Future of Movie Stars: Who Will Shine? Who Will Fade Away?

[methodwriter85]

When I saw Haley Joel Osment in the trailer Entourage and I thought it's a shame he turned out so doughy because he's not going to get great roles like he did when he was a kid, and then I realized Phillip Seymour Hoffman pretty much had the same physique and had an amazing career(until his unfortunate death from drug overdose), so there's hope for him getting interesting character parts.

 

     I think Haley Joel Osmont's turn in The Spoils of Babylon is a good indication of where he should go- quirky, interesting character parts.

 

     Channing Tatum has, believe it or not, actually been around for close to a decade. I really think he has a good shot at going the distance because he tends to make a lot of smart choices in terms of who he surrounds himself with and the kind of projects he takes on.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

If he'd keep doing work like he did in "In Bruges", I'd say as many as he wants, because he can be terrific.  But he really needs to be a lot pickier when it comes to choosing projects; when the material's good, so is he but when it's bad . . .

I love In Bruges!

Farrell could be more choosy, but at least he isn't signing on to anything and everything.

Like he did in the 2000's, where in most cases he wasn't right for the role.

cough...Alexander...cough!

Along with the hard partying and man whoring.

He seems to be in a better place and more stable.

Sobriety and fatherhood being a huge factor.

[ChaseMCP]

I've got really high hopes for Colin Farrell. I loved him in In Bruges, and I never really found him very appealing back when he was very big 10 years ago. I think what made me really like him was seeing a couple of his appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show. He just seems to be in such a good place right now, that you can't help but hope he does well, considering for years it looked like his career was going to be a train wreck. Maybe his role in True Detective will be the push he needs to get out of his recent slump.

[LarryS]

I think Kristen Stewart should start getting some credit for her career. Im really tired of people dismissing her because of Twilight, when she was head and shoulders above Pattinson and Lautner yet seems to get the lion's share of the backlash.  She led Snow White to a 400milion dollar box office and has always received great reviews, despite what the internet likes you to believe. She's had rave reviews this year for her 3 movies and if she'd had a couple more juicy scenes in Still Alice would have been a serious contender for a nomination, she's really good in it. I think she is going to have a really good career with a longevity that the likes of Margot Robbie, Blake Lively, Amber Heard etc will envy. 

 

I personally think Pattinson is a piss poor actor but others seem to think he has potential. There is a scene in Remember Me where he gets angry at his dad (Pierce Brosnan) and no joke, it's the cringiest acting i remember ever seeing.

 

Lautner has been very quiet since. He must have some opportunities going his way... ?

[ruby24]

I'd like to give her some credit, but I've seen her in quite a few movies (including Still Alice) and I have never, ever seen anything that made me think she was an actress with range. At all. It may be the mannerisms, the physical tics, etc. but she's just always the same- and it's not a dynamic screen presence kind of sameness ala Julia Roberts or something. She just seems like somebody who can't act. And can't keep her fingers or her hair out of her face.

[BatmanBeatles]

 

I'd like to give her some credit, but I've seen her in quite a few movies (including Still Alice) and I have never, ever seen anything that made me think she was an actress with range.

I find her unpleasant to watch.

[Rick Kitchen]

Lautner has been very quiet since. He must have some opportunities going his way... ?

 

He has two movies coming out this year in which he's the lead - Run the Tide and Tracers.

 

He's also been appearing in an Andy Samberg web series, "Cuckoo", but I have no idea where you can find that.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I find her [Kristen Stewart] unpleasant to watch.

 

It's the sourpuss face. She always looks like she's got a lemon in her mouth, or that somebody just cut a fart and she walked through it.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Cobalt Stargazer

[ruby24]

It's the sourpuss face. She always looks like she's got a lemon in her mouth, or that somebody just cut a fart and she walked through it.

So true, lol! She always looks to me like she'd rather be anywhere else than the movie she's in.

[Trini]

I think Kristen Stewart should start getting some credit for her career. Im really tired of people dismissing her because of Twilight, when she was head and shoulders above Pattinson and Lautner yet seems to get the lion's share of the backlash.  She led Snow White to a 400milion dollar box office and has always received great reviews, despite what the internet likes you to believe.

 

I don't dismiss anybody for Twilight because I don't think those movies made anybody look good.

As for Snow White, I'd most of the credit for that success on Helmsworth and Theron.

I actually think Stewart can act, but her range seems to be really narrow.

 

Now Lautner I worry about, because he's a sweet kid, but he's the weakest actor out of the Twilight stars. I thought he'd at least be able to make it as an action star, but then that movie that was supposed to be his breakout role (as a lead) flopped.

[Schweedie]

I'd like to give her some credit, but I've seen her in quite a few movies (including Still Alice) and I have never, ever seen anything that made me think she was an actress with range. At all. It may be the mannerisms, the physical tics, etc. but she's just always the same- and it's not a dynamic screen presence kind of sameness ala Julia Roberts or something.

