Actors who failed to reach their potential

Kumejima

Looking at Alien there on a pub big screen it struck me that Tom Skerrit, the captain of the Nostromo, should have been a bigger str. He had looks, charisma and talent so why have I only seen him in Brothers and Sisters dying off straight away.

I don't know if this has been done to death but who do you feel should have become an A-lister instead of a straight to video.

Here's my list:

Rutger Hauer: Amazing charisma, why isn't he the go to guy for baddie roles?
Paul Walker: Should have been Annakin, not doing Fast and Furious 5
Sam Elliott: If only he'd been around in the age of the Western
Michael Biehn: Terminator? Aliens? Now?
Eric Bana: His film choices since Chopper have been a constant disappointment. Should be robbing Russell Crowe's roles at this stage

On the Irish side:
Stuart Townsend: Great charm in About Adam and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, but has walked off so many films that might have made him a star.

I'll add more as I think of them but any thoughts?

fruvai

Mickey Rourke is the first name that comes to mind.
IMO, he had the talent to be up there with the likes of De Niro,Pacino and Nicholson. Elia Kazan even said that his Actors Studio was the best audition he'd seen in 30 years but his career has been tainted my bad choices and missteps. He's done some good stuff - The Wrestler, Rumblefish, Barfly, Angelheart,Pope of Greenwich Village but the bad greatly outweighs the good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARvdUBkNoDU

He coulda been a contender,he coulda been somebody, instead of a bum :pac:

charlemont

Corey Haim, Remember some early 80's films, The feen from The Navigator also does jack shít now.

Duggy747

Poor old Michael Biehn, he had so many oppertunities taken from him.

Was cut from T2 (put back in the Director's Cut)
Alien 3 completely had him killed off from the start
Was shortlisted for Batman (Though rightfully Keaton got it)
Was to appear in Cameron's Spiderman
Wanted to appear in Avatar (Which Cameron didn't want people to think it was Aliens........yea, the soundtrack convinced me otherwise :pac:)

Maybe Avatar 2 will have room for him.

Richard Dower

charlemont wrote: »

Corey Haim, Remember some early 80's films, The feen from The Navigator also does jack shít now.

Corey Haim died last year, RIP

MagicMarker

River Phoenix, for obvious reasons.

JP Liz V1

Val Kilmer - Even looks completely different now with all the weight

Bridget Fonda - Does she even act anymore?

Brendan Fraser - I guess he is a big star but picks some of movie picks arent great

Heather Graham - Wasnt even in Hangover 2

Joaquin Phoenix - I believe he is making a comeback soon

mike65

Dennis Hopper! Easily could have been as big as any of the 70s heavyweights but basically pissed that decade away and by the time he got his work head back on it was too late, though he did okay at his "cult" level of course.

+1 on Rutger Hauer I never understood why he never got the A listed roles.

Ironman76

Completely agree with Rutger Hauer. Brilliant actor and screen presence. For those that havent seen Blind Fury check it out, youre in for a treat. Also Surviving the Game is a grand little flick. Never understood how he was never given bigger villain roles even. The man is an absolute legend.

Also Kiefer Sutherland. Always thought he was a brilliant actor. Thankfully 24 came along and he nailed it, but movie-wise he never truly reached his potential.

Another is Burgess Meredith. HIs acting in Rocky is some of the finest Ive ever seen. I remember a few years ago I tried to find other movies with him in them but he seemed to have been cursed with lesser roles in not so good movies.

abouttobebanned

I'll be laughed at...

But I always thought Chris O Donnell had potential. He just mad some awful decisions.

kiddums

I'll get killed for saying this, but I didn't like Blade runner.
That said, between that and the hitcher, Rutger Hauer should have a massive star.

Speaking of the hitcher, Sean Bean is another one to add to the list. He's fantastic in goldeneye and the hitcher remake. Where is he now tho?

UCD2010

Michael Madsen has made some God awful career moves.. He's been in over 170 films in 25 years thats an average 7 of films a year.. most of them are terrible!

Malcom McDowell

+1 Stuart Townsend

+1 Val Kilmer

mikemac

Not a well know actor here

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001263/
Jason Gedrick

Oh he has the looks and the charisma

Was in Risky Business and hooked up again with Tom Cruise with a small role in Born on the Fourth of July
He was in Backdraft which is a well known film

And got his biggest role in the superb Murder One as the good looking Hollywood Star accused of murder. I love legal dramas and this was one of the best.

