Charles Martin Smith

Charles Martin Smith and a handful of other unknown actors made many take notice in 1973 when American Graffiti  took the movie world by storm. His portrayal of Terry the Toad, just may have been the first movie nerd, but unlike similar characters in today's movies, this one wasn't there strictly for laughs. In fact pathos played a huge part in the success of that role and a rare, comic three dimensional character was born.

And even though, many of his movies since then have gone unnoticed, Charles Martin Smith is an actor with a very impressive resume.

From The Buddy Holly Story  to More American Graffiti  and from Starman  to The Untouchables, he has proven that he can not only hold his own with any actor, but can also carry a film all by himself, as he did in Never Cry Wolf. This was long before Tom Hanks did Castaway and his work in that film is every bit as good if not better than the more famous Hanks.

That's either the curse or the blessing of being Not Very Famous. However it hasn't stopped Charles Martin Smith from working and when his name appears in the credits, just know you will be watching a pro that will fit in seamlessly with the major star he's playing opposite.

P. J. Soles

Many actors in popular lower budget movies eventually graduate to roles in more mainstream films. While P. J. Soles managed to be a part of some of the early cult classics of the 1970's, her career never really went where it seemed to be headed.

Not that she doesn't have a following, for fans of Rock 'n Roll High School and Halloween have been waiting for her big breakout movie for over thirty years. That never happened and has left many fans scratching their heads as to why.

With her good looks and natural talent in front of the camera, she seemed to have all that was needed to becoming a Hollywood star. Add to the mix some good supporting work in Carrie and Stripes and it appeared that a future with her name above the title was imminent.

Mainstream fame never found P. J. Soles, but that never slowed down her acting career as she has been working fairly steady ever since her early days. And when it's all said and done, that's not a bad life for an actor.

Sid Haig

If Hollywood had a clue, Sid Haig would have not only been a James Bond villain, but also the nemesis to several of the super heroes in the countless remakes and sequels of the comic book stars that constantly pollute the movie houses.

Fortunately, there are directors like Jack Hill, Quinton Tarantino and Rob Zombie who had the good cinematic sense to utilize the talents of Sid Haig to benefit their own films.

Primarily cast as a bad guy, Sid Haig is a veteran of countless television shows and movies. His best work is with the three directors mentioned above where he is unforgettable in such low budget classics like Spider Baby, Coffy, Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown, House of 1000 Corpses  and The Devils Rejects.

Sid Haig is a living legend among fans of cult cinema, but most mainstream movie goers are not familiar with his work. This is really a shame for his talent and experience should have earned him the chance in an A-list movie. Until then he'll just have to settle for Not Very Famous...but should be.

ADDENDUM

Sid Haig passed away on September 21, 2019. Mainstream Hollywood once again missed out on opportunities to use this wonderful character actor. Thankfully, the so-called B-movie exists, for it's through them the world is able to discover so many overlooked talents. R.I.P. Mr. Haig.

Robert Sorrells

If anyone remembers Robert Sorrells today, it is most likely from the murder he committed in 2004 and not for his memorable work as a guest star in many popular television shows from the 1960's.

Although probably most remembered as the robot baseball player in the Twilight Zone episode, The Mighty Casey, his best work was in television westerns such as Gunsmoke, Rawhide, Bonanza, Daniel Boone, Lancer, Kung Fu and Death Valley Days. And although Robert Sorrells guest starred in other shows like The Waltons, Judd for the Defense and Cannon, as westerns faded from television, so did this wonderful actor.

Smaller roles in films like Bound for Glory and Fletch would follow, but by 1990 his very busy career had come to a stand still. Then on July 24, 2004, after an earlier argument, Robert Sorrells walked into a bar and opened fire, killing one man and seriously wounding another. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.

Robert Sorrells is remembered these days as a murderer, and will most likely be forgotten as the fine actor he once was. A sad legacy for a talented man.

