Talent whose careers didn't really go anywhere

[Scarlett Johansson]

There's lots of actors whose careers basically went nowhere even tho they were promoted as the next big thing at some point.

Off the top of my head:

Alicia Witt (She's getting Hallmark money now but originally was gonna play Mary Jane Watson until she got replaced in the drafts)
Gretchen Mol (They have been saying since the late 90s she was gonna go places)
Christina Ricci
Jonathan Lipniki (Apparently he's ripped now)
Patrick Fugit
Rosamund Pike (Allegedly difficult to work with)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Mira Sorvino
Taylor Lauther
Elizabeth Berkley
Adam Brody
Gregory Smith
Mischa Barton
Megan Fox
Lindsay Lohan (lmao)
Nicole Richie
Bow Wow
Thora Birch (Supposedly under heavy parental supervision as in her dad was there when she shot her nude scenes in American Beauty)
Krystal Harris

 

[KillThemCrackasBabies]

That Hayden Panettiere didn't end up amounting to much did she.

 

[keyboredsm4shthe2nd]

how many weren't molested in hollywood? maybe there's a trend between purity and promotion.

 

[Muttnik]

Brittany Murphy had talent when it came to comedy. I wish she'd realized it and hadn't spent most of her life being on prescriptions before being murdered.

Edit: She would have been a better live action Harley Quinn than Margot Robbie.

 

[JosephStalin]

Leighton Meester.
Tia Carrere. (Cassandra in Wayne's World).
Henry Cavill.
Tila Tequila.

 

[Michael Jacks0n]

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

I've heard somewhere that he essentially retired from acting and does behind the scenes stuff like producing, and he has a family.

 

[Immortal Technique]

Dakota Fanning. She still does stuff, but they seem to be bit parts. I guess I expected her to be a bigger star since she was probably one of the better kid actors to be in movies. Seems once she grew up, Hollywood had no roles for her or she just wouldn;t suck the dicks to get them.

 

[Jason Wynn]

Heather Langenkamp. I think she has always been the best "Final Girl" out of any horror movie, and it's a shame she got typecast as Nancy and didn't really do much beyond the Elm Street movies.

 

[KillThemCrackasBabies]

Brittany Murphy had talent when it came to comedy. I wish she'd realized it and hadn't spent most of her life being on prescriptions before being murdered.

Edit: She would have been a better live action Harley Quinn than Margot Robbie.

Now all I can think of is that HQ cartoon with Harley essentially being a murderous Luanne.

 

[Overly Serious]

Brittany Murphy had talent when it came to comedy. I wish she'd realized it and hadn't spent most of her life being on prescriptions before being murdered.

Edit: She would have been a better live action Harley Quinn than Margot Robbie.

Oh Hell yes, She was fantastic. Ever see her in that low-budge Kung-Fu movie "Drive"? She plays a sixteen year old with God knows what kind of mental disorder who is left alone in her parents motel when they close it down for renovation and take a weekend away (probably from her). The two main characters roll up because she's taken down the "closed for renovation" signs and opened it up herself. The entire middle portion of the movie is set in her parent's motel and she's this constant batshit background character. And you can tell that the two main actors think she's great in every scene she's in with her. Seriously - she lights up the screen.

Alicia Witt is one I would have picked out but OP already mentioned her. I first saw her in "Fun" which is ancient and was an earlier (and imo better) version of Peter Jackson's "Beautiful Creatures". Renee Humphrey plays a girl who, reading between the lines, has been badly sexually abused. Alicia Witt plays a girl who just has a head of bad wiring. There's a strange relationship between the two. Witt's character makes up stories about being abused by her brother to basically form a friendship with Renee Humphrey's character. It's a sad, affecting film that made a big impression on me. Never really saw Alicia Witt in much else other than a strange sitcom where she was great but that was it. Very talented.

Megan Fox is a weird one to list because she's had multiple blockbuster movie named roles. But it's right to include her because she's actually really talented and I don't think people noticed because she tends to get cast in these porn-star looking roles. She is gorgeous and I'm glad she has made a successful career from it. But I hope there's some kind of resurgence with her after she's past that tricky age for actresses where they're no longer considered young enough for "sexy girl interest" by casting agents. "Jennifer's Body" is a guilty pleasure.

Okay, enough sperging on ones already mentioned. I'll add Emily Perkins (one on the right):

Probably not fair to say her career "didn't really go anywhere" as she's teaching drama now according to her bio and presumably enjoys that. But she had a tonne of talent. I guess she just wasn't really considered movie star looks, though I thought she was cute. If you can overlook the total lack of budget, Ginger Snaps is a great low-key horror movie. And the sequel's not bad, either.

 

[The Nothingness]

Heather Langenkamp. I think she has always been the best "Final Girl" out of any horror movie, and it's a shame she got typecast as Nancy and didn't really do much beyond the Elm Street movies.

I won't be surprised if whoever gets the IP of the Elm Street franchise they try making a reboot that happens after the first movie just to bring Nancy back much like the newest Halloween did with Laurie.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

Rebecca Gayheart tho she murdered a guy

 

[tehpope]

Henry Cavill.

Isn't he still doing Superman? And he's Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's Witcher series. He's doing more than Brandon Routh is.

 

[JosephStalin]

Isn't he still doing Superman? And he's Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's Witcher series. He's doing more than Brandon Routh is.

Have no idea. Don't watch TV, don't watch Netflix.

 

[UnKillFill]

I know you technically said "talent," but Will Smith's kids all thankfully seem to have fizzled out, despite their *actually* talented father and *not actually* talented mother, doing their very best to make their shitty kids famous. Uncle Phil would be disappointed as fuck.

 

[Red Hood]

Isn't he still doing Superman? And he's Geralt of Rivia in Netflix's Witcher series. He's doing more than Brandon Routh is.

He had the misfortune of having the one person that should never, EVER make a Superman movie (Zack Snyder) direct him as Superman. He has the right look and doesn't seem to be a bad actor. I'm not convinced that Snyder isn't just a secret asshole troll at this point.

Cavill still seems to be working steadily though. Time will tell as far as he goes.

 

[Idiotron]

Erm.... Cavill is an A-lister.
H's literally one of the biggest names in Hollywood right now.
He's only 37 and he already has a $40 million net worth.
I don't think some of you guys know what "didn't really go anywhere" means.

 

[JohnDoe]

Heather Langenkamp. I think she has always been the best "Final Girl" out of any horror movie, and it's a shame she got typecast as Nancy and didn't really do much beyond the Elm Street movies.

Her career continued, just mostly behind the camera. She married a special effects artist and now co-owns the studio with him. She's also been a producer, special makeup director, and continued acting in short film, documentaries and tv.

Everybody in this thread should look at fucking Wikipedia before you post, faggots.

 

[Travoltron]

Alicia Silverstone was heavily hyped as huge up-and-coming talent in the 90s.

A friend of mine likes to point out how FOX hyped up Richard Grieco as the next Johnny Depp.

 

[Constellationzero]

Julia Stiles?

I never watched anything with her in it, but I could've sworn I saw a bunch of commercials for movies with her back in 98-2000 and now nothing.