1960s-70s Actors Who Should Have Been Bigger.

Always and forever John Saxon.

Roy Thinnes

Don Murray - I know he worked regularly and had an AA nomination. But he was handsome and very talented. Why wasn't he a big star?

He's still with us at 91.

There's a particular scene in [italic]Baby, the Rain Must Fall[/italic] that I love between him and Lee Remick in a diner. Steve McQueen was the star of the movie, but Murray was a much better actor and it really showed in that scene.

Dominick Dunne discovered Gardner McKay in a coffee shop. Dunne said he couldn’t act but he was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. McKay wasn’t interested in making a television show but Dunne finally convinced him to do “Adventures in Paradise “ He got tired of acting and went home. McKay had always been wealthy so he didn’t need the money.

Ann-Margaret.

Robert Conrad was beautiful and sexy but he should have been bigger. He was only 5'8".

Diana Sands, who both starred in the film version of A RAISIN IN THE SUN with Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee, but also created the stage role in THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT that Streisand later did on film.

She played Shakespeare and Shaw at a time when it wasn't common for black women. Unfortunately she died in her early 30s before what would have certainly been a much longer career.

Cal Bellini - don't really know anything about him other than what's in the IMDB, but I sure liked him in this old TV show I saw (I think "Flipper").

Pete Deuel - I know his death put an end to things. But did you know what great an ass he had? From an episode of "Gidget".

Roger Herren - how did this handsome man only have one leading role? From "Myra Breckinridge".

Another of Roger Herren. He bared his butt, too, but that is easily found in a Google Image search.

And yes, I am hijacking this thread to share some of my random caps.

Pete Duel was a successful actor when he died, starring in the hit tv show "Alias Smith and Jones." He was very good at light comedy but he could have done so much more. He guess starred on a lot of different tv shows and he was as good at drama as he was with comedy. Here's a thought I always had about Pete Duel: I think he would have been great as Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate." If he had played that role I think he would have gotten an Oscar nomination. And of course Mrs. Robinson's lust for him would have been completely understandable; he was gorgeous. I never understood why Mrs. Robinson wanted to sleep with Ben as played by Dustin Hoffman.

[quote]Roger Herren - how did this handsome man only have one leading role?

The same way Klinton Spilsbury - about 10 years later - also had only one role.

RICHARD "DICK" GAUTIER - Actor, Singer, Voice-over Artist & Hunk. He originated the role of Birdie in the first Broadway productions of "Bye Bye Birdie". He spent most of the 60s & 70s guest-starring on episodic television. Us 80s Babies know him most as the voice of Hot Rod on the Transformers cartoon. A handsome, multi-talented artist who deserved more fame.

Hymie the Robot!

Brian Kelly who played dad Porter Ricks on "Flipper". So handsome it was unreal. He was all set to play the lead in Jacqueline Susann's "The Love Machine" (imagine the bedroom scenes!), but was injured in a car accident that virtually ended his career.

Yes R15 & R16! I'm not familiar with the show but saw it in his bio. Was it popular?

R17. Fun fact: he was also uncle to Broadway favorite Brian D’Arcy James—I think the Brian was an homage to his uncle.

Handsome Barry Coe, 20th Century Fox contract player who never really rose above supporting roles.

Get Smart was a hit in prime time, I believe R18, yes!

I caught it in syndication every day after school, thought it was hilarious.

John Gavin. I know he acted in big features but he didn't play the casting couch game (in spite of having creepy Henry Willson as his agent) and that, in combination with a somewhat "wooden" style, probably cut him off from being a huge star. He did some TV series and headed off to Europe and came back to Universal but he coulda been bigger.