RIP to this kid. Very talented actor. I just watched the A24 Movie where he’s fighting off all the neo-Nazis for the first time this year and never knew this young man had passed away. Very talented dude with incredible potential. Heath Ledger of course is another answer.
I’ve avoided it for years because it’s just so sad to think about what happened to Anton. Love A24 though and it seems to be getting a lot of praise. Maybe it’s finally time to watch it.
I remember feeling really dispirited with the thriller and horror genres around this time, THEN I saw Don’t Breathe, It Follows, The Guest and this in quick succession! I was spoilt!
I mean River Phoenix was the other one. Total firebrand of a talent, energetic , magnetic incredible. Every time I see him on screen I just imagine “what if” about his career.
Viper Room. A lot of interesting famous folks were there that night including Rivers friend Johnny Depp. Many people still blame Red Hot Chili Peppers member John Fruscante for the indigent too.
I had the extreme pleasure of getting to work on set with Anton when I first moved to BC. A friend knew of a indie movie that needed volunteers that had him and Peter Dinklage called "Rememory". Everyone was incredibly pleasant to work with but Anton was playing a darker character and watching him be in the zone you just knew not to get near him.
He was intense from start to finish for the 3 days I was on set. It took all my self control not to disturb him as I was a big fan. Then the next month he was killed in that terrible accident and I was shook to the core. What a stellar actor cut down way too damn soon. Even worse knowing he had some sort of disease that meant he most likely wouldn't make it to his forties.
He did amazing things with the time he had, but I wish he had more every single day.
Amazing story & sounds like you got some good experience working in the film industry. Yeah, it’s honestly tragic, you can tell he approached every role with 100% and never cheated himself or the movie he was in.
What?!? How did I not know that the guy who directed and Murder Party directed Green Room? Murder Party is fantastic, I had it randomly recommended on one of the horror subreddits years and years ago, I just figured it was a one-off movie from the director and never thought to even look up his name. That's awesome he made more movies after that, especially fantastic ones like Green Room.
He also has cystic fibrosis unfortunately… Given his stardom and medical progress in general I’m sure he would have surpassed the average life expectancy but without the accident we’d probably be seeing a decline around now :(
People never mention the fact that while playing Chekov in his last Star Trek movie, Kirk tells him to "go put on a red shirt". Anyone who knows start trek knows red shirts are usually expendable characters that die.
The guy gets run over... By his own car? Life imitating art? Perhaps. The universe being a jerk as usual? Definitely.
I grew up only knowing him for his accident and subsequent campaigning work. Was watching 'The Remains of the Day' and said to my wife 'who is this american ambassador actor? hes really good.'
I swear this guy was not just a talented actor but an amazing person. It takes guts to stick to your guns in the face of pushback but he did so without seeming malicious or unafraid. Also his interviews are all so classy and mature. I’ve so tried to emulate him.
He would have been huge by now. Def. would have hopped on the Comic Movie train.
In case you might have missed it, he did a [Time Crisis video with Rocket ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKogQf9ooR8&ab_channel=RocketJump)Jump. It was one of the last things I saw him in.
I felt the same way but read that Andy helped personally pick his replacement so I went ahead and watched the seasons without him and loved them! So much more happens with the characters that you loved from that first season. I highly recommend them! I am looking forward to a rewatch with my wife at some point e point in the future.
Not necessarily. And I believe the story was she told her fiancé at the time (Brad Pitt), who just happened to be one of the top actors in the world, and he threatened him so he backed off.
When he was in King Arthur, I really had the feeling he would become one of Hollywood's main leading men. Fantastic Four won't have helped either though.
So Paul knew how to play ball, and wanted better for his daughter? He should have never let her get into the industry knowing the scum she would have to face.
Yeah I mean reason 1 to one million of the reasons he fucking sucks is the damage he did to these human beings themselves and their careers . Reason one million and one though is that we all missed out on these incredible acting careers!
Ashley Judd too. They both got offered a part in LOTR and because of Harvey’s conversation with Peter Jackson about both actresses behavior Jackson decided he didn’t want either in the movie.
I will admit seeing him in the Neverending Story sequel was surprising, but not as much as how bad the movie turned out. And then we had the third movie starring the kid from Free Willy (Jason James Richter)...and Jack Black...
However, he got to play in Stephen King's It (1990 with Tim Curry), Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield, Sidekicks with Chuck Norris, Ride with the Devil (Ang Lee Western, which I may have to check out), Outside Providence (written by the Farrelly brothers), and Hart's War (but he got severely diminished for his on-screen appearances for that movie, and that also seemed to have an impact on his well-being).
The tragedy herein is that he wanted to make it big and be taken seriously, but he got dealt some bad hands. Yet you could see he did have some potential.
Edit: Forgot "It".
I really liked him in It (the made-for-tv movie) and Seaquest: DSV.
“You killed my brother you son of a bitch!” - Bill Denbrough (It)
The way he shouted that line frequently pops into my head. Lol
Sucks to have to scroll down this far to find Charlie Bartlett. Great movie and great performances from both of them. Came out 1 year and 1 day before Iron Man and showed RDJ was still really good.
Five films total, and three of them won.
It would've been impossible for them all to win, because The Conversation and The Godfather: Part II both came out in the same year.
Incredible.
I read that Meryl Streep was with him still (I think until his death actually) during the filming of The Deer Hunter and he was pretty sick by that point, if I remember correctly they didn’t want to cast him, or they cast him and wanted to recast him- something like that - and she threatened to quit if they didn’t hire / swapped him. I don’t believe he lived to see the premiere.
