MovieChat Forums > The Goonies (1985) Discussion > Why did so many of the cast's careers go...

Why did so many of the cast's careers go nowhere?

posted 9 years ago by fiatlux-1
18 replies | jump to latest

Or almost nowhere?

I was certain that Josh Brolin would have a long career, and perhaps Sean Astin too.
I figured their celebrity parents would be a bonus.

Josh Brolin got a couple roles later, but his drinking & his wife-beating ruined his career. His looks began to fade too.

Except for the occasional role by Martha Plimpton, & Corey Feldman, they were basically never seen again.

I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus.
Didn't he discover America?
Penfold, shush.

[–] koen_jespers 9 years ago

Sean astin and Josh Brolin I think were the ones with the best career! The rest sort of became invisible!! ....

[–] shiftylee 9 years ago

Child actors rarely grow up to be successful adult actors.

[–] davcalla777 9 years ago

Corey Feldman did quite well, even though the heroin possession messed him up, Mary Ellen Trainor, Mikey and Brand mom, did okay, with the Lethal weapon series, Martha plimpton did semi ok, Parenthood and couple others, Sean Astin did the best IMO

[–] SamuelLJedi 9 years ago

Plimpton is still working to this day. Feldman was never interested I think in really being a character actor. So the roles he was great for he quickly out grew. I'm sure with the right part Feldman could re-emerge as a character actor. Feldman is a great actor and he's been in some really memorable films. Maybe TV would be a better switch.

[–] Ken1260 9 years ago

Do you even know what you are talking about.

Sean Astin went on to do the 3 Lord of the Ring Movies.

Josh Brolin did No Country For Old Men and Milk.

[–] oregon-5 9 years ago

Are you friggin' kidding me.

As mentioned, Josh Brolin & Sean Astin have had great careers. However, the rest, as you might expect are a mixed bag.

Corey Feldman is mostly into his band, Truth Movement

Kerri Green, seems to still be acting but not all the time

Johnathan Quan is a stunt coordinator. I think he is working mostly in the Far East.

Jeff Cohen, typecast as the 'fat kid' after The Goonies, went onto become a successful entertainment lawyer.

& Martha Plimpton, who probably has had the most varied career, acting in TV, Broadway & film.
she won an Emmy in 2012 for guest Actress for The Good Wife and recevied 2 other nominations (for her starring role in Raising Hope, on FOX for 4 years, and another guest shot on Law & Orfer:SVU)

For the Fratellis:
Anne Ramsey passed away in 1988, but she had a long career before Goonies and later starred in Throw Momma From The Train. John Matuzak, (Sloth) died in 1989 and was better know for his NFL career rather than as an actor.
Robert Davi, still acting, maybe not as high profile as Joe Pantoliano, who has done some great films since.

Director Richard Donner went on to direct the Lethal Weapon films, along with Maverick, Conspiracy Theory & 16 Blocks.

So there...

[–] Hendry_William_French 9 years ago

Astin and Brolin both have had established and hugely acclaimed careers from The Goonies until now.

Aside from Jeff Cohen (who retired), Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton and Jonathan Ke Quan may not have had the same success in adulthood as they did when they were kids/teens but that doesn't change the fact they were all extremely gifted performers. You can't take that away from them. The industry changed as they grew older and they found themselves not able to get the same parts they once did. I'd say it's better to burn bright for a short time making special movies (that have a legacy) than have a whole career of crap but successful films like Seth Rogen (who will be forgotten).

Also, having a long career in the acting business (in terms of a-list starring) doesn't always equate to being talented. George Clooney for example is a mainstay of Hollywood and he's the most mediocre film star of all time. Same goes for all the current stars like Jonah Hill etc. They're just lucky to be mega famous in a generally average time for films. The guys in this movie were a product of different era of film making, a much better one, and are ten times more talented than anyone around now of the same age they were in The Goones.

Buckle up back there, we're going into... hyperactive

[–] Dan_Garten 9 years ago

Martha Plimpton went on to be a pretty successful character actress.

[–] Hendry_William_French 8 years ago

Exactly my point. They're all successful in their own way. They don't have to be starring in blockbusters and Oscar epics every year to be considered successful actors. All the actors in this film did great, and the ones that are still acting have all had tremendous careers.

These were talented performers in this film, make no mistake. If they made The Goonies now then they wouldn't find actors 1/100th as gifted as the ones in this movie. This movie's cast, like a lot of classic films, was a one off.

You know back before the war broke out I was a saucier in San Antone

[–] baran_erik 8 years ago

It's funny hearing an old man rant about how great the 80s were compared to today, especially since the same things were being said about the 80s back then. Today is never as good as the time in which you grew up. rme And waxing nostalgic just makes you look like an old man.

[–] dboone1025 9 years ago

I think it's extremely difficult to go from being a child star into adult acting. Look at Macaulay Culkin? Gary Coleman.

-It seems like the roles for people from 12/13 to 20 are kind of sparse. You're not the cute kid anymore. And older people (in their 20's) often play teenagers or highschool students.

I think its difficult to redefine your career at such a young age. Some do manage it, Ricky Schroder.

There's more to being a kid than tv or movie success. Juggling the two (family, school, your personal life) with the hectic schedule of a tv or movie shoot isn't easy.

[–] Bookmanmovielover 9 years ago

Sean Astin has done very well. He did Lord of the Rings. He is now doing some Christian movies. I have also heard him speaking about religion & politics.

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