From Stud to Dud

[Davina, The Modster]

I recently had one of the funniest conversations with a fellow movie fanatic on another group. He was majorly pissed off about Val Kilmer's latest movie, The Traveller. I've seen the film, at least the 30mins or so of it I managed to suffer through, before I had to give up. Bill was right. It was a complete mess. Absurd storyline, incredibly low production value, poor acting and an unrecognisable Val Kilmer. Where on earth was the handsome, talented, commercially successful actor of Top Gun, Heat and Batman Forever fame?!! I'll tell you one thing, in the The Traveller he was no where in sight!

Now please don't get me wrong I know this business isn't a piece a cake for anyone, even the most seasoned and successful of actors. Tom Cruise, one of the industry's most sought after and highest paid actors, have had a rough few years to say the least (though one has to wonder to what extent a certain maniacal couch jumping episode influenced his slight downward spiral). Anyway, my point is you really can be hot today, and tomorrow people are like ... er ... Tom who? It's brutal.

Having said that, I do think some actors contribute to their own demise whether that's by too much boozing, too much drugs, or too much plastic surgery a la Mickey Rourke. Or by choosing entirely crap roles! I think Kilmer may fall in the latter category.

It got me thinking about other former studs who've now become duds:

Christian Slater - from the blood sucking box office hit that was Interview with the Vampire to the laughable monstrosity that was Lies & Illusions

Cuba Gooding Jr - from high flying success in Jerry Maguire to a cliche, WTF!!! performance in Ticking Clock. And coincidentally he was also in Lies & Illusions with Christian Slater. Oh birds of a feather...

Michael Madsen - from the baddest of the bad in Reservoir Dogs to old and washed up in Terror Trap.

Other notable mentions:

Before his resurrection in The Wrestler, Mickey Rourke would've also made the list (the shadow of mediocrity still hasn't completely left him). The same is true for Steven Seagal before Machete which is a sort of career come back for him (although its arguable whether his films before this one were any good at all lol :)

Now to be fair to the boys there are some lady actors who've also faded into oblivion:

Angela Bassett
Vivica A. Fox
Kristy Alley (is that her name ... she does the Fat Actress series sponored by Jenny Craig or something)
Jennifer Something (she's the chick from Top Gun)

Any others, male or female, you ladies can think of?

[Samantha]

Val what happened to you? LOL. I also thought that Tom was a creditable actor and maybe I did become influence by the one couch jumping moment but I also know that the focus in the last few years for poor Tom has been personally related and he's just another tabloid sensation IMO. I honestly would have said Vivica a few years ago but recently I've watched a few films starring her and I realize that I don't care for her acting anymore. Maybe my taste has change but she is not as good as I had thought.

Let me think of a few and I'll post.