Actors who failed to live up to their potential (1 Viewer)

[Michael Reuben]

That's interesting, because I would put him in a whole different category from many of the people you first listed (Cuba Gooding, Jr., Mira Sorvino, Marisa Tomei). Cage has never lacked for work or visibility since winning the Oscar; the only question (at least for purposes of this thread) is whether the work was "worthy" of his talent. The others you named (and many more mentioned in subsequent posts) have not had so visible or successful a movie career since their big breaks, for many reasons, not all of which have to do with talent.

M.

 

[TheLongshot]

Actually, from what I've seen and read, it actually might be pretty good. Having a popular movie (Punisher) and a high aclaim film (Stander) might be enough to propel him to the next level.

Jason

 

[Alex Spindler]

I'm also thinking Ben Affleck could fall into this category.

Since first recognizing him in Good Will Hunting, I thought he had the potential to provide something good. He had the ability to deliver the humor and the more important speeches in the film with some confidence that I thought would be able to show a future in very interesting roles. Since then, it has been a string of absolutely mediocre stuff. The only rays of hope have been in Boiler Room playing Alec Baldwin-lite and in CHasing Lanes.

Heck, I think Casey Affleck has impressed me more.

 

[Holadem]

This post highlights how blurry this whole "potential" business is. The definition seems to be all over the map.

Affleck is as big as he is ever going to get. He may not take roles you like, but Gigli notwhistanding, the man is a HUGE star with some serious BO draw. He has been around for some 8 years now, and does not show sign of slowing down. To me (and I suspect, to him), that is reaching one's potential.

And in what world can it be said that a well established, respected actor AND star like Nic Cage has not reached his potential?

--
H

 

[Alex Spindler]

I'm with you on mixed definitions Holadem. For me, I would consider potential artistically. I think that, with the exception of Boiler Room and Changing Lanes, Affleck could have been replaced with anyone and the films would have been the same (and perhaps better). Has he made money, oh yeah. Tons of it. But that still doesn't make me think they he's made use of the potential talent that I thought I saw in Good Will Hunting.

For me, box office or bank accounts don't equate to potential. I would say that actors who stay within the B-movie or art house realm could be construed as being successful. I love the work that Brad Dourif does in just about everything, and I would love to have him be on Inside the Actor's Studio just so James Lipton could espouse the virtues of his work in Death Machine.

I will say that Nic has more than achieved his potential, and has provided entertaining and critically acclaimed films at an equivalent pace.

 

[chung_sotheby]

I still think BA's best performance to date was his stroking of JLO's pink bikini in the "Jenny from the Block" video. Showed incredible composure and timing, with just the right hint of baddassness
In all seriousnes, though, I never really thought of him as a talent, but more of a decent actor with above-average charisma, kind of in the mold of Colin Farrell and Bruce Willis. What I mean is that while if given the right material, they can be very good and convincing(like BA in Lanes, Chasing Amy and GWH, and Willis in Sixth, Twelve Monkeys), they will hardly ever be able to transform a part into their own like some of the great actors can do (Crowe, Denzel, Penn, Norton, etc.)JMHO

 

[Ashley Seymour]

James Caan

After Sonny Corleone his acting career "sleeps with the fishes."

 

[Vickie_M]

Ok, I figure this thread has pretty much run its course when people start saying that NICOLAS CAGE hasn't lived up to his potential. There just aren't enough eye-rolling smilies...

James Caan has a small but very important role in the upcoming Dogville.

Btw, for me, CCH Pounder will always be "Brenda" in Bagdad Cafe (aka Out of Rosenheim). I've never seen her TV work.

 

[Rob P S]

She had a recurring role in the early seasons of ER. Somehow, they let her get away.

 

[TheLongshot]

Actually, the latest trailer really has me convinced. I understand the Travolta, but I have heard he's toned down his act for this one, so we will wait and see. Anyways, it is hard to screw up a basic revenge plot.

