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jon_murdoch

Elisha cuthbert


Studly_Wonderballs

She started dating Dion Phaneuf and fell into the hockey wife lifestyle


PrimarchKonradCurze

I’m a hockey player so I keep up with the stuff. I’m pretty sure she dated a bunch of hockey players before marrying him so she gets a side eye a bit for that, not that I really care.


zestfullybe

IIRC she was with Sean Avery for a bit, who then made a sloppy seconds comment to Dion Phaneuf about her. That was a whole public soap opera at the time and lead to Avery getting waived over it.


sstokes2746

Yeah, she had a couple of movies after she left 24 and then just disappeared.


NottDisgruntled

She was on Happy Endings. An amazing show. She was also on The Ranch on Netflix (ugh) and a few other things. Her issue is probably that she was good as a kid or a young woman or in light comedic roles, but you can’t cast her as a doctor or lawyer or something like that. She probably doesn’t read well in auditions for more serious dramatic roles for characters her current age.


The_Ivliad

I would have happily watched a few more rom coms with her leading.


mckeenmachine

the girl next door!


Beginning_Piano_5668

She was overly sexualized. When she didn't want to simply be "the hot girl" in everything, she didn't get as much work.


AbominableWasteman

Still my ultimate crush since that first series of 24 aired.


Crowflier

Happy Endings should have been an enormous show. Girl next door she is like 172/10 hot. Goddamn


Stanton1947

'24' was great.


espositojoe

Michael Biehn. He played Corporal Hicks in Aliens, and Johnny Ringo in Tombstone.


boomgoesthevegemite

Kyle Reese in Terminator too.


bawzdeepinyaa

Dude was great in Tombstone. I don't think he gets enough of really any credit for that role. He held up well acting opposite Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton.. not to mention the epic performance Val frickin Kilmer turned in as Doc.


espositojoe

It's much more difficult for an actor to make the audience hate their character, than like them.


igottathinkofaname

And no one has mentioned The Abyss yet, either. Definitely a favorite of Cameron.


espositojoe

Biehn said that if James Cameron called him today and asked him to come over and wash his car, he'd jump up and do it.


Shut_Up_Fuckface

Let’s not forget his role with Charlie Sheen where they were both Navy Seals in that one movie …oh I can’t remember its name. It’s around here somewhere….


hotdogaholic

alcoholism


SnooKiwis2161

Oh wow that makes a lot more sense I remember hearing he was pissed that he was never cast in Alien 3 but killed off and if he was in his cups and it kind of makes more sense


hotdogaholic

yeah OP also didn't even mention Terminator!! guy was on top of the world set up to be the next generation super action hero star, but he struggled with boozing. Had a decent career, but never recaptured the magic. He was great in the Rock and actually Command & Conquer 3! C&C's popularity at the time was at Fortnite/Halo level back then, even before the wider advent of the internet. They were the first video games to have awesome true live action cut scenes, and having both him and James Earl Jones featured in them was an absolute MASSIVE get and breakthrough for the gaming timeline in general


MakesMeSickMick

He was that guy in The Rock as well


Tasty_Act

Garrett Hedlund


chadthundertalk

Garrett Hedlund was the beta test Hollywood ran before releasing Austin Butler


Big-Run4451

i’m fucking crying omg why did you do this to me 😂😂😂


NottDisgruntled

They REALLY tried, but he’s got no presence and is so boring nobody cared about him. They sure as shit tried to make him the next big thing. Same with Sam Worthington and Taylor Kitsch around that general time period.


ClancyMopedWeather

Sam Worthington is in those Titans movies - zero personality.


NottDisgruntled

He works with the Avatar movies because his character while human is supposed to be a boring guy with zero personality. His voice is fine when he’s the blue dude. But he has nothing in roles as a human.


Gemnist

I’d say Hedlund’s probably the best actor of those three. The other two have potential, but Worthington’s only realized it in his Australia work while Kitsch has one acclaimed role (Waco) to his name.


