Viral Video Stars Then and Now
They used to say there are no second acts in American life. Thanks to the internet, though, these days once-famous folks never really go away.
They used to say there are no second acts in American life. Thanks to the internet, though, these days once-famous folks never really go away.
In 1988, some serious movie magic brought cartoons to life in a way that awed audiences, critics and the Academy Awards. In 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit,' daring director Robert Zemeckis seamlessly blended 2D hand-drawn cartoon characters into a live action film, where they interacted with physical props as well as some incredibly game performers!
Oh, the '90s sitcom mother. How do we miss thee!
Among the many television families we've encountered over our years glued to the TV set it seems certain that the 'Family Ties' cast is one of the most beloved. Week after week viewers flocked to the box to see what the Keatons had in store for America -- and it was rarely a let down. Perhaps unintentionally, the cast became the ideal family for the American culture of the 1980s as it dealt with issues such the changing liberalism of the '60s and '70s to the conservatism of the Reagan years. Amid it all, the series accidentally produced one of the most successful actors of all time: Michael J. Fox.
'Air Bud' told the tale of Buddy, a canine with mad basketball skills. The film was a hit for Disney in 1997 and a theatrical sequel, in which Buddy takes up football, soon followed.
It's the movie that taught us the phrase "Carpe Diem." It's the film that forged our long-lasting crush on Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke. It is the Oscar-winning coming-of-age drama that made boarding schools seem dreamy yet nightmarish. It is 'Dead Poets Society.'
Then: Although Ted Levine had been working on stage and in films for years, 'Silence of the Lambs' was definitely the trained stage actor's big break. Unfortunately, he was so good at being creepy and evil that he was typecast as a villain for some time after the film's release.
The stars burn brightest during Oscar season. But for some the spotlight is short-lived, even when they win.
In the FOX drama 'Party of Five,' the five Salinger siblings are forced to fend for themselves when both their parents are killed in a car accident.
The show wasn't a hit when it premiered in 1994, but strong reviews kept it going long enough for it to gather a following. The drama ended up lasting six season and launched the careers of some fairly big stars.
Then: Darrin Kenneth O'Brien AKA Snow gained international success with his debut single 'Informer.' O'Brien grew up in a rough neighborhood in Toronto, and Jamaican neighbors had introduced him to reggae music. He had just finished serving time in jail for assault when the song became a hit.