She Shoulda Been A Contender, Part IV

INT. TV-ROOM - COUCH - NIGHT

When I watch older films - in loser, non-geek speak that means anything older than 3 years - I often come across actresses that make me think "hey, what happened to her?"

That's why I came up with this blog series about hot actresses who should have had bigger careers. Don't forget to check out the previous entries here. And so without further ado, here's the fourth crop:

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Mia Sara

She was Sloane. She was effing Sloane in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). She was the one who had to look like she could keep Ferris Bueller interested, and perhaps even keep him a bit in check too. And she pulled it off. Before that Mia Sara was an effing fairytale princess in Legend (1985). And that's it.

The remaining "highlights" include playing Van Damme's wife in Timecop (1994), and playing the villain in the failed superhero series Birds of Prey (2002). The rest of her CV is an impressive barrage of instantly forgettable TV trash. She's barely chalked up a handful of guest appearances during the last 10 years. No one ever tried to get her to play Sloane-ish in anything? No sassy teen roles? Nothing? Come on people! It's unacceptable!

High point: Bueller? Bueller?
Low point: Hard to say. Mostly because you have to work in order to have a low point. Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001) with Matthew Modine? The TV version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997) starring Michael Caine? Who knows.
Should have been in:  I'd give her a regular spot on something like E.R. or Grey's Anatomy, or what about something that utilizes that ûber-cool attitude she's got? A female version of Top Gun! Boom! There it is! Military uniforms, those mirrored sunglasses... The boys wouldn't stand a chance.

Rhona Mitra

She can play sexy (just look at her), she can play tough (Doomsday (2008)), she'll do serious drama (Boston Legal (2004)) and goofy stuff (also Boston Legal (2004)), she can even lead a film (Doomsday, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)), and yet, Rhona Mitra is not a movie star. She's not on this list because she disappeared, or only did crappy TV stuff, no, she definitely did the work. Good, high-profile TV shows, big movies, but despite all that, Rhona Mitra is not a household name, and dammit she should be.

High point: Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.
Low point: Getting raped by an invisible Kevin Bacon in Hollow Man (2000) - because why would you show your breasts in a scene no self-respecting guy could "enjoy"?
Should have been in: Tomb Raider, obviously. This is a no-brainer.

Paula Marshall

Paula was initially brought to my attention as a supporting character on Spin City (1997). She was Michael J. Fox's second serious girlfriend. Later came Snoops (1999), short-lived, but sweet, female-centric detective show. She also made a very memorable guest appearance on Sports Night (2000). She keeps popping up in TV shows, often for more than one episode, but that's just not good enough. She needs a regular show - a drama - or a proper feature film. She deserves it!

High point: Spin City, oh who are we kidding, it's Californication (2007) with almost full frontage nudity and raw sex.
Low point: Gary Unmarried (2008)? A sitcom with Jay Mohrs (the s is a joke). Haven't seen it, but who can contain the Mohrs in a sitcom format?
Should have been in: Gravity (2013). Front and center, lead role, she could do it!

Eliza Dushku

Eliza certainly has no shortage of street cred. With stints on fan favorites Buffy (1998) and Angel (2000), and no less than two (albeit failed) shows of her own - Tru Calling (2003) and Dollhouse (2009) - she should be able to land a cool action movie or two. Nevertheless that kind of big screen screen time eludes this capable girl. The closest she got to big screen action was playing the daughter of Arnold in True Lies (1994).

Okay, so she did a few horror films along the way, Wrong Turn (2003) and Soul Survivors (2001) among others, and even some classic teen movies like The New Guy (2002) and effing Bring It On (2000), and that's all good, but that was 10+ years ago. A reoccurring Torchwood (2011) role and a The Big Bang Theory (2010) guest appearance show that the street cred is still alive, but where's the Eliza-Dushku-Kicks-Major-Ass feature film we deserve? Someone call Luc Besson.

High point: I'm sexy, I'm hot, I'm everything you're not! (That's from Bring It On, for the uninitiated).
Low point: Guest starring in an episode of Ugly Betty (2007)? What an abortion of a show.
Should have been in: Kill Bill (2003)! She could pass for Asian, right?