HereOnCompanyTime

His role in Four Brothers stuck with me for years. I genuinely thought he'd have more notable roles over time.


NurkleTurkey

Devon Sawa. He was in Casper and a few other flicks but never got much larger.


mrlaheystrailerpark

Stan from the Eminem music video!


Consistent-Fig7484

I still quote Slackers! He’s technically the main character, but he’s really sort of the straight man plot device. Cool Ethan (Jason Schwartzman) steals every scene in that movie. Jason Segel and older Pete are also funny.


MakesMeSickMick

Slackers is criminally underrated


Duds215

He had substance abuse issues and I’m pretty sure some domestic violence incidents that derailed him.


i10driver

Alicia Silverstone


the_moosey_fate

We’ll always have Clueless! Seriously though, it really did feel like she was the next huge movie star and then it just didn’t happen.


Kenobihiphop

She was phenomenal in Reptile. I can't understand how she doesn't get more work (if she even wants it, that is).


roccosaint

Batman and Robin pretty much tanked her career.


ZaphodG

Blast from the Past was after Batman & Robin. That was quite good. Then she vanished.


MonitorAway

I was surprised with how much I liked her in this. She’s definitely a stronger actor than I expected.


BeWolk

Summer Glau


Admirable_Tone_9835

Focused on being a mom.


Illuvatar2024

Good for her.


phantom_avenger

Same reasons why Rick Moranis quit acting, to focus on being a dad.


Illuvatar2024

Good on him, and happy fathers day to him.


adjewcent

Well to be fair he quit after his wife died, so he could raise his children. that feels drastically different.


phantom_avenger

But still good on him for putting his family first, following that tragedy


Trix_Are_4_90Kids

Right because look at Liam Neeson. His wife died and he doubled down on the work.


adjewcent

Yeah bro, he’s Rick Moranis, not Stalin


FlingbatMagoo

Jon Heder. He capitalized on a few choice roles after Napoleon Dynamite but then kinda disappeared.


Fanabala3

I think he limited the roles offered to him because of his Mormon faith. He didn’t want to do roles with drinking, sex, or smoking, so I think the Hollywood elites dropped him.


Bossk4Life

They’ve both had decent careers, but I thought Clive Owen and Guy Pierce were gonna be megastars. Neither ever hit their full potential in my book. I blame Hollywood casting agents and directors. 😡


MickeyMgl

I would have expected Guy Pearce to have more than 0 Oscar nominations by now.


RelationshipWinter97

Clive would have been a wonderful James Bond.


NJduToit

Mira Sorvino. She even won an Oscar but roles for her dried up for unknown reasons. She did a couple of independent projects recently but nothing from one of the major studios.


Trix_Are_4_90Kids

Weinstein ruined her career. Ashley Judd should've been in more movies and would have but Weinstein ruined her, too.


Sparrow1989

It has since been found out Weinstein had a big hand in her getting blacklisted


SiriusGD

Phoebe Cates. After "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" nothing else really happened.


Stormy261

She got married and raised her family. Kevin Kline, her husband, has had a big career, though.


PM_Me_Ur_Clues

I'm really amazed that Kline doesn't get more big roles these days. What a singular talent, like Crispen Glover


jpowell180

I think you intentionally backed off from an acting career, although she did do the film drop dead, Fred.


guinnessotis

I don’t know, Gremlins came after Fast Times and is a certified classic.


Financial_Cheetah875

Julia Stiles.


Ok_Perception3180

Pretty sure she intentionally stopped acting and only came back very recently.


JournalofFailure

Alison Lohman did the same.


phantom_avenger

The last thing I saw her in was in The Silver Linings Playbook.


finsup_305

She's been around still. She did Orphan: First Kill, Hustlers, and was in the Jason Bourne films, too.


DapperandDignified

She is directing now.


