Actors that should have been bigger stars

[nelsonmuntz]

I recently saw Phoebe Cates mentioned in an article, and thought I would circle back to her. She retired in 1994, so she doesn't count for this thread, but she is definitely an actress that could have been a monster star if she had stayed in the business. She was bankable (Starred in Gremlins, Drop Dead Fred, Gremlins II, all successes), did well in a few indie flicks in the early days of indie flicks, and was one Disclosure type movie away from being the next Demi Moore. She is gorgeous in a very non-generic, non-threatening way, so she could play virtually anything.

She would probably have needed the perfect role to win an Oscar, but she could have been a big star into her 40's, and with her looks, transitioned to mom roles to stretch her career out in a way that Demi Moore couldn't.

But she packed it in instead.

 

[Kolumbo]

The Cheers cast, with the exception of Woody Harrelson for film and Kelsey Grammer for television.

 

[huskyrob1]

I recently saw Phoebe Cates mentioned in an article, and thought I would circle back to her. She retired in 1994, so she doesn't count for this thread, but she is definitely an actress that could have been a monster star if she had stayed in the business. She was bankable (Starred in Gremlins, Drop Dead Fred, Gremlins II, all successes), did well in a few indie flicks in the early days of indie flicks, and was one Disclosure type movie away from being the next Demi Moore. She is gorgeous in a very non-generic, non-threatening way, so she could play virtually anything.

She would probably have needed the perfect role to win an Oscar, but she could have been a big star into her 40's, and with her looks, transitioned to mom roles to stretch her career out in a way that Demi Moore couldn't.

But she packed it in instead.

I remember her in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", along with Sean (Jeff Spicoli) Penn and Ray Walston as Mr Hand. Hilarious movie.

 

[Kolumbo]

I remember her in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High", along with Sean (Jeff Spicoli) Penn and Ray Walston as Mr Hand. Hilarious movie.

Everyone remembers Phoebe from FTARH. The pool scene is legendary.

 

[intlzncster]

I recently saw Phoebe Cates mentioned in an article, and thought I would circle back to her. She retired in 1994, so she doesn't count for this thread, but she is definitely an actress that could have been a monster star if she had stayed in the business. She was bankable (Starred in Gremlins, Drop Dead Fred, Gremlins II, all successes), did well in a few indie flicks in the early days of indie flicks, and was one Disclosure type movie away from being the next Demi Moore. She is gorgeous in a very non-generic, non-threatening way, so she could play virtually anything.

She would probably have needed the perfect role to win an Oscar, but she could have been a big star into her 40's, and with her looks, transitioned to mom roles to stretch her career out in a way that Demi Moore couldn't.

But she packed it in instead.

Forgot her two most important. Fast Time at Ridgemont High (pool scene) and Paradise (half the scenes). At the height of her powers.

I loved that girl.

 

[Kolumbo]

Forgot her two most important. Fast Time at Ridgemont High (pool scene) and Paradise (half the scenes). At the height of her powers.

I loved that girl.

• One scene in the Bada Bing features The Cars' "Moving in Stereo" — an appropriate song for a topless bar, as it featured in a famous fantasy sequence featuring a topless Phoebe Cates in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. There is also a brief discussion about the cars Feech's crew stole that takes place during this scene.

 

[Kolumbo]

Eddie Murphy.
Now, he was a pretty big star in his day so maybe he just peaked very early. Started off his acting career with SNL, 48 Hours, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cops, Coming to America. Then seemed to fall off.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Eddie Murphy.
Now, he was a pretty big star in his day so maybe he just peaked very early. Started off his acting career with SNL, 48 Hours, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cops, Coming to America. Then seemed to fall off.

He had such a long run that it is hard to argue he didn't make it big. He transitioned to more family friendly roles in the last 20 years, and was successful. He was a little like Steve Martin in that way. The Dr. Doolittle franchise was very big, as was Daddy Day Care, and he transitioned well to supporting roles (Dreamgirls) and animated (Shrek franchise). He had a few stinkers along the way, but so does every actor. I think he is semi-retired now. He is probably worth about $100 million, so he doesn't need to work anymore.

 

[Husky25]

Eddie Murphy.
Now, he was a pretty big star in his day so maybe he just peaked very early. Started off his acting career with SNL, 48 Hours, Trading Places, Beverly Hills Cops, Coming to America. Then seemed to fall off.