And does pretty much nothing since.
Just bit parts on TV roles
I thought this was a leading man for films for sure

Lots of other actors from Murder One went on to better things, most notably Mary McCormack on the West Wing and Stanley Tucci is a great actor with an Academy Award

JP Liz V1

mikemac wrote: »

Not a well know actor here

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001263/
Jason Gedrick

Oh he has the looks and the charisma

Was in Risky Business and hooked up again with Tom Cruise with a small role in Born on the Fourth of July
He was in Backdraft which is a well known film

And got his biggest role in the superb Murder One as the good looking Hollywood Star accused of murder. I love legal dramas and this was one of the best.

And does pretty much nothing since.
Just bit parts on TV roles
I thought this was a leading man for films for sure

Lots of other actors from Murder One went on to better things, most notably Mary McCormack on the West Wing and Stanley Tucci is a great actor with an Academy Award

Stanley Tucci isnt an Academy Award winner he has a nomination

Jason Gedrick seems to be cast in tv shows that are cancelled quickly he was also in the excellent Boomtown but hopefully that changes with HBO's new show Luck with Dustin Hoffman

mikemac

I stand corrected on the Oscar.
I did have a quick glance on wikipedia to check before posting but I misread it

ztoical

kiddums wrote: »

Speaking of the hitcher, Sean Bean is another one to add to the list. He's fantastic in goldeneye and the hitcher remake. Where is he now tho?

Doing ok in HBO's Game of Thrones

kellso81

Rutger Hauer is going the be the star in the upcoming 'hobo with a shotgun', released this summer. Check out the trailer,http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssHEAOrAdCU it has to be seen to be believed! can't wait!

Frank Black

Cleavon Little from Blazing Saddles – he’s great in that movie, very funny and he’s got the movie star looks. Himself and Gene Wilder seem to have a really good on-screen chemistry too.
Always thought it was strange that he never appeared in bigger movies after Blazing Saddles.
Sadly died in 1992.

+1 on Michael Biehn, though I was looking at the extra’s disc on the Alien Box Set recently and he seems, well, ‘a bit mad’ basically – wonder if that’s why he hasn’t gotten offered bigger roles?

JP Liz V1

mikemac wrote: »

I stand corrected on the Oscar.
I did have a quick glance on wikipedia to check before posting but I misread it

No matter how crap the film is I always enjoy Stanley Tucci's performance in whatever role he plays e.g. Burlesque

Peyton Manning

Tupac Shakur, again for obvious reasons. Fantastic actor, was great in the few films he appeared in before his murder.

The King of Moo

Christopher Walken for me. A great academy-award winning performance in The Deer Hunter, but he never seemed to find his niche, and you can mostly find him playing parodies of himself. Now he's still great to watch in light-hearted stuff, and he's clearly enjoying himself whenever I see him but I wish he'd got more meaty roles, apart from the odd good small role here and there.

The fact that he apparently accepts every role he's offered if he can fit it into his schedule doesn't help.

Duggy747

If Christopher Walken appeared in The Irishman with DeNiro, Pacino, and Pesci under the direction of Scorsessi I think I'd have a heart attack.

Skerries

Kyle Chandler is one those actors that has the charisma but never really made it big
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151419/

Jeffrey Dean Morgan
apart from The Watchmen he has only appeared in small roles
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0604747/

ziedth

Michael Biehn is supposed to be an arsehole right? Maybe that didn't help. I always thought he should have been a big name. Can't say I remember him being in anything since the rock.

It's early days but I thought Dwayne "the rock" Johnson was going to be the next Arnie when he first went into films.

ziedth

Skerries wrote: »

Jeffrey Dean Morgan
apart from The Watchmen he has only appeared in small roles
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0604747/

He was the lead in the watchable film "the losers" but he's a good pick.

saintsaltynuts

Ray Liotta(Goodfellas),Paddy Considine(Dead Mans Shoes),Christian Slater(True Romance,Interview With The Vampire) Alicia Silverstone(Clueless) never did much after these signature roles.

Plazaman

A huge amount of "movie" stars from the late 90's early noughties who now are in TV series (and not wanting to sidetrack the thread) but up to a few years ago I thought they missed their potential but the move to the small screen I think it has done them the world of good. Sean Bean as previously stated but also Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), James Spader/William Shatner (Boston Legal), Charlie Sheen (Two and a Half Men...... well use ta), Patrick Warburton (Family Guy / Rules of Engagement), Kiefer Sutherland (24), Gary Sinise (CSI NY), Martin Sheen (West Wing).....I could go on....actually this would be a great thread in itself.

