Stars that Need a Comeback
Fame is a fickle thing, indeed, and nowhere is that more true than the Hollywood spotlight. Whether it be our favorites turning head and becoming unlikeable, new stars coming along hogging the limelight, or an overload of a particular star, and there are even more possibilities, it is extremely rare to have a star of any genre or multiple genres that starts out strong and consists in fame until they retire. But every once in a while a star comes back from the dark corners of former fame to remind us of how great they are. The topic of actors and actresses that have made comebacks and potential actors and actresses who could use comebacks is truly endless, because tomorrow a new star will enter the realm of former powerhouses of fame and fortune and glory and will be in danger of becoming a has been. So here’s three few examples of performers who have talent and who we as audience members sometimes forget or fail to notice. Here we go.
Eddie Murphy-
Murphy perhaps tops 90% of lists like this, and it’s not for a bad reason. From the 48 Hours series to the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy to stand-alones like Trading Places (1983), The Golden Child (1986), and Coming to America (1988), Murphy was the star of the 80’s that few could match. Tom Cruise fits the bill, Bill Murray, and Harrison Ford also top out as the top grossing and most fondly idolized stars, but whereas Cruise and Ford continued into the 90’s strong and Murray, while less successful than the other two, still had some nice titles from the next decade, Murphy became box office poison. While a film like Harlem Nights (1989) still made money, it was a sizable step-down from the hits of Coming to America or even Golden Child. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995) is pretty much the low point, but all it took was one great comedy remake to bring him back: The Nutty Professor (1996). The Dr. Dolittle and Shrek films also brought in money, but without the family-friendly fare, Murphy flopped almost every time: Showtime (2002), Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), I, Spy (2002). Then another return to form: Dreamgirls (2006). He even landed an Oscar nomination out of the film. Arguably he lost because of the presence of Norbit (2007) being released in the primetime of Oscar voting, and again after this hit, Meet Dave (2008), Imagine That (2009), and A Thousand Words (2012) all flop, big time, except now even his family-friendly films flop. Mr. Murphy has a new one out this year, Mr. Church, which has already premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, to mainly negative reviews, however, but almost all of them mention Murphy is back in form. At best, we see a situation like Robert Duvall in The Judge (2014), where the movie stinks but one performance stands out. At worst, it’s another bullet in the chamber. So if Murphy at first relied on edgier comedies, then they didn’t do so hot, then succeeded in being the family man, which ended up being a time-bomb, too, what can he do? I think it’s just best to go back to comedies. Not the multiple-character comedies (in other words it’s far too late for a third Nutty Professor), mind you, but rather something like Tower Heist (2011), which wasn’t bad and was closer to what we’ve wanted from Murphy all along. Too bad the rest of the film around him self-destructed into a standard heist movie, but he wasn’t at fault. Maybe other dramas wouldn’t hurt, either, as long as they are not too overcooked.
Mike Myers-
The Eddie Murphy of the 90’s, Myers has many similarities to Murphy’s career: exploding onto TV first in SNL, then becoming a big-screen comedy tour-de-force. From the Wayne’s World films to the Austin Powers trilogy to voicing Shrek, Myers could do no wrong, that is until both The Cat in the Hat (2003) and The Love Guru (2008). Then, aside from a cute little cameo in Inglourious Basterds (2009), he disappears until his documentary Supermensch (2013). He is set for more work in the future with Dreamworks supposedly firing up more from Shrek in the future and a film called Terminal, which I know nothing about with the exception of it being a more dramatic work. It’s been slated for 2017. While Myers’ dramatic work is pretty exclusive, maybe it can be a strength for him that we never knew about. And while I’m not 100% committed to the idea, Austin Powers 4 is still going to be an ongoing possibility for a while, which could light the fuse that kickstarts Myers’ career once again.
Mel Gibson-
Now hear me out here, sure Mr. Gibson has made some very publicly known mistakes in the past. However when it comes to on-screen and behind-the-scene talents, Gibson has been extremely successful. He’s got an Oscar on his mantle for directing Braveheart (1995) for a reason. Some even argue he should have been nominated for his performance as William Wallace. Plus he has the Lethal Weapon franchise in his rearview mirror for all of us to enjoy. But where has the man been since? He’s had odd-jobs on screen in films like The Beaver (2011), Get the Gringo (2012), Machete Kills (2013), and The Expendables 3 (2014). While I’ve personally skipped all of these flicks, he’s got a film out this year, Blood Father. It looks pretty uninteresting to me, so I’m gonna mark it down as another entry in the flicks I skip camp. I personally think that the time since his troubles, to put it mildly, has been so long ago that the general public might just start rooting for him if he has a solid string of supporting roles in more dramatic work. People forget that his first performance in the first Lethal Weapon (1987) is actually pretty powerful at times, like the scenes of him and Murtaugh just talking with each other in the quiet times and especially the scene of him in his trailer with Looney Tunes in the background and him putting a loaded gun to his mouth contemplating joining his deceased wife is as strong a dramatic moment in an 80’s action movie that I’ve ever seen, though arguably some scenes in Die Hard (1988) match it. If Gibson could return to form in that way, I’d be first in line to see it.
These three examples are just scratching the surface of actors and actresses who need comebacks. We haven’t gotten to Nicholas Cage or Geena Davis, yet, or even Jodie Foster or Annette Bening. The list could go on and on and on, and so could this blog, so maybe another installment could be in store in the future. And as stated above, you never know who else will join the ever-growing list of performers who need comebacks.
murphy my all time fav