This article contains references to sexual assault.
With Cameron Diaz making a return in his upcoming film Back In Action (Via El País), moviegoers discuss other actors they think deserve to be in the spotlight again. From Alan Rickman to Clint Eastwood, the film and television industry has showcased some of the greatest acting talents. This visual aid offers these stars the perfect opportunity to showcase their impressive skills, sparking the interest of audiences around the world. However, while some actors achieve considerable success in the media world, others have a much harder time establishing themselves as major players in movies and TV shows.
Despite appearing in some high-profile projects, the careers of these media stars never really took off as fans had hoped. Reddit, in particular, believes these actors deserved better careers because they offer their verdict on celebrities who never quite made it.
Don Cheadle
Replace Terrence Howard as Rhodey’s iron man 2 From, Don Cheadle proved to be a particularly strong presence throughout the MCU. However, although playing the mcu heroes made him a household name, Don Cheadle has yet to establish himself outside of the shared universe, with Reddit poster OldDicklemon72 stating “how this guy isn’t a massive superstar is beyond me “.
As a tough and powerful war machine, Don Cheadle fully embodies Rhodey’s noble sense of duty. The actor has also won several Golden Globe Awards for his work in television series such as The pack of rats and house of lies, demonstrating his obvious dramatic talents that have been largely ignored by the industry.
Eric Stoltz
Originally cast as Marty McFly in Back to the future, Eric Stoltz looked set for stardom in 1985. Sadly, that wasn’t to be the case as Robert Zemeckis opted to replace the teenage star with Michael J Fox. Reddit user DwightLovesGens thinks Eric Stoltz deserved a better shot at movie stardom, saying “I think if he hadn’t been let go Back to the future, her career would have taken off more than it did.”
Eric Stoltz’s Golden Globe-nominated performance as Rocky Dennis in Mask shows off his impressive range as an actor, delivering a deeply moving portrayal of the troubled teenager. His doomed casting Back to the future also carries a lot of intrigue, the actor would have given a more serious portrayal of Marty before he was dropped from the role. However, if Eric Stoltz had been retained in the film, it is perhaps unlikely that Back to the future would have become one of the best time travel movies yet.
Lindsay Lohan
New York-born Lindsay Lohan seemed poised to become one of Hollywood’s star performers after the release of 2004’s Bad girls. However, the actor has since faded from the limelight, with Reddit’s Retloclive commenting that it’s “a fucking shame”.
Most notably, Lindsay Lohan made a lively appearance in Herbie fully loaded as determined racing driver Maggie Peyton. In this fun family adventure, she shows plenty of promise as a top star, as she finds herself embroiled in various hilarious hijinks with the adorable white roadster, Herbie. Her casting as Maggie had the potential to revitalize the Herbie frankness, if future sequels had been made, with the energetic presence of Lindsay Lohan captivating fully loaded young viewers.
Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson has become best known for his television roles since his screen debut in the cinematic short Bottle rocket. However, despite playing one of the Stargirl’s Pat Dugan’s bravest characters, he never reached the levels of fame of his brother Owen Wilson. The Reddit poster thinks that should change, commenting on how he “was so good at Royal Tenenbaums.”
As tennis star Richie Tenenbaum, Luke Wilson gives a wonderfully eccentric performance, with Richie attempting to woo his adoptive sister Margot. Royal Tenenbaums demonstrates Luke Wilson’s obvious abilities to play larger-than-life individuals, suggesting he could have become one of Hollywood’s greatest character actors.
Edward Norton
The mcu has rarely recast its main heroes, with major stars such as Robert Downey Jr and Chris Evans returning for multiple entries. A notable exception is Edward Norton, who was originally cast as Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk before being bluntly replaced by Mark Ruffalo for 2012 The Avengers. This disappointing career trajectory left Reddit’s Ashe_Faelsdon naming “Edward Norton” as cinema’s greatest loss.
As the titular Hulk, Edward Norton offers a more grounded take on the furious vigilante. His version of the iconic character explores the psychology of the character and his inner battle between man and beast, showing his evident ability to portray heavier material.
Paul Bettany
Although Rotten Tomatoes believe Paul Bettany has appeared in some of the best film and TV roles, the British actor hasn’t found much success outside of those outings. Reddit user Bannock4Ever remarked that “he and Tudyk still seem like they haven’t played very big roles.”
Paul Bettany impregnates mcu Vision with a charming and whimsical nature, leaving audiences rooted in the synthetic android’s passionate romance with Wanda Maximoff. His role in Kevin Feige’s universe shows his potential to play these more unusual characters, which the film industry could have used more in some of cinema’s most fantastical offerings.
Domnhall Gleeson
Domnhall Gleeson is one of Ireland’s most popular actors, having achieved considerable fame as Fleur’s fiancé Bill Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Armitage Hux in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Although Domnhall Gleeson has become internationally recognized for his outstanding performances in these films, his media career has proven to be somewhat stagnant, with the Reddit poster TardisReality observing how he “has a vast array of talents which in my opinion , go unnoticed”. Given that his most infamous roles see him playing two characters at opposite ends of the moral spectrum, his most loyal fans will attest to that.
Matt Smith
Representation Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor from 2010 to 2013, Matt Smith rose to worldwide prominence as the legendary Time Lord. Even though his incarnation of television’s greatest time traveler impressed many viewers in his day, Matt Smith’s career has been somewhat lackluster, with This Redditor declaring that “Matt Smith” deserves to have a better career.
In addition to capturing the Time Lord’s eccentric tendencies, Matt Smith also perfectly encapsulates the dark side of the character, with many viewers believing the Eleventh Doctor has gotten worse and worse throughout his tenure. Although he gained major film appearances in Morbius and Genesys Terminator, these films failed to utilize the actor’s skills to play morally complex characters, leaving the actor’s promising talents unfulfilled. With him now as Daemon Targaryen on Dragon Housemaybe it’s time to shine.
Brendan Fraser
Brendan Fraser’s filmography appeared particularly impressive in the 2000s, with the actor landing many starring roles. However, despite becoming a familiar face in various family adventure movies, Brendan Fraser’s career sadly took a dip after he alleged he was sexually assaulted by a former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (via NBC news).
Now that he’s made his return to the screen, he earned a five-minute standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival for his role in The whale (via Variety), fans like this Reddit user would like to see “Brendan Fraser and Nick Cage should have a franchise together.” Given Fraser’s role in Journey to the Center of the Earth as good as The Mummy franchise, fans would love to see Fraser and Cage collaborate on another adventure-fueled film.
Marc Ruffalo
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Since its beginnings in Meeting vigilantes, Mark Ruffalo has become an essential part of the MCU. However, despite his famous role as the Hulk, the actor has yet to make quite that memorable impression on the world, with Reddit user DatSiik lamenting that he has “been reduced to Bruce Banner”.
Apart from his mcu appearances, Mark Ruffalo demonstrated his ability to play more complex individuals. His casting as Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in the hit TV series, I know this to be true, shows his strengths for playing emotionally fragile characters, giving a truly heartfelt performance as traumatized twin brothers. However, this role is a rare exception in Mark Ruffalo’s disappointing filmography, meaning his full potential has yet to be properly realized by the screen industry.
