Who were the up-and-coming actors that never became huge stars?
 

I think a lot about the once up-and-coming stars that were considered to be the next big thing, they had articles and magazines spread all over the place at their time of their couple given flicks, but they just all of a sudden disappeared from the spotlight - sure, they may be working consistently in tv or smaller movies. But i'm mainly thinking of the ones that were talked up to be really "big hollywood stars."


1. Freddie Prinze Jr.
2. Rachel Leigh Cook
3. Julia Stiles
4. Tom Everett Scott
5. Julie Delpy (I love her, but maybe she's the equivalent of a Steve Buscemi - sort of more an indie actress, then "hollywood" actress.)
6. Julia Ormond
7. Monica Potter
8. Safron Burrows
9. Jada Pinkett Smith
10. Claire Forlani
11. Jason Biggs
12. Jennnifer Love Hewitt (there's that one MTV PUNK'D episode where she's called into a casting. She just seemed so desparate. Poor girl.)
13. Mekhi Phifer
14. Omar Epps

(Note: there tends to be a 6-degree of separation trend when it comes to being connected to Freddie Prinze. Jr. and I suppose I'm thinking mainly of mid- to late 90s with my picks)


Borderline:
I'm surprised Ryan Phillipe is hanging on, getting some good roles.
Claire Danes is still hanging on.
Benjamin Bratt is hanging on, getting some good roles.
James Franco hasn't really taken off, but still getting some good roles.


Can anyone think of others?

she was a real flash in the pan.

Well it seems today that any young star on a semi-sucessful film is sort of pimped out onto magazines and such. It doesn't really mean they're going to be a star, maybe more of the result of the celebrity fascination, short term attention span kind of society we are today. There's just so many of these type of fluff publications, that some are bound to be featued in whatever "next big thing" article they have running that week.

That being said, I'm a bit suprised some of these people haven't found bigger careers. Julia Stiles has almost come full circle during the Bourne movies. Cast in a small role in the Bourne Identity just as she was getting big, and by the time the Bourne Ultimatium rolls around I kind of forgot about her and wonder what she's been up to.

Matthew McConaughey - every few years he's in a movie and everybody wonders, "He's still around?"

Stuart Townsend - AKA the guy who didn't play Aragorn

Mena Suvari, Wes Bentley, and Thora Birch - this is a really inexplicable bunch, especially Birch who should've become an indie darlin.

Emily Lloyd

Julia Ormond was the first person I thought of when I saw the thread title. I distinctly remember big Entertainment Weekly articles about her in the mid-90s about how she was the next big thing. She had prominent roles coming out in First Knight and Sabrina, but then both movies sort of flopped and I don't remember her appearing in another big movie after that.

Good pick. I remember when she was touted as "the next Julia Roberts".
She can't be that desperate. She's a lead actress in a highly-rated tv series.

My pick: Kate Hudson. When Almost Famous came out the industry treated her like the second coming. Now she just churns out by-the-numbers romcoms.

Disagreed with Matty boy, he's still insanely famous.

Thora and Wes were young when American Beauty came out (Birch given an extra boost by Ghost World), and pursued other options for a while it seems, both seem to be making a come back though, Birch has like 5 movies due this year and Wes was in P2 and had a memorable turn in Weirdsville last year.

Suvari... was always a bit of a low point in her movies, just doesn't quite have the acting skills the other two do.

Wonder if Birch has given any thought to following in her parents footsteps... by doing a remake of Deep Throat :). She could start the revolution: good acting in porn. Suvari could join that and act as a stepping stone between the two worlds.

Neve Campbell seemed like she had a promising career for a while, kind of fizzled.

More for his "not wearing a shirt" skills than his "acting" skills.

This is true.

Basically anyone who was around during the late 90's early 00's teen slasher/ teen comedy cycle.

*pffft* Slumming it on the talkin' picture box -ohbfrank-

It's very telling of the industry isn't it? They're all good actors. It's the roles that are so limited. The same handful of actors are in many of the high-profile films. The TV actors have their small time in the popular cinema arena (the next horror remake maybe?).
The women are suffering more - they're not getting strong vehicles to star in! I don't know what the hell happened but many of my favorites are not in the latest releases (thankfully above being cast in the latest immature comedy starring the latest male doofus).
Hollywood doesn't play fair and a cynical public can turn on the stars in a second.
I hardly call Ryan Phillipe getting a good acting job period as "hanging on". I call it being lucky.

Heather Graham.

Gretchen Mol

Tom Hanks...Has anyone seen a film he's been in since Big or Splash? ;)

Skeet Ulrich.... poof. gone.

say what you want about shirtless Matty, but the dude can get away with it. I've always thought he delivered in the acting department as well.

add to the list Haley Joel Osmont. Sarah Polley should be a star as well (I'm guessing she didn't want to go that route).

Yeah while a lot of them did not live up to expectations if any one of them get that one good role their career will shoot back to the top again, I've seen it happen time and time again.

Don't hear too much from Colin Farrell these days.

Just came out with two limited release movies in the last 4 weeks. I know there's another one with Edward Norton called "Pride and Glory" that apparently is getting pushed back for a 2009 release. I'm guessing he's being choosy.

Rachel McAdams.

Apollo 13,Forest Gump,Saving Private Ryan,Castaway,Road to Perdition.DaVinci Code,Catch Me If You Can,Green Mile-All medium to big hits.

^^^ no, the only hit Hanks has had since was "The Bonfire of the Vanities."

I haven't heard of any of these. But Bachelor Party was a great flick.