Adrienne Shelly

The death of Adrienne Shelly came right when the career of this talented actress appeared to be off and running. Fans of her early work with director Hal Hartley had already discovered her talent in his films, The Unbelievable Truth and Trust, and had watched her do equally compelling work with other directors.

But it was her final film, Waitress, which she wrote, directed and co-starred in, that would bring her the most praise. Unfortunately, she never had the opportunity to see what would have come next, as she was murdered in her home by a worker she had discovered stealing.

Unfortunately, when these tragedies occur, the focus becomes on the death instead of the life lived, and the work that made up their lives is overshadowed by the tragic loss.

So if you'd like to see what this wonderful actress did with her career, check out the previously mentioned films, as well as anything else that carries her name. You will discover that Adrienne Shelly may not have had fame, but she had something more important. Success.

Mike Kellin

Many internet sites claim that Mike Kellin was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Midnight Express. Although his performance as the father  in that film is worthy of that honor, it never happened. Sadly, this internet false fact seems to be the only thing keeping this wonderful actor on the minds of the general public.

The real fact, or a least the one that really matters, is that Mike Kellin was a working actor in television, movies and the New York stage, and he did his job as good if not better than many of his peers.

He rarely had the showy role, but was able to hold his own among the many scene chewing actors like Jack Lemmon and Shelley Winters that he shared screen time with. With his tired, worn-out looking face and his troubled non-actor look, Mike Kellin appeared in scores of television shows and movies that ranged from Have Gun Will Travel  to Naked City  and The Wackiest Ship in the Army  to Next Stop Greenwich Village.

Midnight Express is probably his best film work and for a good look at him in his younger days, one should check out the Twilight Zone episode from season four - The Thirty-Fathom Grave and see for yourself what a wonderful actor he was.

Thomas Jane

Thomas Jane is a busy actor. And although he's managed to be noticed in several mainstream movies, like Boogie Nights and The Deep Blue Sea, his career is flying well under the radar of the mainstream public.

Maybe this is because he has the looks of a leading man, but the versatility of a character actor. He's done both successfully and probably the reason people don't recognize him from role to role.

His most seen work has been with HBO, first playing Mikey Mantle in the wonderful baseball picture, 61, and most recently as Ray Drecker, the teacher turned prostitute in the little seen series, Hung. Both of these projects showcase his ability to be charming and likeable and one would think lead to more high profile projects.

He is most likely enjoying the work without the celebrity, but Thomas Jane can't hide forever. He has all of the right ingredients to become a full-fledged star and once he lands that big box office hit - look out.

Debralee Scott

Although she is probably best remembered as a celebrity guest on game shows like The Match Game and The $20,000 Pyramid, Debralee Scott was a very talented actress that appeared regularly on television in the 1970's and '80's.

She had one of those faces that you recognized and a name that you didn't. However, when you saw her, you knew you were in for a treat, as she had a wonderful gift for comedy. That gift would take her through several top shows like Welcome Back Kotter, Angie and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, where she played Mary's promiscuous younger sister.

And even though she was memorable in everything she did, fame never really passed the flirting stage and she is virtually forgotten today by the mainstream public. Even when she died unexpectedly in 2005 at the young age of 52, the news traveled slow, creating very little interest.

She certainly had the talent to be more well known and I continue to scratch my head as to why her and all of the other wonderful people on this blog continue to slip through the cracks. Blame it on timing, her agent, herself. Who knows? The only thing I know for sure is that Debralee Scott is Not Very Famous...but should be. And she's with good company.

William Windom

Baby boomers are most likely familiar with either the name or the face of William Windom, but unfortunately he has gone unnoticed by the other generations. This is a crime, for he was one of the best actors in the business from any era. And his work backs up that statement.

Although primarily a television actor, he got his start in one of the most famous dramas of the Twentieth Century - To Kill A Mockingbird, where he played Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor of Tom Robinson.