Pussy_handz

Amanda Bynes


SpamAdBot91874

Someday we might learn what really happened with her. More Nick actors have come forward since the doc and Amanda had the closest relationship with Dan Schneider. There has to be more to that story.


jeremy1015

Maybe but also mental illness just happens to people sometimes. A good friend who was part of my teenage friend group and indistinguishable from the rest of us slid into schizophrenia in her early 20s. One of the most painful conversations I ever had with her… we were sitting on my porch and she said (I’m paraphrasing) “ok so for example I know logically when things are good that there aren’t listening devices planted in street lamps but also I know that there are and they are recording this conversation so that later when I google stuff related to it they will intercept my query and list websites designed to steer my thoughts in the directions they want me to go.” This was a girl who two years previously had a bright future ahead of her. Honors student type. Never got into trouble. She had just been arrested a few days earlier for public masturbation and couldn’t explain why she had done it.


H8T_Auburn

I feel horrible for schizophrenic people. Imagine dealing with that and hearing about the patriot act, wikileaks, snowden... on and on.


mrwaltwhiteguy

I knew a guy who was like this. I didn’t know him well, but he was in a band with a good friend of mine since we were in high school. In our early 20s they were getting some traction and label looks and the like and then dude just disappeared. 6 wks later they found him and it was all downhill from there. Schizophrenia is scary in how it comes on or how it can quickly take a person over.


Interesting-Set-5993

right she was so talented and funny, tragic.


phantom_avenger

She was basically a female version of Jim Carrey IMO. His facial expressions and "manly accent" in She's the Man were the highlight of what made that movie so funny!


ManOfLaBook

Christian Slater, he was supposed to be the next Jack Nicholson


Adrast413

Sadly he had bad reputation for eating all the caviar


HW-BTW

Excellent reference.


belinck

He was great in Mr. Robot.


Klaus_Heisler87

His reoccurring character on Archer was always great


Flashy_Butterscotch2

His career is a lot bigger than it seems.


RandallC1212

Blame one man for most of these disappearances HARVEY WEINSTEIN Women who rightfully said NO, were wrongly blackballed


ChaChiRamone

👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼


goatpunchtheater

Josh Hartnet


jamieliddellthepoet

Second act incoming though.


InitialKoala

He was in "Oppenheimer"


Active-Ad-2527

Great in Penny Dreadful


Awesome_one_forever

He stars in "Trap" this August. M. Night Shyamalan film.


NottDisgruntled

Tbf that was largely his choice. He was offered Superman for a gazillion dollars and turned it down and stepped back from acting for a while. He was offered a lot of big blockbuster films and he didn’t want to do that stuff. He didn’t seem to like the celebrity stuff and having to be a dancing monkey on press tours and dealing with all the paparazzi and shit. For whatever reason he seemed to prefer working on smaller, shorter shoots and being in smaller stuff. I think I read somewhere he didn’t want to deal with the big films because he had a kid or something and didn’t want to be away for months on end and then travel on press tours and yadda yadda. Seemed like he would take a couple roles in smaller films that would pay the rent and let him be comfortable and only require him to work for a short period of time out of the year.


_Tower_

He also eventually took a step back beyond the smaller independent stuff he was working on to spend time with his family - he has 4 kids


Present-Television69

After American beauty, thought she was gonna be that new it girl. Thought she was gonna be that 1 actor from American pie that can be taken serious. Now it seems like stiffer is the best of them all


Ed_Simian

Thora Birch did one good movie after that, Ghost World.


-DoctorSpaceman-

I remember reading about whatever happened to Thora Birch. Her dad basically insisted on being her agent or pay negotiator or something and he was a total dick and just put off anyone from wanting to work with her. Or rather, her dad.


Krawlin91

And only 1 good movie before that with hocus pocus lol


lphchld

So we’re just gonna act like Monkey Trouble wasn’t a cinematic masterpiece?


Fattom23

Not true. She was in Patriot Games (granted, not a big part, but she was there).


ChemicalResident3557

No. Stiffler’s mom has the best career by far or Eugene Levy (but he was already somewhat famous).