ADDENDUM

Robert Sorrells died in prison on June 11, 2019. Of the over two hundred actors profiled on this blog, he managed to bring out the most complete picture of tragedy through all of the comments in this section. His work will live on and sadly, so will the pain that two families have endured through his actions. I hope people will continue to use this blog to post stories and share their love, anger and frustration, for it is through all of your comments we have gotten to know, for better and for worse, the life of a talented but extremely flawed man.

Sam Bottoms

Like his brother, Timothy, who was featured here on 6/15/12, the career of Sam Bottoms ran pretty much the same course.They both received good notices for early film work and while they both kept working, they never seemed to grab the attention of the Hollywood radar and land the career-changing roles that they both should have had.

Sam Bottoms is remembered by most as Lance B. Johnson, the surfing soldier in Apocalypse Now and as the mute boy in The Last Picture Show. Those two performances alone should have pushed him to the next level, but for whatever reason, his career ended with sub-par made-for-television movies and forgettable straight-to-video productions.

Clint Eastwood seemed to be the only person with power who was aware of his talents, casting him in supporting roles in two of his films, The Outlaw Josey Wales and Bronco Billy. Sam Bottoms certainly had the talent, good looks and charm to go far, but like so many others that are profiled in this blog, he was never rewarded what he deserved.

In 2008, Sam Bottoms died of a brain tumor at the young age of 53, stealing any chance of landing that one role that would get him back on the A-list. Shame on you Hollywood. You never seem to know what you have until it's gone.

Patty McCormack

With the exception of Ron Howard and Natalie Wood, most child stars seem to either disappear from the business, commit suicide, have drug problems or end up in jail. And while the mainstream public may not remember Patty McCormack, she never left the business and to this day is still working in front of the camera.

Her big claim to fame was as the evil, murderous child, Rhoda Penmark in the Broadway and film productions of The Bad Seed. From there she went on to play Helen Keller  in the Playhouse 90 adaption of The Miracle Worker and then landed the lead role in the short lived television series, Peck's Bad Girl.

Patty McCormack continued to work and grew up virtuously unnoticed by the public, appearing in a wide variety of television shows that ranged from One Step Beyond  to Route 66 and from The Wild Wild West  to Barnaby Jones, just to name a few.

She's still working and has been featured in many televisions shows and movies like The Sopranos as well as the Oscar nominated film, Frost/Nixon, where she played Pat Nixon. Patty McCormack may not be as well known now as she was as a child, but she has endured and is living proof that you don't have to be famous to be a working actor.

G.D. Spradlin

G.D. Spradlin was not a leading man. In fact, his roles were usually smaller than the supporting ones. And yet, he added authenticity to any film that he happened to be a part of.

Often cast as sleazy politicians or prominent war figures, G.D. Spradlin was the perfect actor to punch up a scene. And he did this time after time in movie after movie.

His work as the corrupt politician, Senator Pat Geary, in The Godfather, Part II,  is proof that small roles can have a big impact. Few will argue the depth and beauty of that film and G.D. Spradlin's performance is a small part of a perfect piece that together help create that wonderful movie. A lesser actor would have made for a lesser film.

From Apocalypse Now  to North Dallas Forty and from The Formula  to Robert Kennedy and His Times, where he played Lyndon Johnson, G.D. Spradlin may not have been a star, but his performances helped make some of his co-workers become one.

Lynne Thigpen

From her first film in 1974, Godspell, Lynne Thigpen had a commanding presence that was hard to ignore. A lot of live theater work followed and she wouldn't appear in another film for six years when The Warriors  hit the movie houses. What makes her work so special in that film is the fact that we only see her mouth throughout the movie, and yet she is very much a part of that ensemble of promising young performers.

Although never a leading actor, her roles often seemed bigger than they actually were. This was due to her amazing talent and dedication to her craft. It was hard not to notice.

Trained for live theater, Lynne Thigpen bounced between the stage, television and films her entire career, working steadily in all three mediums. And although she appeared in many movies and television shows, her name was never fully recognized by the mainstream public.