Julia Stiles

A couple of late 90's lead roles paved the way for her star-making turn in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), going head to head with the late Heath Ledger. Then she did the modern day Hamlet (2000) with Ethan Hawke, a Mamet tour in State and Main (2000), then another classic teen movie, Save the Last Dance (2001), then she did more Shakespeare with 'O' (2001) and then.... The Bourne Identity (2002). Say what, now? She wasn't playing the lead, or some sassy love interest, she played a secretary. A generic secretary. She did nothing with the role and looked unconvincing doing it, after that it was all downhill. Sometimes through interesting projects, but slowly and inexorably Julia Stiles acted her way into obscurity.

When she showed up briefly in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) in a generic mom role, indistinguishable from the wallpaper, I almost cried. Where's the girl who looked so hot dancing on the table to Biggie Smalls?

High point: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999).
Low point: Gospel Hill (2008), I'm guessing.
Should have been in: Setting age aside, she should be able to do parts like Laura Linney's in The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), or Diane Kruger's in National Treasure (2004). She should definitely do something smart, like a lawyer or an investigative reporter. She looks smart, as well as beautiful.

Mädchen Amick

Lots of TV. Lots and lots of TV. It's no surprise, after all Mädchen got her big break on TV in David Lynch's Twin Peaks (1990), playing Shelley the waitress, but after that she briefly flirted with feature films.

Sleepwalkers (1992) aptly predicted the audience's reaction, then came the hot and sexy Dream Lover (1993), which turned out to be a bit of a nightmare, and then it was all over. Guest appearances on Dawnson's Creek (1999), Gilmore Girls (2002), ER (2004) and Joey (2005) failed to impress. She looked incredible in Californication, when she did a few episodes in 2008, so it's definitely not age, or too much surgery. I guess some stars will never shine beyond the crumbled pages of the TV Guide.

High point: Twin Peaks.
Low point: Dream Lover.
Should have been in: Twin Peaks season 3, 4 and 5. Okay that's a cheat. How about... Ghost (1990)? She's so adorable when she cries.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

If you ever wondered why I do these posts, scroll back up and look at all those images, and then keep this in mind: These chicks look like that, AND they're talented! Is it really so unreasonable that I want them on my TV more?

She Shoulda Been A Contender, Part III

INT. CINEMA - MIDDLE OF THE THIRD ROW - AFTER TEA TIME

It's been a few years since I wrote the previous segments of this blog-series, focusing on hot actresses who should have had bigger careers, so I figured it was time to pick it up again. And even though there's a depressing element to this, we're still dealing with hot babes, and that's always fun!

So, remember to check out Part I and Part II, and without further delay, we're on to the next batch:

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Claire Forlani

There's a certain classy look to Claire Forlani. She projects an air of royal entitlement, and it amazes me she hasn't parleyed that into a career. She came up through the ranks via Kevin Smith's Mallrats (1995) - instantly giving her geek cred, but then she landed Meet Joe Black (1998) and suddenly she was too good for the rest of us.

Regrettably, Meet Joe Black turned out to be a dud. A dreadfully dull, overblown, brick of a movie, and despite the fact that Forlani was perfectly cast in it, it never made her leading lady material.

I suspect that the truth is simply that she really IS a bitch to work with, and that her superior attitude is not just an act. She walked off Deep Rising (1998) due to "creative differences" and she publicly trashed Mallrats. She was lined up to be a regular on CSI: NY (2004-2013), but that didn't last either. It adds up, doesn't it?

High point: The Rock (1996).
Low point: The Medallion (2003).
Should have been in: Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), or other post-90's Angelina Jolie action vehicles.

Jennifer Grey

With movies like Red Dawn (1984), The Cotton Club (1984) and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Grey was already pretty well-established as a star on the rising, and then came Dirty Dancing (1987). Few actors ever get to experience a career defining moment like that - unfortunately Grey didn't do much with hers. First there was an awful car crash (Wiki it to know more), and a few years later Grey had a rhinoplasty that rendered her virtually unrecognizable to fans, friends, family, and more importantly, casting agents. And just like that her career and her awfully cute face was gone.

Grey managed to keep working, sort of, but she never did anything anybody heard of again. In 2010 she won the 11th season of Dancing with the Stars, but still didn't manage to turn the tide. Too bad. I wouldn't have minded seeing Baby grown into a seasoned actress in the spotlight.

High point: Dirty Dancing.
Low point: The nose.
Should have been in: The Breakfast Club (1985), more John Hughes movies, Pretty Woman (1990) - no, the other female role - and about a million other things.

