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While Barbenheimer continues to win the box office around the world, and actors and writers in Hollywood continue their strike, it's time to talk about movies and failures. Okay, relative failures, because leading roles in even average movies or TV shows are still good money.
But if we compare reality with the expectations that some rising screen stars had in their youth - both from critics or colleagues and movie-goers, then it turns out that many of them clearly did not live up to these expectations. And a recent viral thread in the r/popculturechat community is dedicated to just such actors and actresses. So lights, camera, action, reading!...
More info: Reddit
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#1
I know he’s had a good run, but surprised that no one said Joseph Gordon Levitt. Dude was everywhere in the early 10’s it felt like. Had a ton of hype off of some solid performances then he seemed to drop off the face of the earth by the late 10’s.
Holly Stevens 1 year ago
He runs hitrecord.org now, an open collective of artists, it's really fun, anyone can join, from any creative field, you can post projects or he posts up projects that need different artists or there are daily prompts for story writing etc. It's incredible
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#2
I’d like to argue Hayden Christensen After Star Wars, we barely saw him in anything because he had so much backlash over the role even though now he’s remembered quite fondly. He’s had a career revival lately with his performance in the Obi-wan show so I hope he’ll be seen and cast a lot more now
Jrog 1 year ago (edited)
He was in lots of stuff after Star Wars, mostly unfortunate productions but also a big budget movie such as "Looper" [Edit: "Jumper"]. He tried his hand at producing with alternating results, before going back to his Star Wars roles. He did not disappear because of the reception of his role in SW, he just had a streak of bad casting choices, poor management and pursue of different projects.
#3
Eliza Dushku—I thought she was going to be huge, but she kind of disappeared!
Let's start with the fact that everything is known in comparison. And you can’t call a person a loser just because you expected multimillion-dollar contracts per role, and they now receive “only” a couple of hundred thousand bucks for a movie. And almost all the people on this list continue acting in movies, remain in demand on the market, and, in general, have achieved a decent place in the profession. And the fact that once someone expected them to become "The Next Big Thing" - well, sorry, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what's inside.
#4
Taylor Lautner disappeared from the screen after the Twilight movies ended.
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
He actually tried to do quite a lot after Twilight - and almost all of his projects bombed hard.
#5
Josh Hurtchenson disappeared after Hunger Games, I was wondering what happened to his career after the last movie, but someone told me they read on a interview that it was his choice, I guess he decided to take a break for a few years, apparently he's living in Spain with his girlfriend, but he's having a bit of comeback this year with a new movie, a horror one I think.
#6
Was always surprised Sam Claflin didn’t have a bigger career after Hunger Games. I always mixed him up with Alex Pettyfer back in that era, but Sam’s hopefully the less problematic one lol. He was recently great in Peaky Blinders and Daisy Jones though, so hopefully he’ll get more projects!
Let's take, for example, Dane DeHaan, who is also in this compilation. Yes, in the first half of the last decade, he was perceived as a rising star, with critics admiring his acting both in Hollywood and on Broadway. It seemed that the next stop for him would be the Oscar... But it wasn't - in 2017 it was Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets which nearly failed, and after that, for six years, the actor did not get a single starring role in movies, and mostly acted in serials.
At the same time, his acting hasn't gotten worse - for example, in Oppenheimer, Dane looks completely decent against the background of his superstar colleagues. It's just the way things were. On the other hand, DeHaan is 37 years old - by Hollywood actors' standards, that's almost youth, so another breakthrough may well happen... Who knows?
#7
Dylan O'Brien. He was on Teen Wolf and a big role in Maze Runner. I think he was injured on Maze Runner but haven't heard much from him after that.