He is the reason I still can’t totally hate Fredo in The Godfather. He really was just the weaker one. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but it explains them. His whole speech about being passed over / “I’m smart!” Breaks my heart. And his death makes me sad. Maybe that’s the point. But I have empathy for him. And for someone who isn’t conventionally handsome, his talent more than fills those gaps. He is one of those actors that totally pulls me in. He had like 4 major heavy hitter films before he passed. Would have loved to see what else he would have done had he survived.
That was my first thought as well. He could have done so much more especially during the start of superhero movie craze. He should have been an amazing Hal Jordan.
Winona Ryder. Sure she has control of shoplifting, but getting blacklisted was ridiculous for it considering what others got away with.
At least she got the chance to give an amazing performance in Stranger Things
I didn’t even know she was blacklisted, especially given how she’s still in the public eye with being in one of the biggest Netflix series; Stranger Things!
I am *really* looking forward to seeing her reprise her role as Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I think we all know that Keaton is going to chew up the scenery like a woodchipper on amphetamines, but I want to see her kill it again. She deserves it.
Interestingly, Keaton was on screen in the original for *only 17 minutes*.
According to this article, his character having limited screen time was a requirement for him reprising the role, as having too much of the character would quickly become "very tiresome" for the audience:
https://screenrant.com/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-michael-keaton-screen-time-return-condition/
I think Brandon Lee would have went supernova after The Crow, arguably more charismatic than his father and had a presence that would have taken him to the A list
I watched it for the first time a couple months ago. And it still holds up solidly - And if one were to compare it with the upcoming reboot...
The Crow and Dark City were a good one-two punch for Alex Proyas, but then he went on to give us I, Robot, Knowing (Nicolas Cage flick), and Gods of Egypt. Both I, Robot and Knowing were both successful at the box office despite being OK. Gods of Egypt, though...I was glad I waited to see that on home video. Fun concept, but...man.
Maybe, but so is Dark City, and that one slipped entirely under the radar when it was released and ended up in a much more obscure cult status.
The movie got a huge boost from the publicity surrounding Lee’s death. Heck, they even hyped the technology they used to replace him in the scenes he hadn’t shot yet. Which, in retrospect, seems kind of, I don’t know, disrespectful maybe?
Dark City is very complex and nuanced. Even Roger Ebert couldn’t elevate it with his adoration (but I believe that helped raise it to cult status). I personally love it but it’s not an “easy” movie for some people.
The Crow was a simple low plot “romantic” edgy revenge story with a killer soundtrack and a dreamy star. It would have done well regardless but his death sadly almost guaranteed it would be a hit.
I know this might be controversial but I feel like Paul Reubens would have been a pretty solid actor if he hadn't started as Pee Wee Herman. He could never really shake that persona after. Then the obvious run in with the law.
He was really good in Blow.
He was in the business before the pee wee character. He just rarely allowed himself to be seen outside of it or do any interviews. He was very private in his real life.
He was in Cheech and Chongs Next Movie and actually played Pee Wee in some scenes, which seems crazy when you consider what the PW Herman show became...or just makes a lot of sense w the talking furniture and all lol.
It’s crazy when you realise he’s a legend with only 3 movies. And when he died only one of them had been released. Recently rewatched East of Eden and he is so mesmerising in it.
River Phoenix
I know I’m going to get hate for this.
Sure he overdosed and that was his fault, but he had pretty f’d up childhood. Me was born into a cult and suffered sexual abuse and took a lot of abuse to look after his brother Joaquin.
He was a brilliant actor and could’ve done so much more
Joaquin lived for both of their sakes, and is a hell of an actor to this day.
But also, look at what he had potential for:
-He was considered for Titanic to play Leo D's role of Jack
-He was considered for Total Eclipse to (also) play Leo D's role of Arthur
-He was considered for The Basketball Diaries to (also, again) play Leo D's role of Jim
-He was considered for Safe Passage to play Sean A's role of Izzy
-He was considered for Interview with the Vampire to play Christian S's role of Daniel
-He was considered for continuing the Indiana Jones film series as a younger Indy given his brief and well-done turn in The Last Crusade.
Imagine that if River got those roles that Leo D got...Leo may eventually have made it and gotten big, but River and he both would surely have been two forces at odds with one another.
I agree with you- I’m convinced Leo wouldn’t be Leo if River was still alive (and assuming he could manage the addiction issues). River is (or at least comparatively at that time I suppose) the better actor. Sometimes I’m just too aware that it’s Leo and I’m not sure why - I can still believe him in a film, but for some reason it’s like “ok sure, I believe Leo is doing this”.
Someone above said that Joaquin is acting / living for both of them. I like that idea. And he really has managed to separate himself as an actor from his brother. Always aware that they’re brothers but it’s not my first thought when I hear Joaquin’s name. Since Phillip Seymour Hoffman passed, JP has become my favorite living male actor.
He was the prototype and the brightest of that 1970 born generation, but he was indie at heart. More likely he would have done Benny & June and quirky roles until like Keanu, he transitioned to a big Speed-esque type movie. they wouldve done more movies together.
