Why is it that some actors/actresses make it and others do not?

Question

I've seen movies where there is a new actor/actress and it seems to be a good role but then you never see them again.Where do they go were they not attractive enough or not talented or did they just not want to work any more?

Answer 1

Some people try harder than others.

It's true that many people catch a break because of who they know, or they get 'lucky' but not all of them.

I recently attended a talk back session with Aaron Eckhart, (Thank You for Smoking, The Black Dhalia, the next Batman Movie) and he told us all that he lived in New York for seven years, and never got a single job. Seven years! How many people would've given up after that long? Now he's filming for the next Batman movie.

Try hard. Become the best that you can be skills wise, make as many connections as you can, audition for everything, be a nice person, and if you are strong enough to perservere someday you'll be in the next Batman movie. I don't buy the 'I just never caught a break' garbage. Don't be a victim of circumstance. Be a creator of circumstance. Those who make their own breaks will never have to complain about not having one handed to them.

Answer 2

Luck, talent, & most importantly who you know!

Seriously, the reasons for someone who may have done a fabulous job witha role, but you never see them again could be as varied as colors in a painter's palate. Personal choice, especially difficult to work with, you name it... Looks can run the gamut too. Not every leading man or woman is all that attractive, but they have something about them that people like or relate to. An ability to pull their audiences in and make us believe their performance and care about what happens to their character. Mostly it comes down to someone being exactly what the director had in mind. Look, height, voice... They have to step right in and be exactly what was wanted. That's a hard thing to do and usually it's just dumb luck but of course the talent had to be there as well. Many actor's are talented, but they have to fit the description to a T too. How often does that happen? Not often.

You should watch a film called "Searching For Debra Winger" She was pretty famous at one point and decided to leave the industry. Rosanna Arquette decided to do a documentary film on a quest to find her and find out what happened to her.

Answer 3

Personally, I think it's a case of "not what you know but who you know". Nearly all of todays actors/actresses are related to someone famous. Nick Cage is really Nick Coppola nephew of Francis Ford Coppola. Macaulay Culkin is nephew to Susan Sarandon. Tori Spelling (who can't act her way out of a wet paper bag) is daughter to Aaron Spelling. Carrie Fisher is daughter to Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. Jamie Lee Curtis is daughter to Janet Lee and Tony Curtis. It just goes on and on. They grow up w/mom and dad in the business so they go into it too. In a lot of cases it doesn't matter if they have talent It does however keep really talented actors and actresses from getting a break on the big screen(or the small one). I guess the latest is the daughter of Ron Howard. I can't think of her name but she is co-starring in Spiderman 3. The other reason has got to be physical looks. For women if you aren't a size 2 w/huge boobs, go into another profession. Hollywood is very superficial and shallow. It's a real shame for the rest of us.

Answer 4

I think it all depend on the person or how consitent they are. It doen't always mean after you get one part you are just going to break into hte buisness. It takes alot of time. Some people after doing a big part in a production realize that acting is just not for them. Sometimes it has to do with their looks but not always. There really isn't one answer to that question, there is many.

Answer 5

A lot of it boils down to luck. Take music for instance. I hate commercial radio and most of the bands I follow have small followings. With a little luck, they could have been huge. The same applies to Hollywood.