I feel the same way. If it were just Twilight I'd give her a pass, but I've yet to see her show any range outside of that - to me she seemed pretty much the same in Still Alice as in, say, Adventureland. (There was one moment in Still Alice when she actually made me feel something, but that was it.) Last time I went to the cinema they showed the trailer for Clouds of Sils Maria, and again, she just... seems the same. And man, the glottal fry she's got going vocally started to drive me nuts once I noticed it.

[Chas411]

Agreed, I've never thought that she had much range. And she always looks so fucking awkward both in her films and in real life. I don't know, I wanted to like her in the past because I thought there has to be something about her if she keeps getting good roles but alas, I can't find it.

 

On a side note, she's been in the press a lot over the holidays about a potential romance with Alica Cargile.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Lautner seemed to vanish, once Abduction flopped and the Twilight Saga ended.

[manbearpig]

He has two movies coming out this year in which he's the lead - Run the Tide and Tracers.

 

He's also been appearing in an Andy Samberg web series, "Cuckoo", but I have no idea where you can find that.

 

Cuckoo is a sitcom from the UK, which airs on BBC3. Samberg was the lead initially but presumably his Brooklyn Nine-Nine commitments made him have to quit, so Lautner took over for the second series. Can't say whether it's any good or not as I haven't seen it.

 

I'm glad to see Kristen Stewart doing so well. She's been getting really good reviews lately so I'm excited to see her upcoming movies.

[JBC344]

I think Taylor can be decent when he picks the right roles.  I think a lot of times these "young" actors go for the lead roles in movies that either aren't good or have no complexity to them and do nothing for their career.  To me Taylor is not leading man material, at least not yet, and needs to concentrate on interesting supporting roles.  I think Cuckoo is a good choice for him. 

 

Look at someone like Zac Efron, he can be decent to really good in leading roles (17 Again), and has garnered a lot of respect in his supporting roles, Me and Orson Wells, Parkland, The Paperboy, Neighbors.

[UYI]

Unfortunately, I think her dad's antics basically killed her career.  He's gotten her fired at least twice since 2010, he apparently was always a nightmare on movie sets before that, and I think most people probably don't want to bother with her anymore.

 

What made it worse, though, from what I understand, is that she defended him and felt like he should just keep doing what he was doing without firing him. I mean, firing a parent as your agent/manager (was he? I can't remember) will be a bitch come Thanksgiving dinner, but if it means a chance at opening up your career opportunities again and rebuilding your reputation, I say go for it.

 

Of course, if he WASN'T he agent/manager and was just sticking his nose in her career long after she was an adult, and she just went along with it, then yeah, she made her bed in that case. 

[vb68]

 

What made it worse, though, from what I understand, is that she defended him and felt like he should just keep doing what he was doing without firing him.

 

She definitely needs to pull a Jodie Foster or Brooke Shields and fire him.

 

But this sounds so much worse .  If she was actually OK with what he was doing there, then yeah it's probably too late for her.  I just can't imagine any grown up wanting a parent hanging around at all for those scenes, not to mention making such a spectacle.   

[ChelseaNH]

How much independence could she have an adult, having been raised by him?

[Rick Kitchen]

Considering Thora Birch's parents had no problem, apparently, with her appearing topless in American Beauty at the age of 15, there seems to be a totally unhealthy relationship going on there.

[methodwriter85]

Ansel Elgort in Town and Country

 

That was one hell of a quick rise- Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars were literally his 2nd and 3rd IMDB credits. Caleb didn't leave much of an impression, but I'll forever love Augustus Waters. He's lucky that he comes from a very rich family and he could be choosy about roles rather than slummin' it.

[SallyAlbright]

Ansel Elgort in Town and Country

 

That was one hell of a quick rise- Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars were literally his 2nd and 3rd IMDB credits. Caleb didn't leave much of an impression, but I'll forever love Augustus Waters. He's lucky that he comes from a very rich family and he could be choosy about roles rather than slummin' it.

Yeah, his father being one of the most famous fashion photographers of all time definitely hasn't hurt.

[blixie]

I believe Thora Birch's parents both worked in the porn industry before becoming (while being?) stage parents, which doesn't make it less creepy, but is kind of an explanation. I'm sure you can do that kind of acting and be a great parent, they just are not it. Yeah she is extremely bitter and unrepentant about having alienated the industry.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Last time I saw Thora, she was in a dreadful Hostel knock off.

Film is called Train, think her career is pretty much done.

[Rick Kitchen]

Ansel Elgort has signed with the Staar Traax record label to produce electronic music.  His first release under that label is "Unite":

 

 

He had already released electronic music on his own before signing the contract.