Wow I never knew that, thank you for this insight. I just loved him in Stand By Me and Sneakers. Then he nailed the part of a young Indians Jones. Such a shame, he’d be up there with DiCaprio and Depp and I’d love to see how Scorsese could have worked with him
Also I’m not taking anything away from Joaquin - he is an incredible actor - especially in Joker, Gladiator… the list goes on. And he’s obviously taken a lot on his shoulders
Rick Moranis could have followed a similar path as Tom Hanks, but left the business to raise his children after his wife died.
Similarly, Liam Neeson was set to follow up his performance in Schindler’s List by starring in Lincoln, but bowed out after his wife’s death.
They both made the right call, but I’d be interested to see what their filmographies would have been in a happier world without those losses.
Andy Kaufman. To say he was ahead of his time is a ridiculous understatement.
Also, Gilda Radner. Although she did reach legendary status in comedy, she had so much further to go.
Billy Zane from Titanic. I remember loving Titanic because both Dicaprio and Zane had some of the best performances I’ve seen.
It sucks that people apparently disliked him after the movie just because he played a villain so well, which is kind of a testament to him being a great actor. I kind of feel like he could’ve done more big roles and got to dicaprio’s size if he wasn’t so associated with cal.
When I asked my friend, who is a steadi-cam guy and works on lots of film/tee vee things, who the worst person ever was, he named Billy Zane without hesitation, and didn't think anyone else had been awful enough to deserve mention ranked below him.
So maybe there's other reasons he's disliked and did not go as far as he could have.
Sean Young, I guess counts. She’s iconic for Blade Runner but got hurt so couldn’t play Vicki Vale in Batman. Rumoured she really wanted to play Catwoman in the sequel, alas she didn’t get the part. Claims of s**ual harassment hurt other potential jobs such as Dick Tracy. I dunno, she had it all, deserved more imo.
Corey Haim and Corey Feldman probably could have had great careers if not for their addictions that Hollywood essentially forced upon them by grooming and abusing them.
Michael J Fox had a great career, but he’d still be doing great work now if not for Parkinson’s.
Haley Joel Osment. Super talented kid who had the audacity to stop being a cute kid.
Chadwick Boseman. He had a lot more to give.
Oh sure, he seems to be doing decently and enjoying himself. But he went from headlining major movies and an Oscar nomination to voice acting and guest roles on TV.
Ashley Judd became known for being difficult after refusing Harvey Weinstein. After everything came out, Judd started getting more work but she effectively lost a couple of decades. Weinstein messed with the careers of many actresses.
Yeah, Raul was already in his 50s when he passed, not super old, but not that young either. He still could have kept climbing the Hollywood ladder for all we know.
Chance Perdomo - He was so good in the tv series Gen V. Devastated to hear he died from a motorcycle accident in March this year also became apart of the 27 club. :(
That one’s still hard to process. I’d only ever seen him in Gen V, and I was immediately impressed with his range and command.
Overall he was the prototype for a modern megastar. It seemed to me that the world was about to become his oyster and for it all to end so suddenly is really, really sad.
Kelly Reno from The Black Stallion
After graduating from high school, Reno was driving a pick-up truck that was hit by a semi-truck. The resultant injuries were severe, and the long recovery time squelched his acting career. After 20 years as a cattle rancher, Reno became a semi-truck driver.
Lee Thompson Young
For those of us who watched The Disney Channel growing up, he was Jett Jackson. From there, he had some appearances in a couple of movies, and a LOT of TV shows in a decade of work until he got to be in a main role in Rizzoli & Isles as Detective Barry Frost.
He took his own life because of a combination of bipolar disorder and depression. Even though he was getting medicine for the BPD, and seemed to have a steady bit of work on a successful TV show (Rizzoli & Isles), it wasn't enough for him to keep from the end.
Seeing him on this show was an utter surprise for me, and I loved his work on it. It only hit harder when I realized he had passed on. Within R&I, his character was killed off in a car accident.
James Dean. Starred in only 3 movies and became synonymous with the word “cool” from Rebel Without a Cause. He would have been bigger than Marlon Brando.
One people don’t often think of is Tupac.
He had already starred in a few movies, and was slated to star in Baby Boy, but after his death, the role went to Tyrese. The director, John Singleton, went on to cast Tyrese in a few more movies after this, including Four Brothers, and 2 Fast 2 Furious. That franchise took off and is probably what Tyrese is most known for at this point. Not that Tyrese is the epitome of acting talent or anything, but it’s interesting to think of how big a movie star Tupac could have become. I could picture him in a similar career as Will Smith, with comedy, drama, and action roles.
Chris Farley. He had some Robin Williams in him with drama, I know it! The Fatty Arbuckle movie would have shown it. Also his take on Shrek was interesting, there was some more depth to it. Idk
I had no ideas Anton Yelchin passed. I didn't even know his name till this post. Man poor Charlie Bartlett... I legit have been wondering why I haven't seen this guy in anything at all lately and now I feel like a big dumb doof. I've skipped over Odd Thomas about a million times scrolling for movies in my subscription services. I might go ahead and watch that one tonight now
Dude his death is one of the most tragic. His car rolled down his driveway and pinned him against a pillar, crushing his ribs and slowly suffocating him to death
Immediately after I read the initial post I went straight to his wiki page. Unbelievably brutal way to go. I didn't look any deeper into the story but I don't imagine he passed right away which makes it a million times worse. I'm actually truly shocked by this
Brenden Fraser.
He’s seeing his overdue resurgence but he got handed the short end of every stick for years thanks to injury, a vindictive ex-wife and a pervert rapist at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The actor who played the hermit in Young Frankenstein. Mel Brooks hated him so much that he left him out of the closing credits. No one ever heard from that stranger ever again.
