From headlining to side character: Actor’s final headlining role - Blu-ray Forum

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 03:00 AM

Some actors we have seen pop up as side characters in movies were actually huge stars in their day. They used to headline films, starring as the main actor in the film with their name highlighted as the star attraction on the movie poster until they just became side actors for many possible reasons - age, not big box office money makers, hard to work with, choosing to act less, etc.

It makes one appreciate an actor like Clint Eastwood who has headlined practically all his films for 50+ years.

Mia Farrow: Reckless (1995)

Kirk Douglas: Tough Guys (1986)

Christian Slater: Hard Rain (1998)

Roy Scheider: The Fourth War (1990)

Alec Baldwin: Mercury Rising (1998)

Dan Aykroyd: Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)

Can anyone list more?

Monterey Jack · 09-01-2018, 03:36 AM

Not one of these is an actor's final role.

Naiera · 09-01-2018, 03:38 AM

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toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 04:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

Not one of these is an actor's final role.

Starring as in “headlining the film”. the main star of the film. the star attraction.
Alec Baldwin in The Shadow = the star of the film, the headlining actor
Alec Baldwin in Mission Impossible = just a side small role

Shingster · 09-01-2018, 04:46 AM

It's almost as if there aren't many leading roles for 60yr old men in Hollywood these days!

demonknight · 09-01-2018, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Starring as in “headlining the film”. the main star of the film. the star attraction.
Alec Baldwin in The Shadow = the star of the film, the headlining actor
Alec Baldwin in Mission Impossible = just a side small role

But for Dan Aykroyd, wouldn’t it be Blues Brothers 2000 in 1998?

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by demonknight

But for Dan Aykroyd, wouldn’t it be Blues Brothers 2000 in 1998?

could be but it was more of a Blues Brothers product film than a Dan Aykroyd film. Aykroyd was huge in the early days, as in “let’s go see the new Dan Aykroyd film (same as Steve Martin, Chevy Chase).

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 06:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shingster

It's almost as if there aren't many leading roles for 60yr old men in Hollywood these days!

Yeah, this is why I miss the pre-1990s.

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 06:39 AM

Jim Belushi: Mr. Destiny (1990)

Richard Dreyfuss: Krippendorf’s Tribe (1998)

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 08:00 AM

Elliot Gould: Dead Men Don’t Die (1990)

Peter Weller: Fifty/Fifty (1992)

Sam Shephard: Fool for Love (1985)

levcore · 09-01-2018, 10:58 AM

I'm not sure I understand this thread.

olivasauce · 09-01-2018, 11:08 AM

Seems to me this is those actors first supporting roles after being headliners, rather than their last roles. Not sure 🤔 ???

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by levcore

I'm not sure I understand this thread.

Famous actors who headlined movies with their name as the star attraction. Actors who were really popular. So im curious about their final headlining films before they became supporting actors or less popular. Usually it would be a movie that bombed for example. So I am listing their final big films before they became just side characters in later movies. For example, Elliot Gould was in the Oceans movies as just a side character and many people may not even know that he was a huge popular leading man headlining Hollywood films in the 1970s and 1980s.

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 12:25 PM

Mathew Modine: Cutthroat Island (1995)

Geena Davis: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)

Sort of sad whatever happened to Geena Davis since Cutthroat and Long Kiss are my two favorite movies of hers - seemed like she was being prepped as a female action star for future films. She’s been doing fine in smaller roles and tv after but I really liked her as an action hero.

NARMAK · 09-01-2018, 12:44 PM

Not quite a final role but Robert Deniro imo moved away quite strongly from a leading man to a side supporting actor or co-star in a lot of recent movies. So have people like Arnold Shwarzenegger etc. Not necessarily a bad thing if the role is right a la Stallone in Creed and Kurt Russell in Fast franchise.

jan_tran · 09-01-2018, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Famous actors who headlined movies with their name as the star attraction. Actors who were really popular. So im curious about their final headlining films before they became supporting actors or less popular.

.... you mean the natural trajectory of an actor’s career? Unless you’re an outlier like Tom Cruise this is par for the course for any working actor.

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jan_tran

.... you mean the natural trajectory of an actor’s career? Unless you’re an outlier like Tom Cruise this is par for the course for any working actor.

yup, not saying it’s bad or good, just curious about their final headlining starring films before they became side actors.

mwynn · 09-01-2018, 01:21 PM

Slater was the lead in 2005's Alone in the Dark.

demonknight · 09-01-2018, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddly6666

could be but it was more of a Blues Brothers product film than a Dan Aykroyd film. Aykroyd was huge in the early days, as in “let’s go see the new Dan Aykroyd film (same as Steve Martin, Chevy Chase).

That doesn’t mean he didn’t headline it.

toddly6666 · 09-01-2018, 04:20 PM

Slater and Aykroyd were already forgotten and not big tentpole movie actors anymore when they got to pop up again in Alone in the Dark and Blues Brothers 2000. Same with Peter Weller in Screamers. They were past the point to where they werent popular anymore. Not household names anymore as in “let’s go see the new Christian slater movie or Dan Aykroyd film”. This isnt really an exact science - just curious to see what those final big films were, especially for many famous actors of the past. Burt Reynolds - a huge movie star - who headlined most of his movies until Cop & 1/2. He had small memorable roles in Striptease and Boogie Nights later on but he wasnt the headlining star of the film. His last Hollywood big film where he starred as the main attraction was Cop & 1/2.

Burt Reynolds: Cop and a 1/2 (1993)

09-01-2018, 03:36 AM	#2
Monterey Jack Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Oct 2011 Trading Score:709	Not one of these is an actor's final role.

09-01-2018, 03:38 AM	#3
Naiera Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Denmark Home Theater Gallery:2 Trading Score:25	Is weed legal in Hong Kong?

09-01-2018, 04:46 AM	#5
Shingster Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2009	It's almost as if there aren't many leading roles for 60yr old men in Hollywood these days!

09-01-2018, 10:58 AM	#11
levcore Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Jun 2011 Location:Dryland 4K collection:306 Blu-ray collection:2617 Trading Score:3	I'm not sure I understand this thread.

09-01-2018, 11:08 AM	#12
olivasauce Special Member Member since:Nov 2010 4K collection:91 Blu-ray collection:1074 DVD collection:1	Seems to me this is those actors first supporting roles after being headliners, rather than their last roles. Not sure 🤔 ???

09-01-2018, 12:44 PM	#15
NARMAK Blu-ray Prince Member since:Feb 2007 Location:United Kingdom Blu-ray collection:141 Trading Score:18	Not quite a final role but Robert Deniro imo moved away quite strongly from a leading man to a side supporting actor or co-star in a lot of recent movies. So have people like Arnold Shwarzenegger etc. Not necessarily a bad thing if the role is right a la Stallone in Creed and Kurt Russell in Fast franchise.

09-01-2018, 01:21 PM	#18
mwynn Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Mar 2008 Blu-ray collection:- Trading Score:2	Slater was the lead in 2005's Alone in the Dark.

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