Zoe Tamerlis Lund

When she died in 1999 of heart failure caused by years of drug use, she went by her married name, Zoe Lund, but throughout most of her short film career she was better known as Zoe Tamerlis.

It appeared that when she died at age 37, she was doing more writing than acting, but based on her powerful performance as a mute rape victim in her first film, Ms 45, Zoe Tamerlis had Oscar caliber talent.

She played two vastly different roles in her second film, Special Effects, which proved that she was an up-and-coming talent to watch. Some television work came next followed by the movie Bad Lieutenant, which she wrote.

From what I know of Zoe Tamerlis Lund, she was a bit of a free spirit whose work, whether it be acting or writing, fell more on the "performance artist" side. Either way, she was an interesting actress that sadly the world never got to know.

John Cazale

People familiar with the work of John Cazale already know that he only made five movies before he died at the young age of forty-two. Three of those films won the Oscar for Best Picture and the other two were nominated. All of his performances are Oscar worthy, but it's his work in Dog Day Afternoon and The Godfather Part II that has etched their way into the memories of anyone who has seen those films.

Actually, his performances in all five of his movies stand out and one can't help but wonder if he'd lived longer what his film future would have held. My guess would be more pairings with Al Pacino and I'd be willing to bet that Quentin Tarantino would have pursued him for a role or two.

John Cazale's life ended just when film audiences were starting to recognize him. Surely his track record of being in great films would have ended, but just think of the lesser films that would have been so much better just to have had his presence.

I often wonder what kind of career Joe Pesci would have had if John Cazale had lived, as I could easily see Cazale in Goodfellas or Raging Bull - or for that matter, Home Alone. We'll never know what would have been. The only thing we know for sure is that the movie world is blessed to have had John Cazale - if only for a short while.

Joe Mantell

In 1955, Joe Mantell was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in the big screen adaptation of Marty. A long and productive acting career followed, but not the recognition. This is really a shame, for had he been given the chance, one can only imagine how he would have handled the larger roles that should have come his way.

Joe Mantell is truly one of the most unappreciated actors that ever worked. Just watch the The Twilight Zone episode A Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room, in which he plays not only himself but his mirrored reflection as well, and I dare you to disagree with me.

Although he did have some smaller roles in major movies like Chinatown and The Birds, he spent most of his forty-decade career as a television guest star giving memorable performances in a variety of shows that ranged from Kraft Theater to Alfred Hitchcock Presents and from The Untouchables to Combat.

I'm sure that fame is the last thing that most working actors want, but Joe Mantell was certainly gifted enough to have had it, making him today's pick for Not Very Famous...but should be.

Lisa Blount

So many times in this blog I mention actors that look like they're on their way to star status and for reasons beyond me, never reach that position. Case in point - Lisa Blount. How can anyone watch An Officer and a Gentleman and not notice her performance? After that film came out, I couldn't help but wonder why more choice roles didn't follow.

She actually did win an Oscar - for producing the live action short, The Accountant featuring two other actors that are also "not very famous, but should be" - Ray McKinnon and Walton Goggins. In fact, those three wonderful actors appeared in a couple of  films written and directed by McKinnon. One of those films was Chrystal, with Billy Bob Thornton, in which she gave another overlooked Oscar worthy performance.

When she died in 2010 of a rare blood disease, Hollywood ignored her again by not paying tribute to her in the In Memoriam section of the Oscar telecast. Well, for what it's worth, I noticed her career. And if you aren't familiar with her work, you should take notice as well.

Lisa Blount's name might not be a familiar one, but check out her work. It will stay with you.

John Friedrich

There are many actors that seem to be on their way to a successful career in the movies or television and then disappear from the public eye, leaving the fans with only their own speculation as to what happened. John Friedrich is one of those actors.

Like so many of the talented people in this blog, John Friedrich had built up a pretty nice looking resume. His brief scenes with John Travolta in The Boy in the Plastic Bubble are the best parts of that movie. As the love interest to Debra Winger in Thank God It's Friday, his comic charm makes the movie seem better than it actually is. And in the James Woods film Fast-Walking, John Friedrich's understated performance holds its own among a whole slew of scenery chewing character actors like Timothy Carey and Tim McIntire, just to name a few.

John Friedrich's performances were often better than the actual films. The Final Terror is a good example of that. Add to the mix that he looked and sounded vastly different in each role, as well as the fact that many of his movies did poorly at the box office, and you have an excellent actor who fell through the cracks.

