still working. He rarely had a bad performance in his prime, but that prime has past, and he hasn't made the transition to father/mentor character.

He just lost a ton of weight so that could very well be. I’d like to see him in more movies at some point.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Samantha Barks, who played Eponine in Les Miserables, stealing the show in a movie that won 3 Golden Globes and 3 Oscars. She is smoking hot and very talented, but her IMDB profile looks like she practically retired.

She's a stage actress who took on a movie of a play. There are lots like her. It seems like we used to see more of that, now they cast regular movie actors and ask them to sing, as they did in Chicago and the movie version of Evita (not sure how you categorize Madonna at that point).

I always wondered what happened to Mandy Patinkin after Princess Bride. They didn't even have him sing. Looks like he's had some TV success in shows I didn't watch. Antonio Banderas is no Mandy Patinkin in a musical role.

 

[Mano]

Him and Elizabeth Shue were great in the Saint, made the best of a mediocre script. Arguably his worst movie was Ghost and the Darkness, which if done right could have been a great film.

The Saint was great. The title of worst Val Kilmer movie goes to The Island of Dr. Moreau though. My favorite is definitely Heat with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang right behind it.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

way underrated film, RDJ is great in it as well

 

[ZooCougar]

way underrated film, RDJ is great in it as well

I can’t believe I have never seen it.

 

[Waquoit]

I can’t believe I have never seen it.

The title could be a reason. Sounds like just a stupid shoot-em-up. But apparently there might be more to it.

 

[Mano]

The Saint was great. The title of worst Val Kilmer movie goes to The Island of Dr. Moreau though. My favorite is definitely Heat with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang right behind it.

Oh man, totally forgot about Spartan. Great, slow burn flick!

 

[nwhoopfan]

Oh man, totally forgot about Spartan. Great, slow burn flick!

Good call. Pretty sure that was the first time I ever saw Kristen Bell.

Mamet's stuff is different. The dialogue really seems more like a play than a movie. His films are hit and miss for me. I really like "State and Main."

 

[ZooCougar]

Oh man, totally forgot about Spartan. Great, slow burn flick!

Me too. That is a great movie.

 

[ZooCougar]

I started Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I immediately stopped because I could tell it was going to be pretty good and I want to watch it in one sitting.

The thing about Val Kilmer is that he can actually act and not play the same character in every movie.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm a big fan of Sam Rockwell. He's been in plenty of movies, but usually as a supporting actor, or in B grade or indie movies. He's incredibly versatile, he's got plenty of charisma, seems like the guy should be a much bigger star than he is. As both Zaphod Beeblebrox and Guy Fleegman, he's nailed down 2 of the better comedic sci fi performances of all time.

Also the star of one of the better sci fi movies this century. Moon.

One of my favorite actors. Reminiscent of a more modern Gary Oldman. Another of my favorite actors.

 

[temery]

Kolumbo, the poster, not the detective.

 

[intlzncster]

Chris Cooper and Ben Mendelsohn. Neither has matinee idol looks, they are both actually a little creepy looking.

Guess they are more grossly underrated actors, to be a huge Hoywood star you have to have the look. People like Treat Williams, Clive Owen, Mark Ruffalo, Eric Bana, Alison Lohman, Ron Eldard, Michael Biehn, Carla Gugino should have bigger careers.

Cooper and Mendelssohn are both good.

Ruffalo is the epitomy of a one note actor.

Bana had a pretty big career, especially for a guy who started as a character Actor (2 of this best films were his first The Castle and Chopper). His movies have grossed $3billion worldwide. That's a ton.

 

[intlzncster]

I always wondered what happened to Mandy Patinkin after Princess Bride. They didn't even have him sing. Looks like he's had some TV success in shows I didn't watch. Antonio Banderas is no Mandy Patinkin in a musical role.

He went the TV route. Chicago Hope. Criminal Minds. He's one of the leads in Homeland on HBO atm.

 

[Husky25]

He went the TV route. Chicago Hope. Criminal Minds. He's one of the leads in Homeland on HBO atm.

I believe he went to the stage before TV. He has a very good singing voice. He also co-starred in The Doctor with William Hurt, Elizabeth Perkins, Adam Arkin, and Christine Lahti (Arkin and Lahti later had parts in Chicago Hope as well).