It was in television, though, where William Windom really made his mark, winning an Emmy for the critically acclaimed, but low-rated comedy, My World and Welcome To It. He also had many memorable guest starring roles on popular shows like Star Trek, Gunsmoke, Love American Style and Rod Serling's Night Gallery, where his performance in the episode, They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar  is about as close to perfection that an actor can get.

Had the brunt of William Windom's career been in movies instead of television, he more than likely would have given some Oscar worthy performances. As it stands, though, his work has proven that he was Oscar caliber in any medium.

Leon Isaac Kennedy

In 1979, the Blaxploitation era was over, but fans of those films still had the grindhouse circuit to satisfy their needs for cheap action, gritty characters and low budget dialog that ranged from ridiculous to brilliant.

That was about the time that Leon Isaac Kennedy burst onto the scene with the popular low budget prison boxing film, Penitentiary. It would still be a few years away from Disney running the grindhouse crowd out of 42nd Street and he would become one of the last action stars of that colorful era.

Another boxing film, Body and Sole, followed, as well as two more Penitentiary  movies, but the book was closing fast and Quentin Tarantino was not around yet to bring that type of film into the mainstream. And while fans of grindhouse cinema waited for their beloved films to be discovered, Leon Isaac Kennedy fell into obscurity.

He had the looks and talent to either be an action star or dramatic actor, but timing is everything and as corporate America took over the movies, Leon Isaac Kennedy and his low budget action films were somehow sadly lost in the exchange.

James Hampton

Although his face may be recognizable, most people probably won't register the name. However, James Hampton is a working actor in not only television and movies, but in commercials as well. And appearing in those venues have kept him a busy man. Not famous, but busy.

His natural ability in front of the camera has enabled him to go unnoticed from role to role. This does not mean he's dull. It means he does his job, for not all roles are glamorous and James Hampton's body of work is the true example of that.

From F-Troop  to the Doris Day Show and from The China Syndrome to Sling Blade, James Hampton has flown under the radar, while at the same time helped make so many television shows and movies much better. And while he's been primarily a supporting actor, he proved he could carry a film with his heart warming performance in the 1976 western comedy, Hawmps.

Young actors today could learn a lot from studying the career of James Hampton. What they will find is an actor that rarely has scene stealing roles, but always delivers. And most importantly, is always working. And for an actor, that's really what it's all about.

ADDENDUM

James Hampton passed away on April 7, 2021 due to complications from Parkinson's disease.

Pamela Reed

Pamela Reed has been working in television and film since the late 1970's and even though there are some who may recognize her name and face, mainstream audiences would not consider her a Hollywood star.

No, instead of being famous, she's an actor, and a very good one at that. Early in her career, though, she seemed to be on the "fame" path with her critically acclaimed performance as Belle Starr  in The Long Riders.

But what should have led to more great roles, only seemed to get her supporting and smaller parts in films like Melvin and Howard  and The Right Stuff. She fared better in television with major roles in the HBO political series, Tanner '88 and the terrorist thriller, Jericho.

As an actress, Pamela Reed is as good as they get and if Hollywood knew what it was doing, she would not only be offered many award worthy roles, but would probably have by now at least one statuette. I guess that's the price of fame, or lack of it.

Scott Jacoby

Fans of the made-for-television movies of the 1970's may remember Scott Jacoby, for he seemed to be in a lot of them. What separated him from the other television actors, though, was the fact that he was often in really good productions.

In fact he even won an Emmy for one them - That Certain Summer, where he played a teenager trying to cope with his fathers homosexuality. This was a big deal in 1972 and he brought to the subject sensitivity and honesty, which wasn't always the case with a made-for-television film.

This was followed by another memorable television performance in the creepy, Bad Ronald, where he played a teenager who lived inside the walls of a home owned by another family. A lot of guest starring work on television shows like The Rookies and Marcus Welby, M.D. came next, as well as a co-starring role opposite Jodie Foster in the theatrical release of The Little Girl That Lives Down The Lane.

But a film career never developed. At that time, television actors rarely crossed over to feature films and with his success on the small screen it looked like he was there to stay. However as the networks cut back on their made-for-television movies, Scott Jacoby disappeared from the limelight.