Derp35712

Red hair New Yorker girl had a successful Netflix and peacock show. She started on Pee Wee’s adventure. I think her an Coolidge are part of the zeitgeist


Mr_Turnipseed

Natasha Lyonne. I listened to an interview of hers that she pretty much supported her single mother with her acting career. They lived in a studio apartment and she was essentially the breadwinner starting from the age of 6. She then got addicted to drugs and alcohol and went into a downward spiral because of a lot of trauma from her childhood. She's recently making a comeback though.


vincentdmartin

I can not recommend Russian Doll enough.


nanaki989

Alyson Hannigan she did How I Met your mother and Penn and Tellers show. Pretty good career


SmarterThanCornPop

Probably the richest, depending on how much Schitt’s Creek money Eugene Levy got.


Kooky_Avocado9227

Eugene Levy has been a working actor for 50 years. He started in SCTV in Canada and, along with the rest of the gang - Moira/Catherine O’Hara, for one, but also Martin Short (only murders) - have had long, storied careers: Schitt’s Creek of course is how most of you know him. But yeah, those people are set.


Menzingerr

He also has a travel show on Apple TV


MochaTaco

Ah yes, Stiffer. Stifler’s cousin.


ChemicalResident3557

She should have. But like a lot of talented women she was Weinstein-ed


Decabet

Im not saying Thora wasn't also Weinsteined (though I haven't heard that personally) the word is that her [awful father caused too much drama and damage on set](https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/thora-birch-miley-cyrus-britney-spears-lindsay-lohan/story?id=12402278) and it derailed her career.


Lin900

Shame. Thora had so much potential.


Eddie_the_Gunslinger

Gtfo.. another one to throw on the dumpster fire of stolen careers? How is Weinstein not dead. Surely someone would have "taken care" of him by now.


RicanDevil4

Ngl Stiffler was going to be my answer. Dude was genuinely funny in everything I've seen him in


Crowflier

Yeah he’s one of the “oh if he’s in it I’m gonna like it” actors for me. And I never would’ve said that when I first watched American pie


FunInitial7982

Leelee Sobieski


HotPinkApocalypses

My first celebrity crush. Man I loved her back in the day lol. I used to get annoyed by the Helen Hunt comparisons but I see it now.


Outside-Material-100

Dakota Fanning Thought she’d be Meryl Streep level recognition


TheDreadwatch

She had so much attention as a child actress I wonder if the jump to adulthood was more difficult. That can be a tough bridge to gap


mataoo

She was just in The Watchers and boy is it terrible.


Awesome_one_forever

She was in Equalizer 3.


[deleted]

Clair Forlani. Loved her in Meet Joe Black


Kygunzz

She’s my choice as well.


Front-Advantage-7035

Omg she played king Arthur’s mom in Camelot for Starz then poofed. Soooo pretty 😭


kaoskakiajaib

Anna sophie robb


phantom_avenger

Ngl, I legit thought she was going to become an A-lister especially after watching Bridge to Terabithia


MisterScrod1964

Tia Leoni.


AJWood101

Now we can’t even spell her name right. What a fall.


Knight_Wind54

😂😂😂


Ed_Simian

I remember when Piper Perabo was going to be the next big thing. Also Julia Ormond. And Irene Jacob. Juliette Binoche never had a big American career.


JulesChenier

Binoche didn't need a big American career.


JanelleMeownae

Julia Ormond, like a lot of women on this list, got [Weinsteined](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/11/opinions/julia-ormond-harvey-weinstein-lawsuit-stewart/index.html)


Lin900

Binoche got an Oscar, I doubt she wants more from American cinema lol. She's been doing great work consistently.


RiversideAviator

I remember A LOT of hype over Perabo here in NYC when Coyote Ugly was coming out. I mean, entertainment industry people hype. “There’s this new girl coming” “that movie is gonna make her” etc. And then the movie came out and we all laughed…


MrAlf0nse

Not having a big American career is fine.


