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Stars who should have been famous much sooner in their careers

posted 5 years ago by [deleted]
39 replies | jump to latest

Sometimes it takes a while to become an A-lister or mainstream. There's a few that come to mind but this is the number 1 for me.

Russell Crowe. He was acting since he was a young man with incredible charisma at age 27 in 'Romper Stomper'. He could easily have carried a movie in his 20s based upon that performance. But sadly he didn't really get noticed until LA Confidential (1997) and then became a star in his own right with Gladiator in 2000. He was 36 in 2000. He only got a few good years until he hit middle age, closing the door to a lot of movies that he would have been good in.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

Rodney Dangerfield had a good reputation as a stage performer in the late 60s and 70s but was not a household name

His big break came in Caddyshack in 1980 when he was in his mid 40s
People who knew him say he was a very frustrated by gaining success later in life

He had a few really good movies over the following decade and became a guru and legend to young up and coming comedians

[–] Kowalski (79177) 5 years ago

ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY...HE COULDNT GET ANY RESPECT!

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

He was an ugly kid, when he played hide and go seek nobody looked for him

He went to a massage parlor, they told him it was self-serve

His family was so stupid his great grandfather fought in the Civil War for the West

Comedy Legend🏆

[–] jriley555 (8557) 5 years ago

his family moved around a lot, but he always found them.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

A hooker once told him she had a headache 😁

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

I think his career had already taken off by the time he did Caddyshack. That's why he was put in that movie. Creating that classic Rodney "no respect" persona is what really made the difference.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

I meant his movie/TV career
He did have a solid act prior to Caddyshack but it was this that made him a comedy screen star

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Ah, I see what you mean. Yeah, that got his movie career going.

[–] tsrt (1177) 5 years ago

Christoph Waltz

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

That's a good one
He was 53 when Badterds came out
Prior to that he had a steady 30 year stage and TV career in Germany but Basterds put him at the top

I'd like to see a lot more if him at the movies

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

Robert Downey Jr.

[–] FredBurroughs (22318) 5 years ago

He's been a household name since breaking out in his early 20s. Are you saying he should have skyrocketed to stardom when he did that X-rated movie at age 5?

[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

He was never a household name before Iron Man.

[–] FredBurroughs (22318) 5 years ago

He was an Oscar nominee more than a decade before Iron Man and was pretty famous from the mid-'80s onward. On what planet does that not qualify?

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

He was probably A- List in the 90s, before everything went to hell for him and he had to start over. Not A+ list like he's been for the last ten-plus years, but he was leading films and getting press and scored a ton of Best Actor awards and nominations for "Chaplin".

Everyone who went to the movies had seen him, everyone liked him. And there were more movies and fewer TV shows back then, being a movie star meant a lot more in those days.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

He was quite well known and for a long time here in The States but some personal problems kept knocking him down until he cleaned himself up

[–] Otter (24464) 5 years ago

George Clooney was a C-lister until "ER" made him a star around age forty, he had a good run even if he could never act.

Actors who don't make it until they're over thirty have it good in a few ways. They're old enough to appreciate their luck, they typically have enough experience to do their job right, and the public won't be disappointed if they lose their youthful bloom.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

George didn't look as striking as a younger man.

He needed to wait until he looked a little more distinguished to be a star.

[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 5 years ago

He was great in Return of the Killer Tomatoes!

Maybe he had a bad lazy agent for about ten years!

[–] jriley555 (8557) 5 years ago

would have liked to see a young, lean, vibrant, clear-eyed wilford brimley

[–] jriley555 (8557) 5 years ago

wow, he must have been breathing his last as i wrote that

RIP Mr. Wilford

no more diabeetus for you...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BME0639IP5g

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 5 years ago

Liam Neeson
Samuel L Jackson

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

Neeson was about 41 when Schindler's List came out and Jackson about 46 when he co-starred in Pulp Fiction

Both had been in plenty up to those points but these were the pics that put them on the A List for keeps

Good examples Buff

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 5 years ago

Thanks! Yeah crazy to think Jackson was practically a no name prior to Pulp, when that hit big I looked back and remembered him in Coming to America and Goodfellas. Everybody loved Stacks.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

Prior to Pulp Fiction Jackson's credits included 'bum,' 'hold up man,' 'gang member #2' and 'black guy'

Can you imagine those credits in current movies!?! Talk about type casting

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

He looks like all four though.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (78628) 5 years ago

That's the gig👍

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 5 years ago

Haha yup, did it actually say that in the credits?? Man he sure paid his dues, good for him he’s a real talent he deserves every bit of success he’s earned.

[–] jriley555 (8557) 5 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdxMkQhq58g

[–] MonStar (13559) 5 years ago

Bugs Bunny

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Naomi Watts struggled until she was in her early thirties, though she was both quite beautiful and talented.

[–] MovieBuff224 (5053) 5 years ago

Yes, I think King Kong put her on the map.