B movies tend to feature actors and actresses either on their way to stardom or on their way out. Ya know, like TV’s Murder, She Wrote did.
In your opinion, which actor or actress with a role in an MST3k-riffed movie hit the highest heights post-role?
I think Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood may be highest in this list. Surprisingly, Shawn Levy ( Jim from Zombie Nightmare) should make the list as he went on to become primary producer of Stranger Things and several A-list films.
Who do you think makes the list?
To make things interesting, let exclude those actors and actresses that were already famous by the time they were in that MST3K-riffed role.
Great question! Eastwood and Levy are both excellent. Others that come to mind for me are Demi Moore, Michael Landon, Jack Elam, David Hasslehoff (it wouldn’t last), and Beau Bridges.
From Nastenka’s mean sister (a role that almost saw her quit the movies, after breaking down in tears after seeing it) to one of the most respected actors of stage and screen.
My favorite performances from her include…
The Debut (1970)
Vassa (1983)
The Year of the Dog (1994)
The people responsible for The Christmas Dragon got themselves an internationally-aired CW show with The Outpost, two of the actors from the former getting series regular roles.
I’d be tempted to say James Best, but I think Killer Shrews might have been after his career-making roles on The Twilight Zone.
And I can’t really sanction the buffoonery of The Beverly Dukes of Hillbilly Hazzard, although his role there is no doubt his most famous.
For certain, Donald Pleasence and Roddy McDowall don’t count: they’d seen better days! Ditto Cameron Mitchell, who played an ace character in High Chapparal.