 

His name as a music producer is Ansølo.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Rick Kitchen

[vb68]

 

Film is called Train, think her career is pretty much done.

 

That makes me sad.  I remember her in a bit part on the old series Day by Day when she was real little, probably under five, as a kid in daycare.  I think she was just billed as Thora.   The series had Julia Louis Dreyfuss pre-Seinfeld and Courtney Thorne Smith pre-Melrose Place. 

[JBC344]

I remember that show, about a daycare business run out of one of the characters homes.  Blast from the past.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, his father being one of the most famous fashion photographers of all time definitely hasn't hurt.

 

I just like that Ansel actually deserves the hype he's getting, which can't be said from every wannabee actor that gets in the door because they have some kind of connection to the industry or they're from a very, very rich family that can bankroll said wannabee actor while they flail around.

 

The kid's charisma is just insane. I didn't find him hot from photos alone, but he charmed me over in his video blog with John Green.

 

Of course, Armie Hammer had the same combination of talent, a pedigree (although he apparently was cut off from his family's wealth), and charisma, but it hasn't quite worked out for him. I do think looking and sounding like a Disney prince actually hurts him a little- he's almost TOO good-looking. Ansel has a more relatable look. Armie is the haughty college frat president who was devastatingly handsome, while Ansel is the cute guy from bio class you crushed on while playing video games at his house.

 

Well, that and Armie made some unfortunate choices, but I can't blame him for wanting to work with Johnny Deep and Julia Roberts. I really hope Ansel avoids that and builds on his current momentum.

 

I kinda hope he does another John Green movie.

Edited January 12, 2015 by methodwriter85

[MrsRafaelBarba]

 

That makes me sad.  I remember her in a bit part on the old series Day by Day when she was real little, probably under five, as a kid in daycare.  I think she was just billed as Thora.   

 

        She also played Jack Ryan's daughter in Patriot Games.

 

        Came across Ghost World on cable recently.

 

        Back then , I honestly thought Thora was going to be breakout star.

 

        But it turned out to be  ScarJo. 

[VCRTracking]

 

That makes me sad.  I remember her in a bit part on the old series Day by Day when she was real little, probably under five, as a kid in daycare.  I think she was just billed as Thora.   The series had Julia Louis Dreyfuss pre-Seinfeld and Courtney Thorne Smith pre-Melrose Place.

JBC344

Today. 6:06 am

 

I remember that show, about a daycare business run out of one of the characters homes.  Blast from the past.

 

 

 

The one episode  I remember is where the son has a dream he was on The Brady Bunch show and they had all the cast members on except Jan and Greg. The actor Christopher Daniel Barnes(who was Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid) later then went on to play Greg in The Brady Bunch Movie. There was a really funny part where Robert Reed is giving Barnes a typical Mike Brady "dad talk" where the theme is played very serious and Barnes is suddenly looking around because he hears it!

 

As for Birch, it's sad that her career is wrecked because of her parents. I thought she was great in Ghost World.

 

 

Edited January 12, 2015 by VCRTracking

[methodwriter85]

Since it doesn't look like Rosamund Pike will get the Oscar, I do hope she'll take her nomination and parlay it into a long and storied career, similar to what Julianne Moore did after becoming a household name after Boogie Nights netted her an Oscar nomination. In any event, it's cool to see someone become a "name" in her mid-30's instead of at her ingenue stage.

Edited January 16, 2015 by methodwriter85

[caracas1914]

MIles Tenner I think will have longevity, he has an interesting face, not classically handsome so I can see him being a character actor for a long time.

 

Interesting face does not translate to ugly or unattractive to me, it really does mean interesting.  :)

Edited January 16, 2015 by caracas1914

[vb68]

I don't know that there is anybody in the past five years or so who has managed their career better than Bradley Cooper.  Three consecutive Academy Award nominations. He has to be at the top of most of the casting lists now.  I'm awestruck at how used his leverage after The Hangover and moved beyond it.    Other actors should study his career path.

Edited January 17, 2015 by vb68

[Athena]

I don't know that there is anybody in the past five years or so who has managed their career better than Bradley Cooper.  Three consecutive Academy Award nominations. He has to be at the top of most of the casting lists now.  I'm awestruck at how used his leverage after The Hangover and moved beyond it.    Other actor should study his career path.

 

Cooper will always be Will Tippin to me in a way or that travel host I once saw. I don't know if I particularly like or dislike him, but you are right, he's managed it very well and/or he's had a great team.

[Rick Kitchen]

Cooper is going to be directing an upcoming movie with De Niro.

[methodwriter85]

Bradley Cooper was mainly the eye candy guy/cocky handsome villain in most of the parts he played up until the Hangover, and then after Limitless proved he could lead a movie, he really took off. I'd say he's been really impressive with how he's parlayed his Oscar nominations.

