Actors Who Got Really Lucky

The cast of Friends.

Smimmy Jits

En Baffleck

The Anakins.

Shelley Long, Linda Lavin, Bonnie Franklin, Isabel Sanford, Michael J Fox, (pretty much 99% of TV actors)

A right-wing fundie: Jim Caviezel

Ray Romano and Jerry Seinfeld. That should be "comedians who got really lucky." One trick ponies who landed in a pot of jam (writers, producers, co-stars).

R7, I think Caviezel is a pretty good actor, or at least he was good in The Thin Red Line. Too bad he's a fundie, though.

All the kid actors of shows that are in constant rerun even while the show is still in first run. They'll never have to work again, set for life and very basic talent:

The Middle

Modern Family

Goldbergs

Tom Hanks

The cast of Game of Thrones, especially the Stark kids and Jon Snow.

Jaclyn Smith. She "acts" without moving her face from the nose up. Charlie's Angels made her rich, even though she had the range of a baked potato.

Heather Graham

Jensen Ackles

Chrissy Metz

Michelle Dockery and Jessica Brown Findlay from Downton Abbey.

Julia Louis Dreyfuss

Lena Dunham

Amy Schumer

Jon Hamm

r18, the only one of those four I'd agree with is Dunham. The other three are exceptionally talented.

Adam Sandler

jonah hill

Sherry Stringfield - she was immediately cast on Guiding Light before she even graduated from SUNY Purchase.

Katie Holmes sent in a video to Dawson Creek producers and was immediately cast while in high school!

Steve Harvey

Then there is Topher Grace was spotting in a High School Play and imemdiately cast on "That 70s Show"

Tim Allen, stupid fucking asshole.

Another thread that's just a list of actors people don't like.

tara reid

R26 even tho you aren't an actor i add you to the list of people we don't like.

George Clooney. The little nerd on Goldbergs.

David Boreanaz for sure. r28 made me LOL.

All of them

Jennifer Lawrence owns this thread.

Chiveass motherfucker R13 can EAT ME!

Tom Cruise. Being a male ingenue should only get you so far.

I was smack in the right place

At the perfect time.

Filled a gap! I was lucky--

But one thing I'll say for me:

No one else could fill it like i could.

Elizabeth Banks

Julia Ormond

Elizabeth Olson

Brie Fucking Larson. WHY!?

Gregory Rittiner

Jonah Hill OWNS this thread!

Wentworth Miller- Ok in Prison Break, awful in everything else. PB is still hugely popular on Netflix and Wentworth probably in residual heaven and set for life.

This thread was made for Johnny Galecki, he has no range. He is the same character in every role he is cast in. Yet he counts his millions and dates hot actresses.

Ben Platt

And while not an actress, Vanna White is luckier than anyone mentioned so far.

Brie Larson. Wooden and one note. Billie Lourd.

Dax Shepard owns this thread.

Michael Cera. He plays himself in almost every role.

The ENTIRE cast of Dallas. Well, except for Hagman and Bel Geddes.

R18, sorry but Julia Louis Dreyfus is very talented, has great comic timing, unlike the others on your list.

I go with Jennifer Aniston and Courney Cox. Lisa Kudrow is very smart and talented. David Schwimmer is the least popular but most talented of the guys. Matt LeBlanc is great at making fun of himself and Matthew Perry could have been a great comedian but drugs diminished his talent.

Roseanne

Shelley Long was great on Cheers

R6, I agree with you.

It's pretty much all of them.

I remember after John Ritter died and the cast of 8 Simple Rules... had to deal with his death on camera. Kaley didn't really have the dramatic chops to carry off the grief, but, in fairness, they didn't audition her with a 'your dad is going to die in a year' scene.

That said, I love her as Penny. She nailed the part, I believed she loved the guys and yet didn't understand any of the science.

Gavin McLeoud owns this thread.

Sorry, r25, but Tim Allen was an original stand-up comedian. As in, original routines.

As for GoT, Peter Dinklage is a fine actor, as are more than a few others. But not the weird kid who won. Actually, it's the author who got lucky, lucky that "Harry Potter" preceded his tomes.