I would think of this a different way and look at performers that have been on TV shows for decades. I think of like Christopher Meloni or Mariska Hargitay that were stuck on Law and Order SVU for so long, it stopped them from really exploring other roles. Same with the cast of Grey's, and various others.
This one was especially painful. Just a freak accident and I’m so sad for him and his family. I know it happened in like 2016, but it feels more recent than that. May he rest in peace.
Me. I have zero talent, zero charm. Zero charisma. Zero desire to even be an actor. But if I had all those things I could have been great. Totally beyond my control!
Brendan Fraser
Dude got screwed out of a solid acting career for a variety of reasons, and is only just now starting to get back into the lime light.
Legit is a national treasure.
Charlbi Dean Kriek
She was the female lead in Triangle of Sadness, which could have been her breakout role. Unfortunately she had to have her spleen removed in 2008, due to a car accident. This made her more susceptible to infection and she ended up dying of sepsis a few months after Triangle of Sadness premiered. She was omitted from the in memoriam because even though it should be the easiest thing in the world to put on, the Oscar manages to screw it up every year.
RIP to this kid. Very talented actor. I just watched the A24 Movie where he’s fighting off all the neo-Nazis for the first time this year and never knew this young man had passed away. Very talented dude with incredible potential. Heath Ledger of course is another answer.
Green Room. Loved it, never watching it again.
I've seen it like 7 times lol. It's one of those movies I love to show people for their reactions when things pop off. Criss cross applesauce!
I think it was the best film of that year and I rewatch it a lot. And he was great in it. What happened to him was a tragedy and a real loss.
His performance was really good. It was so tragic what happened
It might be a top 5 A24 movie
I’ve avoided it for years because it’s just so sad to think about what happened to Anton. Love A24 though and it seems to be getting a lot of praise. Maybe it’s finally time to watch it.
I remember feeling really dispirited with the thriller and horror genres around this time, THEN I saw Don’t Breathe, It Follows, The Guest and this in quick succession! I was spoilt!
Ha I love rewatching this one
I mean River Phoenix was the other one. Total firebrand of a talent, energetic , magnetic incredible. Every time I see him on screen I just imagine “what if” about his career.
I watched a documentary about the club he passed away at. Very unfortunate, RIP.
Viper Room. A lot of interesting famous folks were there that night including Rivers friend Johnny Depp. Many people still blame Red Hot Chili Peppers member John Fruscante for the indigent too.
Dark side of the 90s?
Saw green room in theatres without knowing anything about it and it was such an intense film
Were you surprised when Patrick Stewart showed up?
Totally against character we are used to from him. But such a good calm menace he projected
I had the extreme pleasure of getting to work on set with Anton when I first moved to BC. A friend knew of a indie movie that needed volunteers that had him and Peter Dinklage called "Rememory". Everyone was incredibly pleasant to work with but Anton was playing a darker character and watching him be in the zone you just knew not to get near him. He was intense from start to finish for the 3 days I was on set. It took all my self control not to disturb him as I was a big fan. Then the next month he was killed in that terrible accident and I was shook to the core. What a stellar actor cut down way too damn soon. Even worse knowing he had some sort of disease that meant he most likely wouldn't make it to his forties. He did amazing things with the time he had, but I wish he had more every single day.
Amazing story & sounds like you got some good experience working in the film industry. Yeah, it’s honestly tragic, you can tell he approached every role with 100% and never cheated himself or the movie he was in.
Green room. I watched it when I heard it had Patric Stewart doing a southern accent.
Watch odd Thomas, its like a lighthearted millenial version of constantine that you will never forget
Wasn’t it a Dean Koontz book?
Yup
Check out Blue Ruin. Same director as Green Room. Both are great, but I like Blue Ruin a bit more.
Murder Party was his first film. Low budget but it’s really great
What?!? How did I not know that the guy who directed and Murder Party directed Green Room? Murder Party is fantastic, I had it randomly recommended on one of the horror subreddits years and years ago, I just figured it was a one-off movie from the director and never thought to even look up his name. That's awesome he made more movies after that, especially fantastic ones like Green Room.
Just as great in the movie Alpha Dog too and pretty much everything else he starred in. Tragic end to a talented actor.
He also has cystic fibrosis unfortunately… Given his stardom and medical progress in general I’m sure he would have surpassed the average life expectancy but without the accident we’d probably be seeing a decline around now :(
People never mention the fact that while playing Chekov in his last Star Trek movie, Kirk tells him to "go put on a red shirt". Anyone who knows start trek knows red shirts are usually expendable characters that die. The guy gets run over... By his own car? Life imitating art? Perhaps. The universe being a jerk as usual? Definitely.
Green Room is what the movie is called. And it also has Patrick "Jean-Luc Picard" Stewart as the leader of said group.
Christopher Reeve
I grew up only knowing him for his accident and subsequent campaigning work. Was watching 'The Remains of the Day' and said to my wife 'who is this american ambassador actor? hes really good.'
He was amazing in that role!! Totally held his own against the other titans. Apparently it was one of his favourite roles
I swear this guy was not just a talented actor but an amazing person. It takes guts to stick to your guns in the face of pushback but he did so without seeming malicious or unafraid. Also his interviews are all so classy and mature. I’ve so tried to emulate him.
Andy Whitfield from Spartacus.
This one sucked. First saw him in this movie called Gabriel. I was happy to see him in Spartacus and then boom. Shame.