Minnie Driver

The second part of the 90's were very good to Minnie Driver. A hilarious bit part in GoldenEye (1995), a heartfelt indie performance in Big Night (1996), she did a big budget classic Sleepers (1996), impossibly cool indie darling Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), modern Oscar movie Good Will Hunting (1997), and loud big budget Hollywood trash Hard Rain (1998).

Driver was set to be a star. She could do it all, but she ended up doing nothing. Oh, she worked, she even delivered the goods now and then, but she had no hits, no Minnie Driver vehicles, nothing that anyone would want to remember, and isn't she almost forgotten by now? She's still beautiful, she's still talented, but she's 43 now, and I know it's terribly unfair, but time is running out. If she wants to get back on the marquee, she need to get into gear now.

High point: Grosse Point Blank.
Low point: My guess, sight unseen, delivering the voice for the animated series Revisioned: Tomb Raider (2007).
Should have been in: Speed (1994). Or something funny, something quirky. I like her best when she's a little nuts.

Candy Clark

It takes quite a woman to make a believable ex-wife/wife for Rob Scheider, especially at the peak of his leading man manliness in Blue Thunder (1983) - tanned like his life depended on it and with a million dollar experimental machine between his legs - but Clark did it! Of course she got her big break 10 years earlier in American Graffiti (1973), where she also seemed like she could handle more than the average girl could, but between those two movies, she wasn't up to much. She wasn't up to much after 1983 either, to be honest.

Every time I watch Blue Thunder I keep thinking, why didn't she do a kick ass adventure movie? Something where she plays a resourceful reporter, or possibly a role that lets her drive a tank. Then I saw her in Radioland Murders (1994), and I finally had to admit to myself that it wasn't going to happen. She looked like an old woman.

And just in case you weren't convinced that it's all over, here's a line from her Wikipedia profile: "She attended many hot rod shows, and enjoys gardening, collecting antiques, and trading memorabilia on eBay"....

High point: American Graffiti.
Low point: Radioland Murders.
Should have been in: Give it a thought before you object, but what about her, doing an alternate take on the Marion character from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)?

Lacey Chabert

As little Claudia Salinger on Party of Five (1994-2000) Lacey Chabert was not only adorable, she was actually a good actress, and she consistently delivered heartbreaking moments week and week. Along the way she managed to squeeze in a promising turn in the barely watchable Lost in Space (1998), and she seemed like she would definitely be able to transition to the big screen at some point.

Then she grew up. She REALLY grew up. She didn't just become a SMOKING HOT BABELICIOUS woman, she became distractingly beautiful. So much so that she lost her acting street cred. Now she's languishing in instantly forgettable direct-to-video productions and lots of cheap TV movies. And I had such high hopes for you, kiddo.

Still, it's not over yet. She really needs to do a down and dirty Oscar role - like Charlize Theron did with Monster (2003). Doesn't look like she's going in that direction, but boy, I wish she did.

High point: Part of Five (or Lost in Space. But you said it was barely watchable! Did I? yes, it says so above! Oh well, maybe I should watch it again to be sure? Noooo!)
Low point: That movie on cable last night, something about a woman in peril, because something from her past did something, and then.... I fell asleep.
Should have been in: Dirty Dancing! No wait, she was 5.... Well, a Dirty Dancing remake then! Made in the year 2000, and set in the Latino community, she could pass for Spanish, right? And then instead of dirty dancing, which I assume all Spanish kids are dancing anyway, the story would focus on classy ballroom dancing! yes! This is an awesome idea, somebody write this down!

Molly Ringwald

One of the truly great mysteries of the universe, is how Molly Ringwald never became a movie star. Or maybe not. Looking through her IMDb bio - and I don't know how many of these are true - the number of iconic projects she rejected or was rejected for is mind-boggling. Laura Dern's part in Blue Velvet (1986), Lea Thompson's role in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's Batman (1989), Demi Moore's part in Ghost (1990), and Julia Roberts' part in Pretty Woman (1990). Well of course you can't get a bloody film career going by NOT doing these films.

Ringwald started her career with three of the best teen movies ever made - Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986) - but then she made a career defining mistake by turing down Some Kind of Wonderful (1987). John Hughes didn't want to have anything to do with her after that, but even so, others should have picked up on her obvious talents. They didn't. She kept working, but no one ever wrote her a script that was even remotely as good as the Hughes stuff.

