Like a more suave Colin Farrel, and also with a similar narrative, Clive Owen shot to stardom as another British adonis in Hollywood. The actor was leading action-packed and critically acclaimed actions and dramas, but then swiftly settled into smaller niche films. Instantly he went from the next possible on the verge A-lister to hardly seen.
One’s status can change ever so quickly and drastically in Hollywood. You never know where you’re going to end up. This year he did land the role of Bill Clinton in American Crime Story, but we have yet to see that so our opinions are subject to change.
Riz Ahmed
"Slumdog Millionaire", one of the most widely praised films to have ever been made could have had a very different look. The film turned Dev Patel into a household name and while we all love Dev, we could have been uttering another name form our lips over that film,. That's right. Riz Ahmed was in the running to be Jamal Malik in the Dany Boyle film.
According to insiders, Ahmed went a touch overboard while auditioning. Fortunately, as we know, he did end up portraying the brother. Still, the actor never reached his full potential. At least he had a shot though. It's probably the film that would have turned Ahmed into a huge star, unfortunately, he is still there, teetering on the edge.
Ryan Reynolds
With the chiseled jaw and blond hair, Ryan Reynolds was a shoo-in for the typical A-lister. After action-packed films like “Blade Trinity” and romantic comedies like “Just Friends” and the “The Proposal”, and even blockbuster hits like 2011's “Green Lantern.”
Still, even with an impressive resume, Ryan Reynolds has been teetering on megastar success for since his stint on the 1998 ABC sitcom "Two Guys And A Girl”. Years later, Reynolds never really made the leap to meatier or weightier roles and will forever be the funny and charismatic guy.
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol started out seriously promising and was churning out the hits. With big-time films like “Rounders”, “Celebrity”, “Donnie Brasco” and “Music from Another Room” she was everywhere. By 1998 Mol was on the cover of Vanity Fair and was dubbed the “It Girl of the Nineties.”
Despite the media madness, Gretchen sort of just fell off the radar. It almost felt like for a moment that press created the buzz just to sell her. The fans didn't buy it and Gretchen Mol was no longer.
Colin Farrel
How did it go wrong? Farrell possessed all the goods to make him a total A-star. The Irish actor gave fantastic performances in films like "American Outlaws", "Minority Report", "Phone Booth", and "In Bruges." He even had his moment in comedy in "Horrible Bosses."
A couple of flops later, and a bit of substance abuse, Farrell didn't quite make the cut to the Leos and Brad Pitts of our time. Maybe he can turn things around, but at this point in his career, we are doubtful.