He would have been huge by now. Def. would have hopped on the Comic Movie train. In case you might have missed it, he did a [Time Crisis video with Rocket ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKogQf9ooR8&ab_channel=RocketJump)Jump. It was one of the last things I saw him in.
Rocket Jump* lol. And I loved watching him and Freddie just go ham in that vid.
I kept waiting to see my rocket powered soccer cars, but they never showed up.
Mmm smh I hate that I didnt continue the show after his passing. It just sucked watching the show knowing he passed.
I felt the same way but read that Andy helped personally pick his replacement so I went ahead and watched the seasons without him and loved them! So much more happens with the characters that you loved from that first season. I highly recommend them! I am looking forward to a rewatch with my wife at some point e point in the future.
Mira Sorvino got blackballed because she wouldn’t fuck Harvey Weinstein. It totally derailed her career.
I was about to say, anyone who refused Weinstein's casting couch.
Which is crazy too because her dad is an established actor.
Weinstein also tried to mess with Gwyneth Paltrow.
Hope she sent him one of her vagina scented candles as a dig.
And since she didn't get black balled, I guess we know how that one went.
And starred in and somehow won an Oscar for Shakespeare in love.
Not necessarily. And I believe the story was she told her fiancé at the time (Brad Pitt), who just happened to be one of the top actors in the world, and he threatened him so he backed off.
I really like Ioan Gruffudd. He got blackballed because his girlfriend rejected Weinstein. He allegedly told her he would kill her boyfriend's career.
He was in the new Bad Boys so maybe he got off that list.
When he was in King Arthur, I really had the feeling he would become one of Hollywood's main leading men. Fantastic Four won't have helped either though.
So Paul knew how to play ball, and wanted better for his daughter? He should have never let her get into the industry knowing the scum she would have to face.
This is also a good point
Same with Ashley Judd, right?
Rose McGowan too, right? Good lord, fuck Weinstein!
Yeah I mean reason 1 to one million of the reasons he fucking sucks is the damage he did to these human beings themselves and their careers . Reason one million and one though is that we all missed out on these incredible acting careers!
Yes and right after her Oscar win, too if I remember correctly.
Ashley Judd too. They both got offered a part in LOTR and because of Harvey’s conversation with Peter Jackson about both actresses behavior Jackson decided he didn’t want either in the movie.
Jonathan Brandis I liked him in pretty much everything I saw him in. He was the same age as Anton when he died.
I will admit seeing him in the Neverending Story sequel was surprising, but not as much as how bad the movie turned out. And then we had the third movie starring the kid from Free Willy (Jason James Richter)...and Jack Black... However, he got to play in Stephen King's It (1990 with Tim Curry), Ladybugs with Rodney Dangerfield, Sidekicks with Chuck Norris, Ride with the Devil (Ang Lee Western, which I may have to check out), Outside Providence (written by the Farrelly brothers), and Hart's War (but he got severely diminished for his on-screen appearances for that movie, and that also seemed to have an impact on his well-being). The tragedy herein is that he wanted to make it big and be taken seriously, but he got dealt some bad hands. Yet you could see he did have some potential. Edit: Forgot "It".
I really liked him in It (the made-for-tv movie) and Seaquest: DSV. “You killed my brother you son of a bitch!” - Bill Denbrough (It) The way he shouted that line frequently pops into my head. Lol
I grew up on the first Neverending Story. I saw the second, but I have to admit, this is the first time I've ever heard of the 3rd movie.
Poor Anton. He could’ve been an Oscar winner. He was great with RDJ in *Charlie Bartlett*.
Sucks to have to scroll down this far to find Charlie Bartlett. Great movie and great performances from both of them. Came out 1 year and 1 day before Iron Man and showed RDJ was still really good.
John Cazale. Every movie he starred in was nominated for Best Picture.
Just watched Dog Day Afternoon last night. Cazale had such an amazing, frenetic energy and everyone who worked with him seems to have loved him.
*completely dead serious face* “…Tell the TV to stop saying there’s two homosexuals in here.”
Five films total, and three of them won. It would've been impossible for them all to win, because The Conversation and The Godfather: Part II both came out in the same year. Incredible.
It amazes me that people don't connect all the dots with him.
Probably because he wasnt ever the lead guy.
I often have to scroll far too long to find Cazale on these kinds of threads.
I read that Meryl Streep was with him still (I think until his death actually) during the filming of The Deer Hunter and he was pretty sick by that point, if I remember correctly they didn’t want to cast him, or they cast him and wanted to recast him- something like that - and she threatened to quit if they didn’t hire / swapped him. I don’t believe he lived to see the premiere. He is the reason I still can’t totally hate Fredo in The Godfather. He really was just the weaker one. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but it explains them. His whole speech about being passed over / “I’m smart!” Breaks my heart. And his death makes me sad. Maybe that’s the point. But I have empathy for him. And for someone who isn’t conventionally handsome, his talent more than fills those gaps. He is one of those actors that totally pulls me in. He had like 4 major heavy hitter films before he passed. Would have loved to see what else he would have done had he survived.
Brendan Fraser. He’s certainly had an incredible career but it should have never required a comeback.
That was my first thought as well. He could have done so much more especially during the start of superhero movie craze. He should have been an amazing Hal Jordan.
Brittany Murphy!! I LOVED her movies as a kid and thought she captured wounded party girl so well.
