Actors/Actresses that you can't believe weren't bigger stars

[Pitt_Clone]

I'll take Deadwood season 2.

Westworld season 1

I don't know if I have a definitive #1, but I have a list of contenders. Don't want to derail the thread lol.

 

[LarryISU]

 

[LarryISU]

Above is Christina Moore.

 

[CySmurf]

I was #3 camel in the Nativity

I played Winnie the Pooh in kindergarten and Radar O'Reilly in a speech class movie in High School...I was very versatile. ;-)

 

[Gonzo]

I played Winnie the Pooh in kindergarten and Radar O'Reilly in a speech class movie in High School...I was very versatile. ;-)

"I played an endive salad that knocked the critics on their a**!"

Name that movie.

 

[ISUTex]

Liv Tyler.

 

[Bigman38]

Leelee Sobieski, always assumed she just said **** acting at some point

 

[dahliaclone]

"I played an endive salad that knocked the critics on their a**!"

Name that movie.

a juicy, sexy beefsteak tomato

 

[cytor]

 

[demoncore1031]

Jackie Earle Haley
Lance Henriksen
Robert Patrick
Kevin Pollak
John Carroll Lynch
Oliver Platt
Tim Roth

 

[CySmurf]

"I played an endive salad that knocked the critics on their a**!"

Name that movie.

 

[Joe4Cy]

Benicio Del Toro. So good in Sicario movies, and any other roles.

Josh Brolin and Guy Pearce also.

Del Toro was the s@:$ in The Usual Suspects. The character was really just there to die but he made that character so much more!

I always thought Michelle Monaghan should have been huge. She was great in Gone, Baby, Gone.

 

[Gonzo]

Jackie Earle Haley
Lance Henriksen
Robert Patrick
Kevin Pollak
John Carroll Lynch
Oliver Platt
Tim Roth

If you ever listen to Rich Eisen's podcast, Kevin Pollak tells some really great stories when he's a guest. His story about meeting Walter Matthau for the first time on Grumpy Old Men is pure gold.

 

[BryceC]

I sadly think he hasn't been bigger because of his sexual orientation.

Isn’t he crazy tall? Sometimes that stuff works against people too. I mean if you’re tom cruise and you’re 5’7” you don’t want to stand next to Lee pace who is 6’4” or something.

 

[dahliaclone]

Isn’t he crazy tall? Sometimes that stuff works against people too. I mean if you’re tom cruise and you’re 5’7” you don’t want to stand next to Lee pace who is 6’4” or something.

Yeah but there are a lot of actors his height (6 ft 5).

Armie Hammer
Vince Vaughn
John Cleese
The Rock
Tim Robbins
Jeff Goldblum
Stellen Skarsgaard
Liam Neeson
Tom Selleck
Josh Duhmel

 

[5Cy]

"Dazed and Confused" cast had quite a bit of collection action within first decade after release, and several steady careers, but not a lot of superstardom.

Matthew McConaughey
Ben Affleck
Milla Jovovich
Renee Zellweger
Jason London
Rory Cochrane
Wiley Wiggins
Parker Posey
Adam Goldberg
Joey Lauren Adams

London has had consistent roles, but his twin, Jeremy, became more prominent, mostly in TV (Party of Five, 7th Heaven, I’ll Fly Away).

@coolerifyoudid might be able to expound on some specifics.

I’d say McConaughy and Affleck are pretty big superstars. Could also throw Cole Hauser in that mix with the success of Yellowstone.

P.S. - Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms

 

[cyclones500]

I’d say McConaughy and Affleck are pretty big superstars. Could also throw Cole Hauser in that mix with the success of Yellowstone.

P.S. - Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms

I probably should edit my post to designate those near the top got fairly big, then less so as it moves further down.

 

[Die4Cy]

View attachment 170242

I disagree on this. It's incredibly hard for a child star to transition into a sustained career, the nightmare of Hollywood for most of them notwithstanding.

 

[Die4Cy]

Claire Forlani was set to be the It Girl in the middle 90's after Mallrats and Meet Joe Black and then Harvey Weinstein nuked her career because she wasn't willing to humiliate herself.

 

[pourcyne]

I disagree on this. It's incredibly hard for a child star to transition into a sustained career, the nightmare of Hollywood for most of them notwithstanding.

Then that also applies to almost every young female. Hollywood (as well as the public) is painfully harsh on any females beyond a certain age. Only a very few make it through.