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Robert Downey Jr.
David Morse
Parker Posey

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I am still convinced that if Robert Downey Jr. could get his life together, he'll be a major player. He's certainly got the talent and he gets lots of chances, Hollywood likes him. He'll probably never be box office, many great actors aren't. But he's got an Oscar or two in him.

Morse has taken an interesting turn in playing the villain, and he's done well with that. He's not a leading man type, but he certainly has turned in some creepy performances, especially this season on House. He'll be around awhile.

For some reason Parker Posey never caught on, but she's still doing well. Her career will probably follow the Jennifer Jason Leigh route, lot's of small well acted roles in small films. An impressive body of work, just not box office.

Believe it or not, some actors prefer to just keep working in small roles rather than obtain "stardom". Only rarely are stars great actors, though everyone pretends they are. They're competent, but not great. (Or, they're capable of great stuff, but often you don't see it in their big roles.)

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True. Most stars, especially today, find a role that sells really well and stick with it. It's those two things together that make your average star. John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Jerry Lewis, Sidney Poitier, and Robert DeNiro are some that come to mind. Even stars that are less narrowly defined in their success and in a narrow selection of roles are still usually quite narrow. Most play, for instance, the good guy who has all the best lines and seems to be the center of absolutely everything. Not a lot of adventure, variety, or surprise going on there. We know he'll by and large be palatable, usually get along with most everyone worth getting along with, instantly wake people up when he walks into a room, and leave everyone looking gray or even non-existent when he leaves it.