It's now been over twenty years since he as been seen on any screen. He was a talented young man and it would have been interesting to see where his acting career would have taken him. Instead, Scott Jacoby will just have to settle for being Not Very Famous...but should be.

Fred Ward

Many people are familiar with the work of Fred Ward. His solid performances have enhanced  films for decades, and yet he is not the household name that he should be. One reason could be the fact that some of his best work, like Remo Williams, the Adventure Begins or Henry & June were box office disappointments.

Another reason could be the fact that he was in some pretty wacky films like, UFOria, Tremors and Miami Blues. And yet another reason could be that he often had supporting roles, in movies like Southern Comfort, Escape From Alcatraz  or The Right Stuff.

Whatever the reason, Fred Ward has a resume that most actors can only dream of having. However, it's not the list of films he's been in, but rather the quality of his work that shines in all of them. From tough guy to quirky hero, he is a fun actor to watch.

The size of his roles often vary from lead to supporting and his projects of late haven't been very high profile, but just having his name in the credits always boosts the quality of the project, making Fred Ward my pick of the day for Not Very Famous...but should be.

ADDENDUM

Fred Ward passed away on May 8, 2022. It was always a joy to watch what he brought to the many roles he played. He will be missed.

Erland van Lidth

He only made four films, but Erland van Lidth was equally memorable in all of them. His large size was part of the reason he was noticed. The other was his talent, for he was more than just a big-boned actor. He knew how to take full advantage of his presence to get the most out of every role he played.

Whether through intimidation or sympathy, his characters managed to keep audiences wanting more. And even though his parts were supporting ones, he was the actor that made people want to sit through the credits to discover his name.

Three of his four films have a fan base. Anyone that has seen The Wanderers, Stir Crazy  or The Running Man, will never forget Erland van Lidth as Terror, Grossberger  or Dynamo. His beautiful operatic voice was dubbed for Stir Crazy, but in The Running Man, what you hear is the real deal.

Erland van Lidth died of heart failure in 1987. His movie career was brief, but memorable. And since Hollywood missed her opportunity to use him in other projects, he only left four films for people to view and discover. And what they will find (besides being entertained)  is another actor that is Not Very Famous...but should be.

Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson, also known as Thomas F. Wilson looks like an average person, which is why he most likely goes unnoticed from project to project. That is probably also the reason why his name is rarely mentioned along side other solid supporting players. He blends in so beautifully with whatever ensemble he's playing with that people forget they are watching an actor.

He's no fluke, though. He's been doing this since 1984 when he made his debut on the small screen in an episode of Knight Rider, and has continued to work both as an actor and comedian ever since.

His breakout role was as the bully, Biff  in Back to the Future and its two sequels, but it was his role as Coach Fredricks in the wonderful, but short lived televisions series Freaks and Geeks, where he really was able to shine. His ability to humanize a stereotypical character is easier said than done and he did it with ease, as with all of the characters he plays.

His name might not be on everyone's lips, but it should be, for often the best actors are the ones that you can't tell are acting. Tom Wilson is certainly one of those, which makes him Not Very Famous...but should be.

Franklyn Seales

Although at times his work in films felt a little theatrical, Franklyn Seales was a good actor whose untimely death from AIDS complications at the age of 37, robbed the entertainment world of a talent who could have gone far.

He's mostly known as Dexter Stuffins  in the 1980's sitcom, Silver Spoons, and while that program showed off his comedic talents, it was his dramatic side that lead to his career as an actor.

From his very first theatrical film, The Onion Field, Franklyn Seales and his then unknown co-star, James Woods, practically carry the film in their supporting roles. His compelling performance as killer, Jimmy Lee Smith, is not only powerfully intense, but heartbreaking as well. And any actor that can humanize a killer is an actor worthy of only the best that Hollywood has to offer.

The best never came his way, though, and with his death at such a young age, Franklyn Seales has gone on to actors obscurity. He was an interesting talent to watch, though, and it would have been wonderful to see where his career would have lead him. Sadly, the world will never know.