One-hit wonders: Movie edition

A bit of an offshoot from the typecast actors thread.

I was thinking of actors, current or past, who were fantastic in a particular role but have pretty much sucked in everything else. Stephen Baldwin came to mind in the Usual Suspects. Thought he did a decent job as the psychopath McManus. Ashley Judd was great in Ruby (I think it was Ruby ... indie flick from about 15 years ago set in Panama City). JLo in Out of Sight. Michael Richards as Kramer. Eh, those are mine. Who ya got?

 

Brad Renfro was great in The Client.

 

Wilson in Cast away. Never really seemed to catch on with anything else.

But seriously, the leader in this category has got to be Mark Hamil. Yes he's done a ton of voice over work for tv, but if we're talking movie roles to go from the lead in the biggest trilogy of a generation to voice over work that 90% of which no one would have a clue its him unless they read the credits to me sings one-hit wonder.

 

I think a lot of child actors would fit the category: Macaulay Culkin, Haley Joel Osment, Henry Thomas.

I love Ashley Judd, but I've never seen Ruby. Kiss the Girls would be the one I'd think of first in a word association.

 

Or maybe three-hit wonder?

If he'd only had profit participation in those three movies, he wouldn't have to do voice-over work today.

At least he doesn't have to wonder how his career might have been different if he hadn't quit "Eight is Enough" to do "Star Wars." His replacement in the TV series, Grant Goodeve, doesn't have much of a career any more either.

 

He got that part from his terrific performance in Side Out.

 

First film. First Oscar.

And he was not even an actor by trade.

 

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was the only movie Peter Ostrum (who played Charlie) was ever in. That's a pretty good one-and-done.

 

I was thinking Almost Famous as well, but for Patrick Fugit. He hasn't really done much since being William Miller.

 

And it was also, by far, the best thing Matthew McConaughey has ever been involved in.

 

The part didn't have as much prominence as Side Out or Castaway but he had a nice cameo in Top Gun. Stole the scene, in fact.

 

I think Ashley Judd and Kate Hudson, while not Meryl Streep by any stretch are a bit better than one-hit wonders.

Patrick Fugit is a good call. Henry Thomas is a good call.