High point: Sixteen Candles.
Low point: Getting very naked in Malicious (1995). How does playing an innocent whore in Pretty Woman sound now?
Should have been in: Some Kind of Wonderful. Or Scream (1996).

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Unfortunately Hollywood is all too eager to provide a never ending stream of failed careers for our amusement or eternal bitterness.

The silver lining is that these days, with a blossoming independent industry and countless TV-channels producing quality entertainment, there are more opportunities than ever before for a career resurgence.

It's never truly over until it's truly over.

She Shoulda Been A Contender, Part II

INT. LOCAL VIDEO STORE - BOTTOM SHELF - DUSK

Christmas is drawing ever nearer, and anyone working in retail (me for example) will find it considerably harder to maintain a steady update rate on their blog. However, just before the holiday madness truly takes over, we've got time to check in with our ongoing list of hot actresses who should have had bigger careers.

Welcome to part II. (oh, and remember part I, right here.)

We'll begin with royalty...

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Carrie Fisher

Carrie never stood a chance, when she became an overnight sensation after appearing as Princess Leia in Star Wars (1977). And sure enough, three years later during the shooting of The Empire Strikes Back (1980) she was doing coke on a daily basis. She was 23 at the time. And then things really got out of hand.

Later in her life Carrie got back on the straight and narrow. She started writing, she clawed her way back to the real world, but by that time she wasn't in her twenties any more, and the career she could have had, was long gone. Still, she was fairly spunky when she turned up in Fanboys (2008).

High point: The Empire Strikes Back (or Fanboys).
Low point: The Star Wars Holiday Special, but that goes for everyone who was involved.
Should have been in: Some completely ordinary dramas, without any spaceships.

Peta Wilson

Despite sharing a name with that animal terrorist group Peta is all style, class and sexiness. She got to explore this fact in her most memorable performance, playing the lead in La Femme Nikita (1997), the TV-series based on the French action movie. That gig lasted for four years, and though the show was never huge, and admittedly quite silly at times, she was perfect in it. But that was almost 10 years ago. In the intervening years, her turn as Mina Parker on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) is the only thing worth mentioning.

Peta is best used when she can look like a model, and kick ass like an East European terrorist. Are you telling me Hollywood can't use that? Really?

High point: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (yes, I love it, leave me alone)
Low point: I'm gonna go ahead and assume it's Malibu Shark Attack (2009), sight unseen.
Should have been in: Mission: Impossible III (2006).

Traylor Howard

The weirdness of the name notwithstanding, Traylor is the classic combination of the quintessential Girl Next Door, and the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. In the TV show Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place (1998) she showed great comic timing, but also a tender dramatic side, when her character found herself torn between a boyfriend and a longtime friend. For a while after the show ended I kept checking her IMDb page for cool new projects, but there was nothing there. Just a few scattered TV appearances and multi-season appearance on the Monk (2005) series. Where did Traylor go, and why?

High point: Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place.
Low point: Son of the Mask (I assume).
Should have been in: Trayler could step into any flavorless comedy in lieu of any TV-star-turned-film-star and improve it!

Jennifer Esposito

There's a scene in Spin City (1997) where Stacey (played by Jennifer) is checking out an apartment for rent with her boss Mike (Michael J. Fox). Through the walls they can clearly hear a couple having sex in the next apartment. Mike comments that it sounds loud. Stacey looks at him with a crooked smile, and replies: "You think that's loud? Poor Mike..."

That simple throwaway moment in a random episode of a TV show contains more pizzazz than the whole rest of Jennifer's career. Don't get me wrong, she's done a ton of work, plenty of TV shows and movies, but her appearance is always completely and utterly forgettable. Spunk has an expiration date too. Jennifer has left hers in the fridge too long.

High point: Spin City.
Low point: Everyone forgetting that she actually starred in an Oscar winning film. It was Crash (2004).
Should have been in: A cool thriller ala Backflash (2001), or perhaps playing a levelheaded cop in something like Don't Say A Word (2001) or maybe an action/comedy like Taxi (2004)... What? You're kidding! She was? In ALL of them? Are you sure?

