Original Desmond

Actors got a bit of a name from other projects, get a breakout role as a star and blow it so bad that they fade into averageness. (i.e. the flip side of Tom Cruise and Top Gun).

These come immediately to mind

Kuffs - Christian Slater

Rollerball - Chris Klein

Action Jackson - Carl Weathers

BJacks

Fred Ward - Remo Williams
Andrew McCarthy - Mannequin (or should this be another film?)
Jason Biggs - Loser
Lou Diamond Phillips - Dakota maybe?

Skyclad01

I think Christian Slater's fall was Alone In The Dark. Though, he was starting to come back in his TV series My Own Worst Enemy. But sadly, that got cancelled

One that really comes to mind is

Angus - Charlie Talbert. He had a very, very strong first movie appearence and lead acting role there. Unfortunately that was it. After Angus he just went to the crapper.

Casper Van Dien was very good in Starship Troopers. But it seems like any of his roles after that just didn't match up.

Party Girl - Parker Posey. That was her only good role. Her role in Scream 3 was too ditzy to take. Although her role in Josey And The Pussycats was slightly funny, as was her role in The House Of Yes. Ive yet to see how she is in Personal Velocity though.

Girl - Tara Reid. Very talented role there. Sadly, her ditzy on film roles seemed to have made her just as ditzy off film as well

Another one from Girl and a year before that - Lolita is Dominique Swain. All her other performances after that have been forgettable.

Trust - Adrienne Shelly. A great role in that movie. And I believe I read that her other great role was in her final film Waitress. May she rest in peace

Thats all I can think of off hand for now.

Skyclad01

I would say for Andrew McCarthy, his high point was Less Than Zero.

And for Jason Biggs, it would be after the American Pie trilogy.

BJacks

Ok true. Change Loser to Woody Allen's Anything Else then. I forgot about that one.

I'd add Brittany Murphy to the list. She broke out with 8 Mile and then did crap like Just Married and Uptown Girls and nosedived from there.

BJacks

Toss Denise Richards in there too. She broke out with Wild Things and then blew it with The World Is Not Enough.

Skyclad01

For me, she broke out with Girl Interrupted and Spun. Though I agree that she certainly matched it with 8 mile. probably did better with that one now that I think about it, so yeah, Ill agree with that one.

My add would be Robin Tunney. She had 3 great roles: Empire Records, The Craft and Niagra, Niagra. But after that, it didnt seem like anything else held up. (but I havent seen The Zodiac or her role in the Mentalist, so I may be mistaken there)

Skyclad01

Another add would have to be Samantha Mathis. Her only 2 good ones (I think) were Broken Arrow and Pump Up The Volume.

Man-Thing

Tobey Maguire and Spiderman? Would this qualify? he isnt really starring in any movies.

riotinmyskull

BROTHERS just came out like a week ago.

Perkinsun Dzees

David Caruso - Jade
Judd Nelson - Blue City
Jeremy London - Mallrats
Chris O'Donnell - Batman & Robin
Rachel Leigh Cook - Josie and the Pussycats
Justine Bateman - Satisfaction
Geena Davis - Cutthroat Island
Anthony Michael Hall - Out of Bounds
C. Thomas Howell - Soul Man


.

Ash Ketchum

Colin Farrell - pick any film from his filmography. I'd guess it was PHONE BOOTH that most firmly derailed his stardom.

P.S. Although he seems to have made a comfortable transition to character actor, which may have been what he wanted all along. I suspect he'll have a long career as long as he does supporting roles.

Skyclad01

What about The Dead Zone?

Anubis2005X

He was hilarious in Tropic Thunder...

Sean O'Hara

I don't think she blew it by being in a tremendously successful film. It's just that actresses in Hollywood have about an 18 month shelf-life.

BJacks

EW named her the worst Bond villain of all time and she got a Razzie award for worst performance. She was pretty widely panned by everyone, so I'm sure it had an effect on her career. Actresses get a lot of heat by simply being the "Bond Girl," and if it was a standout performance she should have gotten some meaty roles out of it.

Drexl

For Dana Carvey, Clean Slate (1994) and possibly Opportunity Knocks (1990). Outside of the Wayne's World movies (in which he's practically hidden behind the hair and glasses), he hasn't had a successful film career. The comeback attempt Master of Disguise failed as well.

Another one is Yahoo Serious in Young Einstein.

BJacks

I guess Cuba Gooding Jr. should be on this list considering his choices after Jerry Maguire. Not sure what film to put though. Instinct, maybe? Though it was Boat Trip and Radio that really sealed the deal.

Dr. DVD

It seemed they were trying to make a pretty boy star out of James Franco for a while with stuff like Flyboys and Tristan and Isolde. His role in Pineapple Express at least showed he could be more than that and he has gotten some pretty good acting roles since then, though he may never be the breakout star.

I guess one might say Jennifer's Body with Megan Fox.

story

I'd say Kiss of Death was the biggest, loudest nail he hammered in his own coffin.

Navinabob

Mark Hammil = Car accident?
Christopher Reeve = I think it was called Puzzle box? Death Trap?

toddly6666

Halle Berry: everything after Monster's Ball
Sharon Stone: everything after Basic Instinct
Heather Graham: everything after From Hell
Barry Pepper: not really his fault, but everything after Battlefield Earth
Orlando Bloom: he was great in Kingdom of Heaven, but everything after that (which is not a Pirate movie)

Concerning Christaine Slater, he basically just had a good run - hes more washed up. I loved all his leading movies - hard rain, broken arrow, and his earlier ones

ChineseCheckers

A recent/new test of superstardom chance would be Sam Worthington in Avatar.

I would have said Worthington in Terminator Salvation but Christian Bale was credited as the lead in that. With Avatar he'll be the only lead in that if I'm not mistaken.

BJacks

Worthington's great, he has a long career ahead of him. He was fine in Terminator Salvation, fantastic in Avatar and I hear he's pretty good in Clash of the Titans.

islandclaws

Jimmy Fallon in Taxi.