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March 28, 2024, 09:06:35 AM

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Movie stars that never were

Started by dead-ced-dead, November 26, 2021, 11:06:34 AM

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Brundle-Fly

Quote from: George White on December 06, 2021, 01:11:29 PMDidn't Spielberg warn her not to go Hollywood?

He persuaded her not get involved in the film industry yet and to "be a kid and go to Disneyland". She was sixteen, so he wasn't being particularly patronising.

dead-ced-dead

I'm re-watching The Shadow and John Lone (who plays the baddie) is a great example for this thread.

He came to prominence in Hollywood when they were only willing to cast men and women of colour in very narrow boxes. I'm not saying things are perfect now, but people are more willing to do colour blind casting (which comes with it its own problems) and create roles with greater diversity. Similar to how Dev Patel came to prominence with a huge Oscar winner (Slumdog Millionare for Dev, The Last Emperor for Lone), Patel and this generation of actors find themselves doing varied and interesting work, where Lone was stuck doing stereotypical Chinese and Hong Kong roles.

A real shame, since he's really talented.

Dusty Substance


I just watched the first two Marvel Thor movies for the first time and was reminded of Kat Dennings. She was kind of touted as a next big thing circa 2010, did a couple of faux indie films (anyone remember Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist?), then the two Thors (in which she has really good chemistry with co-star Natalie Portman - Was surprised they weren't cast as sisters, as they had a similar look and it would've been a nice balance of siblings to brothers Thor and Loki) and then....nothing. A bunch of TV work but no films.

A shame, as she had a good look - The lips and curves of Angelina Jolie, mixed with the indie schmindie sensibility of Zooey Deschanel - And had acting talent. 

Magnum Valentino

Perhaps the problem there is that she plays the one character in everything, but it's a supporting character (unless it's a sitcom), unlike the one-character peddled by stars like, say, Statham or The Rock, which is a lead-role character. Does that make sense?

She's also more or less terminally intolerable which might have more to do with it.

mothman

While on the subject of the Stath, I wonder if he'll ever be considered a true Star? The Rock seems to have made it, and it's Fasting and Furiousing that's finally done that - the same films that also had Statham in. But I saw a trailer on TV for his latest film coming out on Prime, and it looks like exactly the sort of film you'd expect Jason Statham to be in and has been in for about the past twenty years. The Meg wasn't a Jason Statham film, it was a giant fucking shark film with Jason Statham in.

dead-ced-dead

Quote from: mothman on December 11, 2021, 11:26:45 PMWhile on the subject of the Stath, I wonder if he'll ever be considered a true Star? The Rock seems to have made it, and it's Fasting and Furiousing that's finally done that - the same films that also had Statham in. But I saw a trailer on TV for his latest film coming out on Prime, and it looks like exactly the sort of film you'd expect Jason Statham to be in and has been in for about the past twenty years. The Meg wasn't a Jason Statham film, it was a giant fucking shark film with Jason Statham in.

The Stath certainly is the B-movie non-union equivalent of someone like The Rock.

Same with Gerard Butler, too. Both seem to be aware of their limitations and rather than bemoan their place, seem to embrace their status as the Chuck Norris/JCVD place in the world.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: Dusty Substance on December 11, 2021, 09:13:47 PMI just watched the first two Marvel Thor movies for the first time and was reminded of Kat Dennings. She was kind of touted as a next big thing circa 2010, did a couple of faux indie films (anyone remember Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist?), then the two Thors (in which she has really good chemistry with co-star Natalie Portman - Was surprised they weren't cast as sisters, as they had a similar look and it would've been a nice balance of siblings to brothers Thor and Loki) and then....nothing. A bunch of TV work but no films.

A shame, as she had a good look - The lips and curves of Angelina Jolie, mixed with the indie schmindie sensibility of Zooey Deschanel - And had acting talent. 

Massive norks, too.

Andy147

IIRC the Last of the Summer Wine book by Andrew Vine says that back in the 1940s/50s Bill Owen had been a movie star that never was.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: Dusty Substance on December 11, 2021, 09:13:47 PMI just watched the first two Marvel Thor movies for the first time and was reminded of Kat Dennings. She was kind of touted as a next big thing circa 2010, did a couple of faux indie films (anyone remember Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist?)
Another one whose successful run on telly seemed to mark the end of their film career.