With most of his films, and especially his work in the movies, The Wanderers, A Small Circle of Friends, and the television mini-series, The Thorn Birds, John Friedrich has actual proof that he could have been a star. And I'm one fan that believes that it could still happen.

Barry Miller

John Travolta received all of the attention when Saturday Night Fever came out in 1977, but it was Barry Miller in the role of Bobby C that caught my eye. I found him to be the most interesting character in the film, and I don't credit the script for that. I credit the actor.

The more movies I saw Barry Miller in, the more I was impressed with his acting talents. And then a few years later when his wonderful performance in Fame hit the theaters, I figured he was well on his way to becoming a household name. I was wrong.

More memorable performances were to follow in films like The Chosen and Peggy Sue Got Married, as well as the short-lived, but very good television show Equal Justice, in which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. However, it appears that the only medium to really appreciate his talents was the theatre, as he won a Tony Award in 1985 for the Neil Simon play, Biloxi Blues.

Barry Miller hasn't done any major film or television work for almost ten years now. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his days in front of the camera aren't over.

Glynnis O'Connor

Glynnis O'Connor was first noticed by the public masses in 1976 when she starred opposite the teen heart throb of the time, Robby Benson, in the low budget film adaptation of the popular song Ode to Billie Joe. That was quickly followed by playing opposite John Travolta in the television movie, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and then back with Robby Benson again in the television adaptation of the play Our Town.

In the late 1970's she was a familiar face in the then popular made-for-television movies. Once the networks stopped churning out the weekly dramas, Glynnis O'Connor seemed to fade away. Actually, she never quit working, but without the networks promoting her work, her name quietly faded from the spotlight.

Unless you're a baby boomer, you might not be familiar with Glynnis O'Connor, but she's a good actress whose work deserves a second look. My personal favorite of hers is a little seen gem from 1980 called Those Lips, Those Eyes with Frank Langella about summer stock theatre in the 1950's.

Glynnis O'Connor is still working as an actress, although she isn't as high profile as she once was, she's still a solid presence to any project she's a part of.

Thalmus Rasulala

You might not recognize the name of Thalmus Rasulala, but his face is very familiar to fans of the Blaxploitation films of the 1970's. From Cool Breeze to Blacula and from Bucktown to Willie Dynamite, and many, many more, he usually played the good-looking hero, often paired with Pam Grier.

When the Blaxploitation era ended, many of the careers of those stars ended as well, but Thalmus Rasulala managed to keep steady work within the Hollywood system. I believe part of this was because of his excellent portrayal of Kunta Kinte's father in the popular mini-series Roots.

Although the movie parts and television guest staring roles that followed weren't always as large or memorable as the characters he portrayed in the 1970's, Thalmus Rasulala was a working actor with a powerful screen presence that one couldn't help but notice.

Sadly, he is no longer with us. On October 9, 1991, Thalmus Rasulala suffered a heart attack shortly after filming his last scenes in Mom and Dad Save the World and passed away at the young age of 51.

Wendie Jo Sperber

Wendie Jo Sperber is mostly known for her role in the Tom Hanks, Peter Scolari television show Bosom Buddies, and although she was quite good in that short-lived series, it's her work in her very first film that I believe really stands for the star that she should have been.

Her performance alone in Robert Zemeckis comedy from 1978, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, is living proof of the comic gift that she possessed. Other comedies came her way, like 1941, Used Cars and Back to the Future, but the roles were smaller and she just never caught on with the movie-going public.

Part Gilda Radner, part Vivian Vance, Wendie Jo Sperber should have been the female comedy sensation of the 1980's, but like so many talented performers before and after her, it just wasn't in the cards.

In 2005, after a long and courageous battle with Cancer, Wendie Jo Sperber passed away at the young age of 47. Her TV shows and movies are still around and are worth a look, but if you can, check out her work in I Wanna Hold Your Hand. I think you'll see for yourself what I am talking about.

Al St. John

Al St. John held his own and often stole the spotlight as he shared the screen with the silent superstars Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. And yet today he is practically unknown. Had Turner Classic Movies not run an Arbuckle marathon I would have never discovered this versatile clown myself. And I am so glad that I did.

His precise comic timing, coupled with elaborate physical routines and jaw-dropping pratfalls, makes me wonder why this graceful acrobat is not mentioned along side the other great comedians of the silent era.