Neve Campbell

At the height of her career she had a successful TV show AND an unbeatable horror franchise on her hands. That was 15 years ago. Neve made a name for herself in the fantastic and touching family drama Party of Five (1994), she was cast as the lead in Scream (1996) a few years later, which she completed, while she was on the TV-series! She was a busy girl.

Scream 2 (1997) and Wild Things (1998) followed, and it seemed like the sky was the limit. It wasn't. Neve was flooded with offers, but she turned them all down. She didn't want to be the next scream queen, so instead she turned her attention to small independent films and the theater stage in London. Too bad.

High point: Wild Things.
Low point: The barely watchable When Will I Be Loved (2004).
Should have been in: Save the Last Dance (2001), instead of The Company (2003).

Leelee Sobieski

What the hell happened to Leelee Sobieski? No, seriously, what the HELL happened? Leelee first caught my eye in the big budget disaster flick Deep Impact (1998), she was surprisingly good (far better than Milla) in the miniseries Joan of Arc (1999). A small, but nonetheless saucy, appearance in the Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut (1999) really raised some eyebrows, and she was perfect in My First Mister (2001). Then... it all went downhill. Her performances in 88 Minutes (2007) and In the Name of the King (2007) were awful, to put it nicely.

She's still doing great work now and then, but being great in Walk All Over Me (2007) ("A small town girl runs into big time trouble as she takes on her roommates identity as a dominatrix to pay the bills") is less impressive than being great in a Kubrick film. Come back to the A-list Leelee! And if Uwe calls, just say no.

High point: My First Mister.
Low point: 88 Minutes, no In the Name of the King, no 88 Minutes, no...
Should have been in: My Second Mister? Eyes Wider Open? I dunno, anything but 89 Minutes and In the Name of the King II (by the way, the first one was a joke, the second isn't).

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Like I mentioned in part I, it's hard to figure out why some of these actresses disappear, despite having great potential. Often the reason is quite mundane or just plain sad.

Here's the thing, though. Once you put something on the Internet, it's everywhere. So maybe, just maybe, a producer or a casting agent somewhere will come across one of these lists one day, and decide to bring back one of the girls from the semi-dead. And then we'll have done our part.

So add your suggestions to the comments, so they can be included in the inevitable part III.

FADE TO BLACK.

She Shoulda Been A Contender, Part I

INT. LOCAL VIDEO STORE - NEXT TO BARGAIN BIN - AFTERNOON

You know the situation: You're watching some random movie or TV-show and suddenly a hot girl shows up on the screen. You say to yourself: I know this girl! She's super cool! Why doesn't she work more? What happened to her? She shoulda been a contender...!

This is the first in a series of blogs to celebrate hot actresses who should have had bigger careers.

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Piper Perabo

Piper burst onto the scene with the Jerry Bruckheimer produced Coyote Ugly (2000), playing a small time gal, who is trying to make it big in the music biz. She didn't actually sing, but she jumped on the bar and danced her little butt off. After that Piper took the indie route with the lesbian drama Lost and Delirious (2001) (yes, thank you), and then... Nothing. Middle of the road movies that went nowhere, and B-action movies. There was Imagine Me & You (2005), it was cute, but not cute enough. Forgettable bit parts in high profile projects like The Prestige (2006) or Because I Said So (2007) did nothing to further her career. Where are all the sweet romantic comedies? Or - continuing the course charted by Lost and Delirious - the edgy indie films?

High point: Lost and Delirious. Raw. Brutal. Heartbreaking. Perfection.
Low point: Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008). Haven't seen it. Don't need to. It's all in the title.
Should have been in: More lesbian movies.

Jennifer Sky

Don't knock a meager beginning in TV. Jennifer first made her mark on the tubes in shows like Xena: Warrior Princess (1995) and Cleopatra 2525 (2000), in the latter she even took the title role.

A significant contribution to the low-budget Big Brother-esq thriller My Little Eye (2002) earned her some nerd cred, but it was guest appearances on Fastlane (2002) and CSI Miami (2002) that made her HOT. In both cases she caused TVs to explode or melt all over the world, and on both shows she was brought back for encore appearances some episodes later. And then.... Nothing. A few scattered TV appearances, films no one heard of that were barely released, and holes in her CV several years wide!

You don't have to look much further than her FHM photoshoot to learn why this girl should have been a star, but her sweet and heartfelt performance in the pilot for Fastlane was a surprising addition to the action oriented show.