Although not the same thing, the luckiest actors are the ones who may be talented but who would never become known if they hadn’t happened to have been right for a specific part. Daniel Radcliffe is the perfect example. I think he’s a talented actor but he’s short and not particularly handsome. If he had been born a year earlier or later, he wouldn’t have been cast as Harry Potter, and he’d be an unknown, struggling actor.

Lea Salonga, who originated in Miss Saigon, in London and Broadway, is another example. Beautiful voice, but she’d still be in the Philippines if Miss Saigon had never been written.

Agreed 100%, r48! Especially about Matthew Perry, who has immense comedic talent.

Cameron Diaz

She'd have trouble spelling "Cat" even if she were spotted the "C" and "T."

Jennifer and Courtney both are talented. Courtney had several things before Friends.

"Another thread that's just a list of actors people don't like."

I realized that as son as I saw Jennifer Lawrence's name (she always gets mentioned in threads like these). And Tom Hanks. Come on, we're not talking about bona fide movie stars (no one gets to be A+ list for years and years based on luck alone) - more like people who lucked out and got cast on a hit sitcom that would have been a hit without them anyway.

R57. Courtney worked as a secretary for the company that managed The Police before friends. It was through Miles Copeland, her boss and Stewart Copeland's brother that she got the Bruce Springsteen video that launched her.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is only lucky because she was born into a billionaire family. She has talent and has worked hard since college, though. She has Emmy awards from three different series. That isn't luck.

I disagree about Dunham. Regardless of what you think of her mediocre talent or the nepotism from which she benefited, she's also a writer, director, and producer, which at least indicates some sort of effort, and therefore more than luck alone.

[quote]I disagree about Dunham. Regardless of what you think of her mediocre talent or the nepotism from which she benefited, she's also a writer, director, and producer, which at least indicates some sort of effort, and therefore more than luck alone.

I don't see Lens Dunham's talent at all. I don't even understand the people who go on about her 'connections', what connections? Both her parents are fine artists, they don't mingle in the celebrity scene. In fact, her father is a fairly terrible 'artist', who mostly paints cartoony images of vaginas, assholes and cocks. What celebrity would pout that kind of art on their walls? Carroll Dunham's career is more of a mystery than Lens career.

Lots of people dislike Lens because she cast herself as the lead in her GIRLS series. Lens is terrible actress, she wouldn't have gotten all the hate had she hired a real actress. Also, she has very narrow view of younger people, it's mostly about white people from privilege.

Can you imagine Lens father Carroll Dunham makes money selling this trash?

Sorry for being incoherent; it's past 5 a.m. where I live. I simply meant to say that Dunham is semi-competent in a couple of disciplines--she has certain creative skills that some or most of the other actors listed here most likely lack, or at least haven't attempted to use professionally.

I avoid her work now, but I've seen two episodes of "Girls" and it seems like she does have a sort of flair for writing comedic dialogue. DL was never willing to acknowledge that she had any sort of ability at all, and it's true that she's not on the level of a Phoebe Waller-Bridge, but she objectively has a combination of skills she was able to use successfully. Her writing may mature and she could have a lasting career. I don't particularly like Nora Ephron either, but I will acknowledge her skill.

And God, what a talk-to-self bore I can be at this hour, but I'm only sticking up for Dunham because people underestimate the actual skill and hard work involved in creating a TV show, developing characters, writing and editing scenes, production work, etc.--*even if the show in question is completely mediocre*. It's just too easy to dismiss for people who've never attempted any sort of creative process themselves.

It always boils down to winning the lottery.

I just read that Stuart, the guy who runs the comic book store, was the leading candidate for Sheldon on Big Bang until they stumbled on to Jim Parsons.

r18, Julia Louis Dreyfus? Seriously she's on your list? You don't know talent.

[quote]Stuart, the guy who runs the comic book store, was the leading candidate for Sheldon on Big Bang until they stumbled on to Jim Parsons.

Was Jim Rash busy playing Fenton on That '70s Show?