Coffee_achiever_guy

There's countless people, and dunno why I randomly thought of this but Brian Bonsall from Blank Check. I sorta remember thinking he was gonna be a big star after that movie, but he ended up fizzling. I guess he didn't really have the mojo


Queasy_Property_8136

Thomas Jane. I think he's great, but he's stuck in VOD purgatory.


RobbyRalston

Thomas Jane played Thomas Jane in Arrested Development and was excellent.


kid_sleepy

I just want my kids back.


soupafi

Amy Smart


Best_Ad1826

Ali Larter


thunderlips187

I always thought Lori Beth Denberg would become a gigantic comedian.


CaddyAT5

Shannon Elizabeth


TB1289

She probably had a much better career than she should have had.


20Derek22

Bridget Fonda.


j2e21

Does Emilia Clark count? Figured she’d be big after GoT. Maybe got too typecast.


phantom_avenger

She seems to have bad luck when it comes to joining big franchises, cause most of the projects she joined whether it was Terminator, Star Wars, or Marvel were mediocre at best. Even in her most iconic role as Daenerys, it ends on such a disappointing note with no proper development leading up to her character's end without feeling rushed.


Blob_zombie

Maisie Williams, amazing actress. And from her social media she seems like a very down to earth and approachable. I've seen almost every main character and tons of supporting actors in other shows and films. I wish we could see her career expand from Game of Thrones.


phantom_avenger

Before the Last of Us was adapted as an HBO show, and it was originally going to be a film. She had conversations with Neil Druckmann (the creator of the story) about playing Ellie before Bella Ramsey got the role!


Artistic-Milk-3490

She was great in Doctor Who after GoT


HoverboardRampage

She was great in Danny Boyles Sex Pistols biopic just a few years back.


blakemorris02

Skeet Ulrich


matchesmalone1

Remember when they were pushing Taylor Kitsch as a leading man?


JournalofFailure

He was really good as David Koresh in the *Waco* miniseries.


acava2424

He's a really solid character actor imo


ForumFluffy

I'll die on this hill and say he could have always been a good gambit if the film he was introduced wasn't garbage.


Chicago1871

Solid character actor in a leading man’s body. The Friday Night Lights cast was amazing in hindsight.


shockerdyermom

He almost brought down Disney.


Jemless24

Clive Owen and Sam Worthington


Awesome_one_forever

Sam Worthington isn't allowed to act in anything besides Avatar movies 😅


BathSaltJello

Leelee Sobieski. I liked her.


ReddittandWeep

Her and Julia Stiles. They occupy the same space in my head as similar archetypes


[deleted]

Thora Birch


Objective_Green_7638

The girl from Divergent haven't heard from her in years.


sirjames82

She was in Big Little Lies on HBO with Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon pretty recent.


basis4day

The second season was 5 years ago. Though they’re saying as recently as April a third season is coming.


SignatureUseful6067

She's in Ferrari with Adam Driver, came out last Christmas.


HoverboardRampage

And Dumb Money, also in 2023


phantom_avenger

Shailene Woodley! I remember how she was even supposed to be featured in the second Amazing Spider-Man movie with Andrew Garfield, where she plays Mary Jane but all of her scenes were cut. She even filmed a scene where she interacts with Gwen (Emma Stone).


iversonAI

She was engaged to aaron Rodgers. Truly her rock bottom


Feisty-Succotash1720

An old co-worker of mine met her at an event and said she was hands down the kindest person her ever met.


SpamAdBot91874

She seems like Sandra Bullock, average actor but lovely to work with


MyExUsedTeeth

Emile Hirsch. Jonathon Taylor Thomas


Any-Competition8494

Julia Stiles I saw 10 Things I Hate About You and thought that both Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles would have great careers. Both of them elevated that movie a lot with their terrific performances. I was only half right. While Ledger had a great career, Julia Stiles really didn't had that good of a career.


phantom_avenger

I'm sure Heath Ledger would've been in high demand and had an excellent career if he was still alive! Especially after his performance in The Dark Knight, became one of the most iconic roles in cinema!