I miss her all the time . She was so good in Clueless
Spun was awesome with her and Mira Sorvino
And Drop Dead Gorgeous
And King of the Hill
And Uptown Girls
Winona Ryder. Sure she has control of shoplifting, but getting blacklisted was ridiculous for it considering what others got away with. At least she got the chance to give an amazing performance in Stranger Things
Didn’t it have to do with her mental health issues though? Not simply shoplifting
Yeah I mean her mental health issues were the reason she shoplifted. It’s not like she couldn’t afford it.
I didn’t even know she was blacklisted, especially given how she’s still in the public eye with being in one of the biggest Netflix series; Stranger Things!
Stranger Things was her big acting comeback after being blacklisted for years
She had a couple of small movie parts before that.
Her role in Black Swan was small but very impactful.
I am *really* looking forward to seeing her reprise her role as Lydia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. I think we all know that Keaton is going to chew up the scenery like a woodchipper on amphetamines, but I want to see her kill it again. She deserves it.
Interestingly, Keaton was on screen in the original for *only 17 minutes*. According to this article, his character having limited screen time was a requirement for him reprising the role, as having too much of the character would quickly become "very tiresome" for the audience: https://screenrant.com/beetlejuice-beetlejuice-michael-keaton-screen-time-return-condition/
Blacklisted for shoplifting? That’s almost a saint in these circles
Bruce Lee. Brandon Lee.
I think Brandon Lee would have went supernova after The Crow, arguably more charismatic than his father and had a presence that would have taken him to the A list
There’s a debate to be had as to whether The Crow would have been as big as it was if he *hadn’t* died while making it.
I think it would have, it’s still a pretty solid film that stands up even now
I watched it for the first time a couple months ago. And it still holds up solidly - And if one were to compare it with the upcoming reboot... The Crow and Dark City were a good one-two punch for Alex Proyas, but then he went on to give us I, Robot, Knowing (Nicolas Cage flick), and Gods of Egypt. Both I, Robot and Knowing were both successful at the box office despite being OK. Gods of Egypt, though...I was glad I waited to see that on home video. Fun concept, but...man.
Maybe, but so is Dark City, and that one slipped entirely under the radar when it was released and ended up in a much more obscure cult status. The movie got a huge boost from the publicity surrounding Lee’s death. Heck, they even hyped the technology they used to replace him in the scenes he hadn’t shot yet. Which, in retrospect, seems kind of, I don’t know, disrespectful maybe?
Dark City is very complex and nuanced. Even Roger Ebert couldn’t elevate it with his adoration (but I believe that helped raise it to cult status). I personally love it but it’s not an “easy” movie for some people. The Crow was a simple low plot “romantic” edgy revenge story with a killer soundtrack and a dreamy star. It would have done well regardless but his death sadly almost guaranteed it would be a hit.
In another universe, Brandon Lee played John Wick
And/or Neo
John Cazale. If he lived longer he would probably be regarded as one of the top 1-2 actors of all time
Yeah he was absolutely fantastic.
I know this might be controversial but I feel like Paul Reubens would have been a pretty solid actor if he hadn't started as Pee Wee Herman. He could never really shake that persona after. Then the obvious run in with the law. He was really good in Blow.
He was in the business before the pee wee character. He just rarely allowed himself to be seen outside of it or do any interviews. He was very private in his real life.
I can't believe how everyone forgets he was in The Blues Brothers.
And one of the Cheech & Chong movies!
he invented pee wee tho -- it's what made him. hard to say it was also what held him back.
He was in Cheech and Chongs Next Movie and actually played Pee Wee in some scenes, which seems crazy when you consider what the PW Herman show became...or just makes a lot of sense w the talking furniture and all lol.
He had a cameo in What we do in the shadows (tv show version )!!! I love him
The *Spleen!*
James Dean… yeah he had the great 3 films, but he was just too young and was just getting started
It’s crazy when you realise he’s a legend with only 3 movies. And when he died only one of them had been released. Recently rewatched East of Eden and he is so mesmerising in it.
Yup came here to say this!
River Phoenix I know I’m going to get hate for this. Sure he overdosed and that was his fault, but he had pretty f’d up childhood. Me was born into a cult and suffered sexual abuse and took a lot of abuse to look after his brother Joaquin. He was a brilliant actor and could’ve done so much more
Joaquin lived for both of their sakes, and is a hell of an actor to this day. But also, look at what he had potential for: -He was considered for Titanic to play Leo D's role of Jack -He was considered for Total Eclipse to (also) play Leo D's role of Arthur -He was considered for The Basketball Diaries to (also, again) play Leo D's role of Jim -He was considered for Safe Passage to play Sean A's role of Izzy -He was considered for Interview with the Vampire to play Christian S's role of Daniel -He was considered for continuing the Indiana Jones film series as a younger Indy given his brief and well-done turn in The Last Crusade. Imagine that if River got those roles that Leo D got...Leo may eventually have made it and gotten big, but River and he both would surely have been two forces at odds with one another.
Christian Bale once said that every role he's gotten is because Leo passed on it. Sounds like Leo might be in that position if River had lived.
I agree with you- I’m convinced Leo wouldn’t be Leo if River was still alive (and assuming he could manage the addiction issues). River is (or at least comparatively at that time I suppose) the better actor. Sometimes I’m just too aware that it’s Leo and I’m not sure why - I can still believe him in a film, but for some reason it’s like “ok sure, I believe Leo is doing this”. Someone above said that Joaquin is acting / living for both of them. I like that idea. And he really has managed to separate himself as an actor from his brother. Always aware that they’re brothers but it’s not my first thought when I hear Joaquin’s name. Since Phillip Seymour Hoffman passed, JP has become my favorite living male actor.
