Mainstream actors in arty/culty fare

[clingfilm portent]

I'm thinking about Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin.

Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love and Uncut Gems.

Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine. Not exactly NOT mainstream but certainly not Bruce Almighty.

What are some of your examples please

[gilbertharding]

Peter Falk in Wings of Desire.

[chveik]

I'm thinking about Scarlett Johansson in Under The Skin.

hardly out of the ordinary for her to play in arty films

[non capisco]

Jim Davidson in Greenaway's 'A Zed And Two Noughts' is a very odd one.

[Waking Life]

Peter Falk in Wings of Desire.

That's not particularly niche though, given he's also in a few Cassavetes films / Mikey and Nicky.

[Noodle Lizard]

Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson have been doing a fair amount of this in recent years (they even did it together!) But by virtue of them being in the films, they sort of get mainstream attention.

I think Johnny Depp used to turn up in some fairly obscure (at least internationally) French films too.

[Midas]

Robert Pattinson in Good Time, High Life, The Lighthouse, etc.

Joaquin Phoenix has probably been in something worth watching. Her was quite good. You Were Never Really Here was ok.

fuckitpost

[Noodle Lizard]

Joaquin Phoenix has probably been in something worth watching. Her was quite good. You Were Never Really Here was ok.

He also stepped out to play Jesus in a fairly unknown film about Mary Magdalene a year or two ago. A few big actors do a little Jesus every now and then with little fanfare (Ewan McGregor, Christian Bale etc.) I wonder if Jesus is similar to Hamlet - a role any actor would want to claim - but since Jesus films likely wouldn't get major studio funding anymore, they have to take their chances outside of the system. None of those were very good Jesus films by the way.

[greenman]

Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson have been doing a fair amount of this in recent years (they even did it together!) But by virtue of them being in the films, they sort of get mainstream attention.

Kirsten Stewart as well in Assayas's films, Personal Shopper and Clouds of Sils Maria.

[Noodle Lizard]

Taylor Lautner slated to appear in Béla Tarr's comeback feature. Strange world.

[Dusty Substance]

Adam Driver doing Jim Jarmusch's Paterson in between Star Wars movies.

[mothman]

Mel Gibson did a Wim Wenders. Million Dollar Hotel.

[Chedney Honks]

Depp in Arizona Dream.

[Keebleman]

Elliot Gould in the mid-70s, when he was close to an A-list star, was cast in a strange but rather good little British sci-fi film called Who?.  Gould's performance was awful though, he's by far the worst thing in it.

While we're on the subject of famous people in obscure films named after interrogative pronouns, Roman Polanski at close to the height of his Hollywood fame went to Italy to make What?, which was little more than a softcore sex flick.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Seconds was pretty far from Rock Hudson's usual rom com fare.

John Ritter in Sling Blade and Bad Santa.

[Waking Life]

John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. It's not quite the same thing in that it's arguably a bit of a send up of him, but he was largely mainstream up to that point and I remember thinking it felt like a jump.

And not quite cult, but I always enjoyed Gene Hackman in Tenenbaums, although not sure he was keen on it himself.

[Ignatius_S]

That's not particularly niche though, given he's also in a few Cassavetes films / Mikey and Nicky.

Although those were much earlier in his career - and his casting in Wings of Desire works so well because of Falk's mainstream success, as referenced in the film.

[pigamus]

Ally Sheedy in High Art

[Ignatius_S]

John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich. It's not quite the same thing in that it's arguably a bit of a send up of him, but he was largely mainstream up to that point and I remember thinking it felt like a jump....

One Malkovich cameo that I was going to mention is Mike Figgis' Hotel, which also featured David Schwimmer, Salma Hayek, Lucy Liu, Burt Reynolds and a very rare acting outing for Jeremy Harding.

[Chedney Honks]

Jean-Claude van Damme in Satantango

[Wet Blanket]

Robin Williams in World's Greatest Dad.

Johnny Depp

I'm sure that pre Pirates of the Caribbean Depp was an art house fixture who very rarely made mainstream blockbuster fare. As I heard someone memorably describe it (maybe here) "It used to be I couldn't wait for the latest Johnny Depp film, now I fucking dread it."

[greenman]

You could argue really its not so rare these days as mid budget cinema is on its knees so someone like Johansson is either doing action blockbusters or arthouse, not much else.

[Ignatius_S]

Depp in Arizona Dream.

Although people backing the film had high hopes - hence the cast - and were looking for a more mainstream success. One those examples where people are financing an auteur and then are unhappy that they've backed an auteur is making a film.

[Ignatius_S]

You could argue really its not so rare these days as mid budget cinema is on its knees so someone like Johansson is either doing action blockbusters or arthouse, not much else.

Yeah - also, there's an awareness that appearing in a relatively low-budget film can be a great way to earn plaudits or boost a career in other ways.

[Ignatius_S]

Jim Davidson in Greenaway's 'A Zed And Two Noughts' is a very odd one.

We have a winner.

Also, Davidson was in Colour Me Kubrick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6WiiXUR3xM

[mothman]

Jack Palance in Le Mepris.

Also once late at night I happened across a French (language too, obvs) film, set during the Revolution, which happened to feature Harvey Keitel as Thomas Paine. Talking French. Ah, found it - La Nuit de Varennes. Though going by his filmography HK isn't that averse to arty/cult fare...

[peanutbutter]

Half the people in Harmony Korine films. Setting yourself up for fuck knows what agreeing to do a Malick film too so I'd say anyone in his films counts too.

Nicole Kidman done a bunch, things like Dogville and Birth at the peak of her career at a point where they could've actively harmed her drawing power.

Colin Farrell does decent dabbles, see he's in the new Kogonada film.

Rachel Weisz has very effectively straddled the lines between mainstream and quite arty pretty much her whole career. To the point her filmography looks like she's deliberately trying to keep an equal balance.

[pigamus]

Cheggers in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet

[greenman]

Polansaki's MacBeth I think you mean, he gunged Donalbain.

[pigamus]

Oh yeah