Paul at Gone Hollywood has brings attention to a list of ten careers that are in need of a comeback. As far as I am concerned, if I never Cuba Gooding in another movie, I will be happier for it. I can’t exactly lament the passing of the career of Jean Claude Van Damme, either. Like Schwarzenegger, there are only so many roles for someone that has to speak through an accent. I agree it’s a shame about Wesley Snipes, but the dude is going to jail and I’m not itching enough to see him to really care all that much.
The big “Totally!” was with the last one, Michael Keaton. I happened to see him in an in-flight movie and was thinking that I hadn’t seen him in a while. Same goes for Bill Pullman, who used to be in something like two or three movies a year and who I also saw recently in-flight. I’d like to see both more often. Particularly Keaton.
I’m sure that there are others I would like to see again, but since I haven’t seen them lately I doubt I can remember who they are.
Any formerly big actors that y’all miss?
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I’d say Val Kilmer, but he’s REALLY let himself go these days.
Hmm… other than that, Neil Patrick Harris. And I really, really wish that Brendan Frasier had had more than a bit part in GI Joe, though you can’t quite call his career “dormant.”
Keaton just did the voiceover for the “Ken” doll in Toy Story 3.
I would have liked to have seen Matthew Broderick find a post-adolescent film career, but he seems to have found his niche in theatre.
I wonder what kind of roles Michael J. Fox would have found for himself had he not had to remove himself from a full-time acting career. I’m not sure, because of his size and youthful appearance that he would have ever achieved true leading man status, but then who would have said that about Tom Hanks when he and Peter Scolari were frolicking about in drag?
Let us not forget the ever-ebullient, ever-chipper Steve Gutenberg! Lest we forget, he actually had the lead roles in Cocoon, Short Circuit, the Police Academy movies, and shared time in Three Men and a Baby/Little Lady.
One of my favorite actors that I could never understand not taking that last step into real staying career was Dennis Quaid. He pops up now and again, but I really enjoy watching him on screen.
For that matter, whatever happened to Meg Ryan?
Paul Reubens.
I’d like to see Kurt Russell in a few more things.
This post would have been better if I had actually provided a link. I’ll add one next time I am at a computer (I type this on my phone).
Interestingly enough, Val Kilmer and Paul Reubens are on the list! I thought about commenting on Kilmer but as Web points out, he has kinda let himself go for an action star. Being chubbyish isn’t in itself all that bad a thing, but thinking about it he never was much good for anything but an action star and being overweight is not much good for that.
Reubens (by way of his appearance in the Buffy movie) reminds me of another person I would like to see more of: Luke Perry. He’s not very versitile, but like Chris O’Donnell has a very likeable presence.
@1
Were you being sarcastic about NPH? In case you didn’t know, he has been on a CBS sitcom the last five years and has hosted both the Emmys and the Tonys…
@6
Paul @ Gone Hollywood actually got this list from Hanso @ Mania.
Mike, thanks for the heads up. Post modified to reflect original source.
Being in a CBS sitcom is as good as not being seen.
William Hurt popped up recently in “Robin Hood” and has a steady gig on “Damages.” He used to be a HUGE A-list star, but disappeared for a long time after the disaster that was “Lost in Space.”
Meg Ryan got too old for her cutesy-poo rom-com roles, and isn’t a good enough actress to transition to a different type of role. Same with Melanie Griffith.
Julianne Moore, in contrast, is older than Meg Ryan, but still gets A-List wife and mother roles (see “Chloe”), as well as quirky indie roles (“The Kids are All Right”).
Kevin Costner isn’t pulling the caliber of A-list roles he pulled in the 80s and 90s either.
Oh and Val Kilmer seems to be mostly doing “straight to video” trash lately, like the excreable “Conspiracy,” which he financed himself.