Hot & Famous Failures

Pretty boys with nothing else. Tom Berenger and Matt Bomer come to mind.

Cool idea for a thread. I will be back.

Have you ever watched Berenger's performance in [italic]Platoon,[/italic] R1?

Didn't Milo just finish multiple seasons on a 10 ten hit TV show?

R4 This Is Us sucks

All ass, little class…a mediocre actor.

I'll drag in Alison LaPlaca.

She's talented and good looking and never quite made it.

I think Voyage of the Rock Aliens was her Dunston Checks In.

Gretchen Mol

Brandon Routh

I'll always love him and always hate he never became a bigger star.

Jason Patric

[quote] Brandon Routh

A very talented and handsome actor.

Nastassja Kinski, star making role in prestige and acclaimed Polanski film, famous Avedon poster with snake and then four or five years of high profile box office failures before she went back to low-budget European art house cinema.

[quote][R4] This Is Us sucks

I never said that it didn't suck, but it was a top ten show and he just finished a successful run.

[quote]Milo Ventimiglia had all the boxes checked, but couldn’t make the A-list happen.

I like him, but I don't know why you thought he'd ever launch into A-list roles. After Heroes, I'm more surprised he didn't end up in some syfy series before fading away. I always envision him more as a guy who'd spend the rest of his career as a lead in the equivalent of Grey's Anatomy, ER, or 9-1-1 in the Peter Krause or Rob Lowe type role.

R9 Never heard of him!

Lara Trump, country singer.

Oscar LOSER Glenn Close

R12 She should have been much a bigger star than she actually was for her beauty and charisma alone. Made a couple of poor decisions and got derailed. I think she is genuinely very good in Paris, Texas.

R14 Ass, just ass

to label these working actors "failures" is unfair and woefully ignorant. Not to mention clearly some kind of projection

R18, I agree, I was obsessed with her as a wee gayling. I actually just recently watched Cat People, and its not as bad as I expected it to be and she is gorgeous! She married Ibrahim Moussa very young (23) which also coincided with her career stalling post-Paris, Texas.

R2 = Taylor Kitsch

Anna Sten

Richard Greico. Crackpipe got him though

Ron Eldard, Peter Gallagher, Michael Beck, Alex McArthur, and Michael Schoeffling. All hot but never reached A-list status.

Milo Ventimiglia is A-list for television.

Agree R26. There are actors who have done way worse than Milo. I think he’s had a good, solid career.

It pains me to say this, but that hottie James Wolk epitomizes this thread title. They've tried him in film, they've tried in multiple series, and for whatever reason he just can't catch on. He's handsome with boy next door good looks, and he seems nice and likeable, but whatever he's dropping no one's picking up.

Meghan Markle

I just saw Michael Beck at the Chiller Expo. He now looks like a midwestern episcopal priest.

Matt Keeslar

Armie Hammer.

OP you do realize a failure in Hollywood is characterized as someone who was given an opportunity that many struggling actors would sell their souls for, and bungled it, like Lindsay Lohan, Armie Hammer or Alex Pettyfer

Milo Ventimiglia has worked consistently for two decades, can command a good fee and has a good reputation in the industry. “He checks all the boxes” wtf does this mean? He’s a good looking white man. Do you know how many of them there are in Hollywood? Do you know how hard it is to get cast in anything?

All the boys from Dead Poet's Society. I thought bigger things would happen for them. Besides Ethan Hawk not much

[quote]Ron Eldard, Peter Gallagher, Michael Beck, Alex McArthur, and Michael Schoeffling. All hot but never reached A-list status.

Peter Gallagher is the only one who qualifies as someone who "should" have made it to A-list, but didn't. I always thought Hugh Grant taking his place - not that they would have been up for the same roles necessarily, but because there was only mindshare in Hollywood at that time for one pretty dark-haired actor. Schoeffling left Hollywood - he didn't "fail" to make it to A-list.

I think Pettyfer owns this list. Who knew that pissing off Channing Tatum of all people would have such far-reaching repercussions.

Gallagher should have been a star 50+ years ago when musicals could have made use of his glorious singing voice.

[quote]All the boys from Dead Poet's Society.

I was surprised Robert Sean Leonard never became a bigger star.