#9
I feel like Logan Lerman was supposed to have timothee’s career! He obviously was known for Percy Jackson but I loved him in perks of being a wallflower
"This list mostly features actors who have starred in iconic teen movies or TV series, and a lot of the charm of their young characters has been transferred to the performers," says Dmytro Kosygin, a film director and cameraman from Ukraine, to whom Bored Panda reached out for a comment. “It happens, and it has been the whole history of cinema - literally in any decade there were actors and actresses who were predicted to have a superstar future, and they turned out to be 'just' big professionals. Nothing more. In the end, only four acting Oscars are given out a year - you can’t get enough of everyone."
“On the other hand, the history of cinema has confirmed many times that miracles happen here. For example, John Travolta, who was almost forgotten in the eighties, regained his superstar status thanks to filming in Pulp Fiction, and Robert Downey Jr., who would definitely have ended up on a list like this somewhere in the mid-'90s, over time, not only managed to triumphantly come back, but also became what he was seen as in his youth - one of the main stars of Hollywood. Therefore, who knows - maybe one of the people listed here will get the Oscar in ten years or so?" Dmytro presumes.
#10
Y’all gonna kill me for saying this but Skeet Ulrich I was told had crazy hype after scream by my older sister and then he completely fizzled out
cadena kuhn 1 year ago
Had a nice little comeback with Riverdale. Thought it was hilarious that the heartthrobs of my generation played the dad's of the heartthrobs of my daughters
#11
Shailene Woodley was supposed to be the next Jennifer Lawrence, but her career tanked right alongside Divergent when the YA Adaptation bubble burst.
Goose of the Ahonkalypse 1 year ago
Her career tanked? Have they seen Big Little Lies for which she was nominated for an Emmy? Really fantastic series. Skip season two though. The first season is based on a book and the second season just doesn't live up to it.
#12
Maybe it's me living under a rock but I feel like Felicity Jones was on track to be super A list but the. just disappeared
Zoe Vokes 1 year ago
She was making a couple of films a year until recently. Now she’s doing one a year (ish). I’m sure it’s her own choice. Some actors / actresses want to make as many films as possible. Others want to have a home life too. She has a husband and child. Maybe she wants to spend time with them and not work non-stop.
However, this is another reason to scroll this selection to the very end - because then, many years later, if one of the people listed here achieves stunning success, you can always proudly say: “Yeah, I remember how everyone doubted them!" So just read this list, add more names in the comments, in case you remember any more, and maybe go rewatch Twilight or The Hunger Games - but not before you've read this post to the end, okay?
#13
sara paxton. they put her in everything to make an effort at making her the next big thing
StrangeOne 1 year ago
The only movie I know her from is Aquamarine. Thought she was awesome in it.
#14
Who remembers Jai Courtney?! They tried to make him a thing but it never worked out.
#15
I thought Mia Wasikowska was gaining traction in the early 2010s but I haven’t seen her in much since.
Joy 1 year ago
She may have decided to take the character actor route which offers more work, greater opportunities, certainly more variety and challenges plus a CA still gets all the perks of a very enjoyable well-paid job without the hassle. Not every actor wants to be a Tom Cruise - now seemingly unable to take any mission that's not impossible - or a Pretty Woman. So-called A-listers end up trapped by their looks which have to be perpetuated until they wind-up looking like haunted gherkins. Character actors have it better.
#16
No one mentioned Theo James yet?? Glad he’s getting more attention after White Lotus!
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
You mean besides Sandition, White Lotus, The Time Traveler's Wife? The guy had full on credits for the past couple of years.
#17
This is older but Jenna Malone?! She was in so many iconic movies from the early aughts and kinda fell off. That said, I think she has the perfect level of fame: has had some notable projects that probably have served her well financially, but she’s not overexposed and can live a somewhat private life.
Lil Miss Hobbit 1 year ago
Oh, I LOVE Jenna! She is so iconic. I hope she continues to show up here and there and bless us with her talents.
#18
Taylor Kitsch
#19
Larisa Oleynik! She just kind of disappeared. I think she was in Mad Men for a hot second?
