Actors who were going to be The Next Big Thing—then fell off the face of the earth

[Anonymous]

This thread is sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mini Driver She is still out there working. But I thought she would have had a bigger career.

She's a character actor who never fit the pretty ingenue mold. She's done pretty well actually, has worked steadily just not in big flashy roles. Not sure she even was after those though.

+1, I found it odd that someone named Minnie Driver. Like you say, I don't think she was ever tapped by Hollywood publicity as a next big thing/Hollywood movie leading actress. She's always been more of a character actor despite appearing in the usual rom-coms earlier in her career. She's in a lot of UK and other international productions and has worked very steadily, has several movies and series about to be released. Yeah, I looked her up on IMDB because of this thread. Funny how the yardstick is "next big thing"...what, in romcoms and Hollywood movies? Who cares? Just working steadily is "making it" for most actors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mini Driver She is still out there working. But I thought she would have had a bigger career.

She's a character actor who never fit the pretty ingenue mold. She's done pretty well actually, has worked steadily just not in big flashy roles. Not sure she even was after those though.

+1, I found it odd that someone named Minnie Driver. Like you say, I don't think she was ever tapped by Hollywood publicity as a next big thing/Hollywood movie leading actress. She's always been more of a character actor despite appearing in the usual rom-coms earlier in her career. She's in a lot of UK and other international productions and has worked very steadily, has several movies and series about to be released. Yeah, I looked her up on IMDB because of this thread. Funny how the yardstick is "next big thing"...what, in romcoms and Hollywood movies? Who cares? Just working steadily is "making it" for most actors.

Nickname. Her real name is Amelia. Posh girl

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Armitage after North and South. He seems to just make bad Netflix films occasionally.

Great actor. He was in the hobbit, but agree that he’s had terrible roles.

He's definitely the leading man type, but there's some evidence he's gay and he won't cop to it or not, so possibly movies don't know what to do with him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Armitage after North and South. He seems to just make bad Netflix films occasionally.

Great actor. He was in the hobbit, but agree that he’s had terrible roles.

He's definitely the leading man type, but there's some evidence he's gay and he won't cop to it or not, so possibly movies don't know what to do with him.

He's just come out but it was a not-at-all-well-hidden-secret for a long time. However, if Tom Cruise can play straight characters, so can he.

[Anonymous]

Rainn Wilson—didn’t “fall off the face of the earth,” has worked in acting consistently for 20+ years but really thought he was exceptionally talented

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Saved by the Bell kids.

Seriously? They were all pretty hack actors.

They had a huge platform that should have propelled them forward—especially MPG and TAT.

But they didn’t have the accompanying talent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Saved by the Bell kids.

Seriously? They were all pretty hack actors.

Mario is very successful, I haven't Stopped seeing him since Saved By the Bell ended.

Leah Remini was also on Saved by the Bell, very successful.

Tiffani Thiessen 46 more credits than SBTB.


Mark Paul Gosseler, working.
While none are movie stars, I would disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Saved by the Bell kids.

Seriously? They were all pretty hack actors.

Mario is very successful, I haven't Stopped seeing him since Saved By the Bell ended.

Leah Remini was also on Saved by the Bell, very successful.

Tiffani Thiessen 46 more credits than SBTB.


Mark Paul Gosseler, working.
While none are movie stars, I would disagree.

Mark Paul Gosseler ended up becoming hot, hot, hot. I'm surprised he isn't working in more visible projects. He was really good in that baseball series.

[Anonymous]

Wes Bentley after American Beauty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Richard Armitage after North and South. He seems to just make bad Netflix films occasionally.

Great actor. He was in the hobbit, but agree that he’s had terrible roles.

He's definitely the leading man type, but there's some evidence he's gay and he won't cop to it or not, so possibly movies don't know what to do with him.

He's just come out but it was a not-at-all-well-hidden-secret for a long time. However, if Tom Cruise can play straight characters, so can he.

He’s currently starting in the kinky new Netflix limited series “Obsession.”

He’s handsome. And he can play straight rather convincingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess we can add Jamie Gertz who was in Lost Boys with Jason Patric.

Actually, just saw she co-owns the NBA! Wow.

Gertz has been married to billionaire business executive Tony Ressler since 1989. She used fame and fortune to marry a hedge fund manager and make 10x more than she ever would have as an actress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A number of the ones named so far have reputations for being difficult or mentally ill.

A number of names that have come up have had that reputation because they were blacklisted by Weinstein for refusing him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Samantha Mathis should have been the next “it” girl after her debut film with Christian Slater in the 90s followed by dumping John Leguizamo for River Phoenix. She’s been a working actor in good films with stars like Winona Ryder, but she’s not the household name she was predicted to be.

Pump up the volume-shot at my high school in the 80s. Love that movie.

[Anonymous]

I’m sure lots of actors only wish they had the “has been” career of some of these folks.