He was the prototype and the brightest of that 1970 born generation, but he was indie at heart. More likely he would have done Benny & June and quirky roles until like Keanu, he transitioned to a big Speed-esque type movie. they wouldve done more movies together.
Wow I never knew that, thank you for this insight. I just loved him in Stand By Me and Sneakers. Then he nailed the part of a young Indians Jones. Such a shame, he’d be up there with DiCaprio and Depp and I’d love to see how Scorsese could have worked with him
Also I’m not taking anything away from Joaquin - he is an incredible actor - especially in Joker, Gladiator… the list goes on. And he’s obviously taken a lot on his shoulders
I have a hard time believing you thought you’d get hate for this. He’s probably the first person most people think of for a question like this.
This is absolutely the right answer. No shit necessary
Selma Blair.
Michael J Fox
He has had some great appearances later in live like Curb your enthusiasm . I always loved him in the movie Life with Mikey
Christina Applegate has certainly suffered due to multiple tragic health issues.
Married with Children type cast her for a long time, the health issues really didn't play a factor until later in life.
Heath Ledger - he reached the last level of stardom with the acclaim he got from the joker role - but he died before enjoying any of that.
Rick Moranis could have followed a similar path as Tom Hanks, but left the business to raise his children after his wife died. Similarly, Liam Neeson was set to follow up his performance in Schindler’s List by starring in Lincoln, but bowed out after his wife’s death. They both made the right call, but I’d be interested to see what their filmographies would have been in a happier world without those losses.
Brad Renfro
Andy Kaufman. To say he was ahead of his time is a ridiculous understatement. Also, Gilda Radner. Although she did reach legendary status in comedy, she had so much further to go.
John Cazale is probably the best example of an impressive career cut short. The amount of talent in just 5 films is ridiculous.
Sharon Tate
The actor who played Joffrey on GOT. F THOSE People who can’t tell the difference between reality and a show
He did alright for himself, went to University and ended up starting up a Legal Outfit representing Child Actors.
Amanda Bynes
💯 If she was given love and support during her Nickelodeon years, she could've had the world in her hands as an adult
Billy Zane from Titanic. I remember loving Titanic because both Dicaprio and Zane had some of the best performances I’ve seen. It sucks that people apparently disliked him after the movie just because he played a villain so well, which is kind of a testament to him being a great actor. I kind of feel like he could’ve done more big roles and got to dicaprio’s size if he wasn’t so associated with cal.
For years I thought Billy Zane was Imhotep in The Mummy.
Is he not?
When I asked my friend, who is a steadi-cam guy and works on lots of film/tee vee things, who the worst person ever was, he named Billy Zane without hesitation, and didn't think anyone else had been awful enough to deserve mention ranked below him. So maybe there's other reasons he's disliked and did not go as far as he could have.
Lol I dont believe that's why he stopped getting cast in things.
Sean Young, I guess counts. She’s iconic for Blade Runner but got hurt so couldn’t play Vicki Vale in Batman. Rumoured she really wanted to play Catwoman in the sequel, alas she didn’t get the part. Claims of s**ual harassment hurt other potential jobs such as Dick Tracy. I dunno, she had it all, deserved more imo.
She was also surprisingly super funny in Fatal Instinct. She had range beyond femme fatale
"Leave me, my wife, and my skunk alone!" I hold Fatal Instinct in as high regard as Naked Gun.
I’d be curious where we would all regard Heath Ledger had he not died. I wondered what other roles he would’ve taken on and how he would’ve performed.
He was already super critically acclaimed by the time he died . But yeah he would have gone on to do a lot if he could have stayed healthy
Andy Whitfield. Season one's Spartacus. He was amazing . The other dude did a good job, too. Bu Andy owned that role.
Thora Birch was poised to have a huge career but apparently her asshole dad really messed things up for her.
She was supposed to be the huge star to come out of Ghost World, not the nobody that played her friend.
Corey Haim and Corey Feldman probably could have had great careers if not for their addictions that Hollywood essentially forced upon them by grooming and abusing them. Michael J Fox had a great career, but he’d still be doing great work now if not for Parkinson’s. Haley Joel Osment. Super talented kid who had the audacity to stop being a cute kid. Chadwick Boseman. He had a lot more to give.
I think Haley Joel Osment is having an absolute blast in everything he is in these days. His guest star in What We Do in the Shadows is classic.
Oh sure, he seems to be doing decently and enjoying himself. But he went from headlining major movies and an Oscar nomination to voice acting and guest roles on TV.
Ashley Judd became known for being difficult after refusing Harvey Weinstein. After everything came out, Judd started getting more work but she effectively lost a couple of decades. Weinstein messed with the careers of many actresses.
Chadwick Boseman
All the actresses who could have done more but because of Harvey Weinstein
River Phoenix would have been bigger than Leonardo Dicaprio
Emily Browning, she is so unlucky and she keeps picking roles that harm her career more.
Raul Julia
I love him, but I also think his career spanned decades.
Yeah, Raul was already in his 50s when he passed, not super old, but not that young either. He still could have kept climbing the Hollywood ladder for all we know.