JP Liz V1

I think certain actors/actresses are better suited to tv roles imo and nowadays it is better to be in a hit tv show

mikhail

Plazaman wrote: »

Patrick Warburton (Family Guy / Rules of Engagement)

The Tick and you forgot his signature role: Brock Sampson in The Venture Bros..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOhRe19rROA

Kumejima

Just saw Biehn was an alcoholic for many years. Poor dude. Decent interview with him from 1986 with some lady

closifer

Ed Norton. He was so unbelievable in his early films and then just started to take rubbish roles...such a shame

R P McMurphy

Ghandi, he was in that one film and was never seen again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O8SgaDOock

LCD

Viggo Mortenson, really thought after Lord of the Rings would have a lot more lead roles.

Sad Professor

LCD wrote: »

Viggo Mortenson, really thought after Lord of the Rings would have a lot more lead roles.

But he's had loads of leading roles. The Road, A History of Violence, Hidalgo, Eastern Promises, Appaloosa. In fact, I think every role he has done since LOTR has been a leading role.

spank_inferno

agreed about Viggo.... with the roles he has taken he has mostly been top of the bill.

He didn't move onto the popcorn blockbuster fare that Johnny Depp is constantly in now a days.

Plus Viggo is as much devoted to his writing/photography etc.

Manchegan

Tom Berenger - from brilliant performances in Platoon and Someone to watch over me to straight-to-video limbo, more or less.

Also, watch Linus Roache in Jimmy McGovern's Priest and explain why he's been criminally underused since.

JP Liz V1

Well death stopped quite a few actors and actresses

As previously mentioned in this thread

Tupac Shakur

River Phoenix

Corey Haim

and also

Brad Renfro

Brittany Murphy

Chris Penn

Adrienne Shelly

Heath Ledger

kiddums

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Well death stopped quite a few actors and actresses

As previously mentioned in this thread

Tupac Shakur

River Phoenix

Corey Haim

and also

Brad Renfro

Brittany Murphy

Chris Penn

Adrienne Shelly

Heath Ledger

Don't forget Brandon Lee.
Or you could argue that Bruce Lee never got to where he could have. Tho he did get pretty big.

JP Liz V1

After his performances in Terminator 2 and American History X - Edward Furlong should have been a huge star but alas it wasnt to be

who the fug

Tom Cruise, big box office (just seems to have been in a cruise and collect mode for the last twenty years) but very repetitive boring movies

Molly Ringwold, just could never get rid of the teenage type casting

kiddums

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

After his performances in Terminator 2 and American History X - Edward Furlong should have been a huge star but alas it wasnt to be

I can't name another good preformance from him.
He even managed to play his role horribly in the poorly written crow movie he did.

JP Liz V1

kiddums wrote: »

I can't name another good preformance from him.
He even managed to play his role horribly in the poorly written crow movie he did.

Animal Factory, Little Odessa and Pecker

pickarooney

Lisa Nicole Carson (Ally McBeal, ER) went from being the hottest woman on television to never working again.

Marty McFly

kiddums wrote: »

I can't name another good preformance from him.
He even managed to play his role horribly in the poorly written crow movie he did.

He was also good in Pecker, and Detroit Rock City in his early career he had a real presence on screen. He had huge potential and I believe wouldve went on to been one of the all time greats had drugs and personal issues not taken over his life.

enda1

Massimo Troisi

Anyone who's seen Il Postino (The Postman) will agree with me I'm sure.

Malmedicine

Devon Sawa always watchable in Final Destination, Idle hands and slackers and who can forget Stan but seriously fell by the wayside afterwards

ronoc 1

i always thought lance henriksen should have been a bigger star,he was great in aliens,near dark,and hard target,and even in small roles like terminator and the omen 2 he always seem to steal the movie.another one would be cary elwes,very charasmatic in princess bride and glory,but some how never got to the big time,its a shame he could have been this generations errol flynn.

Nolanger

Michael Moriarty - The Stuff, Q, and Bang the drum slowly. Great, offbeat actor who was too 'weird' for mainstream Hollywood.

fluke

Michael Keaton - Yes he was Batman, and rightly turned down Batman 3 because of the camp direction it was taking, but I often feel like he has a lot more to give, he nailed the angst of Batman/Bruce Wayne, and was hilariously ott in Beetlejuice. Anything he's been in since (except Toy Story 3) hasn't really made the most of him, or more often it has been down to his poor choices.

irishh_bob

abouttobebanned wrote: »

I'll be laughed at...

But I always thought Chris O Donnell had potential. He just mad some awful decisions.

no , just no , o donnell like brendan frazer is a terrible actor

to answer your question OP

i think the most obvious example is mickey rourke

Gulliver

Scott Bakula was great in Quantum Leap. At the time I thought he'd make the jump to the big time, maybe even be the go to guy for sci-fi/action films. But no, he gets lead role on Enterprise and plays it as an unlikeable, gurning, scenery-chewing gimp. I seriously doubt the writers wrote Archer that way.