The Nick to her Nora, Michael Cera has done some indie films and a small, but good, role in Molly's Game over the past decade, but Scott Pilgrim bombing really slammed the brakes on his career. It feels like a testament to how much his star has waned that Zombieland 2 didn't even get him in to play the bizarro version of Jesse Eisenberg.

George White

Quote from: Andy147 on December 12, 2021, 01:35:28 PMIIRC the Last of the Summer Wine book by Andrew Vine says that back in the 1940s/50s Bill Owen had been a movie star that never was.
Yes, he was one of Britain's attempts to create their own Cagney, see also his fellow Carry On Sergeant actor William Hartnell who did have a few  lead roles but was more successful as a second lead/character actor (e.g. in Brighton Rock).

Owen did a lead role I saw recently, called the Rainbow Jacket, for Ealing, which is a sort of sub-National Velvet story of a disgraced jockey (Compo) who trains a  young boy, only for the two to find themselves racing against each other - while also falling in love with the kid's mum. And it's weird seeing him as the lead, above the likes of Robert Morley and WIlfrid Hyde-White and Sid James.


It's always interesting finding actors we know as sitcom stars, and realising that they had chances at film careers.
The other one who comes to mind is Judy Cornwell who AFAIK was if not actually under contract with American International Pictures, certainly was a favourite of the American B-studio. She's a minor part in Rocket to the Moon, but then gets bigger roles for Arkoff -  Nelly Dean in their version of Wuthering Heights, she's the secondary female lead in Corman racing pic The Wild Racers, she's 4th billed in WHo Slew Auntie Roo, and she's  one of the love interests in Corman-produced sub-Alfie Lee Dunne adap Paddy (1970).

George White

Slightly off-topic but discovered that having been in a production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead with Anthony Daniels, Christopher Timothy pre-All Creatures auditioned for Han Solo

famethrowa

Would be helpful when Chewie got flop-bot

Keebleman

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on December 12, 2021, 02:04:27 PMThe Nick to her Nora, Michael Cera has done some indie films and a small, but good, role in Molly's Game over the past decade, but Scott Pilgrim bombing really slammed the brakes on his career. It feels like a testament to how much his star has waned that Zombieland 2 didn't even get him in to play the bizarro version of Jesse Eisenberg.

Cena seemed to have already bagged the Jimmy-Stewart-or-Tom-Hanks-de-ses-jours position.  I assumed that his lack of visibility in recent years was entirely his choice, and that Hollywood was constantly pestering his 'people' with offers of high-profile work.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Dusty Substance on December 11, 2021, 09:13:47 PM(anyone remember Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist?)

I think of watching that film about once a week, as I've a framed copy of The Diarrhea Times from Nathan For You on my wall that has a picture and review of the film, but I then completely forget about it. Today might just be the day that changes though...

dead-ced-dead

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on December 16, 2021, 01:11:32 PMI think of watching that film about once a week, as I've a framed copy of The Diarrhea Times from Nathan For You on my wall that has a picture and review of the film, but I then completely forget about it. Today might just be the day that changes though...

It's quite a cute film. Made during the skinny-jeaned dogdays of indie rock, so it's a fairly nice time capsule.

greenman

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on December 12, 2021, 06:51:18 AMThe Stath certainly is the B-movie non-union equivalent of someone like The Rock.

Same with Gerard Butler, too. Both seem to be aware of their limitations and rather than bemoan their place, seem to embrace their status as the Chuck Norris/JCVD place in the world.

Really by the time they broke though I would say there just wasnt much place for action stars becoming massive names, Cage and Will Smith managed to get a bit of the tail end of that but by the 00's "action star" did tend to mean you were limited to B level status.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: dead-ced-dead on December 16, 2021, 01:27:50 PMIt's quite a cute film. Made during the skinny-jeaned dogdays of indie rock, so it's a fairly nice time capsule.
I've not seen it, but I always remember it as marking the point that the word "Hipster" seemed to lose all meaning. I thought indie rock was a perfectly standard thing for the yoof to be into, but apparently it was hipster as fuck.

willbo

Justice League Mortal (cancelled 2009 film) is a nice snapshot of what almost was in terms of planned but failed stardom

Armie Hammer As Batman/Bruce Wayne.

D. J. Cotrona As Superman/Clark Kent.

Megan Gale As Wonder Woman.

