10 of Hollywood's Most Unpredictable Career Arcs

Another unlikely path: Audie Murphy.

The most decorated American in World War II became a major movie star.

 

His most recent guest should get a mention on this thread. Andrew McCarthy, from brat-packer to travel writer.

As for athletes turned actors, Johnny Weissmuller, five-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming and star of Tarzan
and Vinnie Jones, tough guy in several Guy Richie movies who still holds the record for quickest yellow card in English football history

 

I thought about a lot of the arguments made in this thread and came up with this list:

1. Mark Wahlberg
2. Arnold Schwarzenegger
3. Ice Cube
4. Paul Robeson
5. Ice T
6. Clint Eastwood
7. Drew Barrymore
8. Ronald Reagan
9. Ben Affleck
10. Justin Timberlake

I disagree that an actor going from comedies to dramas or TV to movies or bit-parts to leading roles is surprising. That's basically how Hollywood works. It's much more stunning to see Nicolas Cage

 

I always found it interesting how back in the old days, people like Robeson and Fatty Arbuckle would get blacklisted, and the entertainment industry would flat-out admit they were blacklisting them.

I would think a nice fat lawsuit would be happening today.

 

Frank Sinatra: From a guy singing in nightclubs to a backup singer to an internationally famous singer to an actor and then back to an internationally famous singer.

Whoopi Goldberg: Doing standup comedy, to an Oscar nom for "The Color Purple", an Oscar win for "Ghost", a bunch of other films, some good, some bad, to being a voice-over actor to The View.

 

What is the argument for Barrymore?

If she were from a different family, perhaps.

 

O.J. Simpson

 

Surprised Will Smith hasn't been mentioned as much yet, but from novelty rapper to bad tv actor (he was such a novice that he learned every piece of dialogue on scripts and clips exist that show him mouthing other character's lines as they speak out of nervousness) TV star to box office gold to a very serious actor.

Dennis Hopper...from teen country and western heartthrob to James Dean crony to nothing to Easy Rider to stoned out shit in the 1970s to Texas Chainsaw Massacre II to 1980s comeback to action star.

Burt Reynolds...stuntman to most bankable star in Hollywood to has-been to reveered actor.

 

Justin Timberlakes career arc doesn't seem surpising at all.
And I dispute the reference to Will Smith as 'a very serious actor.'

 

Oscar nominations for Ali and Pursuit plus seven pounds..minus Hitch, MIB III....I see your point.

 

Child star to multiple stints in rehab to blockbuster actress to leading fight-against-hunger advocate. She was on the Lindsay Lohan track at one point.

 

Will Smith lost the right to be called a 'very serious actor' when he took the role of a gay man and then refused to film any kissing scenes in "Six Degrees of Separation". Bush league, IMO.