[quote] I was surprised Robert Sean Leonard never became a bigger star.

It was his stray nose hair that caused this.

That movie was extremely gay. Extremely. Robert Sean Leonard was the standout and the hottest, I agree. He did have a pretty big TV and stage career.

Pettyfer wasn’t just an asshole but allegedly also a woman beater. Likely drugs too. Not a winning combination

I always thought Hayden Christensen was beautiful and a very good actor. I thought he was great in Factory Girl, Shattered Glass, and Life As A House.

Dylan O'Brien.

Dylan O'Brien three months ago. Looking unbathed and sharing a stage with a THEM.

There are so many people that never even get cast into a TV commercial. Having a career as a working actor witn some supporting roles with big names is definitely not considered a failure. That is a dream for most actors. Not everyone becomes a Star, or leading man or leading lady. There are not all suited for the same kind of career. A director might see something and roll the dice on someone. It may or not work. That's life, dolls.

R44 is a failed actor who is still hoping a director sees his Jadience commercial.

Erik pallandino and Jason Gedrick

Kathy Glass. She had it all and just through it away.

Through thick and thin.

Joe Manjello fits this.

He's had some success but the ingredients were there for something bigger and it just fizzled.

[quote] He's had some success but the ingredients were there for something bigger and it just fizzled.

It's because his busy schedule on True Blood didn't allow for him time to do a superhero film!

Dylan O'Brien is the one cast member from Teen Wolf to get somewhere after the series ended, and he's the failure?

Caspar Van Dien

Colton Haynes

Colto.

15 years ago, Hollywood wanted to shove Sienna Miller down our throats. Spoiled rich Brit girl energy, but she had chutzpah and some talent. Certainly more (and sexier) than Emily Blunt who seems to get all the rich bitch Brit parts today.

I think Dylan O'Brien's career was severely derailed by the accident on Mazerunner, so I think he gets a pass due to near-death accident.

Also, Mazerunner underperformed. As did the American Assassin.

I could be an n of one, but back in the late nineties early aughts, I thought Ioan Gruffudd was so handsome. He had leading man looks and Hollywood was rewarding him generously with plum roles.

Then he just vanished. He never really had a hit film to boast of (‘Fantastic Four’ was an ensemble (and shit film)) and soon he vanished along with his frumpy psychotic ex-wife.

Jon-Erik Hexum

Klinton Spilsbury

Miles O’Keefe

Was Miles O'Keefe the one with herpes?

JFK Jr, baby!

John John was pretty dim and flunked the bar multiple times, but he sure was handsome.

r58 yes, Ioan would be a good example of all the raw materials being there but....pbbbbtt, nothing.

Jonathan Schaech

Skeet Ulrich

Chris Klein

Claire Forlani

Oh, I so miss the glamour of the glossies back in the 90s!

I can’t believe Michael Rappaport was featured!

R64, he should have changed his name. Ioan is worse than Saorise.

Chris Klein is a good one. He always seemed like a poor man’s Keanu.

R67, Is he Suri’s biological father?

Perry King and Vincent Spano. They were gorgeous back in the day. Can't believe their careers didn't take off.

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Antonio Sabato Jr

Ken Wahl - his accident must have really messed him up.

R69, Perry King has had a pretty successful career.

R45 Actually I was casting commercials for years and saw the desperation on so many faces. I felt like saying, "go back to Grand Rapids, honey. Get your real estate license and find a nice man to settle down with". Chasing this LA thing is so not what anyone thinks it is. Once you've seen behind the curtain, it looks very different.

I expected Nathan Fillion to become the next Harrison Ford.

That cute teen on the Gene Davis is president show. Plus that XY Kyle Jelly guy.

[quote] That cute teen on the Gene Davis is president show.

Matt Lanter. He's had quite a career doing voice work including for Star Wars. I think he was the voice of Anakin Skywalker in animated series. He's also in a lavender marriage with a dim-witted Christian fundamentalist.

He does cartoons? I didn't know.

Robert Pattinson. He was everywhere when Twilight came out. Then after the movie series ended- thank God - he disappeared.

Those 2 Simple Life freaks were considered hot back in the day but they never had careers that lasted.

The Annable’s - Dave and Odette

(Well, not famous …. But both are hot)

R79 he landed Batman. That is a major high profile gig.