Teresa Palmer As Talia al Ghul.

Common As Green Lantren/John Stewart.

Adam Brody As The Flash/Barry Allen.

Jay Baruchel As Maxwell Lord.

Hugh Keays-Byrne As Martian Manhunter.

Santiago Cabrera As Aquaman.

phantom_power

Adam Brody is someone that seemed to be poised for stardom after the OC but then disappeared for a while, only to turn up again as a really good supporting actor and star of lower budget films like The Kid Detective

George White

RE:Keays Byrne, I remember hoping that Mad Max Fury Road would kickstart a career resurgence for him. But it didn't. And that bites. Maybe, he felt it was time to go out on a high.

mothman

Watching Desperately Seeking Susan tonight, it occurs to me there's a case for Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn to be in this thread. Both feel like they could have been really big - but weren't.

Famous Mortimer

Rosanna Arquette had a pretty good 80s, I guess?

I just watched "Ghost Hunters" from 2016, apparently a Google Play original movie (?), and it's a who's-who of almost stars. Jon Heder, Justin Long and David Krumholtz (who was the lead on a big budget network show for like 7 years) all seem to have found their level in gentle indie things like this, but at one time they could have headlined a movie and you'd probably not have been too surprised.

dead-ced-dead

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on December 19, 2021, 02:53:47 AMRosanna Arquette had a pretty good 80s, I guess?

I just watched "Ghost Hunters" from 2016, apparently a Google Play original movie (?), and it's a who's-who of almost stars. Jon Heder, Justin Long and David Krumholtz (who was the lead on a big budget network show for like 7 years) all seem to have found their level in gentle indie things like this, but at one time they could have headlined a movie and you'd probably not have been too surprised.

I always feel regret when watching Dodgeball and I notice how great Justin Long is. He's so wonderful.

phantom_power

Justin Long is great all round. He has good comic chops and can do serious as well (Giri/Haji). I think he suffers a bit because he looks a bit like a cut-rate Jim Carrey and has maybe made some bad career choices

George White

Quote from: mothman on December 19, 2021, 12:37:10 AMWatching Desperately Seeking Susan tonight, it occurs to me there's a case for Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn to be in this thread. Both feel like they could have been really big - but weren't.
I for a long time thought Quinn was a bigger star, because here, he was kind of hyped a bit because he's sorta-Irish (American-born, of Irish parentage, grew up here).

Quote from: mothman on December 19, 2021, 12:37:10 AMWatching Desperately Seeking Susan tonight, it occurs to me there's a case for Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn to be in this thread. Both feel like they could have been really big - but weren't.

I'm not sure if her co-star Madonna is a candidate for this thread or not. Like a lot of famous singers who dipped their toe, she didnt need to become a movie star to be huge.

mothman

That's an interesting one, because while a film with Madonna in will have an element of "Ooh, Madonna's in this" proportionate to that you'd afford to an actual movie star, there are very few films where she is in herself the draw - apart from Desperately Seeking Susan. Plenty of films where she was the draw bombed as a result (Who's That Girl, Body Of Evidence, that one with Sean Penn, etc.) while films she were in that were hits did so despite her being in them (Die Another Day, A League Of Their Own, etc.),and usually as a secondary character at that. I'm not sure which category Dick Tracey falls in though...

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I watched Bad Boys for Life yesterday, which had Vanessa Anne Hudgens in a third string role. It seemed like she was primed to be a bigger name at one point.

George White

I think she's fallen into a neat little niche with those Princess Switch movies.

dissolute ocelot

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on December 19, 2021, 04:35:12 PMI watched Bad Boys for Life yesterday, which had Vanessa Anne Hudgens in a third string role. It seemed like she was primed to be a bigger name at one point.
Hudgens seemed to go through a period of rebelling against her Disney past, with a couple of years 2012-13ish where she was in in Spring Breakers, Sucker Punch, and Machete Kills. She seems to have done a lot of musicals since then, as well as the romcoms George White mentions. Not sure if she was destined for stardom, as she seemed a very ordinary Disney constructed star, and her music career didn't reach Ariana Grande or Selina Gomez levels of fame. Even in High School Musical 2 she was sidelined in comparison to Efron.

EDIT: Although come to think of it, Zac Efron is another who at one point seemed super-hot and famous, before deciding he'd rather be Ted Bundy.