Steve Burton, General Hospital

The Brady kids. None are particularly good actors, and Peter and Marcia are the only ones who are good looking. But they’ve gotten some decent income for decades off a minor TV show they did as a child.

R65 that's not a good example, though, because that would not have worked.

Anyone who makes in big in entertainment has got lucky, but someone like Raj who brings very little to the show but who is now set for life is a good example

Self-made Gwyneth Paltrow

Chris Pratt

R62 hahah that horse’s dick.

"The Brady kids. None are particularly good actors, and Peter and Marcia are the only ones who are good looking. But they’ve gotten some decent income for decades off a minor TV show they did as a child."

This is a great example.

Linda Lavin is a talented theater actress, but one note on TV. Ray Romano has proven to be another good actor in supporting roles.

Anyone who has/had connected parents in the entertainment industry:

Ben Stiller

Alex Skarsgard

Gwynnie

Allison Williams

Colin Hanks

Dakota Johnson

Emma Roberts

Eva Amurri

The Gummers

Kaia Gerber

Kate Hudson

Kelly Osbourne

Lily Rose Depp

Maya Rudolph

Nicole Richie

The Hadids

The Kardashians

The Jenners

The Willis girls

r76, some of those people aren't actors - just reality show famewhores or models

Ugly, fat, nerdy, Jewish guys (Stiller, Sandler, Rogen, Hill, Eisenberg....on and on) who get cast repeatedly in movies with incredibly beautiful, young, sexy love interests, representing the wish fulfillment of all the ugly, old trolls who run things in Hollywood (directors, producers, writers).

Joan Rivers summed up Ben Stiller : "He's lucky. Very lucky."

Rob Lowe. Bland and a mediocre actor at best but has had a long and good career.

Sandra Bullock with Speed

Busy Philips

I agree with Chris Pratt. Those Stranger Things kids come to mind too.

Julie Louis-Dreyfus was apparently the only child of her father to go out and make something of herself. She got on SNL and made a fortune doing Seinfeld. Not by accident. There is talent there, I think she excels at playing the slightly off-beat, upper class woman. Frankly, her last go-round on SNL when she played the mother who was having the affair with the pool boy was hilarious. When she sees the yard boy (played by DL fav Nick Jonas) and says, "I'm gonna f*ck that kid," the delivery is picture-perfect.

I can't believe no one has mentioned KRISTEN STEWART. I'm not sure how she came about but she has one look: "pensive." That's it. That is literally it. Like a film project black hole of nothingness.

Kristen Stewart wasn't totally lucky, she had "connection."

[quote]R13 Jaclyn Smith. She "acts" without moving her face from the nose up ... had the range of a baked potato.

She’s no Shelley Hack.

Jon hamm

George Clooney. He's enigmatic and compelling and that's taken him far, but he's no great actor.

Every movie & I mean EVERY...he's playing himself; too cool for school George Clooney. I've yet to see him create a character, a persona. Basically he's been Doug Ross from ER for 30 years.

The entire cast of Teen Wolf.

I can't tell the difference between Evan Rachel Wood and Brie Larson.

Scott Baio

Eisenberg is mindblowing in The Social Network. Yes, he doesnt have much range but he does very well in Eisenberg type roles. So, I wouldnt call that luck, very few people would have been able to pull off zuckerberg the way he did.

No actor has ever been as lucky as Chris Pratt. It ain't talent. It ain't looks.

Eisenberg is a WORM. He's good at playing WORMS like Zuckerberg.

R76 i'll add Tori Spelling to that list

R89 I think Posey would've been fine regardless but God bless conventions.

[quote]Jennifer Lawrence owns this thread.

I saw her for the first time in Red Sparrow. I was surprised and impressed: she's actually very good, very subtle in some things she did. The obvious problem is, she just hasn't accepted the right material.

[quote]Ugly, fat, nerdy, Jewish guys (Stiller, Sandler, Rogen, Hill, Eisenberg....on and on) who get cast repeatedly in movies with incredibly beautiful, young, sexy love interests, representing the wish fulfillment of all the ugly, old trolls who run things in Hollywood (directors, producers, writers).