R63- He should have been nicknamed

DUM DUM

The two hot ones from Northern Exposure.

William Levy, although he does well in the Spanish market.

[quote]The two hot ones from Northern Exposure.

Is one of them John Corbett? SATC, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, etc. do not constitute failure.

If I haven't heard of anything they've done for years they're a failure to me.

All of the younger, gorgeous people on Twin Peaks. Kyle McClachlan has done well but I’m talking about the high schoolers on the show. Madchen Amick has been the most visible with Riverdale.

I mean, it's not even close. Klinton Spilsbury.

Jamie Walters.

Ya probably have to have loose morals to snag roles until you happen upon one that makes someone a lot of money.

[quote] I mean, it's not even close. Klinton Spilsbury.

Hold my beer.

The guy who was cast as young Han Solo

The guy who was cast as Young Indiana Jones in the TV series.

It was the powder that got to them!

Some of you have very interesting definitions of "failure." Robert Pattinson starred in 3 huge hit movies and has worked steadily since then. No, I'm not a fan - I haven't seen any of his films (apart from clips). If anything, he seems like someone who got incredibly lucky with what appears to be quite limited range.

I'm sure there are several thousand waiters in LA who would give their left arm or other body parts to have a "failed" career like his.

Wouldn't call him a failure per se but always thought Patrick Wilson should have been more famous than he is. He's a classically trained actor and musician who's won 2 Tony awards for his work on stage. And his pivot into the horror genre is even more bizarre for a hottie.

R96, Patrick Wilson has never won a Tony Award, but he was nominated twice.

Patrick Wilson comes across as brittle an unlikable in every role I've ever seen him in.

Also, he should play William Hurt's son in something.

R98, William Hurt is no longer with us.

James Wolk would have worked in the 80s with Steve Gutenberg and Billy Crystal and a young Tom Hanks.

He’s super cheesy and I can see why he keeps failing.

R14, Nothing wrong with that last scenario.

R1, Emmy-winner, Golden Globe winner, and Oscar nominee? THAT Tom Berenger? You're nuts.

R85, "The Spanish market" is fairly large!

R72, Gee, ya think? Let me introduce you to Google....

R70, JCVD? He had a great run and is legendary! What do you want from him now, at 63? I retired from my job at 52!

IMO, too many define "acting success" as always in a mega-hit, always in the gossip columns, always on late-night talk shows, always a Box-Office draw decades beyond Medicare eligibility!

To everything---and everyone---there is a season.

Eric Balfour. He’s ruined almost as many tv programs as Ted McGinley.

Stupid thread

R20 spoken like a true straight cunt, we know it

I do so love thread criticism.

Plus Tom Berenger got to work with Kathy Glass. It's all down hill after that for anybody.

I don’t think Patrick Wilson is a failure. The Conjuring movies definitely boosted his salary and he’s more recognizable than those Oscar dramas and musicals he was doing before.

R108, And he dueted with Streisand.

R104 = Eric Balfour.

Old dumbass

Patrick Wilson’s ass deserved a better career.

Op is not hot or famous

Op is a failure

R96, what are you talking about? The Insidious and Conjuring series were huge hits. They’re what made Patrick Wilson a movie star. For much of the 2010s, he was the king of Hollywood horror, which is very big deal. Millions more people saw him in those movies than would ever have seen him on Broadway.

[quote] He’s super cheesy and I can see why he keeps failing.

R100, James Wolk smiles too much and too broadly. It’s off-putting and makes him seem like a lightweight.

Smiles too broadly. That's a new one.

Allan Kayser (Bubba, on Mama's Family).

...Oaky, maybe not famous, but he was hot and his career didn't go anywhere.

I’ve mentioned before that I met Gretchen many times during her “failure to launch” period right around when Boardwalk ended.

The whiff of desperation was strong.

DL ex-fave Ben Barnes

R62 No, that was Fabio Testi. He was originally Bo Derek's co-star in Bolero. The two didn't get along, and when she noticed a cold sore on his lip one day, she had him fired.

You could see Milo V’s anus in one of his love scenes in the movie Pathology. Unfortunately it didn’t enhance his film career at the time as far as becoming a major movie star, though he’s had success in some TV show I’ve never seen, presumably keeping his hole under wraps since it’s on NBC and not HBO.