As for Affleck, I thought he was fine in Kevin Smith's films, but then one day, someone decided that he was a box office draw and made him a star. I'm still not convinced he deserves all the fuss. Personally, I have more respect for his buddy, Matt Damon, who at least tries to push himself as an actor.

Jason

 

[Dan V]

Charlie Sheen. He looked like he was going to be a major star after doing Platoon and Wall Street and hasn't had an important role since.

 

[Don Giro]

Okay, in retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have used the word "potential" when I started this thread.

I agree that Nic Cage successfully bounced back from his "action hero" phase. I loved his work in MATCHSTICK MEN and ADAPTATION. But after winning the Academy Award, didn't you get a feeling of "What the...?" when he started doing action films? I'm sure a lot of people thought he was out of his mind with those choices, and that those choices would "ruin" his rep as a serious actor.

I started this thread after hearing how Halle Berry was destined to be "the next Cuba Gooding, Jr." because of GOTHIKA (which she may have signed on for before her Oscar win). Gooding gets slammed for SNOW DOGS and BOAT TRIP because those films are supposedly "beneath" an actor of his caliber.

I thought this was a topic worth exploring. This is the kind of topic I discuss with my fellow movie-junkie friends all the time. Someone will mention that "Cuba Gooding hasn't done anything worthwhile since his Oscar," and someone else will counter that "he was great in MEN OF HONOR and RADIO." Then we order more drinks and move on to the next "victim." It's all good-natured fun, and meant to pass the time before we stop caring about ANYTHING except women in the immediate vincinity .

I'm in no position to rag on anyone's choices in the film biz. The bottom line is that Ashton Kutcher gets paid to be in films, and I don't (no offense to the Ashton Kutcher fans). I have the utmost respect for every actor I've mentioned in my posts, but no amount of smilies can accurately express the good intentions I had in mind when I started this thread.

Now let's see what Charlize Theron does next...

 

[chung_sotheby]

I KNEW I forgot someone. I was thinking of him for a while, too. He was staggeringly good in his initial film roles, but then again, he was working with Oliver Stone, who is widely acknowledged as getting the best work out of his actors (ie Berenger, Harrelson, Jul Lewis, Jamie Foxx, Kostner, Kilmer, Cruise). Now lets see what he can do with Colin Farrel in Alexander.

Don,
I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread, and I think that it is a subject that almost all serious movie lovers have a strong opinion about. Besides getting a warning and offending an admin (Sorry, Michael, Truce ) I think that the thread has been great. Good work on the topic

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

What about David Duchovney?
he left X-files for a movie career but what happened?

 

[Ernest Rister]

Bad choice in scripts.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Interesting thread, although I've only really read one page so far.

But when I read "Actors who failed to live up to their potential" I thought of a conversation I had last week on this very topic!

Names that came up:

John Savage
Treat Williams
Timothy Bottoms
Steve Railsback
Tim Matheson
John Ritter (He did some decent movies, but he certainly could have had a better choice of comedy scripts.)

And of course John Cazale, but only because he died in his early 40s.

 

[chris winters]

treat williams is doing very good work on everwood every week. Not exactly an amazing film biography, but hes still around and kickin.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Chris Sarandon

Vincent Spano

Nick Mancuso

Thomas Ian Griffith

Brian Bosworth (ok, that's a stretch)

Gary Busey

C. Thomas Howell

The cast of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN

Bo Hopkins

Bo Svensen

John Davidson

Jimmy Walker

Avery Schreiber

Sylvia Kristell

Charo

(damn you Airport '79, DAMN YOU!!)

 

[Alex S]

Haley Joel Osmet was great in Second Hand Lions !

If you haven't seen it, check it out.
It's a great movie with some great acting, Duvall, Cain and Osmet.

 

[todd stone]

"Brendan Fraser must have the worst agent. He proved his acting "chops" in GODS AND MONSTERS but has done very little except juvenile crap (George of the Jungle, Mummy 1 & 2, etc.) since then"

he made the studios TONS of money for those films, he has nothing to worry about.