I disagree on Murphy as well. He completed the African American comedic Mount Rushmore, along side Foxx, Prior, and Cosby. Disregarding Delirious and Raw, for any other person those four movies are a career, but Murphy followed them up with Boomerang, Another 48 Hours, and Beverly Hills Cop II (not in that order). Shrek was icing on the cake. At 57 years old he is still instantly recognizable, whether it be appearance or voice. When I think of stars, that might be THE box to check.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

My wife was watching Grease, and I stuck around for the end of it. I had forgotten how good Olivia Newton John was in that movie. She crushed it, and it was a tough part. She got a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for that part. That movie grossed $400 million, most of that in the late 70's, which today would have been well over $1 billion. She followed that up with Xanadu, which was just weird, and then some dreck that I have never seen called Two of a Kind with Travolta, and that was it. After that, she was a periodic TV guest star and was most recently in Sharknado 5.

She could act and sing, was absolutely gorgeous in her prime, and co-starred in one of the biggest hit movies in history. And then she vanished because of two bad movies. She must have had a terrible agent.

 

[Kolumbo]

I agree Eddie Murphy is a big star, just saying he could have been bigger. He has certainly been hugely successful financially. Thinking of guys like Tom Hanks, Marky Mark, Will Smith...comedians or musicians who really made it big in film. I wasn't sure if Murphy chose to transition into animated/kid stuff or had to settle. Murphy was on that kind of trajectory but his name doesn't have the draw of those other guys. Perhaps a separate category for conversation.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I disagree on Murphy as well. He completed the African American comedic Mount Rushmore, along side Foxx, Prior, and Cosby. Disregarding Delirious and Raw, for any other person those four movies are a career, but Murphy followed them up with Boomerang, Another 48 Hours, and Beverly Hills Cop II (not in that order). Shrek was icing on the cake. At 57 years old he is still instantly recognizable, whether it be appearance or voice. When I think of stars, that might be THE box to check.

Dr. Doolittle out-grossed 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, COMBINED. Family comedies pay the bills.

 

[Husky25]

My wife was watching Grease, and I stuck around for the end of it. I had forgotten how good Olivia Newton John was in that movie. She crushed it, and it was a tough part. She got a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for that part. That movie grossed $400 million, most of that in the late 70's, which today would have been well over $1 billion. She followed that up with Xanadu, which was just weird, and then some dreck that I have never seen called Two of a Kind with Travolta, and that was it. After that, she was a periodic TV guest star and was most recently in Sharknado 5.

She could act and sing, was absolutely gorgeous in her prime, and co-starred in one of the biggest hit movies in history. And then she vanished because of two bad movies. She must have had a terrible agent.

Without looking it up, I believe she got really sick and missed her window. I also remember her focusing on music.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Without looking it up, I believe she got really sick and missed her window. I also remember her focusing on music.

She did get sick in the 90's. She was doing both music and acting for a while, and had a couple of big post-Grease hits (I believe Physical was after Grease). I think she did switch to music, which didn't pay off for her because she had a couple of album flops in the 80's. She also took some time off to have a kid, which an actress in her late 30's can't really do. There is plenty of time in her 40's to be mom.

Xanadu should not have been that bad from a career standpoint. It was a weird movie, and reviews were not great, but I looked it up and she carried that thing to $22.8 million box office, which isn't terrible for 1980. That would be like $80 million today. Not a bloodbath for a medium budget film, and coming off the prior monster, I would have thought she would keep getting roles.

 

[Husky25]

Dr. Doolittle out-grossed 48 Hours, Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop, COMBINED. Family comedies pay the bills.

I don't put too much stock in what a movie grosses. Is it adjusted for inflation? I remember it costing about $3.50 to see a movie in the theater in the mid 80's compared to closer to $10 in 1998. Ironically (because premium cable movie stations and the VCR hurt the Theater business model), Jim Carey (not an especially good actor) was the first to make a base $20M for The Cable Guy.

48H, BHC, Tyler Phommachanh, and CTA, were all better movies, Murphy was better in them, and was more valuable to the production than Carey was to CG.