Charlie Sheen

[quote] That cute teen on the Gene Davis is president show. Plus that XY Kyle Jelly guy.

[quote] Matt Lanter. He's had quite a career doing voice work including for Star Wars. I think he was the voice of Anakin Skywalker in animated series. He's also in a lavender marriage with a dim-witted Christian fundamentalist.

R76 R77 He also went on to do 5 years on the CW's 90210 reboot (where he was shirtless most of the time), and then several failed series where he was a lead (Star-Crossed (CW), Timeless (NBC), Jupiter's Legacy (Netflix), etc.), and a handful of tv one-off appearances. He did a few films that went direct to streaming - Liar's All and USS: Indianapolis. And then Pitch Perfect 3.

Yeah, Matt Lanter never became a big star, or at least a bigger one than I kind of thought he would - a more regular in network tv. He makes most of his money in voice overs for cartoons, esp. Anakin Skywalker in The Clone Wars. His on camera work was pretty steady when he was younger...he since tapered off after the 'Lavender Marriage' to the fundie "influencer" (I love that you mentioned that) and moving to Nashville. He has said he turned down quite a few big roles recently because he didn't care for the material, and wanted to be more present raising his kid.

He does have a new series he just started on called "Motorheads" coming to Amazon Prime.

He's not a failure but David Lasher (Hey Dude, 90210, Sabrina) never made it big. Cute and appealing guy.

A lot of the people mentioned have careers many actors would kill for. Steady work in a field you love without having to deal with the paps and people digging into your life constantly the way they do with A listers.

And then there are a couple of people mentioned here, who never made into the big, big leagues because their energy duplicated an already A list star and you don't need two.

[quote] A lot of the people mentioned have careers many actors would kill for. Steady work in a field you love without having to deal with the paps and people digging into your life constantly the way they do with A listers.

Of course you're right. But the spirit of the thread is just to think of hot, famous people who didn't make it (while others did). No big deal.

And by the way, I do think the dream of most actors is to be tops in their field. Not to just be a steady worker.

[quote]And by the way, I do think the dream of most actors is to be tops in their field. Not to just be a steady worker.

I don't think this mastery of the "craft" is the ultimate goal although it may be viewed by many as a necessary intermediary step.

It's more likely the majority of them want fame, fortune, and celebrity - lifestyles of the rich and famous. When you are viewed as "tops" in acting, you get choice roles without auditioning, massive payouts, and respect, so mastery becomes a stepping stone to achieving the ultimate primary goal.

Sam Page.

DL fave Hart Bochner.

R128 Or even if you're not into fame, fortune, and celebrity--you may be into being regarded as the best at what you do, since there's frustration in being good when no one sees it, or you're not appreciated. The money will follow, and, as you say, having a choice of the best roles and material.

Sean Faris.

As somebody (I forget who) said, no actor starts out thinking they're going to play small parts.

I want James Wolk to have my ass baby.

tasty mother fucker

R119, Ben Barnes is another name on this thread that has actually had a pretty successful career, given his limited talents. He's worked regularly for a couple of decades in everything from big budget films (eg. 'The Chronicles of Narnia') to high-profile TV shows like 'Westworld'. He's not likely to ever be an A-list movie star, but there are many other actors who would be glad to have had his career.

Who the HELL is Ben Barnes??

R128 you misunderstand the mindset of actors. They live on the applause of those beautiful people out there in the dark. Fame and money are just incidental.

Ben Barnes proved he was not a good actor on Westworld. You can’t be a huge A lister if you’re completely wooden.

R138 I was an actor for a long time and I never lived on applause, Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

My impression is that for all the actors I've ever known, each one has a different reason for being an actor. That's the strangest thing about it.

R138 Though I'm sorry, I should say, you're right, too, because it's hardly ever fame or money.

Ben Barnes' career trajectory has been a 20 year nose-dive.

^I never saw anything he's been in. Is he more famous in England?

Ben Barnes has worked regularly for a long time which is the ultimate test of success for an actor. However, what's more interesting about him is his unusual personal life and his ability to keep it so secret and still be unmarried and childless at nearly 43.

Everyone on Glee except Lea Michelle who was never hot

And Chris Colfer was?!