Once the talkies arrived and the film comedies became more sophisticated, Al St. John took on the comic sidekick role of Fuzzy Q. Jones playing opposite Buster Crabbe and later Lash LaRue in a series of low budget westerns. Most of these westerns gave him a showcase solo scene in which he could perform some classic physical routine.

Forgotten by most today, he never achieved the super star status of Chaplin, Keaton, and Arbuckle, but as long as their silent comedies are shown, Al St. John will always have a second chance to be discovered.

NEW BLOG ON SILENT MOVIES

If you like this post, then check out my new blog, When Voices Were Silent about films and stars that made up the greatest era of motion picture history - the silent era.

whenvoicesweresilent.blogspot.com

Amy Wright

Those familiar with the film work of Amy Wright know her better as the actress that never seems to age. Actually, she's aged quite well, but in the late 1970's, the thirty-year-old actress was still playing teens. And maybe that's why she never got the glory that she deserves.

That's a real shame because Amy Wright is as good as they get. Theater audiences already know this as she has been featured in numerous Broadway productions, including many by the acclaimed playwright Lanford Wilson.

Some of her best film roles were in small movies like Wise Blood and Inside Moves, which is probably why the mainstream public isn't aware of her talents. That's a pity, as these films need to be seen - especially in this day and age of break-out indie performances. If those two movies were to come out today, critics would be predicting Oscar nominations for Amy Wright.

Her talents go way beyond those two films mentioned, though, as she shines in all of her work. With her plain, earthy look and memorable offbeat characters, Amy Wright is today's pick for Not Very Famous...But Should Be.

Robert Joy

Why Robert Joy isn't more well known is beyond me. During his early film career, he had memorable supporting roles in the critically acclaimed Canadian film, Ticket to Heaven, the Oscar nominated Atlantic City and Madonna's first major movie, Desperately Seeking Susan. And even then, Hollywood kept her distance.

Television audiences probably know him best as Dr. Sid Hammerback on CSY:NY, but that hardly scratches the surface to the depth, detail and diversity that Robert Joy brings to each role.

Like so many great actors before him, this wonderful actor has found work in several low budget horror films like George Romero's Land of the Dead and the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, in which he steals the show.

I'm sure that fame is the last thing most of these working actors wants or needs. It's just a shame that talents like Robert Joy aren't more universally known. If they were, I'm sure their names would be popping up a lot more come Oscar time.

Roy Brocksmith

It was my wife who introduced me to this fine character actor many years ago. They both grew up in the same town of Quincy, Illinois and my wife used to love to watch Roy Brocksmith on the stage as he appeared in many local productions.

I remember going to the movies or watching television and whenever Roy Brocksmith's name or image came onto the screen, my wife would say his name and get all excited. And there was a good reason this. The guy was really talented.

Throughout his too short career he played a lot of judges, doctors and teachers - and even a few coroners. A lesser actor would have looked and sounded the same in each role, but Roy Brocksmith was not a lesser actor. He took full advantage of the short screen time he was often given and managed to still bring us full-fledged characters that in the hands of someone else would have come across as a one-note role.

Roy Brocksmith passed away in 2001, robbing the entertainment world of his fine talents. However, his movies and television shows he guest starred in can still be found. If you'd like to discover this wonderful actor, I suggest starting with Arachnophobia.

Catherine Burns

Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davidson are all good actors and stars in their own right. However, it was little known Catherine Burns who in 1969 out shined them all as the shy, straight-laced friend, Rhoda in the disturbing coming-of-age film Last Summer, which earned her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.

This was followed by another good film with Richard Thomas, Red Sky at Morning, and a slew of television guest appearances, which were usually above the material she was given.

In the mid 1980's it appears that Catherine Burns dropped out of the acting profession and turned her attention to writing. She is the author of a children's book, The Winter Bird.

Who knows why so many talented actors walk away from their careers and what circumstances lead up to their decision. It's good to know that the work of Catherine Burns is out there for all to find. And when you do, you're in for a real treat.

ADDENDUM

Catherine Burns passed away on February 2, 2019. She didn't want to be remembered as an actress and once said that she hated Last Summer, the film that earned her an Oscar nomination. It is certainly a controversial film and not for everyone. However, it's hard not to want to find out more about this gifted performer after viewing her riveting performance.