Mabelbabel 1 year ago
She popped up in an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, playing the director of a couples reality show.
#20
Dane DeHaan. Someone in another thread on here today mentioned how every young up and coming white male actor always gets compared Leo DiCaprio; I remember when Dane DeHaan was starting out and had been in Chronicle and Place Beyond the Pines, he got compared Leo around 2012-2013/2014. After Amazing Spider Man 2 and that Valerian movie with Cara Delevingne, he fizzled out. He was recently in Oppenheimer and he was good in it despite him not being in the movie as much, it made me wish he had become a bigger star.
|||| Nate |||| 1 year ago
How has he fizzled out if he was in recent movies like Valerian and Oppenheimer??
#21
Lee Pace. He was everywhere like 10 years. Marvel, the Hobbit, had a tv show, etc.
#22
Does Emma Watson count? I don’t know if her “phase out” is intentional on her part though…
I feel like she exhausts the general public and doesn’t wow enough in her roles so people just forget about her? Tolerate her? I feel like Dan and Rupert have the bigger cult following, even though Hermione is an extremely beloved character.
Jrog 1 year ago
She did quite a few big budget stuff (including a Tom hanks flick, a Disney movie and Little Women by Greta Gerwig with an all star cast), then decided to take a break and choose carefully her next role, all while focusing on investing part of her considerable capital in startups and green initiatives.
#23
I thought Millie Bobby Brown was going to be bigger by now.
Lil Miss Hobbit 1 year ago
I think Millie's career is just picking up. She's barely 19. She has so much ahead of her.
#24
This was over a decade ago but Brandon Routh was suppose to be huge. The next Tom Cruise but haven’t heard much about him since Superman.
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
He was on a ton of stuff on TV. Do people not even bother checking IMDB?
#25
Isla Fisher
Goose of the Ahonkalypse 1 year ago
Ah yes, Isla Fisher with her lackluster 55 acting credits /s. My favorite movie of hers is Tag. I did like Wolf Like Me as well.
#27
I loved Anna Sophia Robb, but I haven't heard much about her since The Carry Diaries.
#28
I haven't seen his name yet but Garrett Hedlund.
Goose of the Ahonkalypse 1 year ago
OK I can kind of see this one. He had some early success in things like Troy, Tron, Friday Night Lights etc. Recently he's been mostly known for his tumultuous relationship with Emma Robert's and his drinking issues.
#29
Alex Pettyfer! He starred in Beastly and Magic Mike but allegedly had issues with Channing Tatum on set of Magic Mike. His movie I am Number Four flopped and rumours were swirling that he was difficult to work with on set. He was briefly engaged to Riley Keough
#30
James van Der Beek... everyone else from Dawson's creek has had a come back at some point but he really just didn't
What do you think ?
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
I'm replying to you because I can't upvote you twice. So this is as close as I can.
Load More Replies...
Bidango Smith 1 year ago
A very simple Google/IMDB search let's you know that very few of these have any gaps in their resumes.
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago (edited)
I would add Thora Birch to that list. She had done movies as a child and then hit the big time with American Beauty, but since then pretty patchy in largely forgettable movies. Interesting that she was the lead in Ghost World (which I thought was great) but it was her co-star Scarlett Johansson whose career has skyrocketed since (even the cover of the DVD of Ghost World lists Scarlett first)
Jason Melvil 1 year ago
I'm replying to you because I can't upvote you twice. So this is as close as I can.
Load More Replies... Bidango Smith 1 year ago
A very simple Google/IMDB search let's you know that very few of these have any gaps in their resumes.
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago (edited)
I would add Thora Birch to that list. She had done movies as a child and then hit the big time with American Beauty, but since then pretty patchy in largely forgettable movies. Interesting that she was the lead in Ghost World (which I thought was great) but it was her co-star Scarlett Johansson whose career has skyrocketed since (even the cover of the DVD of Ghost World lists Scarlett first)
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