Lynne Thigpen passed away suddenly on March 12, 2003 of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving many of those impressed with her talents wondering what might have come next. Sadly, it's a question that will never be answered.

Ed Lauter

A good character actor gets a lot of work. They're usually not the best looking person in the movie, but are often remembered long after the final credits. Audiences tend to notice their work from film to film, but can never quite place the name. Ed Lauter was one of those actors.

It seems like he was around forever, often playing tough, slightly crooked individuals on either side of the law. And no matter the size of the role (which was often small) his performances were hard to ignore.

From Magic  to Family Plot  and from the original 1974 film, The Longest Yard  to the 2005 remake of the same name, Ed Lauter added spice to scenes and complemented the overall acting ensemble of just about every project he was a part of.

Even though his performances were always strong and memorable, an Oscar nomination never made his resume. However, like a good soldier, audiences could always count on Ed Lauter going above and beyond his duty to deliver a performance that held its own among the best.

James Hayden

James Hayden must have been on the Hollywood inside track because his death of a drug overdose in 1983 made national news.

His biggest movie, Once Upon A Time in America, where he had a supporting role opposite Robert DeNiro, hadn't even been released yet. It was through his critically acclaimed Broadway performances in A View From the Bridge and American Buffalo, that had insiders anticipating great things for this troubled actor.

Like many actors before him, James Hayden started out in small roles in now forgotten films like The First Deadly Sin, and the made-for-television movie, The Patricia Neal Story, in which he played a young Martin Sheen. He did show a lot of promise as Patsy Goldberg in Once Upon A Time in America and was seen by many as an actor on his way up, but the movies on his resume and the performances within them, are things one sees as stepping stones at the beginning of a career, not at the end.

Had he lived, who knows what kind of an impact this talented actor would have had on the entertainment world. His star was rising and he certainly would have had opportunities, but sadly we'll never know, making James Hayden my pick of the day for Not Very Famous...but should be.

Mink Stole

Mink Stole is famous to anyone familiar with the underground movies of John Waters. And while Divine gets most of the attention of those early films, it's this crazy character actress that has seemed to really endure.

A virtual nobody to mainstream audiences, Mink Stole's wacky talent would be an asset to any Hollywood production. Unfortunately, Hollywood is too narrow minded to look beyond what some call her "tasteless" resume to invest in her talents for a big budget movie.

This is not only Hollywood's loss, but film lovers loss as well, for if one were to look beyond the crude humor of Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble and Desperate Living, one would find Mink Stole a comic gem that could compete with just about any comic actress from the past or present. Many independent filmmakers already know this and have cast her in their films, with But I'm a Cheerleader being her most seen since her heyday in the 1970's.

Mink Stole still works today in low budget films, but her legacy will most likely be with the early work of John Waters. And unless something changes, this wonderful actress will have to settle for Not Very Famous...but should be.

Lisa Eichhorn

There are actors and there are movie stars. Lisa Eichhorn is an actor. And a good one at that. She had a promising start in movies which could have easily lead to stardom, but she fell off the radar almost as suddenly as she began the journey.

Had her early movies been box office successes, things probably would have turned out much differently. Unfortunately, Hollywood puts dollars over talent and Lisa Eichhorn ended up here, with the Not Very Famous, instead of top billing in a blockbuster motion picture.

After an eye-catching debut in 1979 playing opposite Richard Gere in the World War II drama, Yanks, she looked like the movie star of the future. Movie stars need audiences, though, and her next film, Why Would I Lie, with Treat Williams, failed to bring them in.

It was her performance in her following film, however, that really showcased her talent as an actor, when she played the alcoholic wife of John Heard in the little seen, Cutter's Way, which should have earned her an Oscar nomination, but just like her career, was overlooked by the mainstream public.

Today Lisa Eichhorn is still working as an actress, but the leading roles seem to be something of the past. She has the talent to carry a film, though, and hopefully the right project will come along so that more people can appreciate and enjoy what she has to offer.