Incredibly true and, as you say, creepy. It's such a longstanding Hollywood trope -- the slobby smartass schmuck scoring the beautiful gentile girl -- Rogen is the current fat ventriquist's dummy for it, it would have been called out long ago, if not for fears of antisemitism. But it's just pure sexism wrapped up in jewish boyhood masturbation fantasy. Everyone in the industry privately jokes about -- including jewish guys themselves -- but it's 'off'. However, Hollywood is a place where people go to work out and live out their fantasies.

Someone made a good point about Vanna. I wonder how much money she's made from Wheel (and I don't trust the net-worth sites, etc.).

That nepotist cunt Laura Dern.

omg I cant even stand to watch Cuoco's commercials: puke bucket.

how is she a star?????

R100 she's hot and she's blonde. What more do you need? Sitcoms are her schtick.

I was going to say Suzanne Somers, but Kristen Stewart is the undisputed champion.

[quote]r99 That nepotist cunt Laura Dern.

I love CITIZEN RUTH.

Lauren Bacall

Interesting.

Scarlett has gotten lucky. She was this great presence when she was a kid but then she was hyped and forgot how to act. She did nothing in Marriage Story.

Kaley Cuoco is actually a wonderful comic actor, always under-rated.

I agree about Lawrence. She was also great in American Hustle. Just bc someone rose to fame and got too much publicity doesn't mean they aren't very talented.

[quote]talent, charisma, or personality

Some of these are off the mark.

While some named are talent-free, they had SOMETHING going for them besides right place/right time.

R103---fuck! I forgot Citizen Ruth on the cult classic thread. It really is good!

Leslie Jones- she sucks at acting.

[quote] The cast of Fr**nds.

I concur with this and add to this list their enablers: the cast of [italic]Wh*'s Th* fucking goddamn B*ss[/italic] except for Katherine Helmond, the entire cast of [italic]Gr*w*ng shitty-ass motherfucking P**ns[/italic] (yes, even Leo), and absolutely everyone involved with either [italic]F*ll fucking H**s*[/italic] or [italic]S*v*d b* th* goddamn B*ll[/italic]. These shows, everyone on them, and the system of white heterosexual gentile supremacy that enabled them are "cancel culture" needs to cancel, not perfectly good episodes of [italic]The Golden Girls[/italic] or [italic]The Simpsons[/italic].

[quote] Linda Lavin is a talented theater actress, but one note on TV.

Yeah, one note she sings out of tune.

Those two EXTREMELY boring guys on Cheers- The Mailman- Cliff Clavin ( John Ratzenberger) and Norm ( George Wendt).

I agree about Lawrence she was also wonderful in AMMERICAN HUSTLE, even the not so great film JOY. Shes hardly a mediocrity. Didnt see SPARROW but recall the film itself got lousy reviews.

Leonardo DiCaprio for sure.

Emmy voters notoriously vote for the same names over and over, so I wouldn't use that as a measure of talent. How many did Candace Bergen win? Talk about someone who was very lucky.

Except for Gilbert Grape I was never enamored of Dicaprio's work. His voice alone gets on my nerves. I feel like he peaked early.

DiCaprio is ludicrous as Gatsby.

Maybe OT - but I was always confused by Madeleine Stowe hanging in as long as she did without any real hits (pre REVENGE in 2011 on TV.) It seemed like in the 80s and 90s she kept being touted as the next big thing... but then it would turn out to be just another bland bomb.

I kept thinking, “How many third, fourth, and fifth chances does a maybe-star get??”

Why didn’t Hollywood give up on her??

Maybe she was talented but never found the right project?

Ryan Reynolds with Deadpool.

She was not talented, dummy

Kristin Davis. I wonder if she didn't get the part of Charlotte in Sex and the City would she even still be acting. Everything I have seen her in, which is limited, she has been terrible, from the delivery to her facial expressions. She seems like a really nice person and I really like her advocacy for elephants though.

Madeleine Stowe wasn’t talented, she was beautiful.

Elizabeth Olsen OWNS this fucking thread.

Adam Driver

Bradley Cooper

Brie Larson

I think it’s baffling that these three in particular got so lucky.

Colin Jost