 

[Husky25]

She did get sick in the 90's. She was doing both music and acting for a while, and had a couple of big post-Grease hits (I believe Physical was after Grease). I think she did switch to music, which didn't pay off for her because she had a couple of album flops in the 80's. She also took some time off to have a kid, which an actress in her late 30's can't really do. There is plenty of time in her 40's to be mom.

Far more risky in the mid 80's than it is now.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I don't put too much stock in what a movie grosses. Is it that adjusted for inflation? I remember it costing about $3.50 to see a movie in the theater in the mid 80's compared to closer to $10 in 1998. Ironically (because premium cable movie stations and the VCR hurt the Theater business model), Jim Carey (not an especially good actor) was the first to make a base $20M for The Cable Guy.

48H, BHC, Tyler Phommachanh, and CTA, were all better movies, Murphy was better in them, and was more valuable to the production than Carey was to CG.

It is a different audience. Dr. Doolittle and Daddy Day Care are not going to win any awards and are definitely not cool, but they bring people into the theaters. My point was that Murphy didn't fade, like some of the other actors we have mentioned, but he remained a bankable star until about 10 years ago. That is almost a 30 year run at the top. Not too many actors can say that.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Ben Foster. He was awesome in Alpha Dog, and while I have not seen all his movies, he always gets great reviews, but he hasn't broken out yet. He does a lot of ensemble and indie flicks. He is like a younger, male, Chloe Sevigny.

 

[Husky25]

I wasn't sure if Murphy chose to transition into animated/kid stuff or had to settle.

My first inclination is it was by choice. Shrek came out in 2001. Disregarding babies, his children would have been between 7 and 12. Shrek would have been right in their wheelhouse and Murphy would have had F'u (teetering on F'me) money by then.

 

[Husky25]

It is a different audience. Dr. Doolittle and Daddy Day Care are not going to win any awards and are definitely not cool, but they bring people into the theaters. My point was that Murphy didn't fade, like some of the other actors we have mentioned, but he remained a bankable star until about 10 years ago. That is almost a 30 year run at the top. Not too many actors can say that.

We agree. Gross receipts just don't provide an apples/apples comparison.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Ben Foster. He was awesome in Alpha Dog, and while I have not seen all his movies, he always gets great reviews, but he hasn't broken out yet. He does a lot of ensemble and indie flicks. He is like a younger, male, Chloe Sevigny.

He started out playing plucky underdog characters but seems like he's gotten a steady stream of violent psychopaths more recently. Quite a career transition.

 

[huskyrob1]

Ben Foster. He was awesome in Alpha Dog, and while I have not seen all his movies, he always gets great reviews, but he hasn't broken out yet. He does a lot of ensemble and indie flicks. He is like a younger, male, Chloe Sevigny.

Thought he deserved an Oscar nomination for "To Hell Or High Water", playing Chris Pines crazy brother. I would watch anything Ben Foster is in.

 

[Kolumbo]

My wife was watching Grease, and I stuck around for the end of it. I had forgotten how good Olivia Newton John was in that movie. She crushed it, and it was a tough part. She got a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for that part. That movie grossed $400 million, most of that in the late 70's, which today would have been well over $1 billion. She followed that up with Xanadu, which was just weird, and then some dreck that I have never seen called Two of a Kind with Travolta, and that was it. After that, she was a periodic TV guest star and was most recently in Sharknado 5.

She could act and sing, was absolutely gorgeous in her prime, and co-starred in one of the biggest hit movies in history. And then she vanished because of two bad movies. She must have had a terrible agent.

I agree Olivia could have been a much bigger star here in America. I think she is first a singer/songwriter and was a smashing success in a musical. I don't know about her personal life but I would think she could have had an even more successful musical career if she wanted to. Who'd have thought Vinnie Barbarino would have experienced the success he has.

 

[Kolumbo]

Kristy McNichol had a ton of childhood success and retired from acting at age 38.

Brooke Shields was also very popular and a celebrity for various reasons.

Perhaps both were just not very good actors

 

[temery]

Kristy McNichol had a ton of childhood success and retired from acting at age 38.

Brooke Shields was also very popular and a celebrity for various reasons.

Perhaps both were just not very good actors

I do wonder how many woman who had their career stalled because they wouldn't put out.

With that said, Kristy McNichol has said she was bi-polar, and Shields married Agassi, which wasn't exactly the action of a sane woman.