 

I think he's a good example of why it's better to let the male stars evolve through making movies and t.v. in their 20's and 30's, instead of hyping a 24-year old male actor as the Next Big Thing. That seems to fail more often than not.

[VCRTracking]

I agree because I think when audiences want a "leading man" in movies they don't want a boy they want a MAN. Someone who's had enough experience living life and where you can see it on their face. I think you have to be at least 30 for that. Most of the great leading men in movie history with a few exceptions around 30 when they became stars.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Don't care for Bradley Cooper, all the shit and giggles over him has me baffled.

Plus I get Ted Bundy vibes from him.

[Jackie Jormp-Jomp]

I liked Bradley Cooper until last year's award season, but then I got turned off by his apparent desperation for an Oscar. I assume most actors of his status are careerist like that, but they tend to manage to hide it better.

[methodwriter85]

I agree because I think when audiences want a "leading man" in movies they don't want a boy they want a MAN. Someone who's had enough experience living life and where you can see it on their face. I think you have to be at least 30 for that. Most of the great leading men in movie history with a few exceptions around 30 when they became stars.

 

I think Ryan Gosling is the most recent guy who managed to become a leading man in his 20's. I really can't think of anybody more recent than him. The next guy before him would be Will Smith back in the 90's.

 

You could argue Chris Hemsworth, maybe, but I'm not sure about that. He had Thor and the Avengers, yes, but you can't really say that the draw was based on him. I think he's hitting leading man status now, but not back in 2011/2012.

[Trini]

 

The next guy before him would be Will Smith back in the 90's.

 

DiCaprio?

[absnow54]

Leonardo DiCaprio, definitely. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck too, although Ben crashed and burned spectacularly by the time he was 30.

[manbearpig]

It's interesting that Ben Affleck's directing career has taken a back seat now that he's getting some interesting acting roles. I mean, wasn't he supposed to direct another movie, but then it got delayed so he could do Gone Girl and then be Batman? I remember reading that he delayed it again now that he's reteaming with David Fincher and Gillian Flynn for another movie.

[KatWay]

Ben Affleck probably figures he'll have time to direct movies until he's old, meanwhile who knows how long this acting career resurgence is going to last?  Especially, since he's now finally getting the good roles (and who thought he'd ever get a shot at those again after that career slump?).

[Danny Franks]

I reckon Ben Affleck is more discerning about the directing gigs he takes than he is about the acting gigs. And he's espoused the idea of making "money movies" to fuel your ability to do stuff you want to do, for a long time. I think the directing is more personal, while as an actor he's happy to take roles he doesn't care as much about.

 

He's still supposed to be doing that Whitey Bulger project with Matt Damon, and he's got a prohibition era movie lined up, as a director/actor. I'm guessing he spends more time thinking about them than he does thinking about Batman. But he's at that stage now where he can do stuff like make a movie just so he can work with a particular director, and that's a fantastic place to be, as an actor. Who'd have thought that would be Ben Affleck, five years ago?

[methodwriter85]

Oooh, good point about DiCaprio and the Ben/Matt team.

 

DiCaprio was one of the rare teen idols who was also treated seriously as a leading man, thanks to Gilbert Grape and The Basketball Diaries. He also did this weird indie movie where he played a writer's gay lover.

[Rick Kitchen]

Affleck has three Batman roles coming up in the next four years, I don't know how much of his time is going to be taken up doing that.

[Danny Franks]

Affleck has three Batman roles coming up in the next four years, I don't know how much of his time is going to be taken up doing that.

 

Yeah, I think he makes a ship load of money from those (not that he needs to but... who's going to turn that down?) and then goes back to his own projects for a while. He'll have the clout to do pretty much whatever he wants, to hire whoever he wants.

 

And at some point, he's going to get asked about running for office again. So, there's always that.

[Skyline]

Well this weekend has proven that outside of Marvel flicks Chris Hemworth has no star power. Blackhat is a huge box office turd. 70 million dollars down the drain.

On the other hand, Bradley Cooper is the new King of Hollywood. Expect his quote to rise after the phenomenal success of American Sniper. Plus he's earning raves on Broadway, and gave a much loved voice performance in Guardians of the Galaxy. His career is on fire.

And Michael Vartan was suppose to be the breakout from Alias. Lol...

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Hopefully Chris will fare better, with Heart of the Sea.

Too bad about Blackhat, the man can act.

[methodwriter85]

   Michael Vartan never seemed to do more than play the dreamy love interest. He's still playing that on T.V., although honestly judging by his role on Satisfaction the looks are starting to go.  Maybe that's not a bad thing, though. He could always try transitioning to interesting character parts like Jude Law is doing.

 

    I think my favorite "Failed Next Big Thing from the 2000's" has to be Josh Lucas. He really was totally gorgeous, and it's a big shame that he just couldn't build on the success of Sweet Home Alabama.