High point: Fastlane.
Low point: The Helix... Loaded (2005).
Should have been in: Something cool like The Matrix, or perhaps Lost.

Joey Lauren Adams

Were it not for her roles in two Kevin Smith films, we probably would never have heard about Joey.

Mallrats (1995) put her on the map (topless appearances for the win), but Smith's more serious followup Chasing Amy (1997) should have propelled her to the A-list. It secured her a Golden Globe nomination, for best lead actress, and the film proved, beyond any doubt that she was massively talented. Unfortunately this beautiful girl has been completely and utterly incapable of finding a film project that showcases any of her talents. In all fairness she also turned in a solid performance in In the Shadows (2001), but that's pretty much the extent of her watchable work.

High point: Chasing Amy.
Low point: Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001) apparently she voices a squirrel.
Should have been in: Something where she talks a lot. And gets into screaming fights, maybe something like West Wing?

Bridget Fonda

1992 was the big year for Bridget. She starred in the thriller Single White Female and indie darling Singles. Then came a string of bland movies, like the Nikita remake Point of No Return (1993), nothing that really captured her delicate features and girl-next-door natural spark. Tarantino cast her in Jackie Brown (1997) as a skanky ho, and Sam Raimi cast her as a conniving bitch in A Simple Plan (1998) - That got her some attention. In Kiss of the Dragon (2001) she played opposite Jet Li, a perfect example of what she could bring to an underwritten role. And then… Nothing.

The TV movie Snow Queen (2002) became her last appearance - at the moment anyway.

High point: Kiss of the Dragon. You can't beat "hooker with a heart of gold".
Low point: Monkeybone (2001). It's pure evil, captured on film.
Should have been in: Ally McBeal. Would have made it halfway watchable.

Sabrina Lloyd

This one REALLY pisses me off! Sabrina has paid her dues on TV. She starred in Sliders (1995) for several seasons, then she hit the big league in Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night (1998), a series that perfectly presented her winning combination of irresistible feistiness and heartbreaking tenderness. One would think such a performance would make her a household name, but no. She showed up in the high-profile series Numb3rs (2005), only to disappear after the first season. In terms of feature films she did the Sundance favorite Dopamine (2003), and that's pretty much it.

Is it really possible that we live in a world where a cute, talented girl like Sabrina can't find work? If that's the case we might as well give up and push the button, but I refuse to believe it. Sabrina can do so much! Somebody hire her! She's is a diamond! Make her sparkle!

High point: Sports Night.
Low point: Sports Night being cancelled.
Should have been in: Any number of indie films, romcoms with an edge, or fast-paced TV shows with lots of dialogue.

Sean Young

Of course we all remember Sean from Blade Runner (1982). She was also in the curious turkey Dune (1984), and she played opposite Kevin Costner in the brilliant No Way Out (1987). In Wall Street (1987) she appeared to be legitimately drunk, or perhaps high, during all her scenes. (That was a bit odd.) I remember liking her in Cousins (1989), but in Fire Birds (1990) she was just miscast, actually everybody was. The last remotely respectable film she did was A Kiss Before Dying (1991).

After a particular nasty breakup with James Woods she got a reputation for being certifiably insane. Other eccentric behavior didn't help her, and soon she was poison in Hollywood. She has tried to claw her way back since then, but nothing really solid has emerged. And now it's probably too late.

High point: Blade Runner. Classic. Epic. Unbeatable.
Low point: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994). Her character is really a man.
Should have been in: Batman Returns. Michelle Pfeiffer was great, but imagine what Sean could have done with the part.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

When actresses like these disappear, despite being capable of delivering a captivating performance - some in more limited fields than others - it's hard not to speculate. Did they just pick the wrong scripts? Were they unlucky? Perhaps they were unbearable to work with? Whatever the reason is we can do little more than mourn.

It sounds really mean to say this, but these actresses should also be aware that they come with an expiration date, more so than their male counterparts. If you're a woman in Hollywood your career decelerates drastically when you look 30 (I stress the "look"-part). It grinds to a halt when you look 40. Luckily modern science can extend this period a good 10 years, if not more, but once you hit "that zone" you'll only get parts where you play "mother". There are exceptions of course, but they are few and far between. Like Helen Mirren, she's still foxy at 65.

Add your suggestions below, and stay tuned for the upcoming Part II.