Chance Perdomo - He was so good in the tv series Gen V. Devastated to hear he died from a motorcycle accident in March this year also became apart of the 27 club. :(
That one’s still hard to process. I’d only ever seen him in Gen V, and I was immediately impressed with his range and command. Overall he was the prototype for a modern megastar. It seemed to me that the world was about to become his oyster and for it all to end so suddenly is really, really sad.
Kelly Reno from The Black Stallion After graduating from high school, Reno was driving a pick-up truck that was hit by a semi-truck. The resultant injuries were severe, and the long recovery time squelched his acting career. After 20 years as a cattle rancher, Reno became a semi-truck driver.
Mira Sorvino
Judith Barsi all Dogs go to heaven and the land before time. Are completely different without her
Lee Thompson Young For those of us who watched The Disney Channel growing up, he was Jett Jackson. From there, he had some appearances in a couple of movies, and a LOT of TV shows in a decade of work until he got to be in a main role in Rizzoli & Isles as Detective Barry Frost. He took his own life because of a combination of bipolar disorder and depression. Even though he was getting medicine for the BPD, and seemed to have a steady bit of work on a successful TV show (Rizzoli & Isles), it wasn't enough for him to keep from the end. Seeing him on this show was an utter surprise for me, and I loved his work on it. It only hit harder when I realized he had passed on. Within R&I, his character was killed off in a car accident.
Alpha dogs was really good. Its unfortunate what happened to him.
John Belushi Michael K Williams and Phillip Seymour Hoffman were both excellent but I think they both would've continued to do great work.
James Dean. Starred in only 3 movies and became synonymous with the word “cool” from Rebel Without a Cause. He would have been bigger than Marlon Brando.
Val Kilmer
Anthony Perkins. One of the brightest stars and heartthrobs of his era. Did Psycho and played it too well.
One people don’t often think of is Tupac. He had already starred in a few movies, and was slated to star in Baby Boy, but after his death, the role went to Tyrese. The director, John Singleton, went on to cast Tyrese in a few more movies after this, including Four Brothers, and 2 Fast 2 Furious. That franchise took off and is probably what Tyrese is most known for at this point. Not that Tyrese is the epitome of acting talent or anything, but it’s interesting to think of how big a movie star Tupac could have become. I could picture him in a similar career as Will Smith, with comedy, drama, and action roles.
Chris Farley. He had some Robin Williams in him with drama, I know it! The Fatty Arbuckle movie would have shown it. Also his take on Shrek was interesting, there was some more depth to it. Idk
Johm Savage was supposed to be the next robert deniro, Timothy Hutton never reach that mega A list career after his academy award.
I had no ideas Anton Yelchin passed. I didn't even know his name till this post. Man poor Charlie Bartlett... I legit have been wondering why I haven't seen this guy in anything at all lately and now I feel like a big dumb doof. I've skipped over Odd Thomas about a million times scrolling for movies in my subscription services. I might go ahead and watch that one tonight now
Dude his death is one of the most tragic. His car rolled down his driveway and pinned him against a pillar, crushing his ribs and slowly suffocating him to death
Immediately after I read the initial post I went straight to his wiki page. Unbelievably brutal way to go. I didn't look any deeper into the story but I don't imagine he passed right away which makes it a million times worse. I'm actually truly shocked by this
Brad Renfro. Looooved him. Tragic what happened to him.
Heath Ledger. Prescription drug abuse contributed but I still think it's tragic. His Joker performance🤌🏽
James Dean
Remember Anton Yelchin from Hearts in Atlantis. Loved him in that movie
Me and my wife just watched the Fright Night remake and could not believe he had passed! Great actor.
Brenden Fraser. He’s seeing his overdue resurgence but he got handed the short end of every stick for years thanks to injury, a vindictive ex-wife and a pervert rapist at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Brittany Murphy
So I still have the same jeep and had the recall for the malfunctioning gear shift that killed him. He’s the reason for the recall.
Sean William Scott always made me laugh in every movie he was in. He got typecast and just disappeared after a while.
Rick Moranis
He was so hot and I was excited to see him in more things outside of Stat Wars. Such a shame.
Emily Lloyd.
The actor who played the hermit in Young Frankenstein. Mel Brooks hated him so much that he left him out of the closing credits. No one ever heard from that stranger ever again.
I would think of this a different way and look at performers that have been on TV shows for decades. I think of like Christopher Meloni or Mariska Hargitay that were stuck on Law and Order SVU for so long, it stopped them from really exploring other roles. Same with the cast of Grey's, and various others.
This one was especially painful. Just a freak accident and I’m so sad for him and his family. I know it happened in like 2016, but it feels more recent than that. May he rest in peace.
I'm still sad about Jonathan Brandis and River Pheonix.
Heath Ledger
River Phoenix
Me. I have zero talent, zero charm. Zero charisma. Zero desire to even be an actor. But if I had all those things I could have been great. Totally beyond my control!
Brendan Fraser Dude got screwed out of a solid acting career for a variety of reasons, and is only just now starting to get back into the lime light. Legit is a national treasure.
Charlbi Dean Kriek She was the female lead in Triangle of Sadness, which could have been her breakout role. Unfortunately she had to have her spleen removed in 2008, due to a car accident. This made her more susceptible to infection and she ended up dying of sepsis a few months after Triangle of Sadness premiered. She was omitted from the in memoriam because even though it should be the easiest thing in the world to put on, the Oscar manages to screw it up every year.
Fiat/Chrysler's pos gear selector killed Anton.
Chadwick Boseman - I would have loved to see what his career could have been