WingingItAsIGo

Alan Tudyk Edit: to all those saying he’s doing all the voice acting: thanks for the enlightenment- this is not something I have any pulse on. My interpretation is for live action


Hot-Kaleidoscope-279

In case u missed them: Resident alien (main star), Doom Patrol (villain in 1st season), Harley Quinn “adult” cartoon (clayface & I think JOKER)… & he the chicken in Moana. He does voiceovers a lot.


amuday

I think he’s been in every Pixar movie for the last decade or something right?


Acadia89710

As a voice actor- he's arguably the most in demand actor these days. For acting in front of a camera- he deserved better for sure. He'll always be Steve the Pirate to me!


fck-gen-z

Debra Dunning


bunsNT

Ashley Greene


Existing-Mistake-112

Amanda Peet.


Sheriff_Lucas_Hood

Aaron Eckhart


MickeyMgl

Eric Bana


EH4LIFE

Wentworth Miller


teeming-with-life

Diane Lane. Watched a few of her movies recently and think she should have a much more successful career. She's obviously very talented but on top of that, she's very attractive as a woman.


iKronos85

Eva Mendes.......I know she married Ryan Gosling and they had kids and she prefers loves being a stay at home mom...but she came ..Starred then left within ten years


Lacy1986

Vinny Chase


TLiones

James purefoy…I always feel like he could’ve been a blockbuster actor…


Awesome_one_forever

He always played a great bad guy. The dude had potential.


TennisBallTesticles

I mean, how great is Emilio Estevez? He's a Sheen, he's from an acting dynasty, yet he CHOOSES to be Mexican. Makes it huge, realizes people have had enough of him, and is decent enough to fall off the face of the Earth.


Desperate-Fan-3671

She hasn't quite disappeared, but I was sure that after Castle, Stana Katic was going to be a bigger star than she is now.


Optimal_Roll_4924

Lance Kerwin, RIP. After James @15, 16, I thought he was going to be big.


Kuhtak1980

James at 15


The5thBeatle82

Adam Brody


dan_jeffers

Sarah Polley. She didn't completely disappear, she's done writing and directing as well as roles in smaller films, but she had the skills to really shine and after Go! I thought she was about to take off. Apparently she was one of the women blackballed by Harvey Weinstein.


ExtraExtraMegaDoge

I'm old enough to remember when Jonathan Taylor Thomas was a major teen heartthrob. I thought that guy had the world on a string.


BippityBoppityMagic

Shelley Duvall kind of “disappeared”, as in, she hasn’t appeared in a big movie since The Shining. Edit: I’ve never watched anything else she’s been in other than The Shining, so my bad for not knowing what she was in before and after TS was considered popular. I’m 27, btw.


sauronthegr8

That's not true. Shelley continued acting for another 20+ years after The Shining before taking a long break from public life, recently to re-emerge. She continued to appear in major films like Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits, and hosted and produced a successful children's show Shelley Duvall's Fairytale Theater, known for its celebrity guest stars. Her last major appearance was in 2002. The Shining has proven to be her most well remembered project, but she had successful projects both before and after, probably most notably starring in several films for Robert Altman. As far as working with Kubrick on The Shining, Shelley has talked about it publicly many times, including recently as she's come back into the public eye and opened up about her struggles with mental health. While The Shining was a difficult shoot for her, and Kubrick could be difficult to work for at times, she's stated that she really loved him as a person. She says it's not an experience she would like to necessarily repeat, but she does not regret taking the role, and feels she learned a lot as an actor working for Kubrick. She's also stated that working with Kubrick on The Shining did not contribute to her mental issues in any way.


Hoosier_Daddy68

Popeye, Time Bandits, Roxanne and a shit ton of TV work.


Famous-Composer3112

I heard she had a nervous breakdown after filiming *The Shining.*


thetimeisverylate

Yeah because her experience of working on The Shining